Customer Reviews

Kissing in Technicolor

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Charlie Frost is 27, about to graduate from film school, and is trying to make a name for herself in the film industry. Making ends barely meet as a Yoga instructor, and having her latest screenplay rejected, she has no idea her life is about to change. On the advice of one her professors at school, she begins to revise one of her earlier plays in hopes it will be made into a movie. At the same time, she meets a handsome soap star, Hank, who is definitely interested in her.

When she receives the great news that she will be able to direct the play, Charlie is thrilled. Hank manages to convince her to give him the lead part, but she isn't too sure of her decision. When problems break out during the rehearsals and taping, she realizes it may not have been the best idea...

Kissing in Technicolor is a solid, highly readable story featuring a very strong and admirable main character, intellectual writing and bantering that will appeal to people who appreciate that (as I do), and a satisfying story that unfolds at a leisurely pace. Jane Mendle has definitely impressed me with her intelligent and wonderful novel - and I hope she plans to write more books!

Overall I highly recommend Kissing in Technicolor. There was nothing about the book that I didn't like. The supporting characters were realistic and likeable, and the author keeps a good handle on the story line. The main character is one of my favorite types in chick lit - strong, slightly flawed, intelligent and realistic. At a hearty 346 pages, the novel will keep you pleasantly occupied for many hours. (Or days, depending on your reading speed!)

I was up until 4am on my couch reading this book--I finished it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. The dialogue and monologues are laugh-out-loud funny and just plain smart, the main character (Charlotte) is believably and hilariously neurotic, and the scenes (particularly the one at ABC Carpet & Home) are exquisitely crafted.

A witty and fresh novel. Its acerbic, sharp-eyed, and hilarious observation of the movie business, academia, and what it's truly like to be young in New York, set it apart from and above the bushels of "Bridget Jones" and "Sex & the City" clones that deluge publishing houses daily. Jane Mendle has a gift for unfolding her story so vividly that the true-to-life characters and comical situations seem to pop off the pages. The movie, I predict, will not be far behind.

An enjoyable read. Bright. Funny. The writing is intelligent and well paced. However, I found the character of Charlie to be affected and I couldn't empathize with her, or even like her very much. She lives in a bubble of her own creation where she's the overly intelligent grad student, the super supple yoga instructor, the girlfriend of a minor television star...and on and on. She lacked warmth. Oddly, the novel didn't.

This book is fun, fun, fun! A page turner and super sexy. It will make you blush a little and you'll wish, if for just a moment, that you are inside the book, living this girls life, kissing a hunky soap star. We've all dreamed about it, but through her, we live it.

Kissing in Technicolor is the perfect book to curl up with on a winter afternoon. It is engaging, amusing, and poignant, and most definitely a notch above its "chick-lit" counterparts. Mendle's writing is easy to read without being simplistic, and is characterized by a deep understanding of the simultaneous complexity and humor inherent to dating as a 20-something female in the 21st century. Although initially purchased as a mere "distraction read," I ended up falling in love with Charlotte (whom I did not find to be a narcissistic heroine, but, rather, witty, intelligent and charmingly self-deprecating), and being genuinely upset when I got to the last page. . . .

I thought this was a fabulous read! Mendle takes a novel spin on the standard tale of the twenty-something single girl by weaving witty commentary on academia, the film industry, and family relationships. Her writing style is sparse and simple; however, it is anything but amateurish. Among other things, her subtle literary references add sophistication and humor, and they serve to distinguish this book from its Bridget Jones counterparts. This is that rare book that truly captures the complexity of being an ambitious, multifaceted woman trying to balance personal and professional interests.

Charlie (aka Charlotte), the main character, is not a super-sympathetic character. I did not root for her like I rooted for Bridget Jones or Rebecca from the Shopaholic books. She is one of the most narcissistic and pretentious main characters I've ever read in the genre of the "chick lit" novel. The romance between her and Hank was obviously going to go nowhere, and it took a heck of a long time to play it out and I did not care one iota whether she succeeded in the filmmaking world.

The author has the potential for a better novel next time as '...Technicolor' was readable despite the problems I had with the story.

It's a great read, and really cleverly done. Hilarious. I definitely suggest reading it.

Funny, witty and a fantastic read. Can't wait to see what Mendle comes up with next.