Garbo LaughsThis is a quixotic tale about movie love. Harriet Browning is 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 son who loves Frank Sinatra, a daughter with Bette Davis eyes, and an earthy sidekick named after Dinah Shore. Breaking in upon this quiet backwater 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? In this brilliant, sad-eyed comedy of secondhand desire, movies and movie lovers come first. |
From inside the book
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Page 45
He had a newspaper stuck in his back pocket and a pencil behind his ear , and
he was leaning forward with his face in his hands , elbows on his knees , pale ,
tall , wiry - haired — and nobody was asking him to play . Dinah knelt on a slab of
...
He had a newspaper stuck in his back pocket and a pencil behind his ear , and
he was leaning forward with his face in his hands , elbows on his knees , pale ,
tall , wiry - haired — and nobody was asking him to play . Dinah knelt on a slab of
...
Page 281
At the same time drops of frozen water hung suspended off their tips — “ An old
game I liked to play when I was little , ” Harriet said to Jane , reaching for a twig
and pulling it low , “ to lift my hand out of the bathwater and watch the water form
...
At the same time drops of frozen water hung suspended off their tips — “ An old
game I liked to play when I was little , ” Harriet said to Jane , reaching for a twig
and pulling it low , “ to lift my hand out of the bathwater and watch the water form
...
Page 326
... play about her , the paper said . But a play had never materialized , so far as
she knew . She turned on 326.
... play about her , the paper said . But a play had never materialized , so far as
she knew . She turned on 326.
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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 dark didn't Dinah don't door everything eyes face fall father feel felt fern Fiona Frame Garbo gave give glass going gone hair hand happened hard Harriet head hear heard heart interested 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 person picture play pulled reached remember side sleep smile snow someone sound standing stayed steps stood stopped story street talk tell thing thought told took trees turned voice waiting walk watch week window woman women wonder write wrote
Bibliographic information
| Title | Garbo Laughs Thorndike Press large print women's fiction series Thorndike Women's Fiction |
| Author | Elizabeth Hay |
| Edition | reprint, large print |
| Publisher | Thorndike Press, 2004 |
| ISBN | 0786261498, 9780786261499 |
| Length | 536 pages |
| Subjects | › Fiction / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |