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Charade
It takes a beautiful widow, a charming killer, and a missing fortune to turn Paris upside down...
190 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 1961
2 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Peter Stone
11 books5 followersAmerican writer for theater, television and movies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Stone
Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Stone
Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 6, 2019
Sadly, Stanley Donen died yesterday. He was a humble man and a brilliant film director. Back in 1963, he directed one of my favorite movies: CHARADE.
Oh, my God! Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, Walter Matthau, George Kennedy, James Coburn, Ned Glass, Jacques Marin…and the memorable music score by Henry Mancini (lyrics by the great Johnny Mercer)…the beautiful cinematography by Charles Lang…and, last but not least, the amazing screenplay by the late great Peter Stone based on a short story, “The Unsuspecting Wife”, by Stone and his friend Marc Behm (the author of another great mystery book, “The Eye of the Beholder” – 1980)
Peter Stone turned his short story into a novel (with the help of Marc Behm) and here it is.
Great fun. Don’t miss it.
And finally (especially to my good friend C.R.) please follow the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMC8k...
This is genuinely one of my favorite Oscars moments ever. R.I.P. Mr Stanley Donen.
Oh, my God! Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, Walter Matthau, George Kennedy, James Coburn, Ned Glass, Jacques Marin…and the memorable music score by Henry Mancini (lyrics by the great Johnny Mercer)…the beautiful cinematography by Charles Lang…and, last but not least, the amazing screenplay by the late great Peter Stone based on a short story, “The Unsuspecting Wife”, by Stone and his friend Marc Behm (the author of another great mystery book, “The Eye of the Beholder” – 1980)
Peter Stone turned his short story into a novel (with the help of Marc Behm) and here it is.
Great fun. Don’t miss it.
And finally (especially to my good friend C.R.) please follow the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMC8k...
This is genuinely one of my favorite Oscars moments ever. R.I.P. Mr Stanley Donen.
August 8, 2017
Charade might be my favorite Audrey Hepburn movie (I know that's not a popular opinion); reading this novel after having seen the movie makes it impossible to imagine anyone other than Hepburn and Cary Grant in the leading roles. When such powerful actors take on a part, they simply become those people. So, for better or worse, throughout my read, Reggie and Dyle are Hepburn and Grant, respectively. I say 'for better'. Though I can't imagine the book any other way, I'm glad I don't have to. It's an easy breezy read that is only enhanced by the screen images I've already seen. My recommendation is to skip the next bestselling caper by Patterson or whoever and pick up an old classic like Charade.
April 21, 2012
Loved it. First saw the movie starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant, then learned that it was a script that no studios would make, so they published it as a serial in a magazine. Bought it at a used bookstore for $1.99 last summer.
January 15, 2013
4.5 stars Love this book almost as much as the movie. This started as a screenplay no studio wanted. Stone turned it into a novel, the studio came knocking, and he was asked to write another script specifically for Grant/Hepburn. There is a bit more backstory in the book, plus a fabulous poolside scene that's missing from the movie's chilly autumn setting. The one thing that bugged me was the way the conclusion unfolded, and that was mostly because I knew Stone would later figure out a much better sequence of events for the film.
January 25, 2020
It exists out there so I have to talk about it.
The movie is great.
There are very few differences between the movie and the book.
I am amazed that so few people are aware of this book. Apparently the movie was so good that they didn't feel the need to look up the book. The book on its own is actually quite good.
This book and the book And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie have absolutely the best twist endings of any book that I have ever read in my life.
The movie is great.
There are very few differences between the movie and the book.
I am amazed that so few people are aware of this book. Apparently the movie was so good that they didn't feel the need to look up the book. The book on its own is actually quite good.
This book and the book And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie have absolutely the best twist endings of any book that I have ever read in my life.
April 30, 2021
Gdyby nie film z Audrey Hepburn nigdy nie trafiłabym na tą książkę, a szkoda. Świetna historia, pełna zwrotów akcji. Nie mam pojęcia czemu tak długo czekałam z jej kontynuacją.
July 15, 2018
Movie and book both great fun.
Want to read
September 18, 2018Synopsis: a beautiful widow and a killer turn Paris upside down. The movie starred Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant!
September 7, 2025
Charade written and then adapted for the big screen by Peter Stone
With Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau and Cary Grant
A different version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... and http://realini.blogspot.ro/
This film is included by scholars as one of the best films ever made:
- http://entertainment.time.com/2005/02...
The cast is fabulous, with Walter Matthau, one of my favorite actors in an unusual role, the only one that I know of its kind.
On second thought, the lines are interesting, the humor is dry, simple and outré, but without the proper acting it could hit a wall.
Audrey Hepburn reminds me of her role in Breakfast of Tiffany’s and perhaps Roman Holliday, with her royal presence.
- Reggie Lampert: You're blocking my view.
- Peter Joshua: Ohh... which view would you prefer?
- Reggie Lampert: The one you're blocking.
Reggie Lampert is Audrey Hepburn or the other way around and this is one of the first dialogues she has with the personage played by Cary Grant.
She is both sophisticated and naïve, aristocratic but also rather credulous, or is it just in love with a man who keeps changing names.
Three people are chasing after a quarter of a million dollars, if we do not include Bartholomew and Peter Joshua.
They have been in the same team with Charles Dyle, who has recently died, or so we think and taken a loot from the Nazis.
Dyle has run away with the treasure and the former team mates are now focusing on the widow- Reggie Lampert.
But she does not know anything, the few belongings that she received contain nothing of value and she tells the villains.
Only they would not take her answers to be real and try to press her and even blackmail the young woman.
Reggie relies on Peter Joshua, then on alexander Dyle and eventually Adam Canfield to protect her from dangerous adversaries only…
- Reggie Lampert: So it's goodbye Alexander Dyle and welcome home Peter Joshua.
- Adam Canfield: [shakes his head] Sorry the name is Adam Canfield.
- Reggie Lampert: Adam Canfield? Wonderful! Do you realize you've had three names in the past two days? I don't even know who I'm talking to anymore!
And to complicate matters even more, Reggie has established contact with a diplomat at the American Embassy.
Mr. Bartholomew is played excellently by Walter Matthau, who is not in a comedy here, even if jocularity is frequently used.
And the American official is warning Reggie on the identity of Peter/Alexander/Adam who is a known criminal.
Actually, this is what he claims, whenever he changes name and explains that he cannot be interested more in Reggie than the quarter million…
- Or can he?
Throughout the film, I was somewhat annoyed by the naiveté of the heroine, who loves a man that keeps changing names, lies, justifications.
But then…
- ‘The course of true love never did run smooth’
There are complications, murders, Reggie Lampert is chased and does not know who to trust anymore.
Indeed, the audience must feel compassion for a woman who is surrounded by enemies and she has no idea about the whereabouts of the money.
Furthermore, the man she loves is not interested in her- for a good while I thought he might be gay- and even seems to be after the same thing.
It must be terrifying to fear for one’s life, especially when there are harden criminals who want your money or your life…
In most cases both, because they want no witnesses.
With Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau and Cary Grant
A different version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... and http://realini.blogspot.ro/
This film is included by scholars as one of the best films ever made:
- http://entertainment.time.com/2005/02...
The cast is fabulous, with Walter Matthau, one of my favorite actors in an unusual role, the only one that I know of its kind.
On second thought, the lines are interesting, the humor is dry, simple and outré, but without the proper acting it could hit a wall.
Audrey Hepburn reminds me of her role in Breakfast of Tiffany’s and perhaps Roman Holliday, with her royal presence.
- Reggie Lampert: You're blocking my view.
- Peter Joshua: Ohh... which view would you prefer?
- Reggie Lampert: The one you're blocking.
Reggie Lampert is Audrey Hepburn or the other way around and this is one of the first dialogues she has with the personage played by Cary Grant.
She is both sophisticated and naïve, aristocratic but also rather credulous, or is it just in love with a man who keeps changing names.
Three people are chasing after a quarter of a million dollars, if we do not include Bartholomew and Peter Joshua.
They have been in the same team with Charles Dyle, who has recently died, or so we think and taken a loot from the Nazis.
Dyle has run away with the treasure and the former team mates are now focusing on the widow- Reggie Lampert.
But she does not know anything, the few belongings that she received contain nothing of value and she tells the villains.
Only they would not take her answers to be real and try to press her and even blackmail the young woman.
Reggie relies on Peter Joshua, then on alexander Dyle and eventually Adam Canfield to protect her from dangerous adversaries only…
- Reggie Lampert: So it's goodbye Alexander Dyle and welcome home Peter Joshua.
- Adam Canfield: [shakes his head] Sorry the name is Adam Canfield.
- Reggie Lampert: Adam Canfield? Wonderful! Do you realize you've had three names in the past two days? I don't even know who I'm talking to anymore!
And to complicate matters even more, Reggie has established contact with a diplomat at the American Embassy.
Mr. Bartholomew is played excellently by Walter Matthau, who is not in a comedy here, even if jocularity is frequently used.
And the American official is warning Reggie on the identity of Peter/Alexander/Adam who is a known criminal.
Actually, this is what he claims, whenever he changes name and explains that he cannot be interested more in Reggie than the quarter million…
- Or can he?
Throughout the film, I was somewhat annoyed by the naiveté of the heroine, who loves a man that keeps changing names, lies, justifications.
But then…
- ‘The course of true love never did run smooth’
There are complications, murders, Reggie Lampert is chased and does not know who to trust anymore.
Indeed, the audience must feel compassion for a woman who is surrounded by enemies and she has no idea about the whereabouts of the money.
Furthermore, the man she loves is not interested in her- for a good while I thought he might be gay- and even seems to be after the same thing.
It must be terrifying to fear for one’s life, especially when there are harden criminals who want your money or your life…
In most cases both, because they want no witnesses.
October 30, 2021
What a fun book! Watched the movie years ago, and then found this book in a used bookstore for 50 cents. A good book to read when you don't have the patience/ will to read anything too complicated - was in the middle of reading Dune and took a break from that to read this.
There is a little bit of women objectification - the book opens up telling us that the main characters has put on some weight, but in "the parts that are most admired". But it never becomes too overwhelming and I took these bits as cheesy.
Looking forward to watching the movie again.
There is a little bit of women objectification - the book opens up telling us that the main characters has put on some weight, but in "the parts that are most admired". But it never becomes too overwhelming and I took these bits as cheesy.
Looking forward to watching the movie again.
February 18, 2024
Absolutely wonderful who dun-it! Total cat and mouse premise. Didn’t know about this one until I saw a it on a list a few days ago. Quick read, devoured it. Hopefully I can find the movie on Netflix or Prime or some other streaming service.
August 10, 2021
Every bit as delightful as the movie! Not only a wonderful whodunit but a splendid tour of 1960s Paris.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews