Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
An Interesting Mix, March 29, 2009
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I got this book because I like Shannon Hale's children's fantasy writing, but then, this novel is for grown-ups, so I'll have to switch my reviewer hats. Actor and Housewife is what might happen if the leads of When Harry Met Sally went on a double date with Romeo and Juliet. Only Sally/Juliet is Mormon. Keep in mind that even though the book starts off like a lighthearted romp, it is not ultimately a romantic comedy. It's not even chicklit. As the subtitle warns us, it's "A Novel"--so don't expect a happily-ever-after ending.
Frankly, the author has given herself a challenging task. On the one hand, she is working from the premise of wish fulfillment, as her housewife, Becky Jack, attracts the attention of a celebrity along the lines of George Clooney--while seven months pregnant, no less. On the other hand, we soon learn that Becky is not about to cheat on her husband.
Felix is intrigued by the attraction he feels to this unlikely woman, so he contacts her again, then introduces her to his wife, trying to figure out just what it is he's feeling. "Best friends!" Becky suggests brightly, remembering how much talking to Felix reminds her of her best banter buddy from high school. Though Becky makes a ready connection with Felix and gets a kick out of the incongruities of their relationship, she is very much in love with her wonderful hubby, Mike. Felix seems a little more willing to cheat on his gorgeous French actress wife, at least until Becky labels their relationship a friendship and convinces everyone to go along with it.
Becky also sells not one, but two screenplays in Hollywood without even having an agent. This is so unlikely that Hale has her characters point out just how unlikely it is, which is clever. THEN Becky is actually asked to star in a movie with Felix! Still more unlikely, but Hale has a lot of fun with all this, playing out the dream--red carpet, designer dress, and all.
Naturally, the dream has its downside: Mike is somewhat bothered by the situation, and that's even before the tabloids speculate in nasty ways. Hale also delves into the reactions of family members and the worry of Becky's pastor (bishop, in Mormon parlance).
The friendship fades in and out over time, and then Mike becomes very ill. Will the field be clear at last for Felix? Even if it is, if you've been paying the least bit of attention, you'll realize the author is determined not to go there. No, this is When Harry Met Sally WITHOUT the sex and its aftermath.
While cynical readers may feel that Becky is committing emotional adultery, others will enjoy Hale's examination of male-female friendships. The author's various purposes do create a slightly disjointed read, however. When women dream about having someone like George Clooney show up in their lives, the fantasy is usually not couched in terms of husbands and moral considerations. Of course, this is one of the ideas Hale addresses. Movies are not real life, she reminds us.
Yet the author is a little too successful at creating a relationship between the actor and the housewife. The "best friend" scenario doesn't quite ring true for me. Although Becky is determined to take the high road, these two have something pretty intense, and I found Mike to be abnormally understanding. What's more, Becky's emotional state seems inconsistent over the course of the book. Whether they admit it or not, Becky and Felix seem more like soulmates than best buddies.
In When Harry Met Sally, we're told that men and women can't just be friends because sex gets in the way. Shannon Hale begs to differ. I'm not sure she pulls it off, but you'll have to read The Actor and the Housewife and decide for yourself.
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20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredibly Insightful-- Beautiful writing and intricate plot, May 13, 2009
You might be tempted to dismiss Shannon Hale's new novel The Actor and the House Wife as mere fluff.
Don't.
Yes, the premise details a woman who forms a relationship with her silver screen heartthrob but this novel also explores friendship, loyalty, family, love, faith and heartache. And the crowning achievement of this book, the elusive holy grail of writers-- is Shannon Hale's flawless portrayal of a good marriage. The movie star moments pale beside the beauty of a committed husband and wife dancing in the kitchen.
Famous people bewitch us; they intrigue us. And it's a common fantasy to believe the movie star, the brilliant inventor or the charismatic politician would enjoy spending time with a man like you or an ordinary girl like me. I would make him laugh, provide insight into common life and fill that empty corner of his soul. Can't you see that longing in Daniel Craig's eyes? He needs me.
For Becky Jack, it was Felix Callahan: a British Adonis who graced all her favorite films. When a chance meeting led to an instant rapport (totally believable, Daniel Craig would feel the same way about me), Becky felt like she was living the daydream of every woman in America.
