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Gilbert Selwyn and Friends #3
My Lucky Star
In this hilarious, laser-sharp comedy, the Emmy-winning writer and producer of Frasier sends up Hollywood pretense higher than it's ever been sent before.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2006
18 people are currently reading
415 people want to read
About the author
Joe Keenan
11 books62 followersJoe Keenan (born July 14, 1958) is an American screenwriter, television producer and novelist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
December 25, 2025
A comic masterpiece - which seems to have only gotten better since it was published almost 20 years ago in 2006 (when I first read it). Can jokes actually become funnier with time? This novel makes the strong case that they can!
'MLS' is the third 'chapter' in the Philip / Gilbert / Claire series that Joe Keenan (who served as writer-producer for 'Frasier' for seven years) began with 'Blue Heaven' and continued with 'Putting on the Ritz'. While all three are exemplary as laugh-fests, 'MLS' may be the best of the lot. Or maybe it feels that way since it seems to be the longest. Or maybe I think that because I need to re-read the previous entries. Or maybe there doesn't need to be a 'best' when they're all so good!
In 'Putting on the Ritz', Keenan's oddly aligned 'three musketeers' took on (and were nearly taken out by) the Mafia. In 'Blue Heaven', they traipsed their wayward way through the publishing industry. With 'MLS', Philip and Claire have (again) been finagled by Gilbert. this time to become screenwriters - without the fuss-and-bother of the years it can take to work your way up in the Hollywood system.
Using his mother's aging Hollywood producer-husband as a springboard - and a mostly-cribbed script of 'Casablanca' with a new title page as a calling card - Gilbert all-but-sashays his way to the dream job of writing for a (married and closeted) megastar and his actress mother whose career is in need of a Heimlich maneuver.
What starts out as a more or less plausible ploy (on Gilbert's part) is, unbeknownst to Philip and Claire of course, laced with deception and outright lies (there's no mention of 'Casablanca') - and, naturally (since they've already survived his trickery in two previous novels), P&C should know better than to hitch to Gilbert's scheme. (How, in fact, did the three ever become and remain friends in the first place? But this is farce, so practical questions aren't encouraged.)
This is where the plot construction really kicks in - and, once it takes off, it's a breathless, uninterrupted, domino-theory locomotive. Mainly because the fraudulent job-entry isn't enough. Someone in particular gets wind of it - and that someone turns out to be the megastar mother's sister; also an actress, on the skids (though she denies it), dangling a proposed tell-all that could wreak havoc on her sister (and her secretly gay son).
Oh, and there's also Gilbert's (ahem) 'ex', Moira (first seen as a co-star in 'Blue Heaven'). She's back as a unique addition to the overall machination. Without her, we would not have the added, deliciously madcap splendor that is Chapter Seventeen - as hilarious as it is steamy. And it *is* steamy.
Keenan adorns his magnum opus with no shortage of verbal ammunition. A good deal of the humor will appeal to readers who have a thing for past / present celebrities:
Fans of P.G. Wodehouse will note that Keenan learned quite a bit from 'His Master's Voice': things like... keep it moving, add duplicity and complication whenever possible, dovetail one person's exit with another's entrance (esp. at the end of a chapter) and, most significantly, let as many characters be funny as you can (except the ones for which you hold particular disdain - and, even then, maybe allow a chuckle).
In an interview at the back of the current paperback edition, Keenan is asked if readers can expect a fourth entry in this series. The author answers with: "We live, alas, in a nation where there's no shorter route to insolvency than a career dedicated to penning Light Comic Fiction Populated by Homosexuals." However... recently on facebook, Keenan hinted that a new Philip / Gilbert / Claire adventure may very well be in his (and our) near-future. We can only live in hope!
'MLS' is the third 'chapter' in the Philip / Gilbert / Claire series that Joe Keenan (who served as writer-producer for 'Frasier' for seven years) began with 'Blue Heaven' and continued with 'Putting on the Ritz'. While all three are exemplary as laugh-fests, 'MLS' may be the best of the lot. Or maybe it feels that way since it seems to be the longest. Or maybe I think that because I need to re-read the previous entries. Or maybe there doesn't need to be a 'best' when they're all so good!
In 'Putting on the Ritz', Keenan's oddly aligned 'three musketeers' took on (and were nearly taken out by) the Mafia. In 'Blue Heaven', they traipsed their wayward way through the publishing industry. With 'MLS', Philip and Claire have (again) been finagled by Gilbert. this time to become screenwriters - without the fuss-and-bother of the years it can take to work your way up in the Hollywood system.
Using his mother's aging Hollywood producer-husband as a springboard - and a mostly-cribbed script of 'Casablanca' with a new title page as a calling card - Gilbert all-but-sashays his way to the dream job of writing for a (married and closeted) megastar and his actress mother whose career is in need of a Heimlich maneuver.
What starts out as a more or less plausible ploy (on Gilbert's part) is, unbeknownst to Philip and Claire of course, laced with deception and outright lies (there's no mention of 'Casablanca') - and, naturally (since they've already survived his trickery in two previous novels), P&C should know better than to hitch to Gilbert's scheme. (How, in fact, did the three ever become and remain friends in the first place? But this is farce, so practical questions aren't encouraged.)
This is where the plot construction really kicks in - and, once it takes off, it's a breathless, uninterrupted, domino-theory locomotive. Mainly because the fraudulent job-entry isn't enough. Someone in particular gets wind of it - and that someone turns out to be the megastar mother's sister; also an actress, on the skids (though she denies it), dangling a proposed tell-all that could wreak havoc on her sister (and her secretly gay son).
