Dr. Slaughter

[Rod Hagen]

Sorry for the odd post, but did anybody here ever read Theroux 's "Dr. Slaughter"? I'm leaving for Bora Bora in a few days, and wanted my Boyfriend to read either Maugham's "Rain" or Theroux's "The Happy Isles of Oceania" in preparation. While searching for "The Happy Isles" I found "Dr. Slaughter" and took the most amazing trip back to London without leaving my living room. One of the most intriguing characters I've found in all of literature. I remember attending a reading and signing of his book "My Other Life" in 1995 (I'm such a geek). The two things that stuck out in my mind were, how awkward he seemed, and how interested his captive audience was in the Dr. Slaughter character, myself included.

 

Anyway, anybody here familiar? Fascinating character study if you've ever fancied yourself a Foreign Affairs career type.

[Guest RushNY]

I know you are a film fan/buff have you seen the movie Half Moon Street starring Michael Caine and Sigourney Weaver that was based on the book...were there major differences be interested to see hat u thought.

[Rod Hagen]

Method Acting has always seemed a bit silly to me-as Laurence Olivier said to the exhausted (exhausting?) Dustin Hoffman "Next time my dear boy, why don't you just try acting?". Michael Caine really makes it work. He is a fascinating actor, and seems up to any role. I also like him because when I was a kid, lots of adults said I looked like him (curly hair and such).

 

But even his skills weren't enough to hold "1/2 Moon" together. It was an utter mess. SW was eye candy only, playing the same power bitch she'd revisit in "Working Girl". The novella (short story?) gives her character such amazing depth, the movie just glossed over this and pitched her simply as a modern and independent Jackie-Collins character (stationary biking topless?!), exchanging beverly hills and infidelity for Hyde Park and light intrigue. It was a shame, the material was there, but the execution was retarded.

[Rod Hagen]

No Uta Hagen defenders?