Who is Andre Gide?

[Yuliya]

Something Ace and I discussed triggered this question. I don't want to explain until I see the results.

I didn' t want to confuse anyone or give any clues as to what Andre Gide is, and since the size of poll questions is limited, the first two really mean:

- I'm familiar with his/her work - I've seen her movies, love her songs, enjoyed his paintings, can't put down her books (whatever is applicable.)

- I know who Gide is - I know who that person is, however, I never had the time (or the inclination) to see her movies, listen to his songs, look at his paintings, or read her books (whatever is applicable.)

I want to see the statistics, so voting is enough, you don't have to post anything if you don't want to.

[curious george]

Not a clue. Voted same.

cg

[Yuliya]

Ace, wow!

[sparklingblue]

:: feels slightly ignorant ::

[curious george]

Yuliya said:

Ace, wow!

I'm trying to tell myself that wasn't a direct reference to my ignorance, as it was posted right below it.

cg

Just went and looked up some info, and even after reading quite a bit of it, none of it rings a bell as far as my having come across Andre Gide before. Oh, well.

[Yuliya]

No, it wasn't. I'll explain why I brought it up, in a couple of days, but I didn't expect too many to know him.

[Barbara]

I am almost afraid to say that he is some sort of Literary Critic, and I should know who he is, and the name is familiar, but I just can't place it.

-- Barbara

[Yuliya]

otal of 7 votes with 5 members per vote. I expected better participateion. Oh well...

From biography.com:
Gide, André (Paul Guillaume)
1869-1951
Writer, born in Paris, France. As a young man he symbolized his generation's rebellion against conventional values. He was author of over 50 volumes of fiction, poetry, plays, criticism, biography, belles lettres, and translations. Among his best-known works are Les Nourritures terrestres (1897, Fruits of the Earth), L'Immoraliste (1902), a short story in which the destruction of others is legitimized, and Les Faux Monnayeurs (1926, The Counterfeiters), his translations of Oedipus and Hamlet, and his Journal. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1947.

In Laws of Attraction there is a scene in which Daniel is asleep with a book he'd been reading, and the book is Journals of Andre Gide. I was just curious how many knew who he was and to whom the book was supposed to appeal, because, you know, they never do anything without a reason in movies. Thanks for your input!

[Barbara]

Other than showing that Daniel is a well read man, I have no idea why they included the journals. If anything, Daniel is VERY TRADITIONAL in how he supports and believes in love and marriage.

-- Xen

[Ace]

Yes, Daniel was shown as being pro love & marriage to the extent that one should fight for one's marriage more than one fights to end it. But why would reading Andre Gide conflict with believing in that? Andre Gide was married for decades, just never consummated it, well with his wife. Just think how much happier all parties concerned would have been if Gide had just married a man. I'm sure Daniel would approve as long as he didn't try for a quickie divorce.

My theory, the book was PB's since as Yuliya pointed out to me New Line hasn't tried to auction it off yet! ;D

Ace

[Yuliya]

Of course, it's his! Them darn writers can't write, do you really expect them to read?

Xen, have you never read a good book by an author you didn't entirely agree with? Or a book in which the main character was your polar opposite? A novel in which somebody, crazy with jealousy, stabbed his or her lover to death? A book in which somebody committed suicide? A book about Joseph Fouché or Benedict Arnold? Why a man like Daniel would read something like that - why not? Like you said, he's a well read man, and considering Gide was a Nobel Prize winner, his books are probably well worth reading, regardless of what one may see in them. (I unashemadly admit that I haven't read any of his books, though, but there are a lot of Nobel Prize winners and a lot of other, highly respectable literary awards, which is beside the point.)

Anyway, the book was probably meant to show that Daniel is a well read man, deep thinker, and all that. However, IMO, the book they chose is too obscure to deliver the message, unless they either wanted the audiences to think, "Wow! I don't know that one!" or it was a last-minute idea and they grabbed whatever was available on the set. (Which, of course, they did because we've already established the book belongs to PB. Either that or it wasn't auctioned because it's too obscure to be bought. )

[curious george]

the book was probably meant to show that Daniel is a well read man, deep thinker, and all that. However, IMO, the book they chose is too obscure to deliver the message

If that was the point, I'd have to agree with you. Even though I haven't read all kinds of prize-winning books (and we aren't talking making Oprah's list here ), I consider myself reasonably well-educated and have never heard of this guy.

Okay, mabye I shouldn't go down that road. Now you'll all come up with people I haven't heard of. Forget I said anything!

cg

[migs]

Yuliya said:

Of course, it's his! Them darn writers can't write, do you really expect them to read?