Oh, and there's also Gilbert's (ahem) 'ex', Moira (first seen as a co-star in 'Blue Heaven'). She's back as a unique addition to the overall machination. Without her, we would not have the added, deliciously madcap splendor that is Chapter Seventeen - as hilarious as it is steamy. And it *is* steamy.
Keenan adorns his magnum opus with no shortage of verbal ammunition. A good deal of the humor will appeal to readers who have a thing for past / present celebrities:
Be wry, I admonished myself. Be bland. Think David Niven.But the bulk of it is likely to affect that funny bone that just wants to be tickled:
Having never before heard a sexy megastar compare me favorably to his dashing signature role, I lost all grip on my suavity and giggled like a chorus boy being tickled by Bernadette Peters.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Bajour," said Gilbert in his lowest register. His intent, I suppose, was to convey masculine authority but it just made him sound like Bea Arthur.
Gilbert, as a rule, used money the way women used pepper spray; he liked having some handy but only produced it when physically threatened.
The promise that had simmered in Stephen's gaze had, of course, been firmly predicated on my persuading Lily not to tell the world of his teenage discovery that strong, hairy thighs make swell earmuffs.
There was Sonia, of course, her girth encased in a pin-striped black pantsuit that made her look like one of the gangsters in an all-lesbian 'Kiss Me, Kate'.
Fans of P.G. Wodehouse will note that Keenan learned quite a bit from 'His Master's Voice': things like... keep it moving, add duplicity and complication whenever possible, dovetail one person's exit with another's entrance (esp. at the end of a chapter) and, most significantly, let as many characters be funny as you can (except the ones for which you hold particular disdain - and, even then, maybe allow a chuckle).
In an interview at the back of the current paperback edition, Keenan is asked if readers can expect a fourth entry in this series. The author answers with: "We live, alas, in a nation where there's no shorter route to insolvency than a career dedicated to penning Light Comic Fiction Populated by Homosexuals." However... recently on facebook, Keenan hinted that a new Philip / Gilbert / Claire adventure may very well be in his (and our) near-future. We can only live in hope!
January 13, 2021
Joe Keenan (b. 1958) defines himself as a writer of comic novels who earns most of his money in television. His first two novels, set in New York, are "Blue Heaven" (1988), and "Puttin' On the Ritz" (1991), which feature two gay friends, Gilbert and Philip, who get in over their heads pursuing fame and fortune among Gotham's Reagan-era excesses. Fast-forward over a decade while Keenan worked on the TV shows "Frazier" and "Desperate Housewives." In 2006 he published his latest novel, "My Lucky Star," in which he sends Gilbert and Philip to Los Angeles in search of (what else) fame and fortune, this time to write a movie script on spec.
Readers who followed the first two of Keenan's novels will know what to expect here: Gilbert is horny, Philip ambitious, and their mutual friend Claire is level-headed and good at running interference. Lots of wit, usually the clever kind that depends on a delayed reaction (a student who looks stoned is later described as a "dilated pupil"), and plot twists in a Wodehousian mode. But while the satiric edge of the first two books is still there, it doesn't seem to be quite so head-on as before. There is, however, a very explicit sex scene two-thirds of the way through the book, so folks who object to that should take note.
from the book:
"What better time to take a trip to Hollywood as guests of a real live mogul! We'll blow town, see L.A. We'll party with Gilbert and his mom -- whom you adore. We'll find out what the job is and if you don't like it you'll go home. First class! At best it's a job, at worst a vacation, so cut the Cassandra routine and eat fast 'cause we need to pack." (p. 15)
Readers who followed the first two of Keenan's novels will know what to expect here: Gilbert is horny, Philip ambitious, and their mutual friend Claire is level-headed and good at running interference. Lots of wit, usually the clever kind that depends on a delayed reaction (a student who looks stoned is later described as a "dilated pupil"), and plot twists in a Wodehousian mode. But while the satiric edge of the first two books is still there, it doesn't seem to be quite so head-on as before. There is, however, a very explicit sex scene two-thirds of the way through the book, so folks who object to that should take note.
from the book:
"What better time to take a trip to Hollywood as guests of a real live mogul! We'll blow town, see L.A. We'll party with Gilbert and his mom -- whom you adore. We'll find out what the job is and if you don't like it you'll go home. First class! At best it's a job, at worst a vacation, so cut the Cassandra routine and eat fast 'cause we need to pack." (p. 15)
May 17, 2008
Don’t let the cover fool you with its bad artwork. This is has to be one of the funniest books I have read in years. This is the fourth book, which features Philip, Clair and Gilbert and is by far the most outrageous. In this latest installment in this series, the three friends find themselves stuck writing a Hollywood screenplay and getting caught in the middle of a family feud of a famous celebrity and her closet gay and has-been actress sister. Like I stated, I can’t remember the last time a book made laugh so hard. Keenan, who has written for tv shows Frasier and Desperate Housewives, provides a quick narrative salted with just the right blend of humor. My Lucky Star is clearly the best of his four novels, which apparently take him years to write. I will patiently sit on the sides waiting for his next novel
September 1, 2019
In recent years, I've grown really fond of a certain kind of classic farce, full of mistaken identities, missed connections, misinterpreted statements, and schemes gone wrong. The pinnacles of that style, for me, have been the novels of P.G. Wodehouse, the play One Man, Two Guvnors, and the television show Frasier, for which Joe Keenan was a long time writer and producer.
