The Difference Between You and Me [Hardcover]

Kathleen De Marco (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 25, 2003

Josie O'Leary, twenty-eight years old, beautiful and Pilates-toned, intends to assume her rightful place in the Hollywood pantheon, as president of a major movie studio. She plots her ascent with a commando's ruthlessness, and nothing—not an inconvenient husband, her bitchy boss, or even her complete ignorance of how movies are actually made—will stop her. When Josie stumbles across a can't-miss screenplay she recognizes it as her big chance to became a producer. Not a working-with-writers producer, or a dealing-with-boring-details producer, but an above-the-credits, seven-figure-fee producer. Someone who makes heads turn at the Ivy, who can get a call through to anyone instantly, who reads about her own life in Variety and Vanity Fair.

Neurotic New Yorker Carla Trousse moves to L.A. after everything in her life (including her living room ceiling) collapses around her. Overeducated and underemployed, Carla has no idea what to do next; she suspects she has only one real talent, for criticizing. Fortunately, that gift comes in handy at her new job as a script reader, or development girl. She's the oldest "D-girl" in her office at the absolute bottom of the movie-industry food chain, yet for the first time in years, she feels a glimmer of optimism.

When Josie's script attracts the attention of Henry Antonelli, a legendary leading man and Hollywood powerhouse, a startling revelation results in an uneasy alliance between Josie and Carla. Mutual loathing turns to grudging respect, then real friendship, as the two women discover the limits of ambition and the boundless rewards of human connection.

The Difference Between You and Me is a modern-day comedy of manners, an insider's take on Hollywood protocol and prestige. With her sly yet generous wit, DeMarco illuminates everyday annoyances and disasters that every woman will recognize—office-backstabbing, why-won't-he-call frustrations, and the unsettling vacuum that can open up in the middle of the busiest life.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

DeMarco's follow-up to The Cranberry Queen (2001) is a frothy, fun look at the cut-throat world of Hollywood and what it takes to survive and thrive there. Josie O'Leary is a ruthless go-getter on her way up the ladder to becoming a producer. When she gets her hands on a golden script, she is deterred neither by being fired by the company she works for nor by her husband's dual announcements that he has cancer and he is leaving her. On the other side of the country, Carla Trousse's New York apartment literally caves in on her. At the behest of her aunt Paulette, she travels to L.A and is surprised by how much she likes it. Carla is hired at a production company by her old assistant, and has a run-in with Josie, whom she deems the worst person she has met in L.A. Unbeknownst to either woman, Carla's aunt Paulette is going to drop a bombshell that will throw them together and change both of their lives. DeMarco's second novel is perfect summer fare. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"A revealing peek into Hollywood, where backstabbing, gossip and lies are deeply entrenched ways of doing business...great summer read". -- San Francisco Chronicle

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Miramax; 1 edition (June 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401351913
• ISBN-13: 978-1401351915
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,565,184 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty, Humorous, and Fast-Paced --- You Will Become Hooked!, August 2, 2003

By 

Bookreporter (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Difference Between You and Me (Hardcover)

Kathleen DeMarco's second novel, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOU AND ME, tells in alternating chapters the tales of Josephine O'Leary and Carla Trousse (rhymes with grouse). Josephine is a tough-as-nails, blond producer wannabe with a perfectly toned body. She left her husband, Mike, on the same day he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Carla is a recent transfer from New York City to California (the roof of her apartment caved in and she took that as a sign to move) and seems to be the polar opposite of Josie. Carla is overweight, has no real hairstyle and wears high-top sneakers to fancy restaurants.

After a few not-so-stellar meetings through their mutual friend Nadine, Carla and Josie begin working together at NJTF, a movie production company. Carla wants to observe Josie's piranha qualities so she can learn how to survive in Hollywood, while Josie wants to weasel her way into Carla's good graces, thanks to a stunning secret Carla learns from her aunt Paulette. Will these two women eventually find common ground and become friends, or are they destined to be rivals?

DeMarco's two main characters are fleshed out well, as are her supporting characters. Even though Josie can be a cold witch at times, readers will still be drawn to her and care about what happens to her. When writer Joshua steps on Josie's heart, we feel badly for her. Carla's honesty can be a bit harsh at times, but readers will easily recognize what a good heart she really has. Supporting characters like Eve, Henry and Joshua are interesting. Eve is an executive at the production company who is leading a secret life as a bestselling author. Henry is a movie star who is also the head of the production company and has a surprise connection to one of the characters. Joshua is the seemingly innocent and sweet screenplay writer who has a darker side, as Josie finds out the hard way.

As you're reading this book, you'll also notice that many of the characters are connected in some way. For example, Josie's ex-husband Mike begins dating Eve. Eve is the ex-girlfriend of David. David is the man who Carla thought for sure was her soul mate. Carla is studying Josie. See how they're all related?

DeMarco has written a seemingly realistic portrayal of Hollywood and the backstabbing that occurs behind the scenes, but she also shows that not everyone is determined to sell their friends to the highest bidder. DeMarco knows the lingo of the industry and appears to have a good inside track of the workings in Hollywood. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOU AND ME is witty, humorous, and fast-paced. Once you start reading it, you will immediately become hooked!

--- Reviewed by Melissa A. Martin

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining, fluffy read, June 21, 2004

By 

Tripichik (Northwest of Normal) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Difference Between You and Me (Hardcover)

Go ahead -- get The Difference from the library before heading to the beach; there are enough amusing scenes scattered throughout the 325 pages to justify spending a few hours in DeMarco's Hollywood. The book's greatest strength lies in its veracity; I came away with no doubt in my mind that DeMarco has lived the life she describes.

However, while DeMarco shines at plot development, she stumbles over character development. She begins the book with a page summarizing the Carla's and Josie's backstories, effectively communicating to her readers that she cannot be bothered with the traditional ways in which authors tell their readers about their characters; this initial impression is abundantly supported by reading the rest of the book. I frequently had to leaf back a few pages to remind myself who was who, and why I cared.

As is to be expected from 99% of the books I read, errors in grammar and diction abound. I won't bore you with them (I've already forwarded them to the publisher) except to say, can one really *pry* one's clothes *on*? I can see someone dressed in armor prying his/her clothes off, but on? Impossible!

As I've also come to expect, this book would have benefited from being left to simmer until the author came up with ending. The "where are they now" wrap-up in chapter 37, like the 1-page character introduction, screams "I can't be bothered to develop these aspects of the narrative; here are my rough notes." The O. Henry twist in chapter 39 smacks of desperation.

In summary, The Difference was satisfying enough that I will read DeMarco's first novel and keep an eye out for any future efforts, but it wasn't good enough to recommend to my book group.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Total page turner -- but with depth and insight, June 14, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Difference Between You and Me (Hardcover)

This book is hilarious. You cannot turn the pages fast enough. I LOVE Carla. Love, love, love. And Joshua. Joshua is a classic.
P.S. Brilliant ending.