Anyway, the book was probably meant to show that Daniel is a well read man, deep thinker, and all that. However, IMO, the book they chose is too obscure to deliver the message, unless they either wanted the audiences to think, "Wow! I don't know that one!" or it was a last-minute idea and they grabbed whatever was available on the set. (Which, of course, they did because we've already established the book belongs to PB. Either that or it wasn't auctioned because it's too obscure to be bought. )

Problem is, how many people actually noticed the book, let alone the title on it (Not me, I can tell you -- I must have been distracted by other "scenery" ;D )

PB has also said that Daniel was originally a lot more cynical, etc. and he had them change it because he wanted to portray someone who actually believed in marriage, etc. (more like his own beliefs). So, if the writers did choose it, it could have matched the original character more than the final version.

Finally, if New Line owned it, they'd probably auction it off no matter how obscure it was . . . just as "the book PB's character was reading in the movie" if nothing else. Then again, maybe they just haven't thought of it yet.

migs

[Ace]

Rafferty as originally conceived was a cynical lounge lizard. Most definitely not the kind of person to read the musings of Andre Gide, who I wouldn't describe as cynical. Unconventional and interesting yes, and Daniel is unconventional and interesting.

Regardless as Yuliya pointed out not everything one reads need match one's own viewpoints or beliefs, and of course what we read can also hopefully give us a larger world view.

As for the book having to be understood by the majority of the audience or even a significant minority, why? It's just there for a few seconds and it adds nuance and color to Daniel's character and it's subtlety was appreciated. I guess he could have been reading Freud but why be so obvious.

Ace

[steeleinc]

Yuliya,

Because I've seen "Laws" 7 times, I knew Daniel was reading this guy's book when he fell asleep, but that wasn't one of your choices in the poll. You needed choice e: 'I've never heard of the guy, but Daniel Rafferty has.'

Other than seeing the book on Daniel's chest, I've never heard of it or the author. I didn't attach any signifigance to the book, though. It was just a prop.

Remember in "Taffin" when he gets evicted from his 'office', finds all of his books and stuff outside the building and picks up one book and takes it with him? Well, I figured that book was significant to his character. A friend and I were talking to one of the girls who was doing his fan club and she was going to be talking to PB and doing an interview for the fan club newsletter. She asked if we had any questions for PB and we wanted to know what book Taffin had picked up and taken with him. PB had no idea what it was - it just happened to be the one his hand landed on.

So I go with the theory that it just happened to be the book that the prop department grabbed...probably someone found it at a flea market or something and thought it looked 'brainy'.

Debra

[curious george]

You needed choice e: 'I've never heard of the guy, but Daniel Rafferty has.'

LOL

we wanted to know what book Taffin had picked up and taken with him. PB had no idea what it was - it just happened to be the one his hand landed on.

I've always hoped that if I met someone famous I wouldn't ask them the same thing everyone else does, e.g., "How does it feel to be Bond?" "What about Bond 21," "What's it like to be so good-looking?" I'm guessing the book question isn't one he gets much. ;D

cg

[Yuliya]

Debra, I'm sorry, but your answer would still be "Who the hell is Andre Gide?" I didin't want to ask a leading question; that's precisely why I didn't explain why I asked it in the first place, and also why I asked who was familiar with her/her work, not who had read his books. I didn't want anyone to say, "Oh, he wrote books, I must've heard of the guy." Clean slate.

As for what you said about Taffin - a lot of things are just props and it's a part of any actor's skill set to give that prop a backstory and make us believe they mean something to the character. It has nothing to do with showing the title of a book making sure those interested enough can read it. Oh, and Migs, as distracting as the scenery was, I was so curious that I paid attention to the title - the way the camera was going I knew it would focus on it, so I watched.

Just to be clear, though - I didn't want anyone to feel bad about not being able to answer my question. it's just about statistics. Oh well, of course, now we also proved that our esteemed M-me Taipan isn't Taipan for nothing.

Ace, have I ever told you how tired I was of people in movies quoting Freud to show how smart and sophisticated they are? I bet half of the writers think Freud was a gun salesman of sorts - made men buy large ones.

[sparklingblue]

The book question from Taffin is really an interesting one to ask a star. In this context I also remember one RS episode where Mr. Steele is in bed (I think with the broken leg during the bachelor case) and he reads "Tolstoi in London". I always wondered about the choice of this one as well.

And of course there's also a copy of Freud on the chest of drawers next to Steele's bed... ;D

[Yuliya]

I wonder how big your TV is... I don't even remember him reading anything, at least not in the bachelor episode. Do you remember in which one there was Freud?

[sparklingblue]

I'm quite sure that the Freud book was there in several episodes, but I don't recall a particular one. It could be the same ep as the other book, but I'm not sure about that.