Reading - August 2026

Rush (screenplay) by Peter Morgan (2011)

Once again, reading an earlier version of a script makes for an interesting exercise in spotting the differences and speculating on why they occur. And also, I'm so impressed that someone can read this and then come up with the film.

The Life She Could Have Lived by Laura Pearson (2025)

"One Day meets Sliding Doors" says the blurb, and it's so obviously how it's structured that I wonder if that's how it was commissioned. But where both inspirations have a clear narrative arc, this splits into two and from there, they might as well be separate, slightly dull novels. I suppose the contrast is supposed to the feature here (and every now and then the main character ponders to herself what might have been if she'd made the other choice, just to emphasise this for readers slow on the uptake), but neither story line really goes anywhere interesting. What the book as a whole really lacks is some kind of resolution. The stories don't come back together in any way and the contrast between them doesn't really make a point that I can work out. And then the novel just stops. I was, unfortunately, left with a strong sense of "is that it?", because I'd only really kept reading to find out what it was all leading to.

Save The Cat! by Blake Snyder (2005)

An amusingly enthusiastic and enthusiastically amusing take on the "rules" of screenwriting. The irony here has to be that, even though Snyder had some success in selling scripts, the only films made from them were complete duds. One person said of Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot that "a flatworm could write a better script". The person? Sylvester Stallone - the film's star. Ouch. So why has the book been so successful, having spawned several sequels (ironic for a book subtitled "The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need" ...)? Probably because it boils what is obviously an art down to a formula, thus saving you the trouble of thinking. Still, as a watcher of films rather than a student or wannabe writer, I found it interesting, and it's a nice short read. But do yourself a favour and read William Goldman's classic (and much better) Adventures in the Screen Trade first, if you haven't already, and remember what he said: "Nobody knows anything".

Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman (1983)

Well, I followed my own advice and revisited this classic. I've read it several times and recommended it many, many more - in fact, I'm on my third copy, as previously lent editions didn't come back (grrr). Yes, it's now over forty years old, and it's possible many of Goldman's observations don't hold any more - but I suspect they do. He was already bemoaning the onset of "pre-sold IP" (the whole MCU, anyone?), and his description of how stars have to be "protected" at all costs rings true. It's all wrapped up in such hugely entertaining prose that you don't even realise how much you're learning. Everyone with even a passing interest in film should read this (this means you, Piers!)

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k by Mark Manson (2016)

I very much enjoyed this: a self-help book that is blunt, truthful and doesn't sugar coat things in empty platitudes. Manson manages to convey some thought-provoking concepts in simple (and profanity-strewn) language. What particularly resonated was the idea that we should focus our values on things we can control, not things we can't, and that we are not responsible for other people's actions - but we are responsible for our responses, both in terms of what we do and in terms of how we feel about it. I also like the chapter titled "You Are Not Special" - this is something I often say to myself and to others. It's not a criticism, but a reflection of reality; "specialness" is a  misguided belief behind a lot of ugly entitled behaviour. I think I'd need to read the book again to properly think through the concepts, none of which are overly complex, but do need proper consideration.

A Voyage Around the Queen by Craig Brown (2024)

Another scrapbook biography from the author of One Two Three Four, and suffering from exactly the same problems. Judging by the quotes on the back cover, writers find the approach an exciting novelty. Sadly, as a reading experience the novelty is lost and it's just hard going, because there's no sense of continuity, just 112 disparate sketches. In fairness, it's better suited to Queen Elizabeth than The Beatles, since she was always a cypher, and I certainly learned some interesting bits and pieces. But it's too long and too disjointed.

The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth (1971)

Superb storytelling.