Armchair Escapism 8

BOOKS

Monet – The restless vision, Jackie Wullschläger
As one of the defining artists of the 20th century known by all for his idyllic water lilies, bucolic scenes of the French countryside and the frenetic energy of Parisan society, Monet’s life and work demands closer reflection. With clarity, depth and charming anecdotes, Jackie Wullschläger traces the story of how Monet became the brilliant, controversial and visionary artist that still impacts us viewers today.

A room with a view, E.M Forster
Lucy Honeychurch finds herself young and alone in Florence far away from her stiff world of Edwardian England and its unyielding traditions. Among the backdrop of the medieval city which has hardly changed in all these years, Lucy falls in love with George Emerson and their love affair sparks questions about the social and marital expectations back home. When Lucy returns to England and is engaged to Cecil who embodies all the rigidities of society , she longs to return to the freedom of her Florentine days with George. 

The Beautiful summer, Cesare Pavese
When the opening lines of a book read ‘Life was a perpetual holiday in those days,’ you know you have found your way to pages of true escapism. Pavese’s ‘The Beautiful Summer’ which won Italy’s most prestigious literary award, follows the story of teenage Ginia who craves adventure in 1930s northern Italy. She strikes up an unlikely friendship with Amelia whose bohemian life as an artist’s muse, opens a whole new world for Ginia. Love, passion and desperate longing define this coming-of-age story that demonstrates universal angsts which every teenager across any generation has and will experience.

FILMS

Faraway
After the death of her mother, exhausted and tired-of-life Zeynep inherits a beautiful yet crumbling house on the Croatian coast. She decides to flee her worries in Munich, where her nagging husband and moody daughter take her for granted, and discover more about her heritage. But Zeynep’s trip to Croatia teaches her more than just her family history. As she explores her Mediterranean roots, she finds joy, comfort and even new love.

The Two Popes
Based on the real characters of the former Pope Benedict and the current Pope Francis, The Two Popes speculates on the conversations between these two opposing figures. Ahead of Benedict stepping down as Pope (not a common practice, most Popes remain in their position until death) and behind the impenetrable Vatican walls, they discuss the future of Catholic Church, the embracement and rejection of tradition, and the impact of being a spiritual leader on a human being. Despite that most of the film is steady dialogue, it is thought-provoking, engaging and even gripping showcasing the talent of two formidable actors (Anthony Hopkins and Jonathon Pryce) playing two impressive figures.

Midnight in Paris
American Gil, a lost writer, arrives in Paris with his fiancée and her family. One night, he wanders the city’s streets and falls into the 1920s. There, he meets his literary heroes: Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and they unleash the inspiration for his debut novel. Each morning, he returns to modern day and each night, as the clock strikes 12, he returns to the previous century and all its glamour. As he becomes enraptured with the seductive past, he meets a girl (Picasso’s muse), who herself wishes to go back to a previous time.