Sumptuous new stills from Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby

As if I wasn't excited enough about the impending The Great Gatsby adaptation release (which I'll be seeing with some fellow book vs film devotees who are all currently reading the book!)... these images have made me even more excited (click to enlarge the images)!

The Great Gatsby stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton and Isla Fisher and hits cinemas in 3D and 2D on May 16th.

Unable to Write: The Perils of RSI

About six months ago, my wrist started to hurt. It got so bad that I asked my boss for a new keyboard and mouse mat with better wrist support. For a couple of weeks, it got better. But then, sadly, the pain returned.

I bought a cheap wrist support from Boots which seemed to stop the incessant clicking but as time went on, the pain only seemed to worsen. By the time I went to the doctor about it, she said it was highly likely that I had RSI. She referred me to a physio who discovered that most of the pain in my wrist (and now arm) had begun from the sheer amount of time I spent using my phone – and was certainly not helped by the amount of time I spent typing. I had apparently angered the tendons in my right thumb, by texting and emailing one-handed.

I immediately cut back on all my typing outside of working hours, greatly reduced the amount of time I spent on my phone (and was very aware of whether or not I was using my thumb too much), and started physiotherapy, chiropractic treatment, and acupuncture. I figured if one didn't work, all three surely would.

I'm happy to say that the treatment does seem to be making a difference, albeit a slow-moving one. I still need a wrist support every time I use the computer, I have to take numerous breaks and have an inordinate number of stretches and strengthening exercises to do every day. I also have one of those fancy pens you can use on a touch phone and have discovered the joy of voice recognition software (thanks to some brilliant advice from a certain author!).

Sadly, though, I don't see returning to full writer mode any time soon. It's only improving because I'm allowing my wrist and arm time to rest and working diligently on strengthening the wrist itself. If I were to suddenly start typing for hours at a time (like I used to!), all of the hard work that has been done so far would surely have been for nothing.

The saddest part of all of this, of course, is that writing is what I love to do. It was never an obligation. I looked forward to going home so that I could write a discussion topic for Novelicious, a review for Filmoria, or delve deeper into the book I seem to have been writing for months. I can't really do a lot of what I used to and it's certainly been an adjustment. However, there does seem to be a very small light at the end of this proverbial tunnel. For example, this entire post has been written using said voice recognition software. So I suppose there really is no shutting me up – no matter how much my body may tell me to.

Have you been affected by RSI? Share what's worked (or not!) for you in the comments.

First Book vs Film Club: The Great Gatsby

I made a new Twitter friend recently - @timothyeraw. This may not seem particularly newsworthy to many of you, were it not for the fact that this Twitter connection sparked an idea. What about a club? A club for those who want to read a great book, see the film adaptation and (most importantly!) discuss it!

But who has the time? So I looked ahead a few weeks and discovered, right there in the middle of May, the new Baz Luhrmann adaptation of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – and with that, the first #bookvsfilmclub was born!

So, with over a month still to go before the film hits cinemas, there is plenty of time to get your copy of the classic American novel. (Try the gorgeous new edition, designed by Tiffany & Co: The Great Gatsby (Vintage Classics)).

When May 16th comes around, join us – either in a London cinema in person or via Twitter using the #bookvsfilmclub hashtag – to discuss what you thought of both book and film.

For more info, find me at @filmvsbook or check out those already taking part at https://twitter.com/filmvsbook/film-vs-book-club/members!

    

New Interactive Cover Revealed for Stephen King's 'Doctor Sleep': the sequel to The Shining

Fans of Stephen King's The Shining rejoice! The sequel to the chilling story, Doctor Sleep - which looks at where now middle-aged Danny Torrance's life has ended up - is out this September. Check out the synopsis and interactive new cover below...

 

King says he wanted to know what happened to Danny Torrance, the boy at the heart of THE SHINING, after his terrible experience in the Overlook Hotel. The instantly riveting, stand-alone novel, DOCTOR SLEEP picks up the story of the now middle-aged Dan.

