Why Read This? - Daphne du Maurier - The Birds
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ค. 2024
- In episode five of Strange Read's 'Why Read This?' series, we look at Daphne du Maurier's, The Birds. Daphne du Maurier disagreed with being typecast as a romance writer. The Birds definitely shrugs off any suggestion of being a romantic tale. It provides the bleak chills and hopelessness of any classic apocalyptic story.
She lived a very different life to the authors we have reviewed so far - and for nearly twice as long! Still, the passion for the craft of writing is the common thread. Imagine moving out of your parent's home because THEY were the rowdy ones.
For more great speculative fiction tales, please subscribe: th-cam.com/users/strangeread...
Thanks to:
Fiona Wildsmith - as Nat's wife and the laconic receptionist (voice)
Music
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Glacier - Patrick Patrikios - TH-cam Studio
Searching for the Alchemist - www.bothworldsmusic.com.au
Familiar Things - The Whole Other - TH-cam Studio
Voices - Patrick Patrikios - TH-cam Studio
Video Excerpts
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The Birds (1963) - Universal International Pictures
All Creatures Great and Small (1978) - BBC1
Game of Thrones (2011 - 2019) - Warner Bros Television Distribution
My Links to Follow:
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TH-cam - / strangereads
Instagram - / david_wildsmith
Chapter Settings
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0:00 Introduction
0:45 Author Biography
3:33 Brief Plot Summary
11:09 Story Inspiration
12:50 We wonder whether Nat and his family survived...
#strangereads #thebirds #horrorstories #authors #books #authors #fiction #shortstory #horrorstory #speculativefiction #writing #writer #hitchcock #alfredhitchcock #biography
I just read the story this morning before watching this video (thanks). WOW. Amazing.
Isn’t it just like a post-apocalyptic story fifty years became they became super popular ❤️❤️
Cheers, mate - hope the channel inspires some other cool reads for you (try our shorts, too!!) 👍
I read The Birds this morning and absolutely loved it! I felt genuinely unsettled by it and loved how the bleak Cornish countryside sets the scene beautifully for what I thought would inevitably be a bleak outcome. I agree with Fiona, that felt like Nat's resignation by having his last cigarette. What a gem of a story.... I don't think I can bring myself to watch Hitchcock's interpretation! I'll savour the chilling tale of the page instead.
I think that’s a fine choice. The written version stands up a lot better after all these years.
Here is the audio book:
th-cam.com/video/k39RAPKhMZE/w-d-xo.html
I’ve long believed that Hitchcock would have done better to film the story as Du Maurier wrote it, in black and white, and used it for one of his hour-long television shows.
That TV series is certainly a classic 👌
I’ve been looking for something like this as an English teacher about to teach the birds. I would have loved to hear more analysis at the end about that final cigarette. The empty pack after all does burn at the end. All the same, thanks for your time and effort into making this. My students shall benefit.
I think the ending is a delightful cliffhanger. My wife and I disagreed on the family’s chances. I think she believed they were done for, but I sided with the Dad’s ability to push-on and become a post-apocalyptic survivor.
Glad I could help, and I hope your students love the story.
Totally forgot the word teacher. Haha! I too would love to side with the Dad and Nat’s ever vigilance. In fact, I think the text supports this assuming Nat has access and opportunity to continue to salvage supplies. However, I think the text more supports the doom of humanity. The birds will outlast the humans and their technology. The East Wind, the Black Winter, the Tide, and Nature are all indestructible characters who wield the organic machine of the birds. Du Maurier seems to be saying that the organic machine will always defeat the mechanized machine, thus the labors of humanity and its industrialization. All things made by people are either ineffectual or burn. The birds know this. They allow Nat two cigarettes. They’re kind before his execution. Nat says he’ll save the last for a rainy day, but he smokes it that night when it’s not raining. Again, Nat’s plan and intentions fail. Then, fire, a symbol of Nature consumes the package of cigarettes, a symbol for human industry and civilization. In the end, Nature will consume and burn all things made of people. That is, unless like the text states, Nat can adapt. The one tool humanity has against Nature.
@@jasonpope2278 Haha - I read the word teacher into your comment.
It's an interesting topic, and I loved reading your thoughts.
In my work, I always write 'nature' as an indifferent force. People might call certain elements evil, but I find it colder when they care little either way.
It's always fun to guess the author's intent - I think I should do a short video on this topic. (I know my wife and I disagree on the topic) I could even link it to a poll in our community section.
Would something like this be useful for use with your students, too?
Yes, perhaps if the birds don’t eat it first.
@@jasonpope2278 ok - I’ve been working on my own writing this week, but I’ll try to do a short video and community for the weekend. I’ll send you a link when it’s up. Thanks for the inspiration 😊
Hello, I was wondering if any of you know which type of narrator does this story have? Is it over (homodiegetic).Thanks in advanced.
I'd never come across this term before, so thanks for the great question, Camila! The Birds is written in the third person, but it is limited to Nat's POV. The narrator, however, does not participate in the story. From looking up the definition of homodiegetic, I believe The Birds would not fit this criteria. This would make it a heterodiegetic story. Let us know how you go 🙂❤
Thank you!