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Pheadra's Reviews > A Beautiful Way to Die
A Beautiful Way to Die
by
by
I received an advance copy of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily.
In 2023 I read The Unspeakable Acta of Zina Pavlou by Eleni Kyriakou and declared it my best read of the year.
When I heard that Eleni had another book out, it wasn't a case of whether I should read it, but rather how soon.
This story is set in Hollywood in the early 50s when studio bosses were kings and wannabe starlets did whatever it took to get roles. At the time the golden couple is Max Whitman married to Stella Hope who as a wannabe starlet years earlier had naked photos of herself taken, never imagining that they'd resurface to threaten her career. Her marriage to Max is broken. His philandering started early on in their marriage and continues with the latest starlet Ginny Watkins, who like so many others dreams of a glittering film career and holds out hope that Max will assist her in achieving this.
The story, a sad but realistic account of Hollywood depravity at the time can best be summed up by Ginny in these lines "It was a tightrope, this town, she thought. Just one huge balancing act. Keep going, one foot in front of the other, even if you’re exhausted, no matter. Take these pills, don’t look down, don’t complain, look straight ahead. The alternative was not to try at all. And if you fall? There’s no safety net, but at least you gave it a shot. If you made it, the rewards were so high. And if you didn’t, well it was a beautiful way to die." 5 Stars!
In 2023 I read The Unspeakable Acta of Zina Pavlou by Eleni Kyriakou and declared it my best read of the year.
When I heard that Eleni had another book out, it wasn't a case of whether I should read it, but rather how soon.
This story is set in Hollywood in the early 50s when studio bosses were kings and wannabe starlets did whatever it took to get roles. At the time the golden couple is Max Whitman married to Stella Hope who as a wannabe starlet years earlier had naked photos of herself taken, never imagining that they'd resurface to threaten her career. Her marriage to Max is broken. His philandering started early on in their marriage and continues with the latest starlet Ginny Watkins, who like so many others dreams of a glittering film career and holds out hope that Max will assist her in achieving this.
The story, a sad but realistic account of Hollywood depravity at the time can best be summed up by Ginny in these lines "It was a tightrope, this town, she thought. Just one huge balancing act. Keep going, one foot in front of the other, even if you’re exhausted, no matter. Take these pills, don’t look down, don’t complain, look straight ahead. The alternative was not to try at all. And if you fall? There’s no safety net, but at least you gave it a shot. If you made it, the rewards were so high. And if you didn’t, well it was a beautiful way to die." 5 Stars!
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