On the Southern Literary Trail discussion

Here's the thread to begin our discussion of The Bad Seed.

Creepy kids terrify me, so this one maybe one I have to read in the daytime!

goody! Not sure where to put this, but is anyone attending the Southern Book Fair in Nashville?

Think so! I think Ron rash and daniel woodrell are enough to get me there. Plus it's a 30 min drive!

I just finished and I was engrossed by the mother more than the child. I've got to find a copy of this movie. Perhaps it will be on TCM during this spooky month!

I began this one tonight, reading it aloud to my wife, Martha Jo. She loved it and so did I. We're reading a chapter a night. It's ironic that William March did not live to see the success of his final work. He died of a heart attack at the age of sixty. March was born in Mobile, Alabama in 1893. His most renowned work is Company K based on his experiences as a Marine in WWI. His writing never achieved popular recognition until The Bad Seed.

Laura wrote: "I just finished and I was engrossed by the mother more than the child. I've got to find a copy of this movie. Perhaps it will be on TCM during this spooky month!"

Laura, the original movie version of "The Bad Seed" is available on DVD for $5.99 from Barnes & Noble. It's worth it.

Here's the original trailer for the 1956 film from You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NWGyG...

Mike wrote: "Laura wrote: "I just finished and I was engrossed by the mother more than the child. I've got to find a copy of this movie. Perhaps it will be on TCM during this spooky month!"

Laura, the original..."

Thanks so much. That trailer looks very good. Yes, I think it's worth spending the $6. Also, it was a shame that March died so quickly after he wrote The Bad Seed. Such a young man to never see his success.

This is my second time reading The Bad Seed. I actually saw the movie on TCM first which made me want to read the book. I might have to buy the movie. Both are very good. Just noticed I read this for the first time in Oct 2012. It is definitely a great and eerie Oct read !

I love it, the book I'm currently reading just referenced The Bad Seed!

In the novel, Monica's brother, Emory and his friend Reggie are always discussing true crime stories. Interestingly William March inserted a notorious Alabama murder case into their discussions. When talking about "Nurse Dennison," who killed her niece by giving her orange soda laced with arsenic, Emory and Reggie were discussing the case of Earle Dennison. She was convicted of murdering her 2 1/2 year old niece, Shirley Weldon, in just that way. She became the first white woman executed in the State of Alabama on September 3, 1953.



"Nurse" Dennison had taken out three life insurance policies on her niece's life. After his dauther's death, her father sued Liberty National Insurance for negligence in having failed to carry out an investigation into the relationship between Dennison and his daughter. Weldon's position was that Dennison had no insurable interest in the life of his daughter. The insurance company was found liable and ordered to pay $75,000.00 to Shirley's family.

See: http://scholarlycommons.law.wlu.edu/c...

Mike

Laura wrote: "I love it, the book I'm currently reading just referenced The Bad Seed!"

Laura, what's the book?

Mike wrote: "Laura wrote: "I love it, the book I'm currently reading just referenced The Bad Seed!"

Laura, what's the book?"

Ki Longfellow's Houdini Heart. I'm getting my spook on this month!

My wife and I continue our read aloud of The Bad Seed. We reached chapter five last night. While I've read the book twice, my wife has only seen the movie. It's a very enjoyable way to enjoy this creepy classic.

Mike wrote: "My wife and I continue our read aloud of The Bad Seed. We reached chapter five last night. While I've read the book twice, my wife has only seen the movie. It's a very enjoyable way to enjoy thi..."

I read The Graveyard Book, but now my daughter, husband and I are reading it out loud as a family. It's a nice, enjoyable change.

Laura wrote: "Mike wrote: "Laura wrote: "I love it, the book I'm currently reading just referenced The Bad Seed!"

Laura, what's the book?"

Ki Longfellow's Houdini Heart. I'm getting my spook on this month!"

I just joined the group a couple of days ago, and I've ordered The Bad Seed from The Book Depository. I hope it arrives so I can join in on the discussion before you all finish it.

Laura, as an aside, are you liking Houdini Heart? I was thinking of reading that too.

TD, to be honest I hated Houdini Heart. I just didn't get it. The favorite parts of the book were it mentioned The Bad Seed and a favorite author of mine, Daphne du Maurier who wrote Rebecca and Jamaica Inn that I love. She wrote a ton of other stuff.

Laura wrote: "TD, to be honest I hated Houdini Heart. I just didn't get it. The favorite parts of the book were it mentioned The Bad Seed and a favorite author of mine, Daphne du Maurier who wrote Rebecca and Ja..."

Ah, thanks for your honesty. I love du Maurier, too :)

Though I don't have the time at the moment to read this title, I'm enjoying the comments on the thread. For fright fans, the movie will be airing on TCM 10/27 at 2 pm.

Thanks, Frank. I'm writing that on my calendat right now!

Frank, thank you so much. I've been checking my tv daily but went out of town and had not checked in two days! This made my day!

Frank, Thanks for the heads up about the airing on TCM. I just finally got my copy of this book, so I'm a little late to the party, but I'm quite familiar with the story line.

Nothing disturbs more than creepy kids in literature and film around Halloween time. The cover on my book is the one with the creepy looking doll. It sort of reminded me of the Twilight Zone episode of "Living Doll" with Telly Savalas, with the "Talky Tina" doll.

Franky wrote: "Nothing disturbs more than creepy kids in literature and film around Halloween time. The cover on my book is the one with the creepy looking doll. It sort of reminded me of the Twilight Zone episode of "Living Doll" with Telly Savalas, with the "Talky Tina" doll."

When I was a little girl, that TZ with Talky Tina came out, and we were at my grandparents' home in the country watching it. My sister and I had to go to bed in a strange, dark, and too-quiet room after that, and I was especially disturbed by the doll's name being the same as my own.

Okay, so I'm about 70 pages in. For some reason, this is reminding me of the short story "The Lottery" , Shirley Jackson, just for its level of grotesqueness? On the surface there is this simplistic sentimentality, and underneath there are some disturbing themes.

Also, Leroy might be as disturbing as little Rhoda, no?

@Frank: Leroy is equally disturbing as Rhoda. However, he under estimates her.

book or movie first?

Book always!

Over all, equally disturbing and fascinating, maybe a bit shocking for its time.

Interesting how the story is told quite often from Christine's vantage point, and how things quickly creep up on her and she sees her daughter for what she truly is.

I didn't mind the Freud, but Mrs. Breedlove was quite annoying. She's sort of clueless.

Did any of you prefer the book to the film, or vice versa? Two different endings.

I loved book, still trying to watch movie. How bad is that? It's not keeping my interest.

Just caught the movie, well most of the movie. Not bad. But book is much better, imo. And I think this is a much sophisticated take on subject than I anticipated, with the book. Hated the movie ending. What other southern books have tackled nature vs. Nurture in evil?

Heather wrote: "Just caught the movie, well most of the movie. Not bad. But book is much better, imo. And I think this is a much sophisticated take on subject than I anticipated, with the book. Hated the movie end..."

Sharp Objects kind of had that theme going on with it in a more current time. I thought book of The Bad Seed was definitely better than movie.

I'll have to pick Sharp Objects up, Laura.

It's my favorite of the three she's written. The book description sounds weird but it was good.