Reviews

This is a really difficult read. My main emotion while reading the whole thing was cringe. I couldn't quite believe that someone so talented at acting could have written something so bad. I am a very big believer that strong dialogue is the cornerstone of good writing and the dialogue in this book was atrocious. Nearly every conversation was filled with preachy monologues from characters who all sounded the same. They all spoke the same way about the same vague morals. I'm not even sure what this book was about or what the message was supposed to be. It's also an extremely pretentious read about theater and tries so hard to be deep or insightful about the process of theater and how magical it is but it fails and makes it seem trivial. The central conflict of the book is so lame because the protagonist never grows or understands his mistakes which makes the book feel like a chore to read when the characters are not exhibiting any growth. I was extremely disappointed by this read.

pcastleton's review against another edition

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5.0

Incredible! Hawke is a gifted writer. This "novel" loosely tracks with Hawke's performance of Henry IV at Lincoln Center in 2003, while he was separating from his first wife Uma Thurman. Hawke is one of my favorite theater actors and while this novel may remind you of the movie Birdman, this novel is not fantastical, more about the author, and even more insightful about the relationships and dynamics behind the curtain. It also reminds me of Martin Amis' recent semi-autobiographical novel, Inside Story. This form of writing can be gut-wrenching because the author uses the freedom of fiction to probe and exorcise deeply personal experiences.

loris13's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

trixirina's review against another edition

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3.0

Damned with faint praise...

Well, I guess if you are a somewhat successful (male) movie actor someone will decide it's okay for you to be a writer too. And then you can write an indulgent, navel-gazing novel and work your shit out on paper and someone will pay you for it also.

Judging from the multiple five star reviews, I'm in the minority here. And strangely enough, I feel the same way about Hawke's writing as I do when I watch his films. He annoys me but at the same time I want to keep watching him for some reason.

I'm giving three stars because it has some really well-written passages, when he isn't talking about himself (I mean, William). In particular, the way he describes the ins and outs of the theater world and the personalities that populate it was really honest with an undertone of affection and warmth. The process that performing artists go through 'putting themselves out there' and the coping mechanisms they use to get there rang true.

tabithaseesandcoprehendletters's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

listened to this on spotify... i cried, as an actor this was just so engaging to me and ethan hawke is so incredible, the characterrrrr the character in this is so actor and so ethan hawke and the DIALOGUE is so fucking funny sometimes, his narration is so great I felt like a fourth grader listening to my teacher read to me in class, I fell in love with storytelling and character for the first time again listening to this.

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