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351st out of 549 books
—
172 voters
Ghost Light
by
Frank Rich
There is a superstition that if an emptied theater is ever left completely dark, a ghost will take up residence. To prevent this, a single "ghost light" is left burning at center stage after the audience and all of the actors and musicians have gone home. Frank Rich's eloquent and moving boyhood memoir reveals how theater itself became a ghost light and a beacon of securit...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
October 9th 2001
by Random House Trade Paperbacks
(first published 2000)
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A fantastic memoir from the man who was the foremost theatre critic in the country for many years . When I picked up the book I was expecting a recounting of THOSE years and all of his theatre experiences during that time, when Frank Rich was the chief theatre critic at the New York Times. However, what I got instead was a beautiful and touching look at the positive power and influence that live theatre can have on the formation of a child growing from boyhood to young adulthood. You get a candi...more
This book is a MUST for any theater fan. Rich, the former theater critic of the NY TIMES, details how theater literally saved his life during a rather unhappy childhood. His excitement and gratitude to the practioners of the art form are palpable, and his writing is impeccable.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, especially as a theatre person living in DC for the summer. 3.5 stars would be appropriate here, but I couldn't give it a 4. One does not need to be involved with theatre to understand or appreciate Rich's story, it is beautiful and tragic no matter who you are.
Two reservations I have: 1) Rich occasionally comes across as a racist; though he notes the numerous marches and rallies he attended as a child, he uses the term "Negro" throughout the book. This may not...more
Two reservations I have: 1) Rich occasionally comes across as a racist; though he notes the numerous marches and rallies he attended as a child, he uses the term "Negro" throughout the book. This may not...more
This memoir of former NYT theatre critic Frank Rich reads more like a novel than a memoir. It traces his childhood living on the "wrong side of town" in Washington DC through his first year of at Harvard, telling how his tumultuous home life led him to escape to the theatre. The first chapters of his elementary years were a little too sappy for my taste (maybe I identified too much with the little boy's crazed hunger for the theatre), but I kept reading and eventually found myself engrossed in t...more
This was well written (one would expect no less from a New York Times writer) but I constantly asked myself, "Who cares?"
And that would be the one problem with this memoir. Why is anyone interested in the memoir of a theatre critic? Has he made a name for himself in any other way?
I did find the development of his theatre interest quite interesting, but his family life less so. He managed to know many of the important figures of Broadway during his early days, but the book NEVER tells us how he w...more
And that would be the one problem with this memoir. Why is anyone interested in the memoir of a theatre critic? Has he made a name for himself in any other way?
I did find the development of his theatre interest quite interesting, but his family life less so. He managed to know many of the important figures of Broadway during his early days, but the book NEVER tells us how he w...more
This was a memoir, he wrote about his time from 8 to 18. It was well written but mostly about what theater shows he had seen. It was a little redundant. It was read for a book group and i think it will lend itself to a good discussion. It was interesting to me since he grew up in the Washington, DC area the same time i was in the Northern Virginia area and I knew all the places he was talking about!
A pleasant read, he writes very well... but... his obsession with the theater is presented a little more forcefully than I would have liked. Does anybody really need to know the name of every show on Broadway on a given night in the 60's? But, his writing style swims along so nicely that I still wanted to continue reading to the end of the book.
I enjoyed every minute of this memoir. I had no idea who Frank Rich was until I read this book and now I have a good sense of this man. I love his clever, smooth writing style and wish he had chronicled his later adult life. This book moves slowly but in a pleasant, easy sort of way. I have read a good number of memoirs, but this is by far my favorite.
I'll give it the extra half-star here.
It's a beautiful, magical memoir of theatergoing. Sure, there's family life and suburban angst and even some real socio-political stuff - and of course the inherent drama of being a teenager at any time - but this book is really about the theater. And the magic of going to, being a part of, and otherwise experiencing it. If you like theater, you need to read this book. You'll leave it feeling warm and fuzzy and happy inside. If you don't like theater, steer...more
It's a beautiful, magical memoir of theatergoing. Sure, there's family life and suburban angst and even some real socio-political stuff - and of course the inherent drama of being a teenager at any time - but this book is really about the theater. And the magic of going to, being a part of, and otherwise experiencing it. If you like theater, you need to read this book. You'll leave it feeling warm and fuzzy and happy inside. If you don't like theater, steer...more
I liked the time period of the 50's & 60's. I liked picturing Washington as a city to live in instead of just politics. I appreciated his early and continued passion for the theater. I thought it bogged down and was a bit slow for awhile but I wanted to finish it and would have liked more about later years.
