レビュー

• Flirting with Apocalypse

  The main character may not be insane, but he is certainly fanatical and in a state of disarray. He has a screenplay of monumental length, THE GREAT MELVILLE. And he wants to get Michael Cimino to direct it. Reasonable, since he is fascinated as well with his films. While his mind races in all directions (usually pretty fascinating), his life is a mess. He must soon vacate his apartment although he does nothing to find a new place. He jets to New York for a meeting with Cimino which is fascinating, even if it is only fantastical. There are wild chases through Paris streets, a potential villain as scary as Captain Ahab, love interests, and much more. This is a novel that combines ideas and action, written with gusts of grace and plenty of energy. Oh, and there is an appealing dog thrown into the mix. A wild ride of a novel. Quite an exciting and smart read.

• A Story About A Man's Coming of Age With His Own Insanity

  So powerful, so insightful the prose, at times I thought "Hold Fast Your Crown" was among the best books I had ever read. I would marvel at certain passages, feeling as if I had been given a peek at the private journals of a man going to pieces. The basic plot of the book is this -- a heady novelist finds himself possessed by the idea that there is a great movie to be made about Herman Melville, the author of Moby Dick. He writes the screenplay, which nets out at a whopping 700 pages, and on a lark seeks out Michael Cimino, director of "The Deer Hunter," to help make it. But the actual plot is something along the lines of a writer trying to make sense of why, exactly, he wrote a 700 page screenplay about Herman Melville in the first place, why he's obsessed with watching and rewatching movies like "The Deer Hunter" and "Apocalypse Now," and why, at fifty years of age, he can't seem to do the simplest of things -- like keep a strong eye on a dog he's been asked to watch. In short, much like the movies the narrator watches, this book is about a man's descent into madness. And it somehow succeeds in pulling that off. That said, I struggled to get through the last half hour of the book. There is a death scene which seems to drag on and on, much like the nearly hour-long wedding scene in "The Deer Hunter," and reading it I wondered if the author were doing this on purpose. I couldn't tell, but either way it didn't work. Still, this was a great book and I highly recommend it.

• Huh?

  I am a huge movie buff and, at the risk of sounding immodest, certainly know and love the history of cinema far more than the average bear And so, it's obvious, is/does M. Haenel I am also not averse to experimental writing and, indeed, wrote any number of papers and essays on the subject during my dear dead days of college and writing for publications And M. Haenel certainly is an "experimentalist" Having said this, I have to confess to something that I'm sure will cause any number of readers to demand I turn in, if not burn to ashes, my membership card in the PBA (Pretentious Blowhards of America) "Cause, frankly, I don't get it I know what happens in the book, it's not that obscure I can follow the action and, I want to believe, understand the philosophy (such as it is) So, why, when I finished this, was my first reaction: "What the Hell was that!?" Dunno

• Delightful philosophical and Most entertaining read!

  I never knew who Michael Cimino was until I read this book and was compelled to watch Heaven’s Gate and found out what I was missing. Visiting Lake Nemo is next! The first novel in a long while that has incited me to such joyful action.

• Recommended Book

  Well this one was certainly interesting. It gives us a peak into a low key form of madness at a man who is obsessing over his screenplay and a director and lots of other things as his mind races through life. It's a peak into the mind of someone who is obsessed and it gives you quite a ride in the experience. It took me quite a minute to decide if I actually liked the story or not but I kept reading without forcing myself so I must have, It's just very different which is what makes it so special in the end. I recommend it with 4 stars. *If this review helped you make an informed choice about this product in any way I would appreciate it if you take a moment of your time and let me know by hitting the Helpful button and letting me know. I appreciate that you took the time to read my review, Thank you!*

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