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IRL (In Real Life) => Books & Reading => Topic started by: steve58 on May 17, 2019, 11:39:32 AM

Title: Herman Wouk (author of The Caine Mutiny) has died
Post by: steve58 on May 17, 2019, 11:39:32 AM
Quote
Herman Wouk, the versatile, Pulitzer Prize winning author of such million-selling novels as "The Caine Mutiny" and "The Winds of War" whose steady Jewish faith inspired his stories of religious values and secular success, died on Friday at 103.

Wouk was just 10 days shy of his 104th birthday and was working on a book until the end, said his literary agent Amy Rennert.

Rennert said Wouk died in his sleep at his home in Palm Springs, California, where he settled after spending many years in Washington, D.C.

Among the last of the major writers to emerge after World War II and first to bring Jewish stories to a general audience, he had a long, unpredictable career that included gag writing for radio star Fred Allen, historical fiction and a musical co-written with Jimmy Buffett. He won the Pulitzer in 1952 for "The Caine Mutiny," the classic Navy drama that made the unstable Captain Queeg, with the metal balls he rolls in his hand and his talk of stolen strawberries, a symbol of authority gone mad. A film adaptation, starring Humphrey Bogart, came out in 1954 and Wouk turned the courtroom scene into the play "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial."

https://apnews.com/1ee28153a1e54f52a516352171c7f41d
Title: Re: Herman Wouk (author of The Caine Mutiny) has died
Post by: Gusington on May 17, 2019, 11:53:48 AM
Wow, 103. RIP.
Title: Re: Herman Wouk (author of The Caine Mutiny) has died
Post by: Steelgrave on May 17, 2019, 02:27:41 PM
I first read "The Caine Mutiny" when I was in sixth grade and re-read it every summer for years. Ditto "The Winds of War" later on and "War and Remembrance". God Bless, Mr. Wouk and RIP.
Title: Re: Herman Wouk (author of The Caine Mutiny) has died
Post by: Gusington on May 17, 2019, 02:48:39 PM
I know his name from the Winds of War and War and Rememberence...I honestly didn't know he wrote the Caine Mutiny and that he got the Pulitzer for it.
Title: Re: Herman Wouk (author of The Caine Mutiny) has died
Post by: Steelgrave on May 17, 2019, 04:27:58 PM
Winds of War and War and Remembrance take a wide-screen view of WWII while injecting how it affected individuals and families, The Caine Mutiny is a much more individualized view of a carefree and somewhat immature young officer who gets pulled into drama that his life path has not prepared him for. All three are amazing reads and The Caine Mutiny easily holds its own against his other blockbusters.

I still remember "Willie Keith, the Demerit King" and chuckle. A great tale.
Title: Re: Herman Wouk (author of The Caine Mutiny) has died
Post by: Toonces on May 18, 2019, 12:42:42 AM
I recently tried to get into War and Rememberence for the second time.. .I've read half of it, but....

One of his very first books I read, which I still hold on to fondly, is "Don't Stop the Carnival."  In fact, I've been considering reading it again; it's been at least 20 years.

I never knew Wouk was a Jewish...positionist...but it comes through very, very clearly in his writing.  I consider myself almost completely immune to this type of stuff, and it was still very strongly felt.  Frankly, I had trouble finishing WaR because of it...just too much and too strong for me personally.

Regardless, a great story teller.  RIP sir.   :notworthy:
Title: Re: Herman Wouk (author of The Caine Mutiny) has died
Post by: Steelgrave on May 18, 2019, 11:38:54 AM
I think you would enjoy The Caine Mutiny, Toonces. Young Willie Keith going from "the Demerit King" to a green officer (literally at times) to a level of maturity makes for a great story. And the ending is classic, classic Navy bureaucracy. Hell, I've talked myself into reading it again....it's been years and the story is like an old friend.
Title: Re: Herman Wouk (author of The Caine Mutiny) has died
Post by: Gusington on May 18, 2019, 05:14:27 PM
Jewish positionist?
Title: Re: Herman Wouk (author of The Caine Mutiny) has died
Post by: Toonces on May 18, 2019, 05:57:41 PM
LOL, yeah, that didn't come out very well.  I just meant that he has a strong bias to his writing IMO. 

