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Me and Orson Welles
Now a major motion picture from acclaimed director Richard Linklater, starring Zac Efron, Claire Danes, and Ben Chaplin.
An irresistible romantic farce that reads like a Who's Who of the classic American theater, Me and Orson Welles is set during the launch of the then twenty-two-year-old Orson Welles' debut production of Julius Caesar at the Mercury Theatre on Broadway. Beautifully translated to screen by Richard Linklater, the film stars Zac Efron as Richard Samuels, a stage-struck seventeen-year-old from New Jersey who wanders onto the set and accidentally gets cast in the show, forever changing his life as he becomes caught in a vortex of celebrity, ego, art, and love.
An irresistible romantic farce that reads like a Who's Who of the classic American theater, Me and Orson Welles is set during the launch of the then twenty-two-year-old Orson Welles' debut production of Julius Caesar at the Mercury Theatre on Broadway. Beautifully translated to screen by Richard Linklater, the film stars Zac Efron as Richard Samuels, a stage-struck seventeen-year-old from New Jersey who wanders onto the set and accidentally gets cast in the show, forever changing his life as he becomes caught in a vortex of celebrity, ego, art, and love.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
June 30, 2021
I heard this book was being adapted into a movie so i thought i'd read the book first. I really loved it actually. I think the film was good too but i found the book more enjoyable for the text itself
April 11, 2022
The antithesis of the #MeToo movement--this was published 19 years ago. AND its for YA. It's got two strikes against it, yet it wasn't unpleasant. Although the privilege of White America (even in the '30s no less) is annoying (kid cuts school because he's on Broadway, he turns the fire drill on because he's angsty... he becomes a writer, not an actor, whatver!)
November 23, 2009
When I saw the trailer for the upcoming film Me and Orson Welles, I knew I had to read the book on which the movie is based. The story looked tailor-made to cater to my tastes – the clothes, the music, the theater of the time period, I love it all. With the book, Robert Kaplow has crafted a witty and insightful coming-of-age story that doubles as one of the best love letters to a bygone age that you could wish for. (Just a heads up, there is some off-color language in this book – I would’ve preferred a less, but if you can get past that the story is that the story is terrific!) In the late 1930s, America was in a depression with no thought of the war to come, and master songsmiths like Irving Berlin and Cole Porter were making their contributions to what would become known as the Great American Songbook. It was a “golden age,” when American films featured stars like Gary Cooper and Cary Grant, and the theater was peopled by the likes of the Barrymores and young Orson Welles.
Into this glittering theatrical world, seventeen-year-old Richard Samuels literally stumbles upon his first acting job – a bit part in Welles’s fledgling Mercury Theatre production of Julius Caesar. Full of big dreams and hopelessly idealistic, Richard has no idea what he’s gotten into when he joins the production and finds himself in Orson Welles’s starry orbit. Welles is a star on the rise and he knows it. The man is a pompous jerk but the allure of his genius is irresistibly strong and undeniable. In one short week, Richard probably learns more about life, love, and his own purpose and self-worth than many people do in an entire lifetime.
Richard’s voice just shines and makes this novel a joy to read. He’s worldly-wise yet naïve, sarcastic yet sweet – in other words, a typical teenager made up of all the confusion and contradictions that accompany that time of one’s life. Kaplow also excels at building his setting – he absolutely nails NYC. The city itself is as much of a character as Richard or Welles, and reading the descriptive passages in the novel made the sights, sounds, and smells of the city come alive. This book is also one of the best mash-ups of fiction and historical fact that I’ve ever come across. I’m a huge classic film fan, so reading about Orson Welles’s theatrical beginnings, or learning that actor Joseph Cotten was a member of the Mercury Theatre troupe, were absolutely fascinating. While I could never claim to be a Wellesian scholar, based on my perception of Orson Welles’s character from his films that I’ve seen, Kaplow has done an excellent job of capturing the essence of the man. Every time Welles spoke on the page, it was his unmistakable voice that I heard in my head while reading.
