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crystalstarrlight's review against another edition
4.0
Elsa Emerson is a young girl living in Wisconsin, with parents who run a theater, when her older sister, Hildy, dies tragically. When Elsa grows up, she married Gordon Pitts, a young actor, and heads out to Hollywood to make her debut. There, she becomes Laura Lamont, finds love, and learns to deal with the past, enjoy the present, and look forward to the future.
NOTE: I received this through the Amazon Vine Program.
There is nothing more glittery than the Golden Years of Hollywood, which is what compelled me to select this book. And what drew me in was Emma Straub's absolutely stunning writing. But I can't give this book full marks for one simple reason: I want more.
Straub has created this beautiful, vivid world. Elsa's life in Wisconsin, her childhood with Hildy, is painted so beautifully, so tenderly, so carefully that I was hooked. I couldn't help reading this book; it begged me to read it constantly. And that compulsion never really left me the entire time I read this book. I've read far too many books with saggy middles or boring beginnings or sloppy endings that I forgot what it's like to read a book that refuses to be put down. Straub has created that book.
Her characters are intricate and stunning. Elsa/Laura is our protagonist, and through the fifty or so years of her life that we get a peek into, she goes through a lot. The death of her beloved sister, marriage, children, divorce, death, suicide, success, failure--it's all there, and it all touches her in ways that make sense (for the most part). Elsa internalizes what happens to her sister in a way that changes her for the rest of her life. She begins her pattern of constantly "acting", slipping into a new character for each person she comes in contact with: a lover for Gordon, an actress for her boss, a mother to her children. She comes to a point where she has no idea who she is or which "Elsa/Laura" she should be, she is so stretched thin.
Irving, Gordon, Josephine, Ginger, Jimmy, Hildy, Clara, Florence, Junior, Harriet--they are the people that populate Laura's world and are as multi-dimensioned as Laura. These are people with dreams and desires, fears and follies. Sometimes their motivations don't always make a lot of sense (such as a key event in Junior's life), but I wonder if that is the "fault" of following Laura and Laura alone.
So what is the problem? It's simple: More. I need more. I need more of Laura actually acting during the height of her career. I need to see more of her interactions with other people, more than just throwaway lines about how things have changed in the sometimes 10 years between chapters. This is a beautiful, intricate book talking about the life of a woman and how it goes from success to failure to success, but I had trouble understanding her "failures" because I never saw enough of her life when it was successful. What about the movies she acted in? The people she acted with? The leads she kissed? How she got started onto the barbiturates? I can get this isn't going to be a tell-all about the inner workings of Hollywood, with lots of time dedicated to her movie career. I get that and respect it--if you want to see the "dark side" of Hollywood, I can think of quite a few movies that have gone there ("Walk the Line", "Dreamgirls", and "Ray" are the first ones off the top of my head). I understand that this book is more about Laura away from her glitzy, actress side. But if I don't see her acting, if I don't see more of her success, I can't feel the pain when her life begins to slip away.
And that is really how I would boil this book down. It's a beautifully written novel, completely absorbing with an interesting story that desperately could have used 100+ pages added. If you love Golden Age Hollywood but are okay with not seeing much "behind the scenes" of the acting life and instead want a closer look at how it affects an actress, I definitely recommend this book to you. Even though I was constantly yelling "MORE!" to the book, I did greatly enjoy it and will be keeping my eyes open for more Straub books in the future.
NOTE: I received this through the Amazon Vine Program.
There is nothing more glittery than the Golden Years of Hollywood, which is what compelled me to select this book. And what drew me in was Emma Straub's absolutely stunning writing. But I can't give this book full marks for one simple reason: I want more.
Straub has created this beautiful, vivid world. Elsa's life in Wisconsin, her childhood with Hildy, is painted so beautifully, so tenderly, so carefully that I was hooked. I couldn't help reading this book; it begged me to read it constantly. And that compulsion never really left me the entire time I read this book. I've read far too many books with saggy middles or boring beginnings or sloppy endings that I forgot what it's like to read a book that refuses to be put down. Straub has created that book.
