I'm one of those guys who...


...likes to envision whatever novel he's reading as being acted out on "the big screen in his mind" as he's reading. For instance, I could "see" Edward G. Robinson as Fyodor Karamazov, Yul Brynner and William Shatner as Dmitri and Alexi, respectively (as in the actual Hollywood treatment of the book), Pernell Roberts as Ivan, and Peter Lorre as Smerdjakov; I could "hear" each actors' voices in the "audible" dialogue in my mind's ear as I read them.

(I even often mentally insert people I know in real life into the narrative of my books!)

I've never yet seen TBK but have been aware of its existence for many years, thus explaining my private selection of Brynner & Shatner in their key roles. Pernell Roberts seemed an appropriate choice as the pre-revolutionary intellectual Ivan; Edward G. Robinson would have chewed great scenery as the debauched family patriarch, Fyodor; and Peter Lorre (at least a version of him no older than himself when he starred in "M" and in another Dostoevsky adaptation, "Crime and Punishment") would have been terrific as the epileptic toady of the household, Fyodor's bastard son, the cowardly, back-stabbing little creep, Smerdjakov.

Does anyone else like to read their fiction the way I've described how I, myself, go about it?

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I actually do too, but I come up with the faces in my head. They aren't famous actors, they're more from my imagination.

Strangely, the thought that always runs through my mind as I'm reading is "wow, they really should make a movie out of this." Whether that's a good idea or not.

This book is actually my favourite of all time (although I still have many classics yet to read). I have to say, I'm really shocked that of all people, you actually pictured Shatner and Brynner as Alexi and Dmytri (I can't spell those names for *beep*

In my opinion, this was one of the worst adaptaions I've ever seen. Yul Brynner isn't at all what I picture as Demitri (I see a stocky man who is constantly flailing his arms and making dramatic statements, requring an actor that's incredibally hammy, the exact opposite of Yul Brynner).

The Shat as Alexi is utterly absurd, although it's not exactly his fault. The writers of this made Alyosha as one dimensional and interesting as a wet carrot! Let's not forget he's our protagonist of the novel!

As for the rest, the guy who plays Ivan (one of the greatest characters in fiction) is made utterly dull! What the *beep* is this book without the Grand Inquisitor at least mentioned!

Smerdyakov sucked.

But still, Fyodor Karamazov (and the guy who plays him, who reminds me of Jason Robards) is my favourite part of the film. That's what I meant by how Dmitri should have been played. To me at least, Dymitri is sort of a sack of *beep* In this movie, you're suposed to feel for him. I really don't think Dostoevsky wanted you to.

Anyway, I went on kind of a rant there.

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Without re-checking my OP, I think I said I'd read the book picturing Brynner (who actually does some of the theatrics you eschew in "The Ten Commandments" and in his Oscar-winning role in "The King and I") and Shatner in their movie roles simply because I was already aware they starred in the film, even though I've never, as yet, seen the actual movie.

I'm sure Lee J. Cobb was splendid as Fyodor. This character actor specialized in playing men and family patriarchs much older than himself. Would you believe that, at age 28 he played the elderly (!) father of William Holden's character in "Golden Boy" (1939)? But I would have preferred Edward G. Robinson in the movie version.

Sorry for ribbing you the way I did in your "Shakespeare sux!" thread! But can I recommend you watch "Ran" (1985 Japanese flick set in Japan's feudal/warlord era)? I'd like to know what you think of it. It's a Japanese version of "King Lear."

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Hey, just between you and me, "Why Shakespeare Sucks" is actually a big joke my friend and I made. While I'm not as knowledgeable as I'd like to be in the works of Shakespeare, I still have an enormous amount of respect for him. My friend (the guy behind the camera) is a damn near expert in Shakespeare.

On our Youtube channel, we've developed these characters that are basically, as you put it, Pseudo-intellectuals with no taste and ignorance to boot! And, in my humble opinion, the most pretentous thing to say ever is that shakespeare sucks!

I must say, I'm glad I could convince you though!

As for you recccomendation, I've actually seen Ran and am a huge fan of Akira Kurosawa. I actually refence him in some of my videos!

Thanks alot vividici!!

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Caly, you sunnuvagun!

The other poster at the thread to which you and I referred, cwente2, is one of my IMDb "friends," and I had notified him about your *highly inane* "Shakespeare sucks!" thread, asking if he'd "weigh in" (as I put it in the PM I'd sent him). cwente is "into" the world of stage and quite the Shakespeare aficianodo/pundit. We were both wondering if you (we both presumed you were yet another know-it-all, bratty teen) had actually grasped the irony in his responses to you, because of the congenial response you'd made to his sardonic post. Now, we both know you were just jerkin' us both along ( , again! )

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