|
|
Post by wireman on Sept 30, 2020 11:57:17 GMT
Today (or anytime) we will discuss The Birds by Daphne du Maurier
mrnsmith.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/the-birds-by-daphne-du-maurier.pdf
|
|
|
|
Post by Wicked Esther on Sept 30, 2020 16:06:58 GMT
What a great story.
When my youngest son was in 9th grade, he was home from school, sick with strep throat for a while and I read this story to him so he could keep up with school assignments. That was the first time I had ever read it and I fell in love with it.
Nat is such a great character. His feelings and reactions are so real to me. I could see myself making many of the same decisions, taking the same precautions . I would totally use a blanket as a weapon against the birds, just like he did.
I love how he makes a game out of having to sleep in the kitchen, saying they were "camping", so that the kids wouldn't freak out.
I always imagine that his family survives the bird attack. He's so diligent, I can't fathom any other outcome.
|
|
|
|
Post by spideyman on Sept 30, 2020 16:12:20 GMT
Good read. Had to ck--this story was written in 1952 and the movie The Birds was 1963. Researched proved Hitchcock use the story as inspiration for his movie.
I too hope they survived the birds.
|
|
|
|
Post by wireman on Sept 30, 2020 16:46:51 GMT
This is a great story. I had never read it before but of course was familiar with the movie. I was kind of surprised at how little the movie resembled the story (although I shouldn't be, it happens all the time). Of course, Hitchcock's movie is great but a very claustrophobic movie could have been made following this story closely. It could have been good either way.
I read the wikipedia page about this story and there was an interesting point made that the last cigarette Nat had was like being given a last cigarette before a firing squad.
I liked how Nat had to wrestle with the problem of trying to warn his neighbors without sounding like a lunatic.
|
|
|
|
Post by wireman on Sept 30, 2020 16:54:02 GMT
Now that I've read the story, I think I'll watch the movie again for the October marathon.
|
|
|
|
Post by Wicked Esther on Sept 30, 2020 16:55:35 GMT
I liked how Nat had to wrestle with the problem of trying to warn his neighbors without sounding like a lunatic.
I liked that, too. I saw it as a good example of how determined he was. When Mrs. Trigg didn't believe him, he went right over to Jim and told him. I also really liked the part when Nat felt slightly relieved when he heard the news bulletin on the radio, announcing that the bird problem was widespread and not just on his property. That's such a real, human reaction, to feel relief when you find out you're not suffering alone. |
|
|
|
Post by wireman on Sept 30, 2020 17:09:05 GMT
I liked how Nat had to wrestle with the problem of trying to warn his neighbors without sounding like a lunatic.
I liked that, too. I saw it as a good example of how determined he was. When Mrs. Trigg didn't believe him, he went right over to Jim and told him. I also really liked the part when Nat felt slightly relieved when he heard the news bulletin on the radio, announcing that the bird problem was widespread and not just on his property. That's such a real, human reaction, to feel relief when you find out you're not suffering alone. I think that also confirmed to him that he wasn't overreacting.
I had never heard of a radio being called the wireless before.
|
|
|
|
Post by Wicked Esther on Sept 30, 2020 17:31:33 GMT
I liked that, too. I saw it as a good example of how determined he was. When Mrs. Trigg didn't believe him, he went right over to Jim and told him. I also really liked the part when Nat felt slightly relieved when he heard the news bulletin on the radio, announcing that the bird problem was widespread and not just on his property. That's such a real, human reaction, to feel relief when you find out you're not suffering alone.
I had never heard of a radio being called the wireless before.
I was curious about that, too. Maybe it's what they called radio before WWII ? I found this online: "It was called radio because the transmitting station radiated electromagnetic waves. The British Broadcasting Company was one of the first to use the term wireless, around 1923 in their program guide "The Radio Times". " |
|
|
|
Post by cat on Sept 30, 2020 22:40:03 GMT
First time read of this story for me. I liked it. Liked how nothing was ever really explained, as to why. And normally I hate open ended stories, but it works with this one. Just adds to the creepy factor to have the story just end. The imagery was great, not only in scenes with the birds, but the ones without too. The description of the farmland, the beach and sea, the little house they lived in. I could see it all very well.