But fantasy doesn't fit easily into a married mother-of-four's reality. Felix didn't enjoy tagging along to the ward potluck and Becky could hardly leave her family to mingle on the movie set. And the biggest question-- one that is revisited over and over as the story unfolds--is whether a happily married Mormon mother of four should maintain a friendship with a man at all.
Mormon women generally kiss their male friends goodbye on their wedding day. KC Brown was my closest buddy, my compatriot in zaniness until I fell in love with my beautiful husband. I neglected KC, along with my girlfriends, during that season of tunnel-vision romance. Later, my female friendships were renewed and multiplied, but I haven't cultivated a male friendship since. Would I love to see KC again? Would we laugh ourselves silly and concoct wild pranks? Would our spouses be completely annoyed? Yes, yes and oh yes.
So I'm not chatting it up with KC or even looking for him on Facebook. But would I make an exception if he were famous, extremely wealthy and offered countless opportunities to my family? Maybe.
And now I'm beginning to measure my words. How much shall I tell you? I want you to curl up and unwrap the book for yourself, layer by layer, moment by moment. I don't want to be like the annoying movie trailer that reveals every plot twist and discovery except for the oh-so-predictable ending. So let's chat about the novel's language, it's Mormonism and the oh-so-beautiful authentic marriage.
Like many readers, I was introduced to Shannon Hale's fairytale imagination and poetic prose in The Goose Girl. Let the book fall open to any page and the reader is immersed in haunting, gorgeous descriptive words. The Actor and the Housewife is written in a completely different style yet Hale's command of language remains. When she calls a Slurpee "shockingly purple slush" or notes that "it was a skinny moon, a mere fingernail clipping" I wonder that I saw them any other way.
Written for a general audience, Hales includes her characters' religion without proselyting or preaching. Mormonism is simply there, from the bishop's interview to Becky's faith in God. Her descriptions and interactions are spot-on--often hilarious but never irreverent. Mainstream readers will receive a gentle tutelage of Mormonism 101 that may increase understanding of our misunderstood culture.
Women may pick up this book in anticipation of the fantasy scenes between a common housewife and a glamorous movie star, but it is Becky's marriage to her darling husband Mike that carries the novel. Their relationship is genuine (even during arguments), inspiring and develops over the years. Since I happen to know that Shannon Hale is just a sweet young thing and has been married for less than 10 years (thank you Google) I'm awed at her uncanny ability to describe my own 18 year marriage and interactions with teenagers. The moments with Felix will make you smile; the hours Becky spends with Mike will bring you to tears.
And so, despite my protestations that The Actor and the Housewife isn't simply chick-lit, I'll admit that reading it was very much like curling up beside my husband to watch a silver-screen romance--when the credits roll and the music soars I turn to the very real and solid man next to me and feel oh-so-glad that he's mine.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reasons I liked this book, June 18, 2009
picked up this book on morning when I had a little waiting time. Once I started reading, I didn't want to stop. I finished before I went to bed that night, in spite of a packed day. I can't remember the last time I was sneaking in a few pages while my husband was driving.
Here are some of the things I enjoyed about reading it:
1. It is a book truly different from anything else I've read. I can't think of any other books about platonic love at first site, and although I'm sure there are other books about someone ordinary meeting someone famous, I can't think of any that have crossed my path, certainly not recently.
2. It's all about the characters! I genuinely liked all of the major characters, and even the minor ones. There were no real bad guys here, and for the most part, everyone was on a journey, even if we didn't really see where they were going. The plot was in service to the characters, rather than the other way around.
3. It was fun and funny. There were some laugh out loud moments, even more chuckles, and a whole lot of smiles. There were also tears and more serious moments. I was genuinely engaged.
4. I even though I'm not (currently) religious, I liked seeing the LDS side of the book. I never felt preached at-- it was part of her life, but there wasn't an attempt to make it part of mine.
6. All in all, it was a nice book. There was conflict, and really bad things happened at points. Somehow the book remained nice through all of that. I realize for some people, this is a good reason not to come near it. Be warned!
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