Firstly, I’m pleased with how the music is progressing. That wistful fiddle throughout adds texture, and the way it references “Dixie” every time we return to the old plantation house really places the reader firmly in the story. I wonder if using “Pomp and Circumstance” during Quentin’s time at Harvard is too much. Discuss? Unfortunately, Benjy Compson’s tuba theme will need a rethink. (Sorry, Larry. Maybe something with a fiddle/banjo?)
The sound effects I find to be on the whole quite effective. Opening the book with the sound of a single golf stroke is inspired. Announcing the entrance of Mrs. Compson with the clatter of beer bottles and hiccups is very evocative, and the audio accompaniment to the birth of Miss Quentin effectively underscores the discomfort of childbirth as well as that of illegitimacy, estrangement, and the Reconstruction. I noticed in the book that wisteria, a kind of plant, is mentioned very frequently, often in conjunction with a breeze. Is that something we may be able to put across auditorily? The splash signaling that a suicidal Quentin has hit the Charles River was very impactful. Would it be possible to make it louder to optimize impactfulness?
Ron and Shirley expressed some concern over the voicing, and I have come to see their point. We thought leveraging our relationships with Hollywood to bring the characters to life would be a great value-add, but the verdict is still out. I have been forced to do a rethink on the decision to have Robin Williams voice the maid, Dilsey. (Is Morgan Freeman available?) And while Benjy does indeed moan a great deal in the book, I wonder if Sean Penn is overdoing it. Can we have him dial it back, or at least get him to confine it strictly to scenes involving Benjy?
That’s it! Once we get over these speed bumps, I think “2 Sound 2 Furious” will be a true game-changer for literature. FYI: Ron will be weighing in later this week on the “Tell-Tale Heart” project; and Sandy on a new acquisition, “All Quiet on the Western Front” — which I realize doesn’t sound promising, but I’m told there’s shooting.
Best,
John
Joe Keohane is a writer in New York City.