I had this on my kindle, in a collection called The Birds and Other Stories, all by du Maurier. The introduction was written by someone named David Thomson and it was mostly about Hitchcock's fondness for du Maurier's stories. Here is a paragraph from that...(Since the movie and Hitchcock have been mentioned.)
"But then consider what Alfred Hitchcock had to say when Francis Truffaut asked him how many times he had read "The Birds" as he pondered how to make that picture: "What I do is to read a story only once, and if I like the basic idea, I just forget all about the book and start to create cinema. Today I would be unable to tell you the story of Daphne du Maurier's 'The Birds.' I read it only once, and very quickly at that. An author takes three or four years to write a fine novel; it's his whole life. Then other people take it over completely." "
Thought that was interesting. I have seen the movie but would like to catch it again, now that I have read the story.
|
|
|
|
Post by cat on Sept 30, 2020 23:39:37 GMT
Just looked up the movie, since tomorrow starts our Halloween movie challenge. It is on tonight, on BBC America and again Tuesday the 6th and Wed the 7th on IFC.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 1, 2020 7:00:47 GMT
A great story. Good points made above. I hope they make it but have my doubts. It depends on if they find a bigger survivor group and on how long the bird attack goes on.. I mean food, water and heating are essential in the parts where he lives and Nat cant do it all alone.
I also liked about the story how the birds divided the "work" if it may be called that between different species. The gulls strike here, the smaller birds there and the predators somewhere else. Regarding the term Wireless i know it was common in england for not movable(or rather big ones) radios until the 60,s when radio replaced it. Dont know if it was the same in the states but it was used in books from that time frequently. (thats how i know it).
|
|
|
|
Post by Wicked Esther on Oct 1, 2020 15:03:16 GMT
A great story. Good points made above. I hope they make it but have my doubts. It depends on if they find a bigger survivor group and on how long the bird attack goes on.. I mean food, water and heating are essential in the parts where he lives and Nat cant do it all alone.
I also liked about the story how the birds divided the "work" if it may be called that between different species. The gulls strike here, the smaller birds there and the predators somewhere else. Regarding the term Wireless i know it was common in england for not movable(or rather big ones) radios until the 60,s when radio replaced it. Dont know if it was the same in the states but it was used in books from that time frequently. (thats how i know it). I agree...Nat and his family would have to form some kind of alliance with other survivors and maybe take over someone else’s property when their supplies ran out and their own house got too beaten up by the birds. Maybe if there were enough survivors, they could salvage the farm. Nat took the time to milk a few of the cows, so we know there were animals that survived. It was creepy how the birds were organized and seemed to have designated “ jobs”! They even had suicide bombers. At one point, it was mentioned that they had “ not yet learned” to grab or tear a person’s clothing deliberately...which probably meant they would figure it out in time. 🥺 |
|
|
|
Post by spideyman on Oct 1, 2020 21:34:29 GMT
Next group discussion back to EE?? The Little Sisters of Eluria
|
|
|
|
Post by neesy on Oct 1, 2020 21:38:50 GMT
Today (or anytime) we will discuss The Birds by Daphne du Maurier
mrnsmith.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/the-birds-by-daphne-du-maurier.pdf Going to have to comment tomorrow - I was reading this but Josh just got home and we need to go to the bank - 
(One thing I did note was that he was eating a "pasty" - we had those in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan when we drove through there - they're not bad)
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 1, 2020 21:41:30 GMT
Next group discussion back to EE?? The Little Sisters of Eluria |
|
|
|
Post by wireman on Oct 1, 2020 21:58:55 GMT
Next group discussion back to EE?? The Little Sisters of Eluria |
|
|
|
Post by spideyman on Oct 1, 2020 23:04:04 GMT
Next group discussion back to EE?? The Little Sisters of Eluria |
|
|
|
Post by wireman on Oct 2, 2020 14:03:59 GMT
Wednesday (10-7), we will discuss The Little Sisters of Eluria by Stephen King from the book Everything's Eventual
Be there, aloha.
|
|