I agree with James Ellroy: a spellbinding coming of age tale". Unlike some memoirs by those with difficult childhoods, he is - while very honest - able also to credit the good parts.
I'm more of a fiction reader, but I picked up this book because it looked interesting. I was sucked and and devoured it. Fantastic look at what you will do to obtain what you love.
I loved this book - one of the best memoirs I've ever read. He does a lovely job of weaving the perspective he had as he lived the experience with the analysis of reflection and historical perspective. He also frames this story around the theater, but it never feels forced - the ending unfolds quite organically, without a bow being tied. I also recognized his sense of obsession and searching, and I'm sure most people could.
"I was struck by how life moved so fast, almost cruelly, on Broadway. Fiorello! had fled the Broadhurst to make way for Sail Away, as if it had never existed. I studied each such metamorphosis with contradictory emotions of excitement and loss. With their new marquees and posters and glass-encased displays of fresh photos, the theaters promised a teeming bounty of surprises. But there remained not a shred of their previous tenants, who were gone forever and mourned by no one, perhaps, except me....more
Great theater book along with his memoir. Easy read for a weekend. Would recommend for those that have an interest in theater & memoirs - well written.
If you grew up, as I did, singing along with Broadway show tunes from the '40s and '50s, you'll love this memoir
A phenomenal memoir by one my favorite columnists. I probably like it even better because he signed my book for me.
Mar 22, 2010
Cheryl
marked it as to-read
From one of my old lists.... Frank Rich, a writer for the New York Times and its former chief drama critic.
Excellent memoir of a lonely childhood spent obsessing about the theatre
Jul 15, 2012
Lisa
is currently reading it
Surprisingly, this is not a good read so far. Will retry, but...
This book was an interesting memoir about a childhood/young adulthood in DC and NY. I think I was expecting more that would've informed me about his current focus on our political system...but was interesting nonetheless
non-fiction memoir
Jul 28, 2011
Mark Woodland
added it
I'd love to give Frank Rich a bad review just on principle, but it's an OK book.
Ghost Light is a memoir of Washington, DC in the 1950's and 1960's as much as it is a memoir of Broadway theatre of the era. Frank Rich writes from the perspective of youth with adult hindsight on disturbing issues of his youth (his step-father, Joel, was abusive; DC was--and still remains--segregated) that floats this memoir on quiet river of history. Beautiful and haunting, Rich's childhood obsession with theatre led to a successful career as NY Times chief theatre critic.
This is a fascinating autobiography about his youth, his family, and falling in love with the theatre. Rich became the theatre critic for the New York Times, a position he held for about 13 years. He also writes about living through his parents divorce and subsequent life with step-parents, a rarity in the late 40s and 50s.
A good read for anybody, but would be great for teens who love and participate in the theatre.
A good read for anybody, but would be great for teens who love and participate in the theatre.
Enjoyable read! I usually read fiction, so it took me awhile to pick this one up. Once I did, though, I quickly got caught up in the story of Frank Rich's childhood and growing up. I used to do theater and dreamed of success on the stage, so this brought back so many memories for me of the magic of theater. It's amazing what a love affair he had with theater from so early in his life. Very well written.
Wonderful coming of age that highlights the golden age of Broadway. Full of a lot of heart and honesty. Really quite affecting.
I would give this book 3.5 stars if I knew how to. If you have any interest in theatre at all, you will love it. Longtime D.C. residents may also have a keen interest.
Don't be fooled by the title, there is nothing ghosty or supernatural about this book. Ghost Light is a reference to a theatre term.
Don't be fooled by the title, there is nothing ghosty or supernatural about this book. Ghost Light is a reference to a theatre term.
I got so angry at the abuse and inaction in this book that I had to stop reading it.
Well written book about growing up in the late 50's and early 60's. Stories about Broadway shows showed some similair interest as my step son is going to school for theater.
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Frank Rich is a columnist (and former chief theater critic) for The New York Times who focuses on American politics and popular culture. His column ran on the front page of the Sunday arts and leisure section from 2003 to 2005; it now appears in the expanded Sunday Week in Review section.
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“I was struck by how life moved so fast, almost cruelly, on Broadway. Fiorello! had fled the Broadhurst to make way for Sail Away, as if it had never existed. I studied each such metamorphosis with contradictory emotions of excitement and loss. With their new marquees and posters and glass-encased displays of fresh photos, the theaters promised a teeming bounty of surprises. But there remained not a shred of their previous tenants, who were gone forever and mourned by no one, perhaps, except me. When shows left the National, I knew they were going on to Broadway or at least to another town on the road. Where did the plays that left New York go?”
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