I read A TOUCH OF STARDUST with a reading buddy in my online book club, The Reading Cove.
And I'm sorry to say I was mostly bored with this book.
I think this may be more engaging for readers unfamiliar with the Gone With the Wind behind-the-scenes stories that have been told ad nauseam over the years. As a fan of the movie and Old Hollywood, this felt very redundant, with characters sounding more like Wikipedia sound bites than anything else.
I didn't find the female lead Julie Crawford engaging enough to offset the GWTW lore dumps. It felt as if she was in the way, blocking a greater insight to the far more interesting Carole Lombard, David O. Selznick, etc.
On the positive side, I did get a sense of the author's love and passion for the film and for Hollywood, particularly in the Epilogue and Author's Note at the end. 2.75 stars.
And I'm sorry to say I was mostly bored with this book.
I think this may be more engaging for readers unfamiliar with the Gone With the Wind behind-the-scenes stories that have been told ad nauseam over the years. As a fan of the movie and Old Hollywood, this felt very redundant, with characters sounding more like Wikipedia sound bites than anything else.
I didn't find the female lead Julie Crawford engaging enough to offset the GWTW lore dumps. It felt as if she was in the way, blocking a greater insight to the far more interesting Carole Lombard, David O. Selznick, etc.
On the positive side, I did get a sense of the author's love and passion for the film and for Hollywood, particularly in the Epilogue and Author's Note at the end. 2.75 stars.
Enjoyed getting a glimpse of the stars behind the scenes
I liked this quick light read. After reading a heavy historical I needed a book to relax with and this was it. It's a romance with an aspiring screen writer heroine who becomes Carole Lombard's friend and a young Jewish man who works
magic with David Selznik, the talented and creative producer who is a difficult and creative producer. There is a little devoted to the war, Nazis and their treatment of Jewish people. There is a bit about racial discrimination as well but overall the author captures the glitzy but unreal world of movie making.
magic with David Selznik, the talented and creative producer who is a difficult and creative producer. There is a little devoted to the war, Nazis and their treatment of Jewish people. There is a bit about racial discrimination as well but overall the author captures the glitzy but unreal world of movie making.
