Nevermore: Casablanca, Tristan Betrayal, Palestine, Ada Blackjack, My Planet, Where Lady Slippers Grow

Reported by Kristin

Nevermore traveled back to the Golden Age of film with We’ll Always Have Casablanca: The Life, Legend, and Afterlife of Hollywood’s Most Beloved Movie by Noah Isenberg.  Published 75 years after the 1942 release of the movie, this volume tells the background of the making of the movie.  An exhaustive researcher, Isenberg goes back to Murray Bennett, the New York City high school teacher who originally conceived the play “Rick’s Bar Casablanca” on which the 1942 film was based.  Our reader proclaimed that the movie was quite delightful and that if you liked the movie you would surely enjoy the book.

Next up was The Tristan Betrayal by Robert Ludlum, a thriller with Stephen Metcalfe, American ambassador, in Russia in 1991.  Stephen has a long history in international affairs, most notably as an intrepid spy who infiltrated the Nazi party during World War II.  In a whirlwind adventure though Paris, Berlin, and Moscow, Stephen must find an old lover to assist in his quest to maintain the balance of power in the Russian government.  Notably, this novel was published three years after Ludlum’s death in 2001, and may or may not have been entirely written by him.  Our reader said that this was a fun read, but by the time it was over she was exhausted by all the adventures.

Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid by former President Jimmy Carter was published a decade ago, but still interested our next reader.  Carter brings an expansive understanding of the balance of power in the Middle East, and hopes to promote knowledge that brings peace and understanding to that part of the world.  Our reader said that she was particularly impressed by the maps provided.

Returning stateside, another reader enjoyed Where Lady Slippers Grow by Bev Freeman.  Madison McKenzie’s story began in Silence of the Bones, and continued in this, the second volume of a planned trilogy.  A young woman in East Tennessee, Madison has taken a break from college and is trying to figure out her direction in life.  Back home in small town Cold Creek, she is pulled into an unexpected role—filling in for the sheriff until an election.  Amidst hikers, murder, and mayhem, Madison continues her saga.  Our reader enjoyed the book.

Another reader enjoyed My Planet: Finding Humor in the Oddest Places by Mary Roach.  Each essay in this collection was originally published in Reader’s Digest.  Roach, a New York Times best-selling author, always seems to find the humor in every situation she encounters, and has a knack for making even difficult topics seem light and humorous.  Her husband Ed is the subject of many of Roach’s musings, from their adventures in programming the television remote to arranging furniture.

Ada Blackjack: A True Story of Survival in the Arctic by Jennifer Niven is set in 1921, as a young Inuit woman chose to travel to remote Wrangel Island, far to the northwest of Alaska.  Based on previously unpublished journals and documents, this story is an incredible tale of survival and inner strength.  The sea journey included a cat (always a draw for some,) considered good luck on the ship.  This book comes highly recommended.

Lastly, another reader was intrigued by A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership by James Comey.  This recent memoir by the former FBI director explains many things about the inner workings of the United States government, including how the FBI is organized and the scope of investigations that they undertake.  Our reader found it really interesting and no matter how controversial, thinks that Comey is a very honorable man.

We’ll Always Have Casablanca by Noah Isenberg

Reviewed by Jeanne

2017 marked the 75^th anniversary of the release of “Casablanca,” the iconic film starring Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, Claude Raines, and Paul Henreid. Isenberg’s book, published to coincide with the milestone anniversary, is subtitled The Life, the Legend, and Afterlife of Hollywood’s Most Beloved Movie. While that may sound like hyperbole, there is certainly an argument to be made that the film deserves the title and all the accolades.

For one thing, it’s a pop culture touchstone.  Even those who have never seen Casablanca recognize quotations from the film:  “Round up the usual suspects.” “Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” “Of all the gin joints in all the towns, in all the worlds, she walks into mine.”  “Here’s looking at you, kid.” Arguably the most famous one of all, “Play it again, Sam” is a bogus quote.  Ilsa says, “Play it once, Sam, for old time’s sake.  Play it, Sam.  Play As Time Goes By.”  Rick’s later line is “You played it for her, you can play it for me. . .  Play it!”

