nomadreader

The backstory: Us  was longlisted for the 2014 Booker Prize . I also adored One Day , the last novel David Nicholls wrote. The basics: Us is the story of Douglas, a middle-aged biochemist, his wife Connie, an artist, and their seventeen-year-old son Albie. Connie announces she thinks she wants to leave Douglas, but she isn't sure yet. They set out on a tour of Europe with Albie as a last family trip, both before he goes to college and perhaps for their marriage too. The present day unfolds in the narrative while Douglas also tells us the story of their marriage from the beginning. My thoughts: After loving One Day , I was already excited for Us . When it made the Booker longlist (before I could get my hands on a galley), I was surprised and ecstatic. My expectations were high going into this novel, and although I didn't love it quite as much as One Day , it is a smartly crafted, well-written, thoughtful exploration of marriage. It's also a medium-paced travel advent...

The backstory: The Tourist  is nominated for three Golden Globe Awards: Best Picture, Comedy; Best Actress in a Comedy, Angelina Jolie; and Best Actor in a Comedy, Johnny Depp. Also, it's set in Venice, which is my favorite city in the world. The basics: Angelina Jolie, a mysterious British woman living in Paris and being trailed by British police, receives a note from her lover, and the reason she is being tailed. He instructs her to get on a train, find a man around his height and build, and convince the authorities it's him.  My thoughts: Few things make me happier than films with frequent aerial shots and films shot in Venice, and The Tourist delivered both with gusto. The film has a somewhat unusual pace, but it appealed to me as a fan of old-fashioned spy capers. In some ways it defies genres. It's part adventure, part mystery, part romance, part comedy and part travelogue. Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp are both superb. I would not classify it is as a comedy, but...

The New York Times has this article about Venice's first female gondolier today. I adore Venice, and as a normally rather observant feminist, I was shocked to realize that there has never been a female gondolier. It surprised me to learn that it was only eight years ago a woman was first permitted to wait tables in St. Mark's Square. I was relieved I never deigned the Florian with my money or presence, as they still only allow women to wait on tables indoors, not on the piazza itself. Perhaps I was too blinded by the beauty of Venice on my vacations there to stop and notice the rampant sexism.