Earlier this week my friend Robert opined in the comments here that it's the little things that make you happiest. I have thought of this comment all week, and Robert, you are totally correct. Because yesterday I found this:
"Movie Title: The Men Who Stare at Goats. Release Date: November 6. Starring: Ewan McGregor."*
I actually had to stop reading and typing and shake my arms in the air like toddlers do when they get over-excited when I read that. I don't know if I've ever reviewed it here, but Jon Ronson's book The Men Who Stare at Goats is one of the best nonfiction books EVAH.** It's all about journalist Ronson's journey to track down everything that is weird and horrible about the military, and then write it up in such a way that the reader doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. You know those creepy guys who you suspect get into the military just to someday be able to cause pain to their enemies, particularly weird psychological and brainwashing type pain? Ronson goes and finds those guys and talks to them. Amazing. And he's British, so he does it with a certain amount of bitter flair that an American just couldn't pull off.
And the Ewan McGregor part? That's just icing on the cake. I cannot WAIT until November 6...and in the meantime, I'm going to read The Men Who Stare at Goats again. I would highly recommend you do the same.
Have a good weekend, all.
*Further down the page I also learned that Michael Lewis's superlative book The Blind Side is also coming out in movie form later this fall. Awesome.
**This is also one of my all-time favorite book covers. It seems to me to sum up all that is ridiculous about men and guns.
Jazz hands!
Posted by: Jessica | 14 August 2009 at 10:36 AM
Sigh. Saw a preview for The Blindside. While the book looks fantastic (I will definitely be reading it), the movie looks...aweful. I'm coming to loathe Sandra Bullock. Rich white woman rescues poor fat black boy. Maybe it was just the trailer, but it just looked cringe-worthy.
Posted by: Rachael | 14 August 2009 at 12:10 PM
Um, that was supposed to be "awful." Bigger sigh.
Posted by: Rachael | 14 August 2009 at 12:11 PM
If you are interested in lives of the saints, check out St. Margaret Clitherow, relative of Lectio. A good example of saints being just ordinary people who tried harder.
Posted by: Lectio's Mom | 14 August 2009 at 02:35 PM
Jessica,
Jazz hands indeed!
Rachael,
No worries on typpos, Rachael, I make them all the time. I always liked Sandra Bullock myself, so I'm finding the idea of this movie very intriguing. The book was fascinating, but how they're going to turn it into a movie I just don't know.
Lectio's Mom!
Thank you for the suggestion. I do find saints' lives very interesting (I devoured those types of stories when I was little) so I'm going to check it out. Thank you!
Posted by: Citizen Reader | 14 August 2009 at 03:28 PM
"Men Who Stare" is one of Amy's favorite books. I'll let her know about the flick.
Posted by: cobbler | 15 August 2009 at 04:37 PM
Ouch. Cobbler is I, Robert Brown.
Damn, now my secret web snark identity is known.
I guess now I'll have to kill you all.
It's nothing personal, you understand. I hope that helps.
Posted by: Robert Brown | 15 August 2009 at 04:38 PM
Bert,
I thought of you when I posted this; I know Amy was very fond of "Them," also by Ronson, as well.
You can always post here as Cobbler, you wouldn't have had to come clean, I wouldn't have minded. Pseudonyms don't bother me a bit.
Citizen Reader
Posted by: Citizen Reader | 15 August 2009 at 04:56 PM