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misterjay's review
3.0
Sean Condon's novel, Film, suffers from clever dialogue and poor pacing. It's also a bit too circular for my tastes but, having said that, it is an enjoyable read, full of odd characters and film reference piled on film reference.
The central protagonist, Henry Powdermaker, is an aspiring film maker from his earliest childhood until the book's conclusion; he is an accomplished loser in that he succeeds in making films and writing screenplays but is unsuccessful in gaining wider fame or recognition from having done so. The novel follows Henry's journey from childhood through to delayed adulthood as he attempts to rid himself of the ghosts of past mistakes and grasp at future success.
Condon, an Australian, writes with a sure knowledge of American geography and culture and a film student's love of cinema. Condon's first published books were travelogues and it is through them that Condon's weakness as a fiction author is revealed. The author has a wonderful ear for dialogue but has a hard time creating characters as fully realized as the ones in his travel books.
This book is worth checking out if you are a fan, a complete-ist, or a film geek.
The central protagonist, Henry Powdermaker, is an aspiring film maker from his earliest childhood until the book's conclusion; he is an accomplished loser in that he succeeds in making films and writing screenplays but is unsuccessful in gaining wider fame or recognition from having done so. The novel follows Henry's journey from childhood through to delayed adulthood as he attempts to rid himself of the ghosts of past mistakes and grasp at future success.
Condon, an Australian, writes with a sure knowledge of American geography and culture and a film student's love of cinema. Condon's first published books were travelogues and it is through them that Condon's weakness as a fiction author is revealed. The author has a wonderful ear for dialogue but has a hard time creating characters as fully realized as the ones in his travel books.
This book is worth checking out if you are a fan, a complete-ist, or a film geek.
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