Stanley Kubrick - A Biography, New York, Da Capo Press Inc, 1997.
A very well researched biography, and LoBrutto is able to appear very close to Kubrick and those who worked with and spent time with the director. LoBrutto manages to incorporate a lot of Kubrick's personal views on The Shining, the original Stephen King book, and especially the process of adaptation. Probably the most useful aspect are the passages on how Kubrick altered the story to better suit the themes which he considered integral to his version of the script. This is of supreme importance to any argument on the film, as it implies that all of the themes which can be drawn from the film are intentional, and there was very little in regards to "grey areas" created in the process of adapting book, to script, to film. .
Good section on the role of Dianne Johnson's assistance in the adaptation of the script. Details the intensity of their discussion's regarding important themes of the film, and states that they believed the strength of the book was primarily its plot. This allowed them to put their own unique spin on the themes. .
Interesting details on the alternate endings that Kubrick played with. The intended use of a scrapbook in particular is interesting, as it highlights the significance of The Overlook Hotels past, more fully than does the ending in the film. Places the Hotel more as a character in its own right, sinister and more encompassing.
Severin, Tim. In Search of Moby Dick, Great Britain, Abacus, 2000.
Interesting book. Severin is a travel writer who has done a dozen or so works which are styled in a similar fashion- taking historically significant explorers, voyages or novels and tracing their travels, drawing parallel's between their voyages and his own. .
First chapter good as it sets up Melville's motives, bias and some of the inspiration for Moby Dick, describing the true life events of Owen Chase's encounters with an enraged bull sperm whale, which attacked and sank his ship The Essex.
Just as many people fear God they also feared Moby Dick. Moby Dick possesses an array of symbolic meanings for a variety of individuals. ... Melville shows that Moby Dick is capable of great violence. ... Moby Dick is symbolic of nature. ... It is evident that Moby Dick holds a great deal of power. ...
Biblical and Mythological Allusions in Moby Dick An allusion is a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art. ... In Moby Dick, Herman Melville frequently uses biblical and mythological allusions. ... Melville not only used a number of biblical allusions in Moby Dick, but he also used many mythological allusions. ... Another mythological allusion Melville used in Moby Dick is mentioned of the Fares. ... The allusions in Moby Dick are to commonly known people and conflicts. ...
This being the case, it makes sense for Moby Dick to be white. ... He's lucky Moby Dick didn't kill him outright! ... Moby Dick was an exceptionally intelligent whale. ... While Moby Dick went out of his way to avoid hurting a human again, Ahab went insane hunting down Moby Dick to avenge himself. ... He joined the Parsee in his watery grave trailing Moby Dick. ...
Furthermore, while on their journey to find Moby-Dick, the phenomenon of St. ... Lastly, Ahab's treatment of Moby-Dick is very brutal. ... He talked of killing Moby-Dick in all his waking hours. ... In this book, Moby-Dick is portrayed as being godlike. ... Ahab is closely linked with evil in Moby-Dick. ...
The Redeeming value of Moby Dick Moby Dick was, in the physical, written to tell a story of the ever-allusive white whale. ... Moby Dick, in all actuality represents the idea of Christianity and purity. It could even be said that Moby Dick represents the figure of Christ. ... Ahab's main objective was to discredit and destroy Moby Dick. ... This is the redeeming value of Moby Dick....
The underlying themes to Moby Dick, by Herman Melville, are far-reaching and studied in many academic areas. ... When this idea is brought to Moby Dick, many interpretations can be made. ... I see the ways of Moby Dick, like those of a god, as being unknowable to man. ... In reality it can be true, and in Moby Dick it is certainly true. ... Ahab exploits the crew to have them share his idea of their fate, to find and destroy Moby Dick. ...
The American Classic ~Moby Dick~ The story of Moby Dick is truly an American literary classic. ... Moby Dick was first published in 1851 and to this day is still being studied by many scholars. There is much to be learned from the theme of this novel, as in any book, there is a message or a "moral of the story" type lesson you can learn from Moby Dick that keeps not only the new age scholars interested, but the average reader as well. "Moby Dick is not a dream but a work of imaginative art, and this means that it is the product of a complex creative process- (Arvin; 278). ... So in concl...
Moby Dick Synopsis Melville's novel Moby Dick tells us a strange journey of an ordinary seaman named Ishmael, who decided to go on a whaling voyage in Massachusetts during the 1840s. ... As the ship was destroyed by the Moby Dick, it sinks. ... Individualism in Moby Dick. ... Shulman indicates that in Melville's novel Moby Dick, he questions traditional answers about where evil comes from. ... Moby Dick is a great example of nature's destructive way. ...
Moby Dick, a Man's Obsession Herman Melville's idea of human obsession as demonstrated in Moby Dick is clearly a sign that it shall be man's downfall. ... Throughout the years many have studied Moby Dick is hopes to find the true meaning, or just deep literary value the book provides. ... Which of course was the captains fault for being obsessed Moby Dick. ... He has two sides to him, and the darker one was released whenever Moby Dick was mentioned. ... Melville must have sensed this too, because not long after he wrote Moby Dick he wrote Moby Dick, or the whale, which is pret...