On the whole, I've also really enjoyed Keenan's short series of comic novels, though I did find My Lucky Star to be the weakest of the bunch, mainly due to it being about 100 pages too long. (There's a reason why no Wodehouse novel contains a page number that beings with a 3.) At times, the number of things going so completely and totally wrong just felt like too much. But there are some brilliant set pieces in here, as well as many great turns for phrase. See, for example, "I mean her last husband was an absolute hunk, but Max--you could tear him down and build a stadium."
As a kind of summing up, I have to give Keenan major credit for being one of the few people who's taken the Wodehousian template and innovated with it in modern times. His use of gay/straight identities as part of his mix ups is such a natural evolution for this kind of classic comedy, you could almost imagine Shakespeare doing it if things had just been different back then. I'm not really sure what Keenan's up to these days, but I hope that we'll see another major achievement from him soon.
On the whole, I've also really enjoyed Keenan's short series of comic novels, though I did find My Lucky Star to be the weakest of the bunch, mainly due to it being about 100 pages too long. (There's a reason why no Wodehouse novel contains a page number that beings with a 3.) At times, the number of things going so completely and totally wrong just felt like too much. But there are some brilliant set pieces in here, as well as many great turns for phrase. See, for example, "I mean her last husband was an absolute hunk, but Max--you could tear him down and build a stadium."
As a kind of summing up, I have to give Keenan major credit for being one of the few people who's taken the Wodehousian template and innovated with it in modern times. His use of gay/straight identities as part of his mix ups is such a natural evolution for this kind of classic comedy, you could almost imagine Shakespeare doing it if things had just been different back then. I'm not really sure what Keenan's up to these days, but I hope that we'll see another major achievement from him soon.
February 9, 2026
Surprisingly, to me, this book had so much going on and did a fascinating job of connecting every piece together in their necessary ways. Nothing left to wonder about. It was cute, easy to follow and funny. Not like anything I’ve really read before. 3.75 probably.
June 5, 2007
Keenan, a former writer/producer of Fraiser (which I don't believe I have ever actually seen a full episode of), does an impressive job with this comedic novel about a trio of screenwriters, an old Hollywood family with a whole heap of skeletons in its Bel-Air closets, and a newly opened spa/gay brothel. Much of the plot—which is actually incredibly tightly-woven, with many seemly insignificant details having surprising payoffs—revolves around the efforts of starstruck Philip to help protect movie star Stephen Donato from being outed as gay by his memoir-writing aunt; however, as one would expect, nothing goes quite as planned. This book is very funny (choice line: "Here was no brainless Hollywood hunk. Here was a man of vision, a passionate and sensitive idealist, and I prayed with all my heart that he might someday instill these noble qualities in me, preferably via fellatio." Hee!), and sufficiently sharp-edged if never too nasty. I think what Keenan was aiming for was something like Jeeves and Wooster Do Hollywood, and he's not far off.
July 16, 2007
i was a complete sucker for this book. joe keenan wrote for fraiser for years, and all that overstuffed hyper-wit is here in force. not to sound like a book jacket blurb, but it really did read like p.g. wodehouse meets OK magazine.
September 17, 2012
It's PG Wodehouse in the 2000s in Hollywood.
Sharply written, there are multiple punchlines on every page.
Clever, witty and a LOT of fun!
Sharply written, there are multiple punchlines on every page.
Clever, witty and a LOT of fun!
May 2, 2014
Very funny caper novel loaded with quick witted repartee. Can't write more as I am finding his other novels...
January 31, 2019
I really loved this book, because it was so funny! Not every page was laugh out loud, but on every page there was something that made me chuckle. The witty, somewhat catty style of the novel, as well as the outlandishness of the plot both make it an amusing read. I only hesitate to give it five stars because parts of the book are a little racy, and I really did not enjoy that as much, but that's a matter or personal taste. Aside from that, I cannot recommend the book strongly enough!
Phillip Cavanaugh is a struggling writer. He works part time as a courier, and when he comes face-to-face with a very successful former high school classmate as he is rain drenched, wearing his hideous uniform, and forced to carry packages, he thinks that he has hit rock bottom. His best friend and writing partner, Claire is likewise disillusioned. She has just broken up with her cheating boyfriend and forced to work as a rehearsal pianist to pay the bills. Just then, the two receive the opportunity of a lifetime. Their friend Gilbert has gotten them a job adapting a World War II novel for the big screen. Phillip and Claire think their ship has at last come in. Alas, things are not always as they seem
Everything in sunny Los Angeles starts off well enough. Phillip, Claire, and Gilbert have a meeting with the producer and get the greenlight to go ahead and write the script. They have glamorous dinners at posh restaurants with Gilbert's mom and studio executive step dad. They hobnob with celebrities. Things quickly start to unravel. The true nature of the spec that Gilbert wrote to get them the job, could very much endanger their chances of staying on the project if discovered. The book is mushy. And while it's exciting when two very famous faces sign on to do the movie, it also may mean that the trio will be fired in favor of more established writers.
They concoct a scheme to stay on as the screenwriters by Philip also working as a double agent and ghostwriting a tell-all book by the star's estranged aunt. He is to report back all the secrets she's spilling. Things are farther complicated by a spa that may actually be a brothel and a DA who is determined to bring about the downfall of one of the stars. Will this be a big break, or a big mistake for Phillip, Claire and Gilbert? Follow along for all the hijinks by reading My Lucky Star. You'll be glad you did.