Her characters are intricate and stunning. Elsa/Laura is our protagonist, and through the fifty or so years of her life that we get a peek into, she goes through a lot. The death of her beloved sister, marriage, children, divorce, death, suicide, success, failure--it's all there, and it all touches her in ways that make sense (for the most part). Elsa internalizes what happens to her sister in a way that changes her for the rest of her life. She begins her pattern of constantly "acting", slipping into a new character for each person she comes in contact with: a lover for Gordon, an actress for her boss, a mother to her children. She comes to a point where she has no idea who she is or which "Elsa/Laura" she should be, she is so stretched thin.
Irving, Gordon, Josephine, Ginger, Jimmy, Hildy, Clara, Florence, Junior, Harriet--they are the people that populate Laura's world and are as multi-dimensioned as Laura. These are people with dreams and desires, fears and follies. Sometimes their motivations don't always make a lot of sense (such as a key event in Junior's life), but I wonder if that is the "fault" of following Laura and Laura alone.
So what is the problem? It's simple: More. I need more. I need more of Laura actually acting during the height of her career. I need to see more of her interactions with other people, more than just throwaway lines about how things have changed in the sometimes 10 years between chapters. This is a beautiful, intricate book talking about the life of a woman and how it goes from success to failure to success, but I had trouble understanding her "failures" because I never saw enough of her life when it was successful. What about the movies she acted in? The people she acted with? The leads she kissed? How she got started onto the barbiturates? I can get this isn't going to be a tell-all about the inner workings of Hollywood, with lots of time dedicated to her movie career. I get that and respect it--if you want to see the "dark side" of Hollywood, I can think of quite a few movies that have gone there ("Walk the Line", "Dreamgirls", and "Ray" are the first ones off the top of my head). I understand that this book is more about Laura away from her glitzy, actress side. But if I don't see her acting, if I don't see more of her success, I can't feel the pain when her life begins to slip away.
And that is really how I would boil this book down. It's a beautifully written novel, completely absorbing with an interesting story that desperately could have used 100+ pages added. If you love Golden Age Hollywood but are okay with not seeing much "behind the scenes" of the acting life and instead want a closer look at how it affects an actress, I definitely recommend this book to you. Even though I was constantly yelling "MORE!" to the book, I did greatly enjoy it and will be keeping my eyes open for more Straub books in the future.
threegoodrats's review against another edition
3.0
It was fine, my least favorite of her books though. I'm tempted to give it only two stars because it was just ok, but there's honestly nothing specific wrong with it. I was a little bored with the story, and I think maybe Laura could have been a more complex character. She just sort of floated through life with things happening to her, but rarely seeming to take much action herself.
laurahappily's review against another edition
3.0
Actual rating: 2.5
A disappointing read. Although Straub clearly has talent, her book was nowhere near where I wanted it to be. To read a full review, please go to my review blog Book Jockeys .
A disappointing read. Although Straub clearly has talent, her book was nowhere near where I wanted it to be. To read a full review, please go to my review blog Book Jockeys .
katykelly's review against another edition
3.0
I read this after seeing the synopsis and immediately thinning: Singin' in the Rain! Similar character name and era.
Not the same subject though, quite an old story of the starry-eyed country girl becoming a big Hollywood star, her collapse and eventual finding of contentment.
Well enough done, the best aspect for me was the identity theme... Is she Laura or still Elsa? There was nothing original about the plot but I did enjoy the era, though I felt the time periods could have been emphasised more strongly.
Nice read, won't set the literary world on fire but worth a read if you like books about Hollywood or 20s-70s period settings.
Not the same subject though, quite an old story of the starry-eyed country girl becoming a big Hollywood star, her collapse and eventual finding of contentment.
Well enough done, the best aspect for me was the identity theme... Is she Laura or still Elsa? There was nothing original about the plot but I did enjoy the era, though I felt the time periods could have been emphasised more strongly.
Nice read, won't set the literary world on fire but worth a read if you like books about Hollywood or 20s-70s period settings.
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Digital audiobook narrated by Molly Ringwold
From the book jacket: An enchanting debut novel about a small-town midwestern girl who finds fame as a sensational movie star during Holllywood’s golden age, this work is also a story of family, ambition, and sacrifice.
