Uber Author And Originality

Today's theme is originality ;-). This brocolli and pineapple arrangement reminds me that people see things differently, and that things/words/thoughts can be arranged artistically in various ways and they would look/sound different and original.

For those who are still interested in the Vishwanathan saga, her book, which has been taken off the shelves, is now selling for ***gasp*** $500 on Amazon. Wow! Would you pay that, just to check out the infamous passages?!

I remember when I first learned of the Nora Roberts-Janet Dailey case, I rushed to get all the different books and had a comparison spree that day. But I don't think I'd have gone out and bought the books if they'd been selling for more than the cover price. Would you? Did you compare then, too, if you were one of the romance readers aware of that other big scandal?

My first issue of Premiere magazine arrived yesterday (I was a softie and subscribed when a kid knocked on my door selling 500 lb chocolate boxes and $30 cheapo candles for his school) and there is an article that covers the 25 greatest screenplays of all time, as chosen by the Writers Guild of America. I have put an ASTERISK to the movies I've seen. And three asterisks mean I agree that it's a great screenplay/story, although maybe not the placements:

25. The Wizard of Oz (1939) ***
24. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
23. Gone With The Wind (1939)***
22. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)*
21. North by Northwest (1959)*
20. It's A Wonderful Life (1946)***
19. To Kill A Mocking Bird (1962)*
18. On The Waterfront (1954)***
17. Tootsie (1982)* (Me: WHAT--Greatest 25 ever?!)
16. Pulp Fiction (1994)***
15. The Apartment (1960)
14. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)***
13. The Graduate (1967)*
12. Dr. Strangelove (1964)***
11. Butch Cassidy and The Sunshine Kid (1969)*
10. The Godfather Part II (1974)***
9. Some Like It Hot (1959)*
8. Network (1976)*
7. Sunset Boulevard (1950)***
6. Annie Hall (1977)***
5. All About Eve (1950)*** (Me: YES!)
4. Citizen Kane (1941)*** (Me: YES!)
3. Chinatown (1974)*** (Me: YES!)
2. The Godfather (1972)***
1. Casablanca (1942)*** (Me: YES!)

Wow, I've actually seen almost all of the top 25 best movies of all time ;-). I am an old movie buff, though, so no surprise to me. If, however, the list is about the top 25 screenplays of the 90s onwards, I'd be in nope-never-seen-it-land.

Do you agree with the above list? And if so, does it make you want to sit down and write down a list of the 25 Best Romance Books of All Time? ;-) From your perspective, of course. Let's nominate a few and see whether we can make one up for the next few weeks. We'll look at originality, emotional pull, breakthrough factors in its time (such as in Citizen Kane, it was the first time there were camera angles from height to create POV perspective! Yes, yes, it's film student talking here....), and other things that we romance readers like, maybe the first HOTHOTHOT! scene that resonated makes that book in the top 25 for you, or the first "different" take of the genre, etc.

I nominate Rosemary Roger's Sweet Savage Love (1974). It was definitely a breakthrough romance book of its time, politically uncorrect NOW, starting the concept of bodice-rippers. I mean, we romance readers, have been reading with THAT consequence since that book! I barely spoke English when I read this story ;-).

I also nominate Patricia Gardner Evan's Quinn Eisley's War (1993). This skyrocketed SIM as DE LINE for categorical romantic suspense, imho. It has everything, including a kick-ass, yet vulnerable, heroine.

I have others, of course, but hey, YOUR TURN! Give title and year of publication, and if you want to, a very short reason why you feel this book makes it in the top 25 best romance book list for you. I'll cut and paste and put it on the blog tomorrow morning.

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