Set in 1940's Hollywood, I found the suspense/mystery story of who killed the lead character's brother, to be a bit slow moving. While I appreciated the various layers of social history (union-busting, communist-hunting, escaping Nazi Germany), I found that they tended to make the story a little more convoluted, adding a lot of characters (dead and alive) to keep up with.
Perhaps it would help to know more about who the fictional movie studio characters are based on, because aside from the Red-hating congressman (McCarthy), I didn't really get the Hollywood parallels, although I'm sure they were there...
Perhaps it would help to know more about who the fictional movie studio characters are based on, because aside from the Red-hating congressman (McCarthy), I didn't really get the Hollywood parallels, although I'm sure they were there...
This book follows the careers of Hollywood stars and the men who make the movies. There is a murder in Hollywood and the book lays out the details of the murder and leads you through Hollywood happening of the people behind the scenes. It is not a pretty picture Be prepared for a long adventure.
Set in "Old Hollywood", just after World War II, this story follows Ben Collier, a soldier back from Germany. He is returning to attend the funeral of his brother, a promising filmmaker. Refusing to accept the police's report that his brother committed suicide, Ben begins delving into his brother's life, past and present, and is soon caught up in a world of Hollywood starlets, communist hunting politicians, and German emigres.
Kanon employs a writing style that evokes the era in which the novel is set. Feels very much like a movie from this time period, but goes inside the mind of the "hero" and behind the glitzy backdrops of the sound stage. Plus, a gripping plot, that kept me eagerly turning pages to the very end!
Kanon employs a writing style that evokes the era in which the novel is set. Feels very much like a movie from this time period, but goes inside the mind of the "hero" and behind the glitzy backdrops of the sound stage. Plus, a gripping plot, that kept me eagerly turning pages to the very end!
Good story with historical interest, but I didn't think it was one of his best (and I've read all of his books). Of course all his books are worth reading.
