Big Red finds Rusty Redburn, a kid from Kalamazoo, invited into the private office of Columbia movie mogul Harry "The Janitor" Cohen. He tells her that his redhead needs a secretary, and he will pay Rusty's salary in exchange for her spying on Hayworth and Welles. With this arrangement, Rusty enters into the world of Big Red and the Boy Wonder, eventually becoming Hayworth's protector and Welles' ally.
One of the reasons I read author's notes is to get a glimpse into the story an author has written. In the case of Big Red by Jerome Charyn, my approach to the novel and my review may have changed if I hadn't understood the author's point of view.
Rusty is a starry-eyed lesbian who grew up on a farm. She doesn't have the talent for Hollywood, but she loves reading and films and has a knack for language, so she heads to Hollywood and ends up working in the basement of the Writer's Building at Columbia where she comes to the attention of "The Janitor."
Cohen, who is in love with Hayworth, hires Rusty to spy on Welles and her. Rusty's life now revolves around a woman whose shyness belied the sexual prowess she displayed with her dancing, and a man with a genius eye for the camera whose tumultuous life was marked with tragedy and missed opportunities.
As the reader follows Rusty's story, they are treated to a glimpse into the Golden Age of Hollywood. They are granted a backstage pass to a woman's life plagued by the memories of a young girl violated by her father and whose shyness made her more comfortable in the company of hairstylists and makeup girls than the political players Welles stumped for on a regular basis.
Surprisingly, though, Charyn's intention was to write a story about Welles, who he has long admired. It was as he explored the life of Welles' second wife that he learned Hayworth would play a pivotal role in this story.
The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson, which explores the life of another well-known shy woman, remains my favorite novel by Charyn, but Big Red is a strong second. Charyn's writing captivates the reader, drawing them into his characters' world and never letting go even after that last page is turned. Big Red is a fabulous novel. I highly recommend it if you like historical fiction, Hollywood stories, or a creative story with unique characters.
- Publisher : Liveright (August 23, 2022)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 304 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1324091339
- ISBN-13 : 978-1324091332
BUYING LINKS: Amazon,
Bookshop.org,
Barnes
& Noble
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Down to Earth (1947)
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