If you’ve seen the television show Slings & Arrows, Me and Orson Welles comes as close as you could wish to capturing the humor, angst, and life found in the theater. Me and Orson Welles is a breezy, insightful, laugh-out-loud funny love letter to a golden age in American entertainment.
Into this glittering theatrical world, seventeen-year-old Richard Samuels literally stumbles upon his first acting job – a bit part in Welles’s fledgling Mercury Theatre production of Julius Caesar. Full of big dreams and hopelessly idealistic, Richard has no idea what he’s gotten into when he joins the production and finds himself in Orson Welles’s starry orbit. Welles is a star on the rise and he knows it. The man is a pompous jerk but the allure of his genius is irresistibly strong and undeniable. In one short week, Richard probably learns more about life, love, and his own purpose and self-worth than many people do in an entire lifetime.
Richard’s voice just shines and makes this novel a joy to read. He’s worldly-wise yet naïve, sarcastic yet sweet – in other words, a typical teenager made up of all the confusion and contradictions that accompany that time of one’s life. Kaplow also excels at building his setting – he absolutely nails NYC. The city itself is as much of a character as Richard or Welles, and reading the descriptive passages in the novel made the sights, sounds, and smells of the city come alive. This book is also one of the best mash-ups of fiction and historical fact that I’ve ever come across. I’m a huge classic film fan, so reading about Orson Welles’s theatrical beginnings, or learning that actor Joseph Cotten was a member of the Mercury Theatre troupe, were absolutely fascinating. While I could never claim to be a Wellesian scholar, based on my perception of Orson Welles’s character from his films that I’ve seen, Kaplow has done an excellent job of capturing the essence of the man. Every time Welles spoke on the page, it was his unmistakable voice that I heard in my head while reading.
If you’ve seen the television show Slings & Arrows, Me and Orson Welles comes as close as you could wish to capturing the humor, angst, and life found in the theater. Me and Orson Welles is a breezy, insightful, laugh-out-loud funny love letter to a golden age in American entertainment.
January 13, 2009
I stumbled across this book because of my recently developed obsession with Orson Welles and, after reading some good reviews from other Welles aficionados, tracked it down at the library. The protagonist, Richard Samuels, is a slightly irritating, slightly precocious teenager who thinks he's cleverer than he is. He's less suave than he'd like to be, prone to hero-worship, as oversexed as any teenager, and too susceptible to romance. It makes for some cringeworthy reading at times, but will ring true to any survivors of adolescence. It's easy to see how he would fall under the magnetic influence of the young genius, Orson Welles.
The Boy Wonder himself appears in all his unbearable glory. His star is rising rapidly on Broadway and radio and while he doesn't become a household name until late the following year, his ego is already too large for his little Mercury Theatre to contain. He worked his actors fiendishly hard--though never harder than he himself was willing to work--and by many accounts he could sometimes be astonishingly difficult, or downright mean. Certainly, though, he inspired loyalty, and coaxed unmatched performances out of his cast. Richard's view of Welles may be overly harsh, but not by all that much. Kaplow has fun with his dialogue, sprinkling it liberally with italics and occasionally swiping lines directly from famous (infamous?) Wellesian quotes. ("What, in the depths of your ignorance, do you want me to do?" comes verbatim from the hilarious Frozen Peas recording.) It's easy to hear Welles' voice intoning (Never merely speaking!) his lines.
Kaplow clearly did his homework for this one. It's a quick read. A little short on plot, perhaps--many coming-of-age novels are--but it's a well-researched piece of period fiction. And it makes me wish desperately that someone had recorded that landmark production of Caesar.
