A review by adamskiboy528491
A Bright Ray of Darkness by Ethan Hawke

4.0

The darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light. - Psalm 139:12. 

[b:A Bright Ray of Darkness|54875689|A Bright Ray of Darkness|Ethan Hawke|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1602246342l/54875689._SX50_.jpg|85630274] by [a:Ethan Hawke|2970|Ethan Hawke|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1400413847p2/2970.jpg] circles descends & crawls into the skin of his characters. It includes an exciting tie in with the author's explanation of the characters' issues about his relationship versus his growth & depth as an actor. 

William Harding is a celebrated Hollywood actor whose personal life has become a tabloid mess. He seeks solace in his first passion - the theatre - to begin a run in Shakespeare's Henry IV. What follows is a brilliant character study, full of sensitivity, humour, & the love of acting. William's brittle insecurities come to the fore as we see a complicated man behind his fame.

Behind the scenes of the play show us an incredible cast of characters. All of the usual camaraderie, backstabbing, & pettiness are here in abundance as the actors' lives are laid bare. I enjoyed this beautifully written book. The irony of using this particular Shakespeare play was an interesting allegory - the story of a mischievous scoundrel & a rebellion plotted against King Henry. This novel seems to be a very thinly veiled work of fiction, & it is a fantastic read.