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A review by marinalikeaboatyard
Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears by Michael Schulman
informative
medium-paced
5.0
One of the best nonfiction books I’ve ever read. A must for anyone who loves movies, Hollywood, awards season, and petty drama.
Leading up to the Oscars this year, Schulman was everywhere promoting this book and I was so intrigued - just hearing his interviews and how fascinating the history is, and how passionately and articulately he talked about it, sold me. It’s definitely not for readers who are new to nonfiction, unless you’re a huge cinephile, but one of the benefits is that rather than being one long story it’s broken into 10-ish distinct “scandals”, so you can put it down and pick it up without really losing the plot. The only exception would be the first 2 chapters, which I think are both set so closely to the inception of the Academy and Hollywood as we know it that you’d be better off reading those together.
Just so immersive and fascinating and worth the time and energy to really dive in.
Leading up to the Oscars this year, Schulman was everywhere promoting this book and I was so intrigued - just hearing his interviews and how fascinating the history is, and how passionately and articulately he talked about it, sold me. It’s definitely not for readers who are new to nonfiction, unless you’re a huge cinephile, but one of the benefits is that rather than being one long story it’s broken into 10-ish distinct “scandals”, so you can put it down and pick it up without really losing the plot. The only exception would be the first 2 chapters, which I think are both set so closely to the inception of the Academy and Hollywood as we know it that you’d be better off reading those together.
Just so immersive and fascinating and worth the time and energy to really dive in.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Slavery, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, and Rape