My reactions
I get a certain little kick out of reading a book set in my backyard, and this one begins in idyllic Door County Wisconsin. Add a family tradition of theatre – Elsa, is the youngest of three daughters born to the owner/operators of the Cherry County Playhouse – and the romance of Hollywood’s golden age, and I was captured by the book jacket’s promise.
I wasn’t expecting great literature, and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a rags-to-riches, poor-girl-marries-powerful-executive, money-can’t-buy-happiness story that would have easily been produced by the studio-system of Hollywood in the 1930s and ‘40s. Other than Elsa/Laura, I thought the characters lacked development. Still, it was a quick read and although I found the plot somewhat predictable, I was content to go along for the ride.
Molly Ringwold does a find job narrating the audiobook. She has good pacing, and she’s sufficiently accomplished as an actress to breath life into the characters.
From the book jacket: An enchanting debut novel about a small-town midwestern girl who finds fame as a sensational movie star during Holllywood’s golden age, this work is also a story of family, ambition, and sacrifice.
My reactions
I get a certain little kick out of reading a book set in my backyard, and this one begins in idyllic Door County Wisconsin. Add a family tradition of theatre – Elsa, is the youngest of three daughters born to the owner/operators of the Cherry County Playhouse – and the romance of Hollywood’s golden age, and I was captured by the book jacket’s promise.
I wasn’t expecting great literature, and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a rags-to-riches, poor-girl-marries-powerful-executive, money-can’t-buy-happiness story that would have easily been produced by the studio-system of Hollywood in the 1930s and ‘40s. Other than Elsa/Laura, I thought the characters lacked development. Still, it was a quick read and although I found the plot somewhat predictable, I was content to go along for the ride.
Molly Ringwold does a find job narrating the audiobook. She has good pacing, and she’s sufficiently accomplished as an actress to breath life into the characters.
samstillreading's review against another edition
3.0
The cover of this book makes me think of a glamorous life in Hollywood’s Golden Era. (Interestingly, I notice other covers for Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures delete the cigarette in hand which did not in any way contribute to my feelings of glamour!) The cover is a little misleading, as while a good part of the protagonist’s time is spent in Hollywood, this is more of a family drama/life story than glamour. There not many descriptions of lavish dinners and premieres or exotic locales. This is the Hollywood that chews you up and spits you out.
Laura Lamont begins life as plain Elsa Emerson, youngest child of three in Wisconsin. The only thing not 100% normal in her life is that her parents run a theatre in their barn every summer. Wannabe actors and actresses come from near and far to tread the boards. For Elsa, this is what life is – new people to meet every summer and as she grows older, small parts. When her sister dies tragically, Elsa feels partly that she should try to lead her life. This culminates in a quick marriage to Gordon and heading to Los Angeles to seek Hollywood fame, which seems to be elusive until she meets a producer at a party. Irving Green renames her Laura Lamont, changes her hair colour and a star is born. A quick divorce, an Oscar and the former Elsa is on the road to fame and fortune. But missed opportunities and tragic events bring Laura down. Will she recover to return to her Golden Era?
I felt that Hollywood and acting played a somewhat minor role in this book – it was more about Elsa/Laura (after her name change, Elsa is only very occasionally referred to by that name – it’s a little confusing initially) and her life. I found her heyday in 1930s-1950s Hollywood to be very interesting as the actors were ‘owned’ by the studio. They only worked in the pictures for the studio they were contracted to, with very little way as to what they were cast in. Laura’s ‘loaning’ to another studio is interesting to read about too. The backdrop of the studios (literally a town with school, hospital and dance classes available) was interesting and I wish it had been utilised more often. As Laura’s children grow, the focus is more on her as a mother, encouraging them and admonishing them. To me, this is where Laura Lamont lost some of her sparkle – she was just like any other mother with the same hopes and insecurities.
The rise of Laura’s friend Ginger along a very steep trajectory was an interesting comparison to Laura’s career. Could Laura have obtained that if she’d decided to be the funny one? Laura seemed to be stuck in her early success, while Ginger trail blazed her way to the top, writing the rules for women as she went. Laura seems to pale more and more as Ginger shines. This leaves her financially bankrupt and without any form of career, reduced to being a secretary. The funny thing is that the devastation didn’t really hit Laura the way I thought it would – she seems a little bland and accepting that things are going to be terrible.
