Books that would make bad musicals

Today, I was listening to the musical equivalent of Midnight's Children - not, I hasten to add, a musical of Midnight's Children (it wouldn't make a great stage show...an event occurs, all action on the stage pauses for 10 minutes while the narrator explains the metaphor we are supposed to be understanding...in song...action continues, 4 hours later nothing has really happened...). No, I was listening to the new Gorillaz album. I've really liked their previous work, but this is just rubbish. It seems to be a mixture of bad rap, 80s electro pop, and generally unmemorable music. However, I know that they have often been heralded as making innovative use of different musical styles and so I didn't feel I could just write it off. So, I listened through to the end. I tried really hard to understand what they were doing with the album as a whole, rather than just feeling complainy because there is nothing singable on it. I felt a bit uncultured because I was probably missing the point.

It seemed to go on for a long time, and nothing of interest really happens. I don't ever want to listen to it again.

So, I'm left with the question - is it too clever for me, am I missing the point, or is it just not worth listening to?

I'll leave you to draw the parallel - I don't think I need to hit you over the head with it!

That did start me thinking about books that would make bad musicals (I was driving to work, I was bored, and all I had to listen to was the Gorillaz album). So - Midnight's Children, Jude the Obscure (totally inappropriate subjects for song), The Wasp Factory. Strangely enough, I think the lingering, trudging misery of Grapes of Wrath might lend itself quite well to song.

I'm reading the Hobbit at the moment, by the way. Only 30 pages in but so far I'm pleased to report that it's more interesting than I remember it being last time I tried. The seven book Lord of the Rings Millenium edition is looming ominously over my reading future...