I hope that didn't come across as anti-Semitic, of course that wasn't my intention!
Title: Re: Herman Wouk (author of The Caine Mutiny) has died
Post by: Gusington on May 18, 2019, 06:39:56 PM
Nah I think I know you well enough that it wouldn't be that but I am still not sure what you mean.

Zionist?
Title: Re: Herman Wouk (author of The Caine Mutiny) has died
Post by: Tripoli on May 18, 2019, 08:49:08 PM
If you get a chance, watch the "Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance" Miniseries.  They are excellent.  Wouk was the screenwriter, and was given 30 hours of screentime to translate the novels to the screen.  Fair Winds and Following Seas, LT Wouk
Title: Re: Herman Wouk (author of The Caine Mutiny) has died
Post by: Toonces on May 19, 2019, 11:44:42 AM
I don't know if I can read the Caine Mutiny without projecting Humphrey Bogart onto Queeg in my mind (that was the CO's name, right?)!   ;)

All this talk...I might have to stick with War and Remembrance and see if I can finish it now.
Title: Re: Herman Wouk (author of The Caine Mutiny) has died
Post by: Gusington on May 19, 2019, 12:25:15 PM
I totally agree with the Bogart thing.
Title: Re: Herman Wouk (author of The Caine Mutiny) has died
Post by: Steelgrave on May 20, 2019, 11:25:02 AM
Quote from: Toonces on May 19, 2019, 11:44:42 AM
I don't know if I can read the Caine Mutiny without projecting Humphrey Bogart onto Queeg in my mind (that was the CO's name, right?)!   ;)

All this talk...I might have to stick with War and Remembrance and see if I can finish it now.

Yep, Captain Queeg. And yep, Bogie totally owned that part. He played so many great characters in his films and Captain Queeg should certainly be on any list of Great Bogart Roles.
Title: Re: Herman Wouk (author of The Caine Mutiny) has died
Post by: FarAway Sooner on August 26, 2019, 01:10:00 PM
I'd never read anything of his until I picked up a copy of Winds of War while living in the Philippines.  Nothing in the novel is set in Manila, as I recall, but it was still kind of peculiar, as an American, reading that book (which was meticulously researched) while living in a place that was on the receiving end of WW II in a particularly brutal fashion.

The woman whose house  I was staying in had survived the war as an Americanized Filipino (she was a Caucasian American who had married a Filipino, and her husband got her VERY fast Filipino citizenship as the Japanese were coming in, but Jessie spent most of the war staying in her house).  Miracle of all miracles, the house survived the war, and served as a center for organizing civilian help and shelter in the months after the Allies liberated Manila.
Title: Re: Herman Wouk (author of The Caine Mutiny) has died
Post by: Toonces on August 28, 2019, 09:37:32 AM
Do you recommend Winds of War
Title: Re: Herman Wouk (author of The Caine Mutiny) has died
Post by: Tripoli on August 28, 2019, 10:31:51 AM
Quote from: Toonces on August 28, 2019, 09:37:32 AM
Do you recommend Winds of War?

I highly recommend it.  It is 1) a good read that is 2) good history, albeit using fictional characters.  In addition to the book, If you can, also watch the miniseries "Winds of War" https://www.amazon.com/Winds-War-Polly-Bergen/dp/B07J34BL6G/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Winds+of+War&qid=1567005981&s=gateway&sr=8-3  Very good cast.  Both Polly Bergen and Robert Mitchum are notable, but it also has a strong supporting cast, including John Houseman.  Even Jan-Michael Vincent and Ali MacGraw put in good performances.   Possibly the miniseries is good because Wouk wrote the screenplay, and was given a lot of screen time (I think he had 12 hours or so, allowing him to capture a lot of the book in the miniseries.