BetterMost, Wyoming & Brokeback Mountain Forum
The World Beyond BetterMost => The Culture Tent => Topic started by: Shakesthecoffecan on March 05, 2007, 03:05:56 pm
-
Over the weekend I was thinking about one of my fave movies that you rarely hear about--Dolores Claiborne.
Now if I am remembering right that movie was based on a Stephen King story. I got to thinking about the similarity of Kings's work with that of Annie Proulx, particularily the sparce, open landscapes and desperate characters. You have King's Andy Dufryne (?sp) in Shawshank Redemption and Proulx's Loyal Blood in Postcards. They just have a similar feel about them. I wonder if this comes from their New England origins, etc.
What do you think?
-
I would have never put the two side by side, but now that you mention this, there is a similarity which probably does come from a New England perspective. The styes are very different thought. I find Proulx quite easy to read, but not King. I often have to re-read sentances before it clicks in my head what he trying to say or do.
-
I have to re read them both. I will be crusing along and them bam, I trip over something out of the ordinary.
-
Another similarity between them is that both write novels AND short stories.
But I find King's characters much more sophisticated and thus, paradoxically, less complex. Annie's characters are more like archetypes, very broadly drawn but very true.
-
Another similarity between them is that both write novels AND short stories.
But I find King's characters much more sophisticated and thus, paradoxically, less complex. Annie's characters are more like archetypes, very broadly drawn but very true.
That never occurred to me, but you're spot on. Even more ironic, is that both authors rely heavily on their characters being somewhat (OK a lot) dysfunctional or damaged in some sense or another, and in search of a way out of their own personal nightmares.
-
That never occurred to me, but you're spot on. Even more ironic, is that both authors rely heavily on their characters being somewhat (OK a lot) dysfunctional or damaged in some sense or another, and in search of a way out of their own personal nightmares.
Nail on the head!