The Boy Wonder himself appears in all his unbearable glory. His star is rising rapidly on Broadway and radio and while he doesn't become a household name until late the following year, his ego is already too large for his little Mercury Theatre to contain. He worked his actors fiendishly hard--though never harder than he himself was willing to work--and by many accounts he could sometimes be astonishingly difficult, or downright mean. Certainly, though, he inspired loyalty, and coaxed unmatched performances out of his cast. Richard's view of Welles may be overly harsh, but not by all that much. Kaplow has fun with his dialogue, sprinkling it liberally with italics and occasionally swiping lines directly from famous (infamous?) Wellesian quotes. ("What, in the depths of your ignorance, do you want me to do?" comes verbatim from the hilarious Frozen Peas recording.) It's easy to hear Welles' voice intoning (Never merely speaking!) his lines.
Kaplow clearly did his homework for this one. It's a quick read. A little short on plot, perhaps--many coming-of-age novels are--but it's a well-researched piece of period fiction. And it makes me wish desperately that someone had recorded that landmark production of Caesar.
January 28, 2010
The movie is very true to book, so it will seem a bit repetitive to those who saw the film first. However, the additional details in the book, particularly those at the end, explain what Richard learned from his experience and make the book a meaningful read, not just an exciting one for theater lovers.
May 8, 2020
i really really liked this story - well written, with a series of interesting characters, plus of course welles "bigger than life" - i liked the way the author presents joseph cotten, i always liked that actor and he is quite likeable in this story -
i strongly recommend this book
i strongly recommend this book
February 1, 2014
'Me and Orson Welles' is one of those books that starts off a bit strange but by the end I was really enjoying it.
My main issue was the thrown-in quotes from various plays that seemed to create a dis-jointedness when reading. I would start to wonder what the point was, but by the end, I realised that this is a book about theatre, the people in it and the stress related to putting on a show. It is a book about egos and trying to fit in in a place where everyone is trying to be someone. It also gives you a backstage glimpse of what can go on behind the curtain.
'Me and Orson Welles' frustrated and delighted me. I'd be interested to see the movie to get a glimpse of what the final performance was like.
My main issue was the thrown-in quotes from various plays that seemed to create a dis-jointedness when reading. I would start to wonder what the point was, but by the end, I realised that this is a book about theatre, the people in it and the stress related to putting on a show. It is a book about egos and trying to fit in in a place where everyone is trying to be someone. It also gives you a backstage glimpse of what can go on behind the curtain.
'Me and Orson Welles' frustrated and delighted me. I'd be interested to see the movie to get a glimpse of what the final performance was like.
December 2, 2009
A delightful read about a seventeen-year-old's whirlwind week of working under the dictatorial direction of Orson Welles as the Mercury Theater rehearses "Julius Caesar." As the cliche goes, he learns more about himself, life and love in that week than he ever learned in school. It perfectly captures a young boy's yearning to find himself, to fall in love, and to be someone. I look forward to seeing the film!
February 7, 2022
I ended up liking this more than I thought I would. You get a glimpse at the creative genius of Orson Welles, but I enjoyed Richard’s journey the most. I’m really looking forward to seeing the film adaptation.
November 12, 2008
Very good look at Welles from the fictional coming of age genre. A kid joins up with Welles' troop for his production of "Julius Caesar" in the thirties. Welles is alternately genius/mentor/spoiled brat to kid. I can't imagine Richard Linklater will do a bad job with the movie adaptation, but I also can't imagine Zac Ephron as Depression-era Jewish kid. Oh well.
July 31, 2011
I thought it would be better. It kind of seems like the kind of story one would write in a creative writing class in high school but some 200 pages longer.
Read
May 5, 2020Richard Samuels is in love with the New York City theater scene. He reads the theater columns in the local newspapers, wanders Broadway and follows which actors and actresses have hitched on rising stars. He memorizes songs and is constantly prepared for the audition of a lifetime.
Well, Richard's chance comes one Saturday. It's 1937, and he happens to walk by the new Mercury Theater just as the sign for its first production is being hung. Someone is trying unsuccessfully to play a drum droll, and in a moment of bravery, Richard (who is the drummer in his high school marching band) offers to fill in. And what is the name of the play? Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Directed by the 22-year-old newcomer Orson Welles. In his manic way, Welles takes note of Richard and asks him …
Read p. 30 "Can you sing? … You're hired, Welles said."
