Garbo LaughsFrom the award-winning author of A Student of Weather, a funny, sad-eyed novel about a woman caught between real love and movie love--and real love doesn't stand a chance. This is a novel about movie love. Set in Ottawa in the 1990s, it is the quixotic tale of tall, thin Harriet Browning, inflamed by the movies she was deprived of as a child. Bent on seeing everything she has missed, she rapidly becomes so saturated with old movies, seen repeatedly and swallowed whole, that she no longer fits into this world. Equally addicted are her three companions- of-the-screen: a boy who loves Frank Sinatra, a girl with Bette Davis eyes, and an earthy sidekick named after Dinah Shore. Breaking in upon this quiet backwater, in time with the devastating ice storm of 1998, come two refugees from Hollywood, the jaded widow of a famous screenwriter and her movie-expert stepson. They are Harsh Reality. With them come blackouts, arguments, accidents, illness, and sudden death. But what chance does real life stand when we can watch movies instead? What hope does real love have when movie love, in all its brief intensity, is an easy option? In this brilliant and poignant comedy of secondhand desire, m |
From inside the book
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Page 50
... looked at each other . Then he turned and appeared to go into his room . Those were her words . He appeared to go ... looked anything like the man in the hallway . The man in the hallway looked exactly like Lew . Harriet listened to her ...
... looked at each other . Then he turned and appeared to go into his room . Those were her words . He appeared to go ... looked anything like the man in the hallway . The man in the hallway looked exactly like Lew . Harriet listened to her ...
Page 141
... looked up and saw nearly at eye level a very short , brisk- looking old lady with beautiful deep - set eyes , an extraordinary blue . A thick neck , soft veined cheeks , and gray hair that was shorter than Kenny's . They didn't remember ...
... looked up and saw nearly at eye level a very short , brisk- looking old lady with beautiful deep - set eyes , an extraordinary blue . A thick neck , soft veined cheeks , and gray hair that was shorter than Kenny's . They didn't remember ...
Page 195
... looked at Lew to see how he was looking at Dinah . But she didn't have Kurosawa's gaze . She had her own easily embarrassed eyes that looked down : away from losers at the Oscars , from violence in movies , from anyone she had offended ...
... looked at Lew to see how he was looking at Dinah . But she didn't have Kurosawa's gaze . She had her own easily embarrassed eyes that looked down : away from losers at the Oscars , from violence in movies , from anyone she had offended ...
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Common terms and phrases
answer asked aunt beautiful began beside better Bill called Cary coffee coming couldn't dark didn't Dinah don't door everything eyes face fall feel felt fern Fiona Frame front Garbo gave give glass going gone hair hand happened hard Harriet head hear heard heart interest It's Italy Jack Jane Kenny kids kitchen knew later laughed Leah leave light living looked mean mind morning mother moved movie never night once Pauline picture play reached remember side sitting sleep smile snow someone sound standing stayed steps stood stopped story street talk tell thing thought told took tree turned voice waiting walk watch week window woman women wonder write wrote