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Book Nook provides readers with insights into the world of books. Vick Mickunas takes you into the center of the publishing world with the latest book buzz, book reviews, and exclusive chats with authors..Home > Blogs > Book Nook > Archives > 2010 > August > 08 > Entry
Third time was not the charm
Larry McMurtry has enjoyed a long career as a best selling novelist-he has published a pile of books over the past 50 years. He has also had a lucrative career as a Hollywood screenwriter. And he has led a third parallel career, a lesser known one, as a book collector and book seller.
McMurtry is at that point in his life where he is now taking the time to look back, to reflect upon his many endeavors. In July of 2009 he published “Books-a Memoir” (Simon & Schuster). For 259 pages McMurtry shared his memories of his true passion; book collecting.
He looked back and remembered how he became a reader, then a collector of books. He is an expert in the book trade, buying and selling the contents of bookstores and libraries many times over. He has bought and sold thousands of rare books. He describes the thrill of the chase and many of his book collecting coups. I loved it. It was one of my favorite books of 2009.
Of course that book didn’t get into his writing career too much or his Hollywood experiences. In December of 2009 he published “Literary Life-a Second Memoir” (Simon & Schuster). This was the book about how he became a writer and how he came up with so many ideas that became bestselling novels.
The second book is shorter than the first one, at only 175 pages, and it is essentially bloodless. While there are a few points of slight animation, McMurtry seems to be essentially bored with it all. Where the first book was filled with excitement and an almost cloak and dagger sense as McMurtry pursued his quarry; rare books, the second memoir reads like a rote fulfillment of some contractual obligation. He sounds bored so how can he expect his readers to feel any different?
I reserved the hope that he might get a bit more excited for the final book in the trilogy; “Hollywood-a Third Memoir” (Simon & Schuster) which comes out this week. This one is even shorter, only 146 pages.
And after reading the first two books I didn’t feel right to spurn his third one. So I soldiered on and read it in just a couple of sittings.
In this one McMurtry talks about his lucrative career as a screenwriter. His most recent success was the screenplay for “Brokeback Mountain”. He talks about all the movie stars he knows. He recalls some fabulous meals and exclusive restaurants. He remembers the dealmaking and the high powered agents. Yada Yada.
So, OK, I have read all three now and here are my ratings for each book:
“Books-a Memoir” earns an A+. I admire the author’s passionate pursuit of rare books and this account of his book collecting zeal resonates deeply and fully with this reader.
“Literary Life-a Second Memoir” gets a C-. The one thing that struck me about this book was that McMurtry actually spends some time whining about how his books don’t get reviewed very often. Well, Larry, you can do better. Telling this story seemed to bore you but try to imagine how your boredom was interpreted by your fans because these are the readers who will bother to read your memoirs. We deserve a wee bit ’ passion, right? Yawn.
“Hollywood-a Third Memoir” gets a thin F. The only positive thing I can say about this book is that it seems somehow appropriate and right that the author’s reflections on his film career are even less interesting than his memories of writing all those books. I thought the book was better than the movie~haha!
OK, Larry, you got your memoirs out of the way. Now write another good novel. Please.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (8) | Post your comment | Categories: confessions of a galley slave
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By Blowfly
August 17, 2010 4:26 PM | Link to this
One of the worst adaptations of a book to a movie has to be Bonfire of the Vanities, ironically, one of the best is probably McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove (that’s a great book)
By Max
August 13, 2010 10:29 AM | Link to this
I wiould agree with your choice of ‘Tuscan’….and, yes, there are the cash issues and rights unlike decades ago when writers could actually pick who the starring roles went to…..I am reassured, however, by my kids who prefer the Harry Potter books to the movie versions. I can say the same about Updike and Vonnegut….Back to McMurty, I gave him some more thought and it just may be he cannot (as opposed to choosing not to) work to the expectations many have after BBM. Hollywood ‘kills’ as much or more talent than it actually creates or develops (writing, that is).
By vick
August 12, 2010 12:09 PM | Link to this
Max, I don’t have such a list but I certainly know them when I see them. Just off the top of my head; the film version of “Under the Tuscan Sun” was atrocious…but then I find that writers are often quite willing to watch their books get turned into mediocre films because that Hollywood cash can be quite attractive. When an author sells the movie rights they usually relinquish any right to object to how their books are converted into big screen treatments.
By Max
August 12, 2010 11:45 AM | Link to this
Vick, I enjoy your column and all the insight it contains. You McMurty review and comments raises the issue of ‘screenplays’ in general. As an avid reader I was just wondering, do you have a private list of the 5 best and 5 worst screenplays ‘adapted’from novels/short stories? The top of my ‘worst’ list is ‘Dune.’ In my top five of the best is ‘The Bridges of Madison County.’
By Insider
August 10, 2010 2:39 PM | Link to this
Vick, I don’t read McMurtry, but I just wanted to say “hello” and wish you well. I’m reading “The Gift” by Echo Bodine right now. I like to read others’ take on the “thing” that can’t be mentioned even though I don’t always agree with everything. ((hug))
By Max
August 10, 2010 11:02 AM | Link to this
Vick…lol…and I think you did that extremely well. While I really wasn’t all that impressed with BBM, his screenplay success is, in my opinion, something quite lesser in kind than Proulx’s short story. But, Vick, it just may be that a ‘collector’ is what he enjoys being. From where I sit, it just isn’t all that interesting to read about. His ‘indifference’ to writing makes some sense when considering a collector of works is very rarely a writer of works. Maybe it’s just a case of those who can’t paint or draw become art historians……
By vick
August 10, 2010 10:28 AM | Link to this
Max, after my slog through the 2nd and 3rd volumes of his memoirs I would have to say that aside from his rare book business that McMurtry is shockingly indifferent to his own work as a novelist and screenwriter. That’s what I had hoped to express in this piece.
By Max
August 10, 2010 8:21 AM | Link to this
I suppose I’m just indifferent to McMurty’s work in general. The ‘inside’ Hollywood POV is, to say the least, overdone by all including Hollywood to a point of less interest than the depiction of an auto industry assembly line. That McMurty takes three bites out of that same apple approaches the significance of Twitter. A few years ago we learned the entertainment industry had recourses to the writers strike; re-runs and reality shows. McMurty seems to be stuck in re-run mode and, Vick, I think writers who go into ‘deep reflective’ mode do so, maybe, once. I agree, where’s the novel/short story refecting this in a similar manner as The Snows of Kilimanjaro?