Customer Reviews

Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey: New Essays

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This book of newer essays on Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey' is a must-have for film students - whether grad or under-grad - as well as for Kubrick fans or really anyone who rates this film in their Top 20.

The question in 1968 was: how can this film be more than just a fad, Kubrick pandering to the hippie generation? These essays really underscore the staying power of this film and confirm its reputation as a masterpiece. Yet the essays chosen do not fawn. Some are ambivalent in some regards; one is decidedly negative. All are thought-provoking.

A lovely book. In paperback, for the price I most heartily recommend it.

I like most people who would consider purchasing or reading a book of this nature have been engrossed by this movie since it's release. I was 11 at the time and perhaps because of that the movie made perfect sense to me. Sometimes young people just experience things without trying to squeeze them into preconceived norms. This brings me back to the task at hand, the review of this book.
Each of the nine essays are written by a professor of film studies and they should be applauded for their historical knowledge. BUT...sometimes you just have to say "Whoa, back the train up!". Each essay reads like there was a contest between the profs to see who could come up with the most bizarre and far fetched examples of hidden meanings. The style of writing in each of the essays seems to be as if the essay was authored specifically for peer review and definitely not mainstream reading or enjoyment. This reads like a technical manual and I defy you to stay awake if reading this after the sun sets! They read ridiculous motive into absolutely everything. I guess it's a good thing for these profs that they teach/preach to 20 year old kids and not 50 year olds who might challenge some of these ideas. While there have been some great "2001" books published, this is not one of them.
In short, Kubrick believed his story should be told by the medium he chose to work in, film; and as such, he let the visual convey the experience. Not verbiage as in the print medium. Not an overly produced soundtrack as in a musical(hence he deep-sixed Alex North's score). To paraphrase Freud (I think it was him) "Sometimes a movie is just a movie" and 2001 is a great one. Respectfully submitted, Bob Kon

Es el 2* libro que leo en mi kindle, y tengo que decir que es imprescindible de leer, sobre todo a los que nos encanto la pelicula, que tambien es imprescindible de ver.

books in spanish, please!