tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post7364109587285051229..comments2024-03-26T17:48:56.627+00:00Comments on 'Do You Write Under Your Own Name?': Accuracny and Authenticity (and The History Boys)Martin Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082485795280777670noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-34432812954974446902014-01-30T16:54:03.512+00:002014-01-30T16:54:03.512+00:00The late, great film critic, Roger Ebert, once obs...The late, great film critic, Roger Ebert, once observed that it's not necessary for a movie to be accurate as long as it feels authentic. I think it's the difference between fiction and non-fiction. Imagine if we expected absolute accuracy in our mystery novels: many of them would be page after page of processing and cataloging every possible piece of evidence--accurate, yes; entertaining, not so much. There has to be artistic license or we all might as well read nothing but non-fiction.Debnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-15359207885961223402014-01-30T13:44:57.841+00:002014-01-30T13:44:57.841+00:00....that should read *IF* not earlier........that should read *IF* not earlier....Clothes In Bookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14680610242823846662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-88967512383796049692014-01-30T12:09:17.288+00:002014-01-30T12:09:17.288+00:00I agree with Flannery O'Connor that in fiction...I agree with Flannery O'Connor that in fiction the writer can do anything they can get away with. Though she did add 'no-one has got away with much.'Christinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16510409974009816550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-61435930528096009972014-01-30T09:47:21.165+00:002014-01-30T09:47:21.165+00:00I saw the play on stage, and enjoyed it very much ...I saw the play on stage, and enjoyed it very much - but I thought was that it seemed more like 1973 than 1983, not earlier: I wonder if the later date was a compromise... Clothes In Bookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14680610242823846662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-55628254876262146652014-01-30T06:16:13.207+00:002014-01-30T06:16:13.207+00:00I saw The History Boys not long after my last trip...I saw The History Boys not long after my last trip to England. Two of my friends had gone to Rugby as day school boys, and one went on to Oxford. I was really fascinated by the premises of the play/film and though I don't know if it was accurate in its details, I think it caught the allure of Oxford and Cambridge pretty well.seana grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03774794086733027289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-79393977550510536822014-01-29T22:51:10.732+00:002014-01-29T22:51:10.732+00:00Martin - Thanks for your thoughts on this. I agree...Martin - Thanks for your thoughts on this. I agree that the real goal here is authenticity. I think there are certain facts that shouldn't be compromised. Wars happened when they happened, and certain PMs led the government when they led it. That sort of thing ought to be accurate. But yes, the most important thing is the feel of an era. Glad to hear you felt they got it right.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com