Phillip Cavanaugh is a struggling writer. He works part time as a courier, and when he comes face-to-face with a very successful former high school classmate as he is rain drenched, wearing his hideous uniform, and forced to carry packages, he thinks that he has hit rock bottom. His best friend and writing partner, Claire is likewise disillusioned. She has just broken up with her cheating boyfriend and forced to work as a rehearsal pianist to pay the bills. Just then, the two receive the opportunity of a lifetime. Their friend Gilbert has gotten them a job adapting a World War II novel for the big screen. Phillip and Claire think their ship has at last come in. Alas, things are not always as they seem
Everything in sunny Los Angeles starts off well enough. Phillip, Claire, and Gilbert have a meeting with the producer and get the greenlight to go ahead and write the script. They have glamorous dinners at posh restaurants with Gilbert's mom and studio executive step dad. They hobnob with celebrities. Things quickly start to unravel. The true nature of the spec that Gilbert wrote to get them the job, could very much endanger their chances of staying on the project if discovered. The book is mushy. And while it's exciting when two very famous faces sign on to do the movie, it also may mean that the trio will be fired in favor of more established writers.
They concoct a scheme to stay on as the screenwriters by Philip also working as a double agent and ghostwriting a tell-all book by the star's estranged aunt. He is to report back all the secrets she's spilling. Things are farther complicated by a spa that may actually be a brothel and a DA who is determined to bring about the downfall of one of the stars. Will this be a big break, or a big mistake for Phillip, Claire and Gilbert? Follow along for all the hijinks by reading My Lucky Star. You'll be glad you did.
August 21, 2017
What a clever clever book! It started off fairly simply but soon became quite complex, with many off-shoots developing to the main storyline of hapless and desperate wannabee movie/play writers trying to make the big time in Los Angeles. Our main man, Philip, is intelligent but naïve, looking for shortcuts and seeing only the good in a town where many nasty things lurk in shadows.
This is some of the cleverest writing I've ever come across. I'm tempted to locate the previous two books in this semi-series (Blue Heaven and Putting on the Ritz) just to get a little more of this clever writing. Incredibly, it wasn't too clever for its own good, which is something I've encountered in other clever writing. It was just perfect.
I enjoyed this caper, and could easily see this enjoyable romp making it into a movie. It was such fun! Our trio of Philip, Gilbert and Claire end up in all kinds of unbelievable scrapes, but instead of being sigh-inducing, eyebrow-raising annoyances, they're quite charming. The ending is a satisfyingly swooping coup de grace, where Claire saves the day with ploy so devastatingly simple, you wonder why we didn't think of it ourselves.
I'll tell you something else, too: reading this novel sure explained a few things about Frasier, that most enduringingly clever of comedy TV series, especially the characters of Frasier and his brother Niles, who seemingly were straight but always came across as quite camp to me, they could so easily have been gay. Joe Keenan's writing helps explain why those two characters always seemed so effete and a touch unconvincing as lady killers. Still an excellent TV series to this day, over a decade since its last episode aired (and not all comedies can claim that - many become dated within a few years, but not so with Frasier - it still works).
All in all, an excellent read, and an intelligent comedy caper. Great stuff!
This is some of the cleverest writing I've ever come across. I'm tempted to locate the previous two books in this semi-series (Blue Heaven and Putting on the Ritz) just to get a little more of this clever writing. Incredibly, it wasn't too clever for its own good, which is something I've encountered in other clever writing. It was just perfect.
I enjoyed this caper, and could easily see this enjoyable romp making it into a movie. It was such fun! Our trio of Philip, Gilbert and Claire end up in all kinds of unbelievable scrapes, but instead of being sigh-inducing, eyebrow-raising annoyances, they're quite charming. The ending is a satisfyingly swooping coup de grace, where Claire saves the day with ploy so devastatingly simple, you wonder why we didn't think of it ourselves.
I'll tell you something else, too: reading this novel sure explained a few things about Frasier, that most enduringingly clever of comedy TV series, especially the characters of Frasier and his brother Niles, who seemingly were straight but always came across as quite camp to me, they could so easily have been gay. Joe Keenan's writing helps explain why those two characters always seemed so effete and a touch unconvincing as lady killers. Still an excellent TV series to this day, over a decade since its last episode aired (and not all comedies can claim that - many become dated within a few years, but not so with Frasier - it still works).
All in all, an excellent read, and an intelligent comedy caper. Great stuff!
June 10, 2017
Filled with ripostes, jests, quips and catty remarks galore, My Lucky Star is a cutting look at Hollywood fame and fortune and the lengths to which people will go to get it. (When your masseur is actually a rent boy in a high-end brothel and tells you casually that he’s also an actor, where else could you be but in movie-obsessed Cali?). At times, the novel rises to the frothiness of a farce by Ferenc Molnar, complete with near-escapes, disguises, false identities, slammed doors, suspicious spouses and would-be sex partners hidden under the furniture. Then again, there are gay hustlers involved so this might be more akin to a Joe Orton play.
It’s a hilarious exposition of the rise, fall and rise again of two would-be scriptwriters along with their amoral scapegrace of a friend. It’s funny, moving and chock-full of surprises. It’s like a sugary kid’s cereal with a nifty prize at the bottom. Dig through My Lucky Star to get your prize.
