Here's two love scenes excerpted from one of my favorite anthologies, "101 Best Scenes Ever Written."
That's Flaubert above, and the first scene is from his "Madame Bovary." I can't say that I like the story...Madame Bovary has to be one of the least appealing characters in all of fiction...but the famous sex scene is first rate. Nothing explicit, yet it succeeds in being really steamy. See what you think.
In this scene the clerk has convinced Madame Bovary to join him in a horse-driven cab with the blinds down. Bovary is married but she's flirted with the clerk for a long time, not fully realizing where it would lead. Now the moment of truth has arrived and she goes along with it because she doesn't know what else to do. The cab driver is instructed to drive anywhere he chooses.
The second scene is from James M. Cain's "The Postman Always Rings Twice," in my opinion one of the best novels written in America. That's a scene from the movie above.
What I have here (below) is the scene where Cora hints to Frank that she wants him to kill her husband, who everybody calls the Greek. Frank likes the Greek, who generously gave him a job and a place to stay. He can't imagine doing anything so drastic, but Cora convinces him that they're both good people, and whatever good people do can't be wrong. It's an horrific but interesting argument, and a terrific love scene. When they kiss at the end, you get the feeling that a breach has been made in the shield that protects us from evil, and enormous cosmic forces are being unleashed.
That's James M. Cain above. His best stories seem to say, "There is such a thing as evil, even in the New World, and we have a special vulnerability to it, because we don't seem to acknowledge its existence."
I don't know why I'm a terrible reader. I don't ever get the idea until after the fact.
ReplyDelete"... James M. Cain's "The Postman Always Rings Twice," in my opinion one of the best novels written in America."
ReplyDeleteThis is yet more evidence that Eddie is my long lost brother. Jim Cain is one of my faves as well. It's a shame he started writing fiction so late in life -- it's not long before you find you've read everything he published and have to start reading it over again. He was a protege of another of my favorite writers: H. L. Mencken.
That's a Levine drawing, isn't it? Do you like Levine?
ReplyDeleteLester: Cain was a protege of Mencken!? I had no idea!
ReplyDeleteJustin: Levin is great! Unfortunately his hand isn't as steady as it used to be so the NTRB is using another artist now.
Niki: That's nothing to be ashamed of. Half the time I'm insulted by someone I don't realize it til the next day.
Eddie! How are you doing with that horrific fire out in LA? I know it's not close to your house (yet?) but it must be smoky and chaotic out your way.
ReplyDeleteLester: Thanks for asking! Well, every summer we get fires in the dry, hilly areas surrounding the valley. The hills are picturesque but you pay a price for living up there. That plus the ever-present danger of earthquakes makes living in LA an adventure. I had damages amounting to $35,000 in the Northridge quake.
ReplyDelete"I had damages amounting to $35,000 in the Northridge quake."
ReplyDeleteYeah, that was quite an adventure, wasn't it? Your poor kids! Earthquakes like that are no fun at all. Although incredibly just one picture fell and broke in our house, our bed moved around the floor like Dorothy's in the "Oz" twister scene.
I do worry about Cynthia who lives pretty near the fire evacuations. I was driving around last night; the hills above La Crescenta looked like the gates of Mordor. Awe-full.
How old is that "101 Scenes" book? I've never read Bovary but I've always wanted to. And how was my namesake in the film version? Any good?
Eddie,
ReplyDeleteThe Levine caricature is actually Marcel Proust. Flaubert was balder and his moustache droopier.
Stephen: Holy Cow! Thanks for pointing out the mistake! I just substituted a Flaubert caricature for the Proust one. How embarassing!
ReplyDeleteJenny: You mean the black and white version of Bovary? You have the same name as the star? The actress who played Bovary was okay, but the role needed someone with more charisma.
Jenny: Oops! I forgot to mention poor Cynthia! If you vounteer to help her, sign me up too. Maybe we could take turns on the roof with a hose.
ReplyDelete"Jenny: You mean the black and white version of Bovary? You have the same name as the star?"
ReplyDeleteYes, my mom told me my father named me after one of his favorite actresses: Jennifer Jones.
I find her very appealingly piquant in many of her parts. She had a rough time assaying Pearl in "Duel In The Sun" but she photographed as sexily as anything human possibly could. A really gorgeous, one of a kind-looking woman. "Portrait of Jennie" incidentally(another Jones film with her frequent costar Joseph Cotten) is one of those seminal films from my childhood. Ever seen it?
Re: Redtango(Cynthia)-I think she's okay. I hope she's okay. She's a tough cookie and is I suspect probably better prepared for disasters than 99% of us.
ReplyDeleteJenny: Portrai of Jennie? Yeah, I remember that. It's the movie where Jones plays a ghost. I haven't seen it in a long time.
ReplyDeleteNo, her character's not exactly a ghost...it's a bit weirder than that-more of a timeslip thing. Jones plays the ultimate artist's muse.
ReplyDeleteIt's a very florid and romantic film, with a gorgeous score and b/w cinematography. The best scenes are the early ones and of course Ethel Barrymore is always fun to watch. I think Lillian Gish is in it too.