House Of Destiny (Hardcover) [Hardcover]

Janet Leigh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1995

Award-winning actress Janet Leigh, best known for her Oscar-nominated performance in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, now turns her talents to writing, in a novel that only a Hollywood insider could create. Rich in scope and pulsing with drama, House of Destiny is the story of Hollywood in the 1930s and '40s--a tale of passion and heartaches, triumphs and tragedies.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hard on the heels of her memoir, Psycho: Behind the Scenes, comes actress Leigh's first novel; and, while she will never win any prizes for style (her prose veers between functional and bathetic), the book is a conscientious attempt to record the history of a film colony in the lives of two unlikely friends. In 1936, Sun Valley, Idaho, becomes the winter playground for socialites and Hollywood's leading stars. Local bad boy Jude Abavas joins the staff at the ski resort, and soon the ambitious sheepherder becomes indispensable to management and guests. He is befriended by Wade Colby, real-estate heir and Hollywood's newest screen idol. After the tragic death of his wife and son, Jude leaves Sun Valley for L.A., where Wade hires him as his personal assistant. So begins a 20-year partnership that endures as Wade achieves superstardom and Jude becomes a major producer. A mini-history of the resort and of the film community flashes by as the pair survive the McCarthy years, branch out into TV and fall in love with the same woman. Leigh weaves fact and fiction bravely, though her apparent desire to mention nearly every person relevant to her two settings ?and every significant national and international event from 1915 to 1990?results in veritable lists of names flashed on the page but never to be seen again. She also relies on frequent tragedies to provide incident, and her characterization is superficial at best. But readers drawn to the book by curiosity may find themselves engrossed in Hollywood lore. Author tour.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Realizing that he wants more that just an Idaho sheep ranch, Jude Abavas hires on at the blossoming Sun Valley ski resort and ends up meeting a movie star who becomes his entry into the business end of the film industry. In a story that sweeps from the Golden Age of film through the founding years?and beyond?of television, Leigh manages to produce a highly readable novel that, unlike many Hollywood-based stories, provides a relatively low-key, realistic?but no less compelling?picture of the times. Not a romance in the strictest sense, this first novel falls well within the bounds of the family saga and contains the requisite amount of conflict, passion (illicit and otherwise), personal tragedy, and triumph.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Mira; 1st edition (September 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155166125X
• ISBN-13: 978-1551661254
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,667,099 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Unsurpassed, March 20, 2005

By 

bookworm (Wenatchee, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: House Of Destiny (Mass Market Paperback)

I don't know where this book has been for 10 years as I just found it at the library. I didn't even know Janet Leigh wrote novels, but boy can she. Almost everything in this wonderful story of a loving family turns out the way you would like it to.

I had my doubts when I read the synopsis, I thought I don't know-a story about tinsel town? But it rivited me to it. My only disappointment is that it didn't cover more of Penelope and Jude's life together and gave minute detail to all the years before, but it was worth hanging in there. Find a copy and read this for sure.

5.0 out of 5 stars A story with a happy Hollywood ending, May 19, 2000

By 

pmg1975 (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: House Of Destiny (Mass Market Paperback)

Screen legend Janet Leigh takes you into the world of classic Hollywood with a story that spans many decades. Small town idealism collides with the fragile world of Hollywood to create a wonderful, moving story.

Basque worker Jude Abavas strikes up a friendship with up and coming movie idol Wade Colby at a resort in Sun Valley, Idaho. The two venture back to Hollywood to join forces and create their own destinies, hence the title.

Ms. Leigh writes with the authority of someone who knows what it's like to be thrust from a small town into the glamorous world of Hollywood (try to find a copy of her autobio "There Really Was A Hollywood"). She vividly sets the stages for the characters to come together from the immigrant backgrounds to the world of high society and egos.

Amidst some deaths, laughs, loves, and human reflection, Ms. Leigh writes a story in which everything turns out alright and people are given second chances and happy endings.

5.0 out of 5 stars This book was a pleasant surprise - I could not put it down!, July 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: House Of Destiny (Hardcover) (Hardcover)

Curiosity prompted me to read this book, but I was soon immersed in the plot and interested in the characters. The historical information was facinating, and the people were very real to me. I cared for these people (well, some of them). I felt Jude's desire to "go and do", I was pleased that he was willing to deal with his "mistake" in an honorable manner; I felt his loss, and then rooted for him when he and Wade began in the film industry. I desperately wanted Matthew to come home safe from the war. I wished for a Mama and Papa like the Abavas. I was facinated with the twists and turns of the story - never a dull moment! I will not only recommend this to friends who love to read, as I do, but I know that I will also re-read this book sometime in the future! Way to go, Janet Leigh!!!