It’s a hilarious exposition of the rise, fall and rise again of two would-be scriptwriters along with their amoral scapegrace of a friend. It’s funny, moving and chock-full of surprises. It’s like a sugary kid’s cereal with a nifty prize at the bottom. Dig through My Lucky Star to get your prize.
March 1, 2021
Good fun. Joe Keenan's work is often reviewed as being 'Wodehousian' (which is one of the descriptors that convinced me to give this book a shot). Those are mighty big shoes to fill, and this book doesn't disappoint even though it has to shove in a little tissue paper at the toes for a snug fit.
A twisted plot full of colourful characters, crazy scenes, bumbling errors putting the lead trio in grave danger (mostly moral, occasionally physical), and a delightful denouement.
The book is pretty darned good - a fun, light read - for the first 70% or so. The last 30% seemed to get a little too busy (and more expository) in trying to make all the strands come together for a final hurrah, but I suppose that is the case with most books.
All in all, a good time and worth a casual read. (Note: this is apparently the third book featuring these characters, but one doesn't need to have read the first two to dive right in)
A twisted plot full of colourful characters, crazy scenes, bumbling errors putting the lead trio in grave danger (mostly moral, occasionally physical), and a delightful denouement.
The book is pretty darned good - a fun, light read - for the first 70% or so. The last 30% seemed to get a little too busy (and more expository) in trying to make all the strands come together for a final hurrah, but I suppose that is the case with most books.
All in all, a good time and worth a casual read. (Note: this is apparently the third book featuring these characters, but one doesn't need to have read the first two to dive right in)
August 10, 2021
While it’s not as delightful or tightly plotted as BLUE HEAVEN (which, if you haven’t read, you must), this third installment of the Gilbert-Phillip-Claire-evil Moira saga is nonetheless delightful on its own terms. The cast is in LA, trying to make it in movies, which for them mostly means lying and covering up the lies with worse lies. Claire is more of a wet blanket than savior this time around, everyone gets yelled at to an uncomfortable degree, and the climaxes become a muddle (possibly because the author’s stint on FRASIER delayed this book’s editing for over 10 years!), but the unapologetic gay visibility is beyond refreshing, and you will no question laugh out loud plenty of times.
“Your closeted megastar boyfriend has dumped you? Boo hoo! Is he the *only* closeted megastar in town? Hardly! Get out there! Become a Scientologist! Meet people!” (p. 276)
“Your closeted megastar boyfriend has dumped you? Boo hoo! Is he the *only* closeted megastar in town? Hardly! Get out there! Become a Scientologist! Meet people!” (p. 276)
June 10, 2019
One of three novels by a TV writer who is way too successful in Hollywood to write more novels, damn his eyes. This stuff is just amazing. If PG Wodehouse had been born in the late 1950s, and had been gay and joyously out, and had come of age in Manhattan's gay arts scene, he might have written My Lucky Star and its companion novels, Blue Heaven and Putting on the Ritz. Keenan hangs a feather boa around the great man's voice, fabulously forwards his idealized Roaring Twenties universe fifty or sixty years, and takes complete command. I think the only reason we have these books is because of some Hollywood writer's strike or something. What does it take, Joe? When do we get more?
July 3, 2018
What an amazing series of books! I think I enjoyed this third one the most, because the Hollywood setting was delightful. But the first one was really extraordinary because of the joy of discovery of such a great author and the fun characters.
I liked the wish fulfillment that Philip receives in this book. Though he got something he wanted in the second book as well, the bloom was blasted off that rose when he found out he was being used. In this book, although to some extent he's simply in the right place at the right time, one of his dreams does come true, which was nice to read.
I liked the wish fulfillment that Philip receives in this book. Though he got something he wanted in the second book as well, the bloom was blasted off that rose when he found out he was being used. In this book, although to some extent he's simply in the right place at the right time, one of his dreams does come true, which was nice to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2020
A lot of fun. Gotta give Mr. Keenan a lot of credit for writing an intricate keystone cops plot of overlapping characters in a whacky story of sharp twists and turn-abouts in a seemingly no-escape ride over Niagra Falls.
I only gave 2 stars because I've mostly given "literature" threes. Maybe I should not be such a hard grader. Navigating all these characters was reminiscent of Dickens.
I only gave 2 stars because I've mostly given "literature" threes. Maybe I should not be such a hard grader. Navigating all these characters was reminiscent of Dickens.
December 22, 2017
Much more enjoyable than the second installment. Outrageous and a bit formulaic, (is it a spoiler to say Claire swoops in and saves the day, yet again?) it's a fun romp through L.A. this time around.
The real star is Lily, an aging film star who steals every scene she is in.
The real star is Lily, an aging film star who steals every scene she is in.
June 8, 2020
This is absolutely hilarious. There are jibes at so many "movie people" & the characters are so much fun. I don't know why it's hasn't gotten optioned for a movie, I've already cast most of the parts in my mind!
November 3, 2021
A total hoot, this romp through Hollywood is full of milk out the nose funny moments. My life goal is to be seated at some self serving event next to Mr Keenan. I'm terribly saddened that he has not written another novel.
December 29, 2023
The ridiculousness of this plot and absolute hilarity that ensues cannot be understated. It is full of laugh-out-loud scenes with quotable lines on almost every page. These characters may be morally bankrupt, but they sure are fun. Here’s to another one!
April 21, 2018
A worthy follow-up, reuniting the lovable characters from "Putting on the Ritz" for more comic hilarity.
