Review: Do Tell--Not Sure What Audience the Author Hopes To Reach

Do Tell by Lindsay Lynch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The book rehashes old Hollywood scandals that have been thrown together and mixed up and written into a mishmash in which no actual scandal is left clearly. Even the purported author of the book, Edie O'Dare is a conglomeration of Louella Parsons ( Poppy?, although LP was the most feared woman in Hollywood at the time ) and Hedda Hopper--known for her extravagant hats, less than stellar movie career and being the mother of Perry Mason's assistant in the old TV show. A touch of Sheila Graham, another though lesser gossip columnist of the era, has been added to O'Dare's character. Graham's drunken screenwriter was her lover, F.Scott Fitzgerald not her brother, however.
It is to the point, that I, an 80 year old, would even be able to make these connections. And because these and other similarities to the real Hollywood characters of the pre-War and post-War era that it would seem the book is aimed to me and my generation. But, it is all old hat, old news and just boring--not even worth stopping to try to ID the real cast. As to the relationship between Charles and Hal, in today's world it would not even cause a second look. And, in today's world, I doubt the generations younger than mine would care about a book that really just reads like ancient gossip columns.
The characters are superficial and don't elicit any feelings in the reader at all--but then, Hollywood is and always was superficial and the public's real knowledge of any personal life of the members of the Biz has never changed. We know what will induce us to pay money to see the stars and anyone who doesn't toe the line finds that the publicity is less than career enhancing.

This is my review of a Bound Galley provided by BookBrowse for that purpose

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