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
Results 1-3 of 30
Page 163
... wrote in pencil read so softly that no one could hear her . Pencil Voice , thought Harriet . " May I read it for you ? " she asked . But the writing was too faint to decipher . " I wrote in pencil until I was twenty , " Harriet said ...
... wrote in pencil read so softly that no one could hear her . Pencil Voice , thought Harriet . " May I read it for you ? " she asked . But the writing was too faint to decipher . " I wrote in pencil until I was twenty , " Harriet said ...
Page 200
... wrote on the board , My brother the egghead hated the smell of eggs so much he stayed at the top of the stairs and held his nose during breakfast . Harriet rubbed out every- thing after the smell of eggs , thinking as she did so that if ...
... wrote on the board , My brother the egghead hated the smell of eggs so much he stayed at the top of the stairs and held his nose during breakfast . Harriet rubbed out every- thing after the smell of eggs , thinking as she did so that if ...
Page 468
... wrote a postcard to Dinah . The kids told her about seeing Frankie in the Club of Fame , and drinking daiquiris beside the pool . Harriet wrote , The Bacardi is swell , but the flies are driving Kenny nuts , recalling how they'd eaten ...
... wrote a postcard to Dinah . The kids told her about seeing Frankie in the Club of Fame , and drinking daiquiris beside the pool . Harriet wrote , The Bacardi is swell , but the flies are driving Kenny nuts , recalling how they'd eaten ...
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
asked asked Harriet Audrey Hepburn aunt beautiful beside better Bill Bender Buster Keaton called Cary Grant coffee dark desk Dinah Dinah Bloom door downstairs eyes face feel felt fern Fiona Chester Frank Sinatra Fred Astaire funny Garbo Gene Kelly glass going Greta Garbo hair hand Harriet Browning Harriet looked hated head heard Jack Frame Jean Simmons Jim Creak Kenny and Jane Kenny's kids kitchen knew laughed Leah Leah's Lew's Lionel living room Marlon Brando mind morning mother never night Ottawa Pauline Kael Peter O'Toole rain remember riet Rod Steiger Sean Connery Shawl side sleep smile snow someone song detective stayed stood stopped story street talk tell There's thing thought Harriet told took trees turned upstairs voice walk watch What's window woman wonder write