The Understudy [Paperback]

Elia Kazan (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 414 pages
• Publisher: Warner Books (1976)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446798185
• ISBN-13: 978-0446798181
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,616,290 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An enthralling Book, February 19, 2002

By 

Noah Lambert "Noah Lambert" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Understudy (Paperback)

This is a great book about 50's Broadway. I would highly recommend getting this book for your library. Kazan is a wonderful author who is able to paint amazing characters and amazing scenes into each page of his books. The Understudy is one of his best books along with Assassins; I would highly recommend this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An enthralling Book, February 19, 2002

By 

Noah Lambert "Noah Lambert" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Understudy (Paperback)

This is a great book about 50's Broadway. I would highly recommend getting this book for your library. Kazan is a wonderful author who is able to paint amazing characters and amazing scenes into each page of his books. The Understudy is one of his best books along with Assassins; I would highly recommend this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining novel, September 19, 2006

By 

Charles - Music Lover (Phoenix, AZ, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Understudy (Paperback)

Kazan draws from his own life and experiences in this entertaining novel set in the wilds of Broadway and Africa. He is a good writer who knows how to propel the story forward. If you read his autobiography before this novel, you'll recognize some of the scenarios. I am always impressed by Kazan's ability to critically self-analyze his motivations (both in his autobiography and in the novel's main character). This was the first of Kazan's novels that I read and I am going to read "The Arrangement" next.

In his writing, I perceive a man striving for honesty and self-understanding. From a review standpoint, the book is fast-paced and rates 4 stars. If it had been more tightly edited in some sections, it would have rated 5 stars. Nevertheless, the two main characters are strongly drawn and unforgettable.