Hollyworld, by Michael Hollister
ConservativeBookstore.com -- Hollyworld is the third book in a trilogy about Hollywood culture. It explores the star-studded world of Tinsel-Town largely through the eyes of the screenwriter and reviewer, Sarah Eisley and her director husband, Ryan Eisley. These two have seen much, including the congressional hearings investigating communist influences in the movie industry.
In Hollyworld Mr. Hollister unsparingly shows Hollywood for what it is, a medium for propaganda from leftists who demagogue the masses, even as they live a dissipated life of luxury that mocks them at every turn. He points out that even the communists who were "blackballed" actually did not suffer much at the hands of the studios (and not at all at the hands of the government); but it was the people who stood up for freedom, such as director Elia Kazan, who experienced a freezing out from the controlling and vindictive liberals in power.
The novel is a deep intertwining between familiar movies and the lives of the characters. The movies are both a reflection of what is occurring in society at the time the movie is introduced and an influence on what will happen in the future. Movies like, Dr. Strangelove, The Graduate, Easy Rider, Reds, The Big Chill, and many more are analyzed by the characters in the context of their present lives. This inclusion of movies is natural to the plot because the characters work on a daily basis in the movie industry.
In Hollyworld we see the decline of western or more specifically American culture as the plot moves through the decades from the 1950s up into the first decade of the new Millennium. This motion is made clear through the relationships of the main characters with their family and friends. What is jarring and effective about this device is the way Mr. Hollister writes of quite shocking events in an almost off-hand way. It is as if the narrator is inured to the evidence of decay, in the same way that society in general seems almost blind to its failing morality. This device is even more poignant because Mr. Hollister so ably infuses his characters with the feeling, intensity, and insight to see where events are heading. Yet it is frustrating to see these characters unable to stem the flow in spite of their dismayed and scattered efforts.
Hollyworld, though part of a trilogy, stands alone. Mr. Hollister covers several decades of American life and movie history with verve and an adept hand. His analysis of films is deep and profound, making this a novel that should be read by any person interested in American culture and American film.
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