Then read p. 1 "This is the story of one week of my life … good luck."
Well, Richard's chance comes one Saturday. It's 1937, and he happens to walk by the new Mercury Theater just as the sign for its first production is being hung. Someone is trying unsuccessfully to play a drum droll, and in a moment of bravery, Richard (who is the drummer in his high school marching band) offers to fill in. And what is the name of the play? Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Directed by the 22-year-old newcomer Orson Welles. In his manic way, Welles takes note of Richard and asks him …
Read p. 30 "Can you sing? … You're hired, Welles said."
Then read p. 1 "This is the story of one week of my life … good luck."
April 17, 2021
This was a fun little read, especially after a string of not-so-great reads in recent weeks. Richard is like all teenagers, a bit gawky, a bit insecure, a bit full of himself when things go his way. By way of a bit of a hero-worship meet-cute, he meets Orson Welles and gets a small role in Welles' play. To paraphrase the book blurb, over the course of four days, Richard falls in love, gets dumped, gets hired and fired, meets another girl who is more his speed, plays hooky from school, angsts over dating a fellow classmate, and stands up for the underdog. Some of the antics he gets into over those days are amusing (like how he sets the yard on fire while burning leaves for his mother, or how he sets the sprinkler system off in the Mercury theater), and some of his inner thoughts are also amusing. Admittedly, there's not much to the plot, but Kaplow does a good job of pitting Richard against Orson Welles in all his troubled glory.
December 27, 2022
This fun and easy to read historical fiction novel would be fun for any film fan! I read the book several years after initially seeing the movie and was able to throughly enjoy both. The story showcases how much one week in your life can change your world forever! The novel also show that growing up is a part of life even in the world of theater! Any fan of Orson Welles films should check this out for a better understanding of the man he was behind the scenes, even if it’s not all entirely true!
October 14, 2019
Picked up this book because I have always liked Orson Welles as an actor. It is the story of Richard who wants to become an actor. When he encounters Welles, he is star struck. After much hero-worship, Richard finds out that stars fall and actors are human, too. A very good coming-of-age book set in 1930's NY.
If you enjoy coming-of-age books, books set in early NY, Orson Welles, or Broadway...this book is for you!
If you enjoy coming-of-age books, books set in early NY, Orson Welles, or Broadway...this book is for you!
September 21, 2020
Honestly? I am so damned tired of these books and biographies that describe hideous assholes who are selfish pricks and demeaning little shits but ?but?but? ALL IS Forgiven because these assholes are geniuses.
That-is complete bullshit. Because who decides that they're geniuses? The sycophantic little creeps who wrote the book in the first place.Lousy book.Too bad the guy can write -but this is crap.
Orson Welles was an asshole. Period.End of story.JM
That-is complete bullshit. Because who decides that they're geniuses? The sycophantic little creeps who wrote the book in the first place.Lousy book.Too bad the guy can write -but this is crap.
Orson Welles was an asshole. Period.End of story.JM
November 24, 2021
As a Welles aficionado I can say this is very good work from Kaplow. So vivid is the 22 year old boy wonder across these pages you can almost hear his baritone in the dialogue. Loved the Linklater film, I've seen it twice, admired Christian McKay's performance, I think it's the best performance of Welles ever put to screen. It was also wonderfully adapted. Great that he cut out the fat, like Richard's high school anxieties, thanks Richard... Linklater.
July 10, 2018
3.5 stars.
It's light and breezy. The narrative revolves heavily around the "young man learns about life thanks to hero worship and sex" tropes, but the story occasionally surprised me in spots. There are some really nice moments. But I also thought it was pretty forgettable overall. That said, I definitely enjoyed it.
It's light and breezy. The narrative revolves heavily around the "young man learns about life thanks to hero worship and sex" tropes, but the story occasionally surprised me in spots. There are some really nice moments. But I also thought it was pretty forgettable overall. That said, I definitely enjoyed it.