April 24, 2020
A thoroughly enjoyable raunchy, Wodehousian romp through early 00s Hollywood.
January 1, 2024
Read this again over the holidays, on Kindle this time. What a witty romp! This time I have a new set of real-life actors in my mind as the characters. This would make a great mini-series or film.
April 16, 2024
So funny. Very well written. Joe Keenan has immense talent. Joe - can you please write a book starring Monty and Lily? I think Monty is one of my fave fictional characters of all time.
September 26, 2016
This delightful Hollywood farce is as entertaining as a Marx Brothers movie. And just as funny.
Joe Keenan is a modern P.G. Wodehouse, able to write long, intricate sentences that slither like a snake across the page, finally ending with a perfectly-crafted metaphor, simile, or bon mot. Keenan has had a diverse career. He published two other novels, wrote an award-winning stage musical, and for ten years was a staff writer and producer of the hit TV show Frazier, where he won five Emmy awards, including one for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series.
The plot of My Lucky Star is the very model of a showbiz farce. It features three main characters who appeared in Keenan's previous novels: Philip Cavanaugh, a humble gay everyman, Gilbert Selwyn, Philip's unscrupulous former lover, and Claire Simmons, their brilliant partner who has a knack for extricating them from trouble.
Gilbert summons Philip and Claire from New York to Tinseltown to adapt a novel into a screenplay. How did Gilbert get the job? By impressing an ignorant producer with his Casablanca rip-off. Later, Philip is enlisted to help aging starlet Lily Malenfant write her Hollywood memoirs.
Things get crazy from there. The plot involves a duo of aging film starlets (Lily and her more famous sister Diana), a closeted Oscar-nominated action star (Stephen Donato), the scheming owner of gay brothel (Moira Finch, the villain from Keenan's earlier books), an ambitious L.A. District attorney (Rusty Grimes), and several real life Hollywood celebrities (Harrison Ford, Quentin Tarantino, Drew Barrymore, and more).
The plot moves breathlessly, yet it's seamless. The story grows tense as Philip and Gilbert get deeper and deeper into trouble. Can Keenan plausibly get them out of this jam, you wonder? Never fear, Claire delivers an ingenious solution.
If you enjoyed the novels of P.G. Wodehouse, you'll love My Lucky Star. The writing is so sophisticated and so funny! There's a great gag on practically every page. Sure, it's marketed as a gay novel, but the book should appeal to anyone who enjoys good comedy writing.
Warning: Keenan includes one gay sex scene in the book; skip it if it makes you uncomfortable (although it's a riot).
My one criticism of the book is the sloppy ebook formatting. So many typos. I expected better from Little, Brown and Company.
Joe Keenan is a modern P.G. Wodehouse, able to write long, intricate sentences that slither like a snake across the page, finally ending with a perfectly-crafted metaphor, simile, or bon mot. Keenan has had a diverse career. He published two other novels, wrote an award-winning stage musical, and for ten years was a staff writer and producer of the hit TV show Frazier, where he won five Emmy awards, including one for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series.
The plot of My Lucky Star is the very model of a showbiz farce. It features three main characters who appeared in Keenan's previous novels: Philip Cavanaugh, a humble gay everyman, Gilbert Selwyn, Philip's unscrupulous former lover, and Claire Simmons, their brilliant partner who has a knack for extricating them from trouble.
Gilbert summons Philip and Claire from New York to Tinseltown to adapt a novel into a screenplay. How did Gilbert get the job? By impressing an ignorant producer with his Casablanca rip-off. Later, Philip is enlisted to help aging starlet Lily Malenfant write her Hollywood memoirs.
Things get crazy from there. The plot involves a duo of aging film starlets (Lily and her more famous sister Diana), a closeted Oscar-nominated action star (Stephen Donato), the scheming owner of gay brothel (Moira Finch, the villain from Keenan's earlier books), an ambitious L.A. District attorney (Rusty Grimes), and several real life Hollywood celebrities (Harrison Ford, Quentin Tarantino, Drew Barrymore, and more).
The plot moves breathlessly, yet it's seamless. The story grows tense as Philip and Gilbert get deeper and deeper into trouble. Can Keenan plausibly get them out of this jam, you wonder? Never fear, Claire delivers an ingenious solution.
If you enjoyed the novels of P.G. Wodehouse, you'll love My Lucky Star. The writing is so sophisticated and so funny! There's a great gag on practically every page. Sure, it's marketed as a gay novel, but the book should appeal to anyone who enjoys good comedy writing.
Warning: Keenan includes one gay sex scene in the book; skip it if it makes you uncomfortable (although it's a riot).
My one criticism of the book is the sloppy ebook formatting. So many typos. I expected better from Little, Brown and Company.
November 14, 2011
Funny, Funny Read – ‘My Lucky Star’ by Joe Keenan
You know how the pop culture market it over-saturated with the inner workings of Hollywood? If our citizens where half aware of how things were done in Washington as they were in the entertainment industry, Americas would be the best-informed people of the world. With that said, let me praise ‘My Lucky Star.’
Reading ‘Star’ was like watching a racehorse determined to win. It started out from the gate funny and kept the laughter coming, even during the home stretch where often books of this caliber start tiring - this one had the heart to go for broke. Few books this humorous have intelligent plots that match. After putting this book down I was tempted to pick it up again knowing that my next read would not be able to match it. Sadly, I was right.
