Friday, February 13, 2009

Best books: David Hare

Playwright and director David Hare, whose screenplay for The Reader has just been nominated for an Academy Award, named a best books list for The Week.

One title on his list:
The Third Man by Graham Greene—the screenplay, not the subsequent novella (out of print).

Anyone who wants to write films or plays for a living is advised to commit this screenplay to memory, because the rhythm and drive of its glorious dialogue and structure are so compelling.
Read about another title on Hare's list.

The film The Third Man is deserving of its wide acclaim, but I think The Fallen Idol, also adapted for the screen in collaboration with Graham Greene, is even better.

--Marshal Zeringue