 

On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless - mostly old, lots of polyester, and devoted to their comfortable Recreational Vehicles. But they live off the ‘steam’ that children with the ‘shining’ produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Following a childhood haunted by the time he spent with his parents at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father's legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles into a job at a nursing home in rural New Hampshire where his remnant ‘shining’ power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, Dan becomes ‘Doctor Sleep.’

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival...

Publication of the hardcover, eBook and digital download will be September 24, 2013. 

Iron Man 3 posters may be sexiest posters ever made

Seriously! Even if you haven't got the hots for Robert Downey Jnr. (why not you crazy person!), these posters are just so damn... well, sexy! Roll on 26th April 2013 (3rd May 2013 USA).

     

Wicked cast ask for your votes for the #Oliviers

The fun and magical untold story of Wicked is eligible to win the BBC Radio 2 Audience Award at the 2013 Olivier Awards - and it's the only award that gives theatre fans the chance to crown their favourite show.

Wicked is based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, which re-imagined the stories and characters created by L. Frank Baum in ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’. The show follows the unlikely friendship between Glinda and Elphaba - before they become the now infamous Glinda The Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West. 

Wicked has already been seen by over 36 million people around the world and to win over a few more votes, the cast themselves have recorded a special message...

Votes for Wicked can be made via the following link: http://www.olivierawards.com/vote/ and voters will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win tickets to the Olivier Awards themselves. 

WICKED is showing at the Apollo Victoria Theatre NOW and is booking into April 2014.

Cloud Atlas: Book vs Film

Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell's sweeping epic tale of six paths connecting over time and space does not leap off the pages as the easiest book to adapt for the big screen. However, Tom Tykwer and Andy and Lana Wachowski didn't let a little thing like complexity stop them adapting it onto the big screen.

The book was one of the most challenging novels I have ever read but man, was I proud when I reached the end of it. The book spans our past, present and future with six different storylines that are connected in some way as each person's soul continues to move through time. One man writes a diary that is read by another, one composes music that is listened to by another....

What made the book such an impressive piece of literature, though, is not just the complexity of weaving six storylines together as one. What Mitchell has managed to achieve with this book is nothing short of miraculous. He uses different styles for each - letters, diary entries, transcribed interviews - and alters the language to suit the era. His intricate prose is simply stunning to behold. It is all about the language he uses but thanks to his insane skill as a writer, the story becomes so much more than the words on the pages.

To adapt this 2004 Man Booker prize-winning book onto the big screen then, presents no end of problems. How do you cater for the sheer number of characters required? How do you compress all the intricacies of such a complex plot into just one film? How do you convey the subtleties of the customs and linguistics of the book in something as overt as a film?

Well first of all, the stellar cast enlisted for the film each played a different role in each of the six storylines, showing the connection between them all the more overtly. The layout has been altered too. While the book stuck with one story, moved onto the next and then worked its way back, the film jumps between them all continuously. This, once again, serves to reinforce the inate connection between everyone.

What the film manages to capture is sublime. With an incredible cast, perfect direction, six different worlds that are entirely immersive and plenty of action, drama, romance and intrigue, the film manages to remain compelling irrespective of its length.

Somehow, though the beautiful language and prose used in the book isn't exactly conveyed onto the big screen, the book adds as an aid. The pair work well as just that - a pair. Understanding the basic concepts of the book beforehand makes it that much easier to follow how each story is linked in the film. If you went into the film knowing nothing, it would probably be a jarring experience that would leave most viewers baffled. It is hard to enjoy something, after all, that just flies over your head. That said, it isn't essential to read the book before seeing the film. A lot is explained and a little research beforehand will suffice.

When I first read the book a couple of years ago, I only gave it 3/5. Yet now, having seen the film and given more thought to the story and what Mitchell achieved, I can appreciate it for what it is. Both book and film are challenging, require constant focus and attention and are certainly not easy to follow but if you have the time and patience, they are both thought-provoking and stunning to behold.

Book and film - 5/5 FOBLES