Phil Cavanaugh is a writer truly down on his luck. He is working as a Manhattan courier and his only trifling success was a play he wrote with his collaborated, Claire. He reports to the reader that the production of the play was great, but the location (Keenan describes it as looking like a hideaway) didn’t exactly draw the crowds. Suddenly things seem to take a turn in the opposite direction when his ex-lover/current friend calls him from Hollywood to report that he has arranged for Claire, Phil and himself to pen a screenplay together. It would seem like a dream come true if Gilbert (the ex) wasn’t known for his less the stellar way with the truth.
I don’t want to spoil the fun, but let me just say that any book that uses ‘Casablanca’ as a spec script you know is going to be a hoot. Along the way, readers are introduced to blackmail, an acting dynasty, an in the closet megastar, a swanky spa that is more than meets the eye, a criminal investigation, and a liberal use of a narrative technique to inform the less than informed of current celebrity gossip via a gay Amish teen named Amos. This is a lot for a book to accomplish, but ‘Star’ does just that and more.
I think this is the first novel I have read where the narrator is an openly gay man not trying to overcome some sort of larger issue like telling his family he’s gay or dealing with AIDS. Like many equivalent chick lit reads, Phil as the protagonist is looking for the perfect guy, the perfect outfit, and some respect…even if it has to come to him begrudgingly. To be honest, there were times, such as when I was reading a part about reflecting back to a youthful summer camp, that I had to stop and realize that Keenan was referring to Phil’s past, not the aging B-star he was interviewing for a tell all autobiography. Did I mention along the way Phil has to moonlight (actually more morning light) as a ghostwriter?
This book does demand its readers to keep things straight (pardon the pun) but the payoffs are enormous (‘enormous’ sounds a bit randy, doesn’t it?). Sometimes I had the feeling that this is what the creators of ‘Three’s Company’ were looking for in regards to nervous tension and laughing out loud moments, but because that show was so insipid it never came close to matching the hilarity and genius of ‘Star.’ Because of the coarse affects of bad 70’s TV on my persuasive nature, for decades anything labeled slapstick and mistaken identity have been red alerts. I just assumed I would not like a book or movie that dared label itself as such, thus I never gave this genre a fair shake. I now can testify that mistaken identity tale can be worth the read…a la, my next step is watching a community production of Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Importance of Being Ernest.’
I warn you though, if you are homophobic or aren’t interested in knowing more about gay sex, then this book is not be for you. Keenan makes no apologies for being gay and tells his story with the same gusto as numerous sexually active and detail oriented female heroines tell theirs. If you think that a man painted to resemble a certain statue that the academy gives out every spring might be a prelude to something you don’t want the kiddies to see you read, then you might want to check into the latest tome by Nicolas Sparks.
Overall, if you are looking for something that is a chuckle and offers redemption without sacrificing the intelligence or integrity of the plot, then ‘My Lucky Star’ is your lucky book.
You know how the pop culture market it over-saturated with the inner workings of Hollywood? If our citizens where half aware of how things were done in Washington as they were in the entertainment industry, Americas would be the best-informed people of the world. With that said, let me praise ‘My Lucky Star.’
Reading ‘Star’ was like watching a racehorse determined to win. It started out from the gate funny and kept the laughter coming, even during the home stretch where often books of this caliber start tiring - this one had the heart to go for broke. Few books this humorous have intelligent plots that match. After putting this book down I was tempted to pick it up again knowing that my next read would not be able to match it. Sadly, I was right.
Phil Cavanaugh is a writer truly down on his luck. He is working as a Manhattan courier and his only trifling success was a play he wrote with his collaborated, Claire. He reports to the reader that the production of the play was great, but the location (Keenan describes it as looking like a hideaway) didn’t exactly draw the crowds. Suddenly things seem to take a turn in the opposite direction when his ex-lover/current friend calls him from Hollywood to report that he has arranged for Claire, Phil and himself to pen a screenplay together. It would seem like a dream come true if Gilbert (the ex) wasn’t known for his less the stellar way with the truth.
I don’t want to spoil the fun, but let me just say that any book that uses ‘Casablanca’ as a spec script you know is going to be a hoot. Along the way, readers are introduced to blackmail, an acting dynasty, an in the closet megastar, a swanky spa that is more than meets the eye, a criminal investigation, and a liberal use of a narrative technique to inform the less than informed of current celebrity gossip via a gay Amish teen named Amos. This is a lot for a book to accomplish, but ‘Star’ does just that and more.
I think this is the first novel I have read where the narrator is an openly gay man not trying to overcome some sort of larger issue like telling his family he’s gay or dealing with AIDS. Like many equivalent chick lit reads, Phil as the protagonist is looking for the perfect guy, the perfect outfit, and some respect…even if it has to come to him begrudgingly. To be honest, there were times, such as when I was reading a part about reflecting back to a youthful summer camp, that I had to stop and realize that Keenan was referring to Phil’s past, not the aging B-star he was interviewing for a tell all autobiography. Did I mention along the way Phil has to moonlight (actually more morning light) as a ghostwriter?
This book does demand its readers to keep things straight (pardon the pun) but the payoffs are enormous (‘enormous’ sounds a bit randy, doesn’t it?). Sometimes I had the feeling that this is what the creators of ‘Three’s Company’ were looking for in regards to nervous tension and laughing out loud moments, but because that show was so insipid it never came close to matching the hilarity and genius of ‘Star.’ Because of the coarse affects of bad 70’s TV on my persuasive nature, for decades anything labeled slapstick and mistaken identity have been red alerts. I just assumed I would not like a book or movie that dared label itself as such, thus I never gave this genre a fair shake. I now can testify that mistaken identity tale can be worth the read…a la, my next step is watching a community production of Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Importance of Being Ernest.’
