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 |
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Page 25
They were talking about names now , having their conversation about Garbo and
eyelashes . Jane hadn ' t spoken , but not because she wasn ' t listening . “ Who '
s Greta Garbo ? " she asked . “ You know Frank Sinatra but you don ' t know ...
They were talking about names now , having their conversation about Garbo and
eyelashes . Jane hadn ' t spoken , but not because she wasn ' t listening . “ Who '
s Greta Garbo ? " she asked . “ You know Frank Sinatra but you don ' t know ...
Page 114
Can ' t we talk about something else ? ” And he stood up abruptly and left the
table . But they couldn ' t talk about anything else . Next it was Fiona , who felt an
uncomfortable pain in her chest , and later in the evening fainted . It turned out to
be ...
Can ' t we talk about something else ? ” And he stood up abruptly and left the
table . But they couldn ' t talk about anything else . Next it was Fiona , who felt an
uncomfortable pain in her chest , and later in the evening fainted . It turned out to
be ...
Page 233
What did you and Pauline Kael talk about ? " she asked finally , and not without a
trace of sarcasm . " I didn ' t say much . She and Jack did most of the talking . ” “
Jack was here ? ” Harriet put her glasses back on . “ They talked about Lionel .
What did you and Pauline Kael talk about ? " she asked finally , and not without a
trace of sarcasm . " I didn ' t say much . She and Jack did most of the talking . ” “
Jack was here ? ” Harriet put her glasses back on . “ They talked about Lionel .
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - RandyMetcalfe - LibraryThingElizabeth Hay introduces her novel with an epigraph from legendary film critic, Pauline Kael: “We will never know the extent of the damage that movies are doing to us.” That brilliantly sets the ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - ParadisePorch - LibraryThingNot about Garbo, but vintage b&w films play a part. Hay always delivers a good story filled with human insights and poignancy Read full review
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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 give glass going gone hair hand happened hard Harriet head hear heard heart inside 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
Bibliographic information
| Title | Garbo Laughs |
| Author | Elizabeth Hay |
| Publisher | Counterpoint, 2003 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | 8 Mar 2008 |
| ISBN | 1582432910, 9781582432915 |
| Length | 294 pages |
| Subjects | › Fiction / General Fiction / Psychological |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |