Secret Celebrity

by Carol Wolper

Seeking to break out of a personal rut, filmmaker Christine Chase investigates her fiercely private subject's world and learns disturbing truths about the lengths some people will go to for fame.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit

295 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2002

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some years ago I left the yacht I was sailing on to go up the Amazon. I took very little with me, only what I could put into my backpack, and that included the first three books of The Forsyte Saga published as one enormous paperback volume of crispy, tissue-thin paper. I'd read a few pages, and lacking toilet paper, rip them out and use them. It was a satisfactory arrangement as it lightened the backpack and gave me ease from the angst of being very far from civilization-as-we-know-it. I wish I'd had this book instead, the paper was much softer and more absorbent.

(After about a week I paid attention to what the Indians used - a certain large and woolly leaf that was very soft and when crushed released a sort of soothing, scented sap. It was a lot better than processed wood pulp. I asked what this plant was called, expecting some exotic ethnic sort of name, but no, they called it in their language, Xingu, the bum-wiping leaf.)

I recommend this book to the sort of cliquey and highly pretentious individuals who take great pleasure in their own superiority and sneeringly do their best to intimidate those they do not consider their social equals.. They would so identify with the 'LA Syndrome' and would feel even more special knowing that the very elite of those described in the book weren't at all dissimilar from their elevated selves. Dreadful book, it would have been redeemed by being recycled as bog tissue.

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the writer of The Cigarette Girl, Carol Wolper tells of struggling filmmaker Christine Chase- sexy, yet hard-boiled, in her mid 30s and stuck in a rut after her divorce. This is the story of Chase's love-hate relationship with the cult of celebrity. A light romantic read with some cutting touches, but ultimately just another L.A. story? You decide... seriously you can decide :) 5 out of 12, just for not giving us the go-to ending many would have expected. :)

2004 read

[Eleanore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, fluffy, light, Hollywood-esque "beach read." The Book Soup mention made me smile, as did recognizing as much of the city as I did through Carol's descriptions of it.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

While too light to be truly awful, this book fails in it's main aim - the lay bare the best and worst of LA. The main character, who thinks she's the best, randomly exhibits some of the stereotypical worst behavior and doesn't call herself on it. To see flaws everyone but with yourself, maybe that is truly the spirit of LA. Crass and plain, I didn't hate this book, just everyone in it.

[Batty · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great quick read. Felt like my life considering she ended up alone but still fulfilled in a small way. She had some fun times and in the end forgave those that screwed her over and stayed friends with the flings. I like the way Carol Wolper doesn't feel the need to end it on a happy predictable note, remind me of Jaqueline Susanne.

[Emily King · Rating 2 out of 5]

not really great literature, but a quick read with a little glimps into L.A. lifestyle

[April Queen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a terrible book. Unless you like overuse of the 'f' word and the 'p' word, don't waste your time.

[Beautiful_Jade · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a strange book.

It took about half the book to get into the characters, then nothing really happened worth caring about.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable fluff about Hollywood wannabes.