At the beginning of the New Year, I set myself a goal to read twelve books in one year. For a natural fervent reader, this may seem like an easy feat, but for others, such as myself, who equally love to read but have found time to be a distraction, it is a noble goal I want to accomplish. As of today, I have read three books and am now in the beginning of starting my fourth. When I set out my goal, I did not plan on picking a book and reading one for each month. Instead, I wanted to read as many books as I could; one book after another with at least a day after finishing it to consume and process the story. Maybe by the end I will have read more than twelve books, which would not be such a bad thing.
I actually have a list of books I want to read this year that includes Peyton Place by Grace Metalious, Atonement by Ian McEwan, and The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe. However, I decided to begin my goal with three newly released books that came out earlier this year: Searching for Grace Kelly by Michael Callahan, Funny Girl by Nick Hornby, and A Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott. Coincidentally all three books are set in different time periods and cities that I love; Searching for Grace Kelly is set in 1950's New York; Funny Girl is set in 1960's London; and A Touch of Stardust is set in Hollywood in 1939. What drew me immediately towards these three books were their stories and their connection to film and television. For a long time now, I have been searching for a book that is neither a biography, autobiography, nor a history of the film and television business, but a novel that tells a story set in or related to the exciting world of the entertainment industry. And I found all of that through these three books.
Searching for Grace Kelly by Michael Callahan
Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls is one of my favorite books. After reading almost every book of hers I have been meaning to find a book that was similar, but not entirely, to the world she created about three women trying to make the climb towards success. So, when I found Michael Callahan's debut novel about three young women living in the Barbizon Hotel (the former residence of Grace Kelly) in 1950's New York, I knew I had to read it.
Searching for Grace Kelly is definitely not a copycat version of Valley of Dolls (thank goodness!), although it has some similarities. The novel is about three women each coming to New York with the hope of adventure and self-discovery. There is New England-born Laura who arrives in the city to begin a summer internship at Mademoiselle; spunky and hopeless romantic Dolly; and rebellious British beauty Vivian. If you compare the characters here to those in Valley of the Dolls, you would see some possible similarities had they been written by Jacqueline Susann (Laura would have been Anne Welles; Dolly could be Neely O'Hara minus the drama; and Vivian would have been Jennifer North). However, what sets Searching for Grace Kelly apart from Valley of the Dolls is that it is about three women trying to find themselves among the influence of the women, past and present, of the Barbizon Hotel with most notably its former resident, Grace Kelly, serving as their inspiration.
Apart from the setting, what I liked about the book were its characters. I found each one of them to be relatable to any reader, whether they could compare themselves to just one or to all three women. Each of the characters are at the early years of adulthood trying to figure out the kind of woman they want to become. I find this especially relevant to today's young adults, who are all trying to discover what kind of future they want to have and what kind of person they want to be.
When I was reading the book, I found Laura's story to be the heart and core of the novel. She is the small-town girl in the big city about to discover what life has in store for her and she finds it both through her career and two romances; one with a humble down-to-earth bartender named Pete and another with a department store heir and eligible bachelor named Box Barnes. A lot of the story I felt focused heavily on Laura than the two other women, who I thought were as equally significant but whose stories were diminished midway through the book. Dolly is a hopeless romantic who comes to the city to attend secretarial school. She starts off having a crush on her boss but later forms a relationship with a man she meets at a café. There is a mystery surrounding her relationship with him and just as I am about to learn more and see how it develops, I have to wait until almost the end to find out. I wish Michael Callahan had given Dolly a bigger story on par with Laura's, especially since she is a unique character in a cross between Laura and Vivian's personalities in my opinion. Vivian meanwhile is, as the novel describes her, a red-headed British bombshell who dreams of becoming a singer. She gets involved with a gangster and as soon as she realizes what she has gotten herself into it is too late. Her story culminates at the end bringing all three women together.
I found the ending to be a little dreary after everything that happens. I really wish instead there was a more hopeful if not happy ending, but I guess with everything that builds up and happens towards the end it was the only conclusion the author could give. For a debut novel, it is pretty good. A little dramatic at times, but I thought it held its own.
Funny Girl by Nick Hornby
Out of the all books I read, Funny Girl has become one of my new favorites. I have not yet read Nick Hornby's other previous works before, but I recognized his name instantly because he wrote the screenplay for An Education, and part of that is what drew me into wanting to read his new novel. Funny Girl is about a beauty queen winner, named Barbara Parker, whose dream is to become a television comedienne like her icon, Lucille Ball. After a chance encounter and changing her name to Sophie Straw, she manages to find success when she becomes the star of a new British comedy TV show called "Barbara (and Jim)." The story follows her and her tight knit cast and crew from the creation and early years of the series, during its success, and after its cancelation.
I loved practically everything about this book. I found Sophie to be her own unique character; funny, likable, imperfect, and on some levels relatable. Along with Sophie, I also enjoyed the rest of the characters: show writers Tony Holmes and Bill Gardiner; TV producer and director, Dennis Maxwell-Bishop; and Sophie's co-star and onscreen husband, Clive Richardson. Tony and Bill have this interesting relationship with each other that plays off well. Tony may or may not be a closeted homosexual, whereas Bill is openly gay. Their personalities and different lifestyles are what make their TV show work as well as their relationship as friends. Dennis is another character I liked even though he is modestly in the background during some parts of the book. He is invested in the show and stands up for its humor and charm, apart being secretly in love with Sophie. I actually even liked the whole will-they-or-won't-they relationship he and Sophie have. It was something I felt was hinted at throughout the book and happening in the background, but it was not explicitly there as a core storyline, which I did not mind because it helped moved the rest of the story along than focus on them entirely. Then there is Clive, who represents a character that can be associated with a few real life actors who have achieved success from a famous role but not exactly what they wanted to be remembered for. Some examples that come to mind to compare Clive to are probably Larry Hagman, who was best remembered for I Dream of Jeannie before he gained recognition as J.R. Ewing in Dallas, and Robert Reed, who was always remembered for his role as Mike Brady from The Brady Bunch, despite having had a strong acting background and education from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.
At the center of the novel is the fictional television show "Barbara (and Jim)," which sets the story and its characters in motion. I do not really know much about British comedy or its history in television, with probably Mr. Bean and some of As Time Goes By being my only knowledge or awareness of it, but reading this book made me want to know more about it. There are references to some actual British TV shows from the 1960's such as Til Death Do Us Part (which actually inspired America's All in the Family) as well as notable figures the characters come in contact with, such as Jimmy Page, Harold Wilson and Marcia Williams, Keith Relf, and even Lucille Ball. After I finished reading the book, I really wished there was a show called "Barbara (and Jim)," so I could watch the show and see how iconic and memorable Sophie Straw was. At least Penguin Books made opening credits for the fictional series.
A Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott
For a long time, I have been searching for a novel that told a fictional story set in the non-fictional world of the film industry. Then one day, I came across an announcement for a new novel by Kate Alcott entitled A Touch of Stardust. It tells the story of an aspiring screenwriter named Julie Crawford who becomes Carole Lombard's assistant and witnesses the production of Gone with the Wind. I knew then that I finally found the book I had been looking for.
After devouring A Touch of Stardust, I needed a whole day to process everything because I absolutely loved it. I thought Kate Alcott did a great job of blending reality and fiction in telling a story that balanced both what actually happened and the one she created. Through her character Julie, Alcott invites readers into the world of one of the greatest movies of all time before anyone even knew it. Along with that, she also gives us a glimpse into the relationship between Carole Lombard and the movie's leading man and Lombard's real-life lover, Clark Gable.
Julie Crawford is relatable and maybe even a little inspirational. It is not so much because she is an aspiring screenwriter working in the film industry, but that there is an admirable growth and development to her that can be seen throughout the novel. When we meet Julie, she starts off a little naïve and innocent but with an ambition. She wants to prove to herself and her parents back home in Fort Wayne, Indiana that she made the right choice moving to Hollywood to achieve her dream, even though there may have been some self-doubt in her decision. As she befriends Carole Lombard, who becomes a kind of mentor, and begins a romantic relationship with one of David O. Selznick's assistants, Andy Weinstein, Julie begins to find her way in Hollywood. Reading her journey, I believed she always knew who she was and what she wanted to do, but that she lacked confidence until she meet Carole Lombard, who takes her under her wing and becomes a significant influence in her life. With everything that happens to her, she manages to stay true to herself and becomes a better and confident person in the end. Although the novel shares a story with the making-of Gone with the Wind, it is also mostly a story about a girl who grows and finds herself in the enchanting and alluring world of Hollywood.
As I was reading, I caught myself being so enthralled with all the events happening during the filming of Gone with the Wind. It was fun witnessing the film production through Julie's point of view. I had previously read about how it was a long and difficult process to shoot because of the changes between directors, Clark Gable and David O. Selznick butting heads, doubts coming in from the press about the film among many other stories from the studio lot, but reading it and imagining it all happen through Julie made the story come to life. There is a part in the book when the film premieres in Atlanta and as I was reading the characters experience the premiere, I was also watching a video of the actual premiere at the same time.
One more thing I liked about the novel was that even though you knew the fate of the real-life characters after Gone with the Wind was released, there is never a somber tone hinting of what happens next. For those who do not know, Carole Lombard dies in a plane crash three years later. Also, as mentioned throughout the story with many of the characters hoping it would not happen, the U.S. enters World War II. Instead of foreshadowing the events that happen later, Kate Alcott chooses to focus on the story's present. She does not time jump to Julie mourning Carole Lombard's death nor does she focus on the beginning of World War II. She fortunately lets her characters live out their lives as they were in that present without a hint of a impending sadness or despair. She ends her book with hope and that is the best ending for a book filled with pure cinema magic.
*****
Currently, I have begun reading my fourth book for the year entitled When The World Was Young by Elizabeth Gaffney. I bought it a couple of months ago and since it is set in post-World War II New York, I thought it would be a good fit following A Touch of Stardust. Hopefully once I finish it, I can write another review soon.
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