The story does end on a tinge of hope, but the majority is devoted to family rather than the Hollywood days, which was disappointing. If Laura was a stronger character, this may have been more interesting. But her life just seemed to fall into calamities one after another with very little reaction. The writing was strong (Straub’s narrative carrying me though to finish this) but I didn’t feel I cared for Laura enough. Did she devote her whole life to living as her sister did? Did she decide at the end to live her own life? To be honest, I wasn’t really fussed what happened.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
Laura Lamont begins life as plain Elsa Emerson, youngest child of three in Wisconsin. The only thing not 100% normal in her life is that her parents run a theatre in their barn every summer. Wannabe actors and actresses come from near and far to tread the boards. For Elsa, this is what life is – new people to meet every summer and as she grows older, small parts. When her sister dies tragically, Elsa feels partly that she should try to lead her life. This culminates in a quick marriage to Gordon and heading to Los Angeles to seek Hollywood fame, which seems to be elusive until she meets a producer at a party. Irving Green renames her Laura Lamont, changes her hair colour and a star is born. A quick divorce, an Oscar and the former Elsa is on the road to fame and fortune. But missed opportunities and tragic events bring Laura down. Will she recover to return to her Golden Era?
I felt that Hollywood and acting played a somewhat minor role in this book – it was more about Elsa/Laura (after her name change, Elsa is only very occasionally referred to by that name – it’s a little confusing initially) and her life. I found her heyday in 1930s-1950s Hollywood to be very interesting as the actors were ‘owned’ by the studio. They only worked in the pictures for the studio they were contracted to, with very little way as to what they were cast in. Laura’s ‘loaning’ to another studio is interesting to read about too. The backdrop of the studios (literally a town with school, hospital and dance classes available) was interesting and I wish it had been utilised more often. As Laura’s children grow, the focus is more on her as a mother, encouraging them and admonishing them. To me, this is where Laura Lamont lost some of her sparkle – she was just like any other mother with the same hopes and insecurities.
The rise of Laura’s friend Ginger along a very steep trajectory was an interesting comparison to Laura’s career. Could Laura have obtained that if she’d decided to be the funny one? Laura seemed to be stuck in her early success, while Ginger trail blazed her way to the top, writing the rules for women as she went. Laura seems to pale more and more as Ginger shines. This leaves her financially bankrupt and without any form of career, reduced to being a secretary. The funny thing is that the devastation didn’t really hit Laura the way I thought it would – she seems a little bland and accepting that things are going to be terrible.
The story does end on a tinge of hope, but the majority is devoted to family rather than the Hollywood days, which was disappointing. If Laura was a stronger character, this may have been more interesting. But her life just seemed to fall into calamities one after another with very little reaction. The writing was strong (Straub’s narrative carrying me though to finish this) but I didn’t feel I cared for Laura enough. Did she devote her whole life to living as her sister did? Did she decide at the end to live her own life? To be honest, I wasn’t really fussed what happened.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
alice_speilburg's review against another edition
2.0
The book is beautiful in its vintage scenery: Hollywood, the home theater on the Wisconsin farm, the dazzling mid-century homes, but those places all feel like a mirage. Straub only dusted over the controversies of the industry, she depicted Hollywood through the rose-colored glasses of a fond memory.
She did tackle the controversies of self, something that can be set in any time period and ring true, but I was left disappointed with the ending, which seemed too fairy-tale happy to be true.
(Full review at: http://lamplightandink.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/dissecting-a-debut-laura-lamonts-life-in-pictures-by-emma-straub/)
She did tackle the controversies of self, something that can be set in any time period and ring true, but I was left disappointed with the ending, which seemed too fairy-tale happy to be true.
(Full review at: http://lamplightandink.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/dissecting-a-debut-laura-lamonts-life-in-pictures-by-emma-straub/)
carlywalker's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
whatsbookinjenni's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
2.5
Incredibly debut material, very meh, would not recommend! But I also love Emma Straub’s later work with my heart and soul so I feel pleased to be a Straub completionist now.