Childhood's End

[wiseheart]

Meaning the three-part miniseries, not the book by A.C.C. Clarke, on which it was supposedly based. I've sacrificed six hours of my life to watch the entire series on German TV in the previous two evenings because I was interested in the visual adaptation.

I want those six hours back!

I've read the book, both in original and in Hungarian translation and frankly, I wasn't impressed. TBH, I don't like Clarke's writing to begin with. It depresses the living highlight out of me. If we discuss the classics, I'm for Asimov, Bradbury, Stanislaw Lem - or the Russian writer Iwan Jefremow whom probably no-one else still remembers.

So no, I didn't like the book, and I didn't expect to like the TV version, either. Even if it was true to the book. Especially if it was true to the book. But I hoped that they'd gift some spectacular visuals upon us. I mean, there was space, there was the planet of the Overlords, there were all those weird and scary planets the kiddies saw in their visions, something ought to have been done with them.

There wasn't. We didn't even see any of the planets - and the Overlords looked positively cheap. What we got were six hours of desperate boredom, disjointed stuff one wouldn't have understood without reading the book, lots of sentimental nonsense added, and a main character that was barely more than a footnote in the book.

I was very disappointed. I mean, my expectations were fairly low, but even those were disappointed.

Have I mentioned that I want those six hours of my life back?

Other stuff: today's tiny crafting project was to sew the wardrobe of Léna's doll house quiet book. Once again I haven't quite managed to sew in a straight line, but it turned out well enough.

Comments

[motodraconis.livejournal.com]

I've always found Asimov pretty dull. When I was young, there wasn't much else in the local library sci-fi and fantasy section to read except Asimov and Gordon R. Dickson (which looked so tedious I couldn't bring myself to read any of the series.) It was a dry time!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Well, some of his stuff is dull. I could never get into the Foundation books. But there were a few things of him that I liked - for example that story with R. Daneel, the robot detective.

[meathiel]

I know neither the book nor the TV series.
What's it called in German?

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

I honestly don't know. The TV series was running under the English title on RTL II yesterday and the day before.

[wanderingmogwai.livejournal.com]

"desperate boredom" There's a nice turn of phrase I haven't heard before. I hope you don't mind. I'll be borrowing it from you. I know just who to apply it too and when already.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Sure, be my guest. :)

[mirasaui.livejournal.com]

I took a sci-fi class at univ and that book was one on the required reading lists. Childhood's End and Bradbury's Martian Chronicles were two of my least favorites. I did not care for the filmed versions of either.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

I'm not such a huge fan of Bradbury, either. He has a kind of naiveté that I cannot connect with. I did like the film version of the Martian Chronicles, though. At least the visuals were gorgeous.