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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
Stars Over Sunset Boulevard takes place from the perspective of two women who meet while in the secretarial pool at Selznick Studios, right before Gone With the Wind starts filming. Violet is the new secretary, come to LA from Alabama and trying to escape her past. Audrey has been in Hollywood for over a decade. She was discovered right before the end of silent movies, cast as a leading role, then watched as talking pictures destroyed her hopes of becoming a star. She is determined that she can still become a star, even though she is thirty now.
I really enjoyed this novel. I loved the details about Hollywood during the golden age of movies. The insider's look at the filming of Gone With the Wind was fascinating, I loved hearing about the trials of bringing that epic to the screen. Plus, Susan Meissner's characters rang true to me. While I didn't agree with some decisions they made (especially Violet), I was able to understand their motivations and sympathize with them. Audrey, particularly, was easy to love and I deeply wanted things to work out for her.
Violet on the other hand... Well, let me just say that I respect the author so much more for getting me to sympathize at all with Violet. And I really did sympathize with her, she was handed some bad cards. I think that was the thing that I liked most about this book. I don't mind disliking a character, but I hate when they make choices that just don't make sense. Every choice made by Violet, I could understand, even if I didn't like her for those choices.
I have to say, I was looking through historical fiction for 2016 and this was not one of the books I added to my list. I am so happy that I received an advance read copy from a Goodreads giveaway so that I gave this wonderful book a chance. I will definitely be looking up Susan Meissner's other books because I feel she has a true talent for making characters come to life.
I really enjoyed this novel. I loved the details about Hollywood during the golden age of movies. The insider's look at the filming of Gone With the Wind was fascinating, I loved hearing about the trials of bringing that epic to the screen. Plus, Susan Meissner's characters rang true to me. While I didn't agree with some decisions they made (especially Violet), I was able to understand their motivations and sympathize with them. Audrey, particularly, was easy to love and I deeply wanted things to work out for her.
Violet on the other hand... Well, let me just say that I respect the author so much more for getting me to sympathize at all with Violet. And I really did sympathize with her, she was handed some bad cards. I think that was the thing that I liked most about this book. I don't mind disliking a character, but I hate when they make choices that just don't make sense. Every choice made by Violet, I could understand, even if I didn't like her for those choices.
I have to say, I was looking through historical fiction for 2016 and this was not one of the books I added to my list. I am so happy that I received an advance read copy from a Goodreads giveaway so that I gave this wonderful book a chance. I will definitely be looking up Susan Meissner's other books because I feel she has a true talent for making characters come to life.
I was bored and found myself annoyed by all of the main characters.
cute, light read set mainly in 1930s-40s Hollywood. follow it up by watching gone with the wind for maximum effect.
"We learned to be brave when it was easier to be afraid."
Definitely not my favorite Meissner read, but a very human look at friendship and 1930s Hollywood nevertheless.
Definitely not my favorite Meissner read, but a very human look at friendship and 1930s Hollywood nevertheless.
http://www.anurseandabook.com/2016/02/stars-over-sunset-boulevard-by-susan.htmlI loved this book!! It was such a great story about female friendships. Violet and Audrey meet in 1930's Hollywood, while they both work at a major movie studio.
The backdrop of the studio and the filming of Gone With the Wind was such an awesome addition to the story. I'm a total Gone With the Wind freak, so I loved reading the little glimpses into the making of the movie. Having Scarlett's green hat play such an integral part of the book just made it that much better.
The story follows Violet and Audrey's friendship through the years, through relationships, marriages - one partially stolen husband, a child they share. Their feelings towards each other are always complicated, but always loyal, the way any great, long term friendships are.
I got lost in this book, and finished it in a few days. It was a visit to another time.
The backdrop of the studio and the filming of Gone With the Wind was such an awesome addition to the story. I'm a total Gone With the Wind freak, so I loved reading the little glimpses into the making of the movie. Having Scarlett's green hat play such an integral part of the book just made it that much better.
The story follows Violet and Audrey's friendship through the years, through relationships, marriages - one partially stolen husband, a child they share. Their feelings towards each other are always complicated, but always loyal, the way any great, long term friendships are.
