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Arts & Entertainments
Christopher Beha delivers a cutting send-up of our cultural obsession with celebrity—a deliciously witty, and ultimately tender, novel about the absurdity of fame and the complexity of love sure to appeal to fans of Maria Semple and Jess Walter.
A sharp-edged satire with heart, Arts & Entertainments is the story of Handsome Eddie Hartley who, at thirty-three, has forgone dreams of an acting career for the reality of life as a drama teacher at a boys’ prep school. But when Eddie and his wife, Susan, discover they cannot have children, it is one disappointment too many.
Weighted down with debt, his wife’s mounting unhappiness, and his own deepening sense of failure, Eddie is confronted with an alluring solution when an old friend-turned-web-impresario suggests Eddie sell a sex tape he made with an ex-girlfriend, now a wildly popular television star. Overcoming his initial moral qualms, Eddie figures that in an era when any publicity is good publicity, the tape won’t cause any harm—a decision that will have disastrous consequences and propel him straight into the glaring spotlight he once thought he craved.
A hilariously biting and incisive take-down of our culture’s monstrous obsession with fame, Arts & Entertainments is also a poignant and humane portrait of a young man’s belated coming-of-age, the complications of love, and the surprising ways in which the most meaningful lives often turn out to be the ones we least expected to lead.
A sharp-edged satire with heart, Arts & Entertainments is the story of Handsome Eddie Hartley who, at thirty-three, has forgone dreams of an acting career for the reality of life as a drama teacher at a boys’ prep school. But when Eddie and his wife, Susan, discover they cannot have children, it is one disappointment too many.
Weighted down with debt, his wife’s mounting unhappiness, and his own deepening sense of failure, Eddie is confronted with an alluring solution when an old friend-turned-web-impresario suggests Eddie sell a sex tape he made with an ex-girlfriend, now a wildly popular television star. Overcoming his initial moral qualms, Eddie figures that in an era when any publicity is good publicity, the tape won’t cause any harm—a decision that will have disastrous consequences and propel him straight into the glaring spotlight he once thought he craved.
A hilariously biting and incisive take-down of our culture’s monstrous obsession with fame, Arts & Entertainments is also a poignant and humane portrait of a young man’s belated coming-of-age, the complications of love, and the surprising ways in which the most meaningful lives often turn out to be the ones we least expected to lead.
269 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
May 10, 2019
There's a lot going on in this novel and, on almost all levels, it works great. Plenty of great social commentary on our celebrity-driven world and an interesting insight into 'reality' television. Eddie, our leading man, is a struggling actor who since realizes that he does not have the talent to make a career of acting. Money is tight and when he finds out his wife is having triplets he decides it's time to sell the sex tape he made years ago with a now-famous actress.
Hilarity and mischief ensues as Eddie is suddenly thrust into spotlight, sometimes for good reasons and mostly for bad. The attention makes his wife leave him and to win her back Eddie must survive a gauntlet of cameras and faux reality show story arcs to 'write' himself back into her life.
Whether or not you follow reality television, you'll no doubt understand all the jokes that fill this book. But the novel succeeds on a higher level than simply to poke fun at popular television. Eddie is a well-developed character who provides great irony as the failed actor who is now intimidated by fame. We relish in his cluelessness and root for him just like we're supposed to.
OVERALL: A breezy, short book that is as juicy as a gossip magazine while simultaneously making fun of juicy gossip magazines. The conclusion rushes together at a somewhat hurried pace and I wouldn't call the writing praise-worthy, but it's a fun yarn that is unexpected and different. I would definitely recommend it!
Hilarity and mischief ensues as Eddie is suddenly thrust into spotlight, sometimes for good reasons and mostly for bad. The attention makes his wife leave him and to win her back Eddie must survive a gauntlet of cameras and faux reality show story arcs to 'write' himself back into her life.
Whether or not you follow reality television, you'll no doubt understand all the jokes that fill this book. But the novel succeeds on a higher level than simply to poke fun at popular television. Eddie is a well-developed character who provides great irony as the failed actor who is now intimidated by fame. We relish in his cluelessness and root for him just like we're supposed to.
OVERALL: A breezy, short book that is as juicy as a gossip magazine while simultaneously making fun of juicy gossip magazines. The conclusion rushes together at a somewhat hurried pace and I wouldn't call the writing praise-worthy, but it's a fun yarn that is unexpected and different. I would definitely recommend it!
April 21, 2017
I asked a lot of Arts & Entertainments. At the time I picked it up, my brain was very tired and weary and "all" I wanted was a fast-paced, funny, entertaining story. But it had to be smart and well-written, because poorly written stuff makes me angry, and that's not relaxing. And—this was key—I had to care enough about the characters to want to keep reading, but I didn't want to actually relate to them. Relating to them would have taken too much energy.
This novel delivered in every way! It was a vastly entertaining, up-to-the-minute, unputdownable tale. I see some reviewers suggesting the characters were unlikable, which, who cares, but I didn't find them that unlikable—I actually grew quite fond of our protagonist and, more surprisingly, . True, there was one character whose motives were quite opaque, but because they were opaque to the protagonist, it made sense that they would be opaque to the reader as well. Was this story realistic? Well, I would never behave the way these people do, but other people definitely have, and there are probably plenty more who would if they were given the opportunity. Delving into why and how these characters did the things they did was both fascinating and fun, and at the end there was that to me felt earned and was really satisfying.
I suppose there's no point in saying this, but I don't get all the negative reviews and ratings this book has received here on Goodreads. Don't people recognize a good time when they're having one? Never mind. Even if it's only Christopher Beha and me at this party, I'm gonna stay until I get kicked out the door.
This novel delivered in every way! It was a vastly entertaining, up-to-the-minute, unputdownable tale. I see some reviewers suggesting the characters were unlikable, which, who cares, but I didn't find them that unlikable—I actually grew quite fond of our protagonist and, more surprisingly, . True, there was one character whose motives were quite opaque, but because they were opaque to the protagonist, it made sense that they would be opaque to the reader as well. Was this story realistic? Well, I would never behave the way these people do, but other people definitely have, and there are probably plenty more who would if they were given the opportunity. Delving into why and how these characters did the things they did was both fascinating and fun, and at the end there was that to me felt earned and was really satisfying.
I suppose there's no point in saying this, but I don't get all the negative reviews and ratings this book has received here on Goodreads. Don't people recognize a good time when they're having one? Never mind. Even if it's only Christopher Beha and me at this party, I'm gonna stay until I get kicked out the door.
July 29, 2014
A satire that ultimately feels as shallow as the celebrity culture it apes. Quite a disappointment, especially considering that it featured in a Books & Culture article* entitled “Redefining Religious Fiction.”
‘Handsome Eddie’ Hartley is a failed actor who now teaches drama at his alma mater, private boys’ school St. Albert’s in New York City. His wife, Susan, is desperate for a baby, but they’re out of money after two IVF rounds. That is, until a character who calls himself the “Meme Evangelist” suggests Eddie might have something else to sell: a sex tape he made with his ex-girlfriend, Martha Martin, who now stars in TV’s hottest show, Dr. Drake (which sounds like a cross between House and Touched by an Angel). “Such things were beneath no one anymore,” Eddie thinks.
The situation blows up in bizarre but rather predictable ways, as Susan and Eddie become competing reality TV icons in a Truman Show-esque nightmare of exhibitionism and scripted breakdown. “Eddie had wanted attention. Now that he had it, he wasn’t sure what to make of it.” There’s also a Miley Cyrus-Lindsay Lohan figure, whose tragic and very public decline is, I suppose, meant to convict readers of our voyeurism and lack of true empathy. “Such a person lived on a screen, didn’t really have feelings, and couldn’t be hurt by anything” – until the breakdown proves they’re just as vulnerable as the rest of us.
I kept waiting for there to be a point, for this careful replication of the contemporary world to make some profound theological comments on it, but instead Beha just stays trapped within the claustrophobic framework he’s created. This could have been a very clever juxtaposition of privacy and performance, but for me it fell short. However, it does have a great, chilling last line; it ends with “we were watching.”
[*Books & Culture call the novel a “21st-century Faust written in the style of Muriel Spark.” Alas, I don’t see it, nor do I agree with their equation of reality TV with God’s providence. Just because Beha is a practicing Catholic doesn’t mean his novel is automatically religious.]
‘Handsome Eddie’ Hartley is a failed actor who now teaches drama at his alma mater, private boys’ school St. Albert’s in New York City. His wife, Susan, is desperate for a baby, but they’re out of money after two IVF rounds. That is, until a character who calls himself the “Meme Evangelist” suggests Eddie might have something else to sell: a sex tape he made with his ex-girlfriend, Martha Martin, who now stars in TV’s hottest show, Dr. Drake (which sounds like a cross between House and Touched by an Angel). “Such things were beneath no one anymore,” Eddie thinks.
The situation blows up in bizarre but rather predictable ways, as Susan and Eddie become competing reality TV icons in a Truman Show-esque nightmare of exhibitionism and scripted breakdown. “Eddie had wanted attention. Now that he had it, he wasn’t sure what to make of it.” There’s also a Miley Cyrus-Lindsay Lohan figure, whose tragic and very public decline is, I suppose, meant to convict readers of our voyeurism and lack of true empathy. “Such a person lived on a screen, didn’t really have feelings, and couldn’t be hurt by anything” – until the breakdown proves they’re just as vulnerable as the rest of us.
I kept waiting for there to be a point, for this careful replication of the contemporary world to make some profound theological comments on it, but instead Beha just stays trapped within the claustrophobic framework he’s created. This could have been a very clever juxtaposition of privacy and performance, but for me it fell short. However, it does have a great, chilling last line; it ends with “we were watching.”
[*Books & Culture call the novel a “21st-century Faust written in the style of Muriel Spark.” Alas, I don’t see it, nor do I agree with their equation of reality TV with God’s providence. Just because Beha is a practicing Catholic doesn’t mean his novel is automatically religious.]
May 3, 2021
2021 reread: Who named this book "Arts & Entertainments" and not "The Man Who Was On Thursdays"
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Original review: A book so convincing in its depiction of a world that has (successfully!) approximated progress and religion and morality with its own simplest crowdsourced desires that it has me half-convinced the clumsy satire-autopilot details of its first half—goofy reality show names, a Twitter substitute called Teeser, etc.—are part of the same meta-gaslighting campaign that has Handsome Eddie Hartley convinced he's seeing repeating extras in the most intimate moments of his public life.
Moody, his inescapable producer, is the most unnervingly convincing villain(?) I can remember reading, a god who solves the question of free will and predestination by being certain he couldn't offer you the first one if he tried.
---
Original review: A book so convincing in its depiction of a world that has (successfully!) approximated progress and religion and morality with its own simplest crowdsourced desires that it has me half-convinced the clumsy satire-autopilot details of its first half—goofy reality show names, a Twitter substitute called Teeser, etc.—are part of the same meta-gaslighting campaign that has Handsome Eddie Hartley convinced he's seeing repeating extras in the most intimate moments of his public life.
Moody, his inescapable producer, is the most unnervingly convincing villain(?) I can remember reading, a god who solves the question of free will and predestination by being certain he couldn't offer you the first one if he tried.
July 20, 2014
first hundred pages entertaining enough that I finished it, but it was downhill after initial set up of failed actor in desperate straits selling sex tape of his youth with actress who got huge. Of course this decision blows up... all of that was great, but what happens next was ridiculous and to me, not too entertaining. Anyway I finished it.
September 28, 2022
“Arts & Entertainments” by Christopher Beha is a book that at the start I felt was written just for me. It had a parallel and even eerie introduction that had many similarities to my own life about a man named Eddie. He’s in his thirties desperately trying to hold on and improve his meager success of his earlier years in the film industry only to realize that nearly a decade has passed him by and is now teaching at his former high school; a private Catholic school for boys.
I am now in my thirties, was a substitute teacher for two years at my former high school (a private Catholic school for boys), and still effortlessly trying to make my mark in the entertainment industry. There are a few major exceptions of which will never apply to me. The first is that Eddie was trying to be an actor, whereas I am trying to make it as a screenwriter. The other is that in this book, Eddie willingly crashes and burns into it by selling a sex tape he had made with a former ex girlfriend and now television superstar to a reality show… and that is where the freight train that is the parallel stops. In “Arts & Entertainment”, Eddie Hartley-known as “Handsome Eddie”-is a Drama teacher at his former high school. He’s a fairly respected teacher, though isn’t really shown as a particularly good one. With his most successful years as a once a season appearance regular on the crime drama “Law & Order” far behind him, Eddie is forced to all but give up on his foolish dreams and be an adult. He lives in NYC with his wife, Susan, who works as a small art gallery curator. Susan always wanted to be a mother, but a previous miscarriage and her age have made it exceedingly difficult for her to have children. Eddie sees this as both a blessing and a curse. His heart breaks for his wife for not being able to have children, but Eddie doesn’t really want kids, though he doesn’t admit that point blank to Susan. The reason being is because he knows that he wouldn’t be able to afford having a family. He had already paid for an in vitro fertilization treatment that didn’t work and he had a lifetime of student loans to weigh him down.
The story begins with Eddie in his classroom about to begin summer break. That night he has a reunion with some of his former classmates who all grew up to be financial and industry successes. One of which is an online television producer who designs and coordinates how videos become viral videos. They all reminisce about an ex girlfriend of Eddie’s named Martha. Martha was now the most famous reality TV star out there. The Kim Kardashian of this particular universe.
Desperate more for money than fame, Eddie coordinates with the viral video producer the sale and “leak” of a sex tape he had made with Martha when they dated about ten years prior. The result is a smorgasbord of complications and infamy more dire than Eddie could’ve ever imagined. The large result is that Susan kicks Eddie out and is forced to have his life broadcast to the world by way of a new reality show revolving around Martha, Susan, Eddie, and a few other characters he encounters as a result of his actions. All Eddie wants is for Susan to forgive him and take him back, but the producers of the show constantly play defense against Eddie trying to win back his wife by thrusting a much younger aspiring actress in front of him making him look like a pedophile and pariah to the television audience.
This book did have moments of humor, but it also takes a very dark and exposed look at the production of reality television. How these so-called soulless television superstars are real people with feelings and experience moments of great depression. The last third of the book especially felt like Eddie was trapped inside a “Truman Show” that he knew he was a part of with cameramen and ordinary citizens chasing him around the clock. The author’s writing style gave me a tremendous sense of empathy for Eddie and there were moments where I felt I was being suffocated alongside with him. I couldn’t stop reading because I truly cared about the characters that I had learned about and I wanted to know what would ultimately happen to them. It’s a relatively easy and enjoyable read that I highly recommend especially to those interested in trying to get into (or are already in) the entertainment industry.
I am now in my thirties, was a substitute teacher for two years at my former high school (a private Catholic school for boys), and still effortlessly trying to make my mark in the entertainment industry. There are a few major exceptions of which will never apply to me. The first is that Eddie was trying to be an actor, whereas I am trying to make it as a screenwriter. The other is that in this book, Eddie willingly crashes and burns into it by selling a sex tape he had made with a former ex girlfriend and now television superstar to a reality show… and that is where the freight train that is the parallel stops. In “Arts & Entertainment”, Eddie Hartley-known as “Handsome Eddie”-is a Drama teacher at his former high school. He’s a fairly respected teacher, though isn’t really shown as a particularly good one. With his most successful years as a once a season appearance regular on the crime drama “Law & Order” far behind him, Eddie is forced to all but give up on his foolish dreams and be an adult. He lives in NYC with his wife, Susan, who works as a small art gallery curator. Susan always wanted to be a mother, but a previous miscarriage and her age have made it exceedingly difficult for her to have children. Eddie sees this as both a blessing and a curse. His heart breaks for his wife for not being able to have children, but Eddie doesn’t really want kids, though he doesn’t admit that point blank to Susan. The reason being is because he knows that he wouldn’t be able to afford having a family. He had already paid for an in vitro fertilization treatment that didn’t work and he had a lifetime of student loans to weigh him down.
The story begins with Eddie in his classroom about to begin summer break. That night he has a reunion with some of his former classmates who all grew up to be financial and industry successes. One of which is an online television producer who designs and coordinates how videos become viral videos. They all reminisce about an ex girlfriend of Eddie’s named Martha. Martha was now the most famous reality TV star out there. The Kim Kardashian of this particular universe.
Desperate more for money than fame, Eddie coordinates with the viral video producer the sale and “leak” of a sex tape he had made with Martha when they dated about ten years prior. The result is a smorgasbord of complications and infamy more dire than Eddie could’ve ever imagined. The large result is that Susan kicks Eddie out and is forced to have his life broadcast to the world by way of a new reality show revolving around Martha, Susan, Eddie, and a few other characters he encounters as a result of his actions. All Eddie wants is for Susan to forgive him and take him back, but the producers of the show constantly play defense against Eddie trying to win back his wife by thrusting a much younger aspiring actress in front of him making him look like a pedophile and pariah to the television audience.
This book did have moments of humor, but it also takes a very dark and exposed look at the production of reality television. How these so-called soulless television superstars are real people with feelings and experience moments of great depression. The last third of the book especially felt like Eddie was trapped inside a “Truman Show” that he knew he was a part of with cameramen and ordinary citizens chasing him around the clock. The author’s writing style gave me a tremendous sense of empathy for Eddie and there were moments where I felt I was being suffocated alongside with him. I couldn’t stop reading because I truly cared about the characters that I had learned about and I wanted to know what would ultimately happen to them. It’s a relatively easy and enjoyable read that I highly recommend especially to those interested in trying to get into (or are already in) the entertainment industry.
July 22, 2014
I'd rate this 3.5 stars.
"Handsome Eddie" Hartley dreamed of being a successful actor. After being noticed in a small play, he started to get parts in commercials and small roles on television. But despite his good looks and his desire to succeed, his career never took off. Now, at age 33, he teaches acting to students at the Catholic boys' school he used to attend, and despite the fact that he and his wife Susan are struggling to have a child—something that is taking both a financial and an emotional toll—he's happy with his life, even if it didn't turn out like he had hoped.
Well, sort of. You see, Martha Martin, star of the wildly popular television show Dr. Drake and a perennial fixture in the entertainment media, used to be Eddie's girlfriend. Eddie thought he and Martha had something special, but when her career took off, she quickly left him behind, never to speak to him again. And although Eddie has moved on with his life, he can't