I warn you though, if you are homophobic or aren’t interested in knowing more about gay sex, then this book is not be for you. Keenan makes no apologies for being gay and tells his story with the same gusto as numerous sexually active and detail oriented female heroines tell theirs. If you think that a man painted to resemble a certain statue that the academy gives out every spring might be a prelude to something you don’t want the kiddies to see you read, then you might want to check into the latest tome by Nicolas Sparks.
Overall, if you are looking for something that is a chuckle and offers redemption without sacrificing the intelligence or integrity of the plot, then ‘My Lucky Star’ is your lucky book.
September 12, 2008
I really wanted to enjoy book. I really tried hard. I did enjoy the Frasier-like prose. I really thought that the book, a satire on Hollywood would be a lot of fun. And, to the extent that I read the book, it was.
Basic premise.. a couple of writers luck into the chance of a lifetime-- to write a screenplay for a major Hollywood production- only to discover that they are to adapt a sappy, sentimental, and ridiculously corny novel. Bucks are bucks, but their new livelihood is threatened when a relative of the mother and son star begins to write her tell-all memoirs, which will expose once and for all the son's homosexuality-- likely ruining him as one of Hollywood's leading men.
Now, if that was as far as the book went in regards to the homosexual activity-- I probably would have ignored it and some of the strong language.. but the leading character telling the story from his point of view was spending his time LUSTING after the actor and attempting to arrange a sexual conquest. When he wasn't doing that he was dreaming of the actor and masturbating-- all the while spying on the relative and reporting back what was being written, under the guise of ghostwriting.
I guess my "homophobia" got he best of me. I finally became very uncomfortable with the book and set it aside. Others may enjoy it, laugh with it, etc.
To be fair.. Keenan's writing is as tightly wound as the Frasier character (I make this reference because I believe he is involved with the Frasier television show), his wit is razor sharp, and the plot is clever-- as is his ability to satarize Hollywood.
I just found some of the subject matter beyond me.
Basic premise.. a couple of writers luck into the chance of a lifetime-- to write a screenplay for a major Hollywood production- only to discover that they are to adapt a sappy, sentimental, and ridiculously corny novel. Bucks are bucks, but their new livelihood is threatened when a relative of the mother and son star begins to write her tell-all memoirs, which will expose once and for all the son's homosexuality-- likely ruining him as one of Hollywood's leading men.
Now, if that was as far as the book went in regards to the homosexual activity-- I probably would have ignored it and some of the strong language.. but the leading character telling the story from his point of view was spending his time LUSTING after the actor and attempting to arrange a sexual conquest. When he wasn't doing that he was dreaming of the actor and masturbating-- all the while spying on the relative and reporting back what was being written, under the guise of ghostwriting.
I guess my "homophobia" got he best of me. I finally became very uncomfortable with the book and set it aside. Others may enjoy it, laugh with it, etc.
To be fair.. Keenan's writing is as tightly wound as the Frasier character (I make this reference because I believe he is involved with the Frasier television show), his wit is razor sharp, and the plot is clever-- as is his ability to satarize Hollywood.
I just found some of the subject matter beyond me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2012
Decent book, but not my taste. The one star is personal and subjective, not objective and based on what I think others will find. Read on if you want to know the specifics, but feel free to ignore me as well.
I should have known better. While I found aspects of the show Frasier funny, overall I found it predictable in a boring rather than comforting way. This novel reads the same way. In all fairness, I just read Marc Acito's novels How I paid for college... and Attack of the Theater People which were wonderful send ups of groups of friends involved with show business in different ways and was hoping for more. Should have gone with my first instincts.
In other words, it's not Joe Keenan, it's me. I should have realized that if I didn't like Frasier, I probably wouldn't fully appreciate his novel because the style would likely be similar. So, there are some truly funny bits in this novel, but it just isn't my thing. The caricatures are just too easy. But if you liked Frasier, then buy this because it reads like several hours worth of the show. If you are like me and didn't like that show, bypass this book. Oddly enough, I think if I met Joe Keenan I'd probably like him as a person. I get his sense of humor, I get the jokes, I just don't revel in either. He is, however, very witty and clever and I like that a lot. I think it is more a stylistic issue including a heavy level of vituperative comedy that bothers me.
I should have known better. While I found aspects of the show Frasier funny, overall I found it predictable in a boring rather than comforting way. This novel reads the same way. In all fairness, I just read Marc Acito's novels How I paid for college... and Attack of the Theater People which were wonderful send ups of groups of friends involved with show business in different ways and was hoping for more. Should have gone with my first instincts.
In other words, it's not Joe Keenan, it's me. I should have realized that if I didn't like Frasier, I probably wouldn't fully appreciate his novel because the style would likely be similar. So, there are some truly funny bits in this novel, but it just isn't my thing. The caricatures are just too easy. But if you liked Frasier, then buy this because it reads like several hours worth of the show. If you are like me and didn't like that show, bypass this book. Oddly enough, I think if I met Joe Keenan I'd probably like him as a person. I get his sense of humor, I get the jokes, I just don't revel in either. He is, however, very witty and clever and I like that a lot. I think it is more a stylistic issue including a heavy level of vituperative comedy that bothers me.
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