He by John Connolly
An extraordinary reimagining of the life of one of the greatest screen comedians the world has ever known: a man who knew both adoration and humiliation; who loved, and was loved in turn; who betrayed, and was betrayed; who never sought to cause pain to others, yet left a trail of affairs and broken marriages in his wake . . .
And whose life was ultimately defined by one relationship of such tenderness and devotion that only death could sever it: his partnership with the man he knew as Babe.
he is Stan Laurel.
But he did not really exist. Stan Laurel was a fiction.
With he, John Connolly recreates the golden age of Hollywood for an intensely compassionate study of the tension between commercial demands and artistic integrity, the human frailties behind even the greatest of artists, and one of the most enduring and beloved partnerships in cinema history: Laurel & Hardy.
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Author’s Bio
John was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1968 and has, at various points in his life, worked as a journalist, a barman, a local government official, a waiter and a dogsbody at Harrods department store in London. (A dogsbody, for our North American friends, is a ‘go-fer’.) He studied English in Trinity College, Dublin and journalism at Dublin City University, subsequently spending five years working as a freelance journalist for The Irish Times newspaper. He divides his time between Dublin and Portland, Maine; makes regular donations to the wine industry; and keeps a number of dogs in a remarkable degree of comfort.
My Review
4 Stars
This is a fictional biography of Arthur Stanley Jefferson, otherwise known as Stan Laurel of the infamous Laurel and Hardy. I have heard their names and seen a couple skits of Laurel and Hardy, but I’m sorry to admit that I don’t know much about them beyond that. I liked this book because you get to travel along with Stan as he comes to America and makes his break into Hollywood along with Oliver Hardy.
This book was an interesting read as you follow along with Stan as he is in understudy for Charlie Chaplin, doesn’t make it, finds a grove with Hardy, and then makes it big with “talkies”. But just like almost all Hollywood stories, nothing stays the same and as fast as you rise you can fall just as fast.
Stan has a lot of things that go wrong in his life including numerous marriages, the death of a child, losing fame, and of course the loss of money. His life was not easy, but throughout it all he always had Oliver to lean on.
Now, having said that, I’m sorry to say but the writing style got on my nerves with the super short sentences, repetition, and use of full names. After a while you tend to get used to it, but it did make it difficult getting into this book. But overall it was a good read. It definitely made me want to learn more about Laurel and Hardy along with watching their movies.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
I would like to thank Quercus for the opportunity to read and share this book.
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