I got lost in this book, and finished it in a few days. It was a visit to another time.
I don't know what it is about Gone With the Wind--the movie, the book, the memorabilia--that draws me, but the story has been one of my favorites for as long as I can remember.
So, when a favorite author--Susan Meissner--wrote a book set on the set of the movie Gone With the Wind, with a plot point about a missing costume piece--the hat from the famous green curtain dress ensemble--I was beyond excited. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for my review.)
And some of my favorite parts of Stars Over Sunset Boulevard were the behind-the-scenes chapters on the set of Gone With the Wind, where Violet Mayfield ends up working after moving to Los Angeles for a fresh start. She meets an unlikely friend and roommate in Audrey Duvall, who was on the cusp of stardom before movies had sound. The two women forge their way toward their dreams, until what they both want comes into conflict.
Much of the book is set in the past, but as is Meissner's style, it contains a contemporary thread. The lost hat ends up in a vintage clothing store by mistake, and the owner, Christine, sets out to return it to its owner and discover its origins. It's an entertaining journey sparked by a "what if?" question and answered with imagination. Had this book been set on around other movie, I don't know if I would have enjoyed it as much. I've never been to Hollywood nor am I well-versed in classic films. But I do enjoy the history of film-making, and it was fun to let myself be transported to an era that is a far cry from today's Hollywood. And there is some appeal to the glitz and glam of that time.
Stars Over Sunset Boulevard is a story of friendship and the cost of following your dreams. It's a powerful reminder that simple choices can change the future, and friendships can endure for decades.
So, when a favorite author--Susan Meissner--wrote a book set on the set of the movie Gone With the Wind, with a plot point about a missing costume piece--the hat from the famous green curtain dress ensemble--I was beyond excited. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for my review.)
And some of my favorite parts of Stars Over Sunset Boulevard were the behind-the-scenes chapters on the set of Gone With the Wind, where Violet Mayfield ends up working after moving to Los Angeles for a fresh start. She meets an unlikely friend and roommate in Audrey Duvall, who was on the cusp of stardom before movies had sound. The two women forge their way toward their dreams, until what they both want comes into conflict.
Much of the book is set in the past, but as is Meissner's style, it contains a contemporary thread. The lost hat ends up in a vintage clothing store by mistake, and the owner, Christine, sets out to return it to its owner and discover its origins. It's an entertaining journey sparked by a "what if?" question and answered with imagination. Had this book been set on around other movie, I don't know if I would have enjoyed it as much. I've never been to Hollywood nor am I well-versed in classic films. But I do enjoy the history of film-making, and it was fun to let myself be transported to an era that is a far cry from today's Hollywood. And there is some appeal to the glitz and glam of that time.
Stars Over Sunset Boulevard is a story of friendship and the cost of following your dreams. It's a powerful reminder that simple choices can change the future, and friendships can endure for decades.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
***Copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review****
So. I'm a bit conflicted about this. I quite enjoyed reading this - I liked the sections dealing with Hollywood in the late thirties and behind the scenes of Gone with the Wind, but I wasn't as connected with the characters away from that. I though Violet was naive and irritating in some of her decisions, I never really felt like I got inside Audrey's head and Bert just felt a bit two-dimensional and wet. I found the flash-forwards a little irritating, although I put up with them because I thought they were necessary to enable to enable the end of the story to be told - but then the final one didn't really feel like it answered enough questions/tied up enough lose ends either. So the Hollywood behind the scenes sections on their own would have got a higher rating, but the tangled interpersonal relationships didn't work for me.
So. I'm a bit conflicted about this. I quite enjoyed reading this - I liked the sections dealing with Hollywood in the late thirties and behind the scenes of Gone with the Wind, but I wasn't as connected with the characters away from that. I though Violet was naive and irritating in some of her decisions, I never really felt like I got inside Audrey's head and Bert just felt a bit two-dimensional and wet. I found the flash-forwards a little irritating, although I put up with them because I thought they were necessary to enable to enable the end of the story to be told - but then the final one didn't really feel like it answered enough questions/tied up enough lose ends either. So the Hollywood behind the scenes sections on their own would have got a higher rating, but the tangled interpersonal relationships didn't work for me.
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced