Three gifted and talented people, two men and a woman, struggle with their deadly destinies and with a deep and tragic compulsion rooted in their childhoods that follows them around the globe like an inescapable time bomb.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Norman ( Fascination ) is about 50 years too late with this potboiler, which might have enjoyed some success as a B movie starring a young Bette Davis. As a contemporary novel, however, it's pretty creaky. We first meet Sebastian Locke when he's a child, attending the dress rehearsal of a production of Hedda Gabler . His mother, the legendary British actress Diana Lancaster, delivers a breathtaking performance as the lead, although she's been suffering excruciating headaches. Alas, she dies just before opening night--the first in a series of melodramatically timed demises that claim so many of the characters here. Sebastian grows into a sublimely charming adult, a founding partner in a uniquely successful actors' agency. But, unknown even to himself, Sebastian is ruled by demons, driven to violence and mayhem whenever anyone tries to stage Hedda Gabler . Enter his lovely bride, Katharine Anderson, an extravagantly gifted stage designer (the Bette Davis role). Sebastian persuades her to become an actress and helps her build a career. Can it be long before Katharine is to play Hedda? As obvious as they come, and painfully protracted.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
Another darkly romantic thriller from Norman (Fascination, 1992; Shattered Stars, 1991, etc.)--a high-glamour journey through the theater worlds of London and New York. On the eve of what's to be her greatest performance--the lead in Hedda Gabler--London stage legend Diana Lancaster dies. Her seven-year-old son, Sebastian, is whisked away from his two playmates, best friend Jeremy and Katharine, a visiting American girl, to begin mourning. But it appears that his grief is not of the unhealthy type, for the boy grows up to be a paragon of virtue, beauty, and intelligence. He is even able bravely to set aside whatever ill memories he has of the stage to start a wildly successful theatrical agency with Jeremy, now a sinisterly bisexual bad seed. Yet Sebastian is not entirely the golden boy. There are certain disquieting mysteries from his past, one of them having to do with a lipstick, poisoned with hydrochloric acid, said to have been used by the lead in a production of Hedda Gabler. And although he practically has to beat women away, Sebastian just can't seem to fall in love. Reenter Katharine, now a brilliant, amber-eyed set designer. The two marry, return to England, have sex often, and drink lots of good champagne. Things change, however, once the couple move into Sebastian's childhood home--and his parents' former bedroom. He begins to have strange headaches; his lovemaking takes on an alarming twist. Soon, Sebastian insists that Katharine switch careers--from set design to acting. This insistence turns to obsession and something far worse when a new production of Hedda Gabler comes to London--and Katharine finds herself understudying for the lead role. The lovers often seem more cloying than passionate, and the prose sometimes clunks like a square-wheeled cart--but Norman tells a good story, complete with likable characters and luxurious sets. -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Slow beginning and good ending,
This review is from: Spellbound (Paperback)
I thought this book started slow but then it got interesting. The characters were first introduced in childhood and then met again years later. Two of the characters became involved and their troubles related to the past. I was happy with the ending which was very climatic! This was a good book and I would recommend it.
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