Me and Orson Welles: A Novel [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

In 1937 the world was preparing for war, but Richard Samuels, a 17-year-old in suburban New Jersey, was preparing himself for the role of a lifetime. All his life he had wanted to be on the stage, and one day he wandered onto a set in the theater district, where a chance encounter changed his life forever. There Richard met the 22-year-old Orson Welles, who offered him a bit part in a bold new interpretation of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. When Welles was not directing the play, he was busy being famous, womanizing, and boozing. The awestruck Richard saw this as his own chance to leap to fame, with Welles as his mentor. The theater, however, quickly jades even the youngest of participants, and when the megolomaniacal Welles casts his eye on the woman with whom Richard himself had fallen in love, all hell breaks loose. A delightful escape into a pre-war coming-of-age, and coming-of-stage, story--perfect for a quick and totally entertaining read. Michael Spinella
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Adult/High School-In November, 1937, Richard Samuels, 17, a high school senior drifting relatively painlessly through school and relationships, feels there might be more to life. The New Jerseyite spends weekends wandering in Manhattan looking for a connection, preferably theatrical, that would excite him. He happens upon the yet to open Mercury Theatre and is noticed by its mercurial muse, Orson Welles. He is given a small part in Julius Caesar, which is ultimately a grand success, and spends a week in a fantastic whirl as part of the troupe. The following few days are exciting, frustrating, and, finally, both triumphant and devastating to the would-be thespian. Kaplow brings the New York of the late 1930s vividly to life, especially the theatrical world. The novel is fast paced and very funny, and the brilliant but unpredictable Welles is a perfect foil for the sardonic but inexperienced young man. Welles at 22 is close to Richard's age, but far from the center of his moral compass. Incidents of anti-Semitism and misogyny distress the teen, yet the actor/producer's brilliance and daring are like a magnet. Richard's dreams of a Broadway career soon fade, but he emerges from the experience with a desire to write, possibly a new romance, and certainly an important new friendship. This unusual coming-of-age story will intrigue teens; while the circumstances and time are very different from today, the feelings and ideas are universal.
Susan H. Woodcock, Fairfax County Public Library, Chantilly, VA
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