Then there’s the incredible cast. Interestingly enough, the cast did reflect the movie setting in that  there were only three American-born actors in the main cast; everyone else was an immigrant or refugee, giving a sense of authenticity to the piece.  Many of the actors had intimate knowledge of the situation, having fled Europe to escape the Nazis.  Conrad Veidt who played the villainous Major Strasser had been a major film star in Germany before he and his Jewish wife left for England. Veidt said he knew Strasser’s type well:  a man who had betrayed his friends and his country to become a somebody. He plays the character just that way.

Isenberg spends the first section of the book documenting the movie’s genesis.  Perhaps oddly, the idea germinated when a young man and his bride honeymooned in Europe; it began its literary life as a play entitled Everybody Comes to Rick’s.  Isenberg concentrates on the personalities involved, and all the fingerprints that ended up on the script.  Each person who tweaked the script had a different idea of how the movie should work, keeping in mind all the time the rigid movie code of the day.  A number of lines were altered or cut as being too suggestive. It’s also why Ilse has a line which implies that her husband is dead because otherwise she and Rick might be seen as adulterers. 

The book did begin to drag a little for me when the author started discussing other projects that referenced Casablanca, but didn’t affect my overall enjoyment of the book.  However, I very much liked reading how the movie itself was received in other parts of the world: in some cases, the references to the Third Reich and Nazis were cut, shortening the movie considerably, as one might imagine.

Isenberg did credit other sources for some of his material, especially Round Up the Usual Suspects:  The Making of Casablanca by Aljean Harmetz.  First published in 1992, Harmetz was able to personally interview more of those connected with making the film.  I’m adding that book to my reading list.

In short, this is a book best read with a copy of the movie close at hand so you can check out the various scenes and characters. Some scenes may play a bit differently when the background is known, but it doesn't really detract from the film for me.  Sam can play it as many times as he likes.

Nevermore: Rick's Cafe, Moonshine Mystery, Karin Fossum, and Cats

Summary by Jeanne

Rick’s Café is the true story of how one woman decided to bring a bit of movie lore into reality.  Author Kathy Kriger was a diplomat assigned to Morocco when she decided to try to create a real café modeled after the one in the classic film Casablanca. Starting a business is never easy; being a foreigner and especially a woman, made the task all the more difficult.  Our reader found her to be near heroic and said the book, while slim, made for a fascinating read. A second reader complained that it was slow going but persevered, especially after watching the movie.

Many of our readers have enjoyed Scandinavian authors who became popular after Steig Larsson’s Girl With the Dragon Tattoo took off.  One of our readers had just finished his first book by Karin Fossum and had stared his second.  The Caller features her long time detective, Inspector Sejer, investigating a series of increasingly nasty pranks. Our reader said it was every bit as good as the first one.  The characters are very well developed.

A Nip of Murder by Carol Miller is the second in the Moonshine Mystery Series set in the hills of Virginia.  Daisey McGovern has opened her dream bakery and things are going quite well… until some thieves steal 90 pounds of cream cheese.  Even worse, one of them manages to get himself killed in the process. The second book is every bit as good as the first.  Miller uses humor to good effect without going over the top, and avoids being condescending about the rural setting.  Our reader recommended it.  You don’t have to have read the first book to enjoy this one.

Cats just seem to inspire redecorating.  Jackson Galaxy’s new book Catification has some good tips that are worth sharing about cats, cat behavior, and how human habitation fits into those plans.    However, Bob and Frances Walker were pioneers in decorating for felines and humans.  Their house has been featured on several TV programs and the library has two books featuring gorgeous photographs:  The Cats’ House and Cats Into Everything.  Bob is a gifted photographer and some of the shots have to be seen to be believed. Cat lovers should definitely treat themselves to these books!