The Book of the Film of the Story of My Life

William Brandt has written a coming of age book, although it is middle age- 40 to be exact. "The Book of the Film of the Story of My Life" is a study of a life of a man turning forty and how he puts this life together. Frederick Case has hypertension and it is a sign to him that in his middle age he is in trouble. He grew up in New Zealand, and he expected that he would change the world. Now he finds that the world has changed him, and he doesn't like what he sees. He is recently separated from his wife Sophie. Sophie, the movie star has become involved in a film where she has performed a close intimate act and now has fallen for the star. She has gone off and left him for her hunky costar. Where does this leave Fred? He is reading scripts in London and lousy scripts at that. An invitation in the mail to an all expense paid vacation on a remote island comes to him, and he knows that Sophie and Matt will be there. By chance he comes upon a beautiful young woman, from New Zealand and is taken with her. The only problem is that she is not what she seems. She practices the oldest profession and how can this be? Fred decides to pay this young woman, Melissa to accompany him to the island adventure as his girlfriend. Melissa is too overbearing and too cutesy and he doesn't; think she is pulling it off. However, his friends become enamored of Melissa. The time on the island is revealing, and Frederick realizes that his estranged wife is not what he really wants. He has given up booze and smokes for his health, and for the first time in a long while he can think clearly. Now he is beginning to understand what a mess he has made of his life. He begins to ask questions; are people who we really think they are? Is real life predictable and can we really go home again? William Brandt has a fine idea for a novel. A middle aged man looking for his identity in all the wrong places, but finding it in a most uncommon manner. This is a modern love story with complex and believable characters that will make you laugh out loud. Recommended. prisrob

In this clever novel, William Brandt takes us on a behind-the-scenes tour of the filmmaking industry; anyone who has worked in the Hollywood movie mill will certainly recognize the vanities and eccentricities of their colleagues. (This book contains an especially interesting contemporary reference to the documentary "Inside Deep Throat.") Brandt speaks to us through Frederick Case, an immensely flawed yet likeable middle-aged film producer pining for his ex-wife Sophie. Freddy plans, sometimes desperately, to win Sophie back but the influence of an unlikely ally, and a surprise pregnancy complicate his plans ... If you find yourself rooting for Freddy, and I think you will, you should also read How I Became Stupid by Martin Page. Long live the fictional memoir!

This is an incredible book. It's funny, irreverent, brilliant, amazing. This author has the kind of natural voice that makes other writers want to chuck their pens. I couldn't read the book fast enough, yet I didn't want it to end so I had to pace myself, allowing only a few chapters at a time. By doing this, I was able to make the book last, hmmmm.... around four hours. I just had to read it fast. (Also, this is a great "writers' writer" book, i.e., if you're a writer, or you want to be a writer, or you used to be a writer, or you're a really bad writer, this is a have-to-have.)