May 4, 2022
I felt that the book worked too hard to depict the era it's set in. At the end I started to think it was perhaps attempting irony with its excessive demonstrations. I'm not sure how seriously it was taking itself. I quite liked following the characters through the tale, but never felt very attached to them or their arcs.
September 12, 2018
Loved the voice of the protagonist and the story. It's a very funny read as well, with Orson Welles's behavior and ego supplying much of the humor. I can see why the book was adapted into a movie because it's very visual and has a great character arc.
January 19, 2019
An easy read. The author made me abhor Orson Welles. I understood his genius, but nothing could forgive his disgusting behaviour. The book also inspired me to research Orson Welles, his wives and his children. I was also shocked at the risque behaviour considering the time frame.
October 2, 2022
A so-so story serving as a convenient excuse for Robert Kaplow to list every 1930s proper noun he knows. The protagonist is annoying, and there's way too much bite-sized dialogue that's supposed to be quippy and smart but instead comes across as scripted and unnatural.
December 22, 2024
enjoyed the narrator even though he felt v typical teen boy — mostly made me curious about orson welles and his movies — did the author have a personal vendetta against him? was he really like this? also I confused h.g. wells with him so that did not help
June 7, 2018
Bravo!
Beautifully written and captures so well the passion and angst of a young man. You won’t be disappointed! Order now, and then watch the movie!
Beautifully written and captures so well the passion and angst of a young man. You won’t be disappointed! Order now, and then watch the movie!
November 16, 2018
A delightful book and a quick read. I needed something to read and picked this up in a used books store. Good choice Candace! I loved it.
September 9, 2019
Most definitely not my cup of tea. Found myself skim reading. Felt like a screen play as I could imagine it on tv. Felt scripted and not real
Read
April 15, 2020A cute period piece about a young man who falls in--briefly--with Orson Welles' newly forming Mercury Theater in 1937. Seemed a bit slapstick at first, but settled into a good story.
February 1, 2025
Thank god they cast Zac Efron in this movie.
August 25, 2025
Fun prose and story of a young man from NJ in the late 1930s.
August 12, 2014
Most of the Young Adult fiction I've read in the past decade or so has either been fantasy based (Harry Potter, Percy Jackson) or dystopian (Hunger Games). It was a nice change-of-pace to read a YA (or what I guess is now called "New Adult") set in the "real world," even if it is the real world of almost 80 years ago. The book is a fast, easy read, taking place over the course of one solid week and told strictly from the point of view of narrator Richard Samuels. Samuels is an endearing character: bright, insecure-yet-bold, recognizable. As so many of us experienced in our teens, Richard finds it easier to take chances and be bold when he's around people who don't really know him, and is far more insecure when he encounters similar situations in which his friends are involved. And of course, he doesn't treat his parents with half the thought and care he should. His week with the Mercury Theater teaches him the reality of who he is versus who he thinks he wants to be (and how not-so-different those persons are) and lessons about how to deal with people when you're not a singular personality like Orson Welles.
There were dozens of laugh-out-loud moments mixed in with the drama. Kaplow strikes a nice balance between the two extremes and never veers too far in one direction or another. And he captures so well the sense of what it must have been like to see that opening night performance of Welles' Julius Caesar.
I have no idea how well this book translated to film (starring Zac Efron as Richard, with Claire Danes and Christian McKay), but the book is a solid, enjoyable read that I think anyone who has been an teen actor (or any parent who has a teen actor child) would enjoy.
There were dozens of laugh-out-loud moments mixed in with the drama. Kaplow strikes a nice balance between the two extremes and never veers too far in one direction or another. And he captures so well the sense of what it must have been like to see that opening night performance of Welles' Julius Caesar.
I have no idea how well this book translated to film (starring Zac Efron as Richard, with Claire Danes and Christian McKay), but the book is a solid, enjoyable read that I think anyone who has been an teen actor (or any parent who has a teen actor child) would enjoy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews