A Bright Ray of Darkness

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Oh lord, can Ethan Hawke write. I kind of wish he weren’t a well-known actor because that gets in the way of him receiving the well-deserved literary admiration people have for, say, Jess Walter and Steve Toltz, whose books I would put on the same shelf next to this one. Hawke isn’t just funny. He is wildly hilarious and literate. He tells a great story that ripples with all that human intestinal squishy stuff we don’t want anybody else to see. Der Hauptcharakter ist ein Filmstar, der mit Anfang 30 alles zu verlieren scheint: Seine Frau (ein Mega-Star) droht mit Scheidung, er wirkt verloren in einer Theaterproduktion und verliert sich fast selbst in der Dunkelheit. Ich finde die Geschichte lebt vor allem durch die Kulisse und die unzähligen Nebencharakteren, die so lebhaft und menschlich dargestellt wurden. Es gibt keinen Charakter, der in der Geschichte verschwendet wird, und jeder hat seine Zeilen in der Geschichte verdient. Dass die Theaterproduktion und die Proben so detailliert in der Geschichte erfasst wurden, fand ich fantastisch und hat geholfen die Mentalität eines Schauspielers zu verstehen. Ich denke es zeigt sich hier deutlich, dass Ethan Hawke selbst Schauspieler ist.

This novel was a difficult read. Brutally honest, dark, chaotic experiences that felt uncomfortable. This speaks to the skill of the author. Hawke writes clean, crisp prose, and doesn't shy away from sharing the characters inner revelations, often aggressive. It came across like Ethan Hawke, author, has a lot of deep thoughts and decided to "hide" his wisdom in multiple side characters (who sounded similar), hoping we wouldn't notice how deep he is (hiding, not so well, behind the arras). I admit that I’m fascinated by Ethan Hawke: he acts, directs, writes and whenever I’ve seen him interviewed he’s come across as an engaging raconteur, articulate and thoughtful and with some interesting views on life. He hadn’t written a book in twenty years but in this new novel he documents the plight of a screen actor who is simultaneously dealing with the breakdown of his marriage whilst making his Broadway debut in Shakespeare’s Henry IV. I spent many years in the theater as an actor and playwright, so the world of A Bright Ray of Darkness is one I know well. This is one of the best pieces of writing I’ve ever read to convey the art of pretending to be somebody else in a made-up story in front of hundreds of people who, in the best case, suspend their belief that you are really a regular schlub. Add to that the raucous insanity of a bunch of people whose real emotions don’t know the difference between what they’re pretending and being a regular schlub, and even if they do, sometimes they get overwhelmed by the professionally evoked stuff, but, unlike regular schlubs everywhere, these schlubs get distorted by all the applause, so they think what they do is a matter of life and death. Oh. And the amount of advice on life and love and acting. Really. This guy has more Yoda-figures in his life than most of us have Chewbacca-figures on our hardwood floors (rug burn joke).When you finish a movie, they always forget to call you a car. When you are starting a movie, everything runs perfectly--town cars, hotel rooms, per diem--but once the film ends they couldn't give a shit." It is brilliant in parts though, with some superb prose, atmospheric deep dives on theatre acting and Shakespeare and a gripping episode where he has a massive infected boil on his stomach (wtf) excised without anaesthetic.

Ethan Hawke. If that's his real name, it's a cool one. As for his movies, looking over the bio, I think I've seen only one: Dead Poets Society. And I only remember two actors from that movie -- Robin Williams as the teacher standing on the desk and the kid who ultimately offs himself at the end (tall, thin, dark haired, and most certainly not Ethan Hawke). And what's not so much to like? Mostly the clichés of an actor's life. And a few writer clichés to boot. Like guy is ridiculously famous, guy gets girl(s) -- all of them -- guy feels sorry for himself while he struggles with fortune's whims (love-hate relationship with fame, struggles with domestic life, mostly), and guy talks about how rough it is to be roguishly handsome and 180 pounds of muscle. In questo senso il romanzo autobiografico di Ethan Hawke è anche un percorso di formazione perché non si smette mai di crescere e di imparare dai propri fallimenti. “Sta buiando” dice il figlioletto di tre anni quando arriva la sera. E col buio, in effetti, avremo a che fare sempre. The way Hawke writes William's performances, the way he engages with the text and depicts so cannily how it feels to be onstage and have the world in your hand -- the way that the world, in fact, recedes as you step fully into the character, the way that your scene partners can respond to you and change what it is you are doing for the better... gosh, it is something spectacular. Where do you find stories like THAT? Right. National Enquirer and on the cameras of the nearest paparazzi.Was für ein tolles Cover. Was für ein wunderschöner Titel! Und was für eine unterhaltsame, verblüffend gute Geschichte. Ich war sehr überrascht, dass Ethan Hawke so gut schreiben kann und eine Geschichte über einen weißen Mann doch überzeugend und passend herausgearbeitet hat. The first novel in nearly twenty years from the acclaimed actor/writer/director is a book about art and love, fame and heartbreak--a blistering story of a young man making his Broadway debut in Henry IV just as his marriage implodes.

But Hawke is also known as the man who cheated on Uma Thurman and offered loutish excuses about the sexual needs of great men like Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy and him. Since "Reality Bites," as a young teen, I've been a fan of Ethan Hawke. His angsty 90's vibe was swoon-worthy. Hawke's first book, "The Hottest State" solidified his talent. Not only was he a brilliant actor, but a talented writer. Eppure, come scrive il poeta: “preferiremmo andare in rovina piuttosto/ che mutare/ morire piuttosto nella nostra paura/ che salire sulla croce di ogni giorno/ e lasciar morire le nostre illusioni”. But still, I liked all the Shakespeare. And what life was like for auditioning, memorizing, practicing, performing, etc. Clearly Hawke knows of what he writes in that case and, for this book, there's the rub (read: value). If you read it, take it for what it is. Lights, action, READ! The actor and director, who made his screen debut at 15, has published several books during his acclaimed Hollywood career, and he recently produced and starred in a spectacular TV adaptation of James McBride’s “The Good Lord Bird.”Es gibt Bücher, selten aber es gibt diese, wo man sich denkt, dass es als Hörspiel, Fernsehserie oder Film besser rüberkommen würde. Diese Geschichte war an sich sehr spannend und das Ende hat mich auch berührt, auch wenn es etwas kitschig war. Ich konnte mir jede Szene vor Augen vorstellen, also hat Ethan Hawke echt einen guten Job geleistet. Aber trotzdem kann ich mir das Ganze doch besser als einen Film vorstellen. Ethan Hawke is an author. Yes, yes, yes, I know he's actually an actor. A very fine actor. A twice Oscar-nominated actor (he has two Oscar nominations for writing, too). But he is also, without doubt, an author. That's about as good a compliment as you can pay to anyone switching crafts like this. He's an artist, if you will. This is no vanity project; it's a proper, high-quality novel. I'd forgotten what a kiss was like; I'd forgotten what it wwas like to hold someone who wanted to be held; who wanted you to launch your hnd up under her skirt; who was hpoing you would reach a little bit further; push a little harder; someone who made little noises. Now, I'm smart enough to know that blind pursuit of these kinds of shenanigans doesn't lead you to any kind of authentic, substantive, enlightened existence. I guess I know that. I mean, maybe I know that. Or I should say I had long held that to be true, but in that moment, I would have rather died--had a bullet zip right through my cerebral cortex and my blood splash out onto the asphalt--thn let go of that girl's hand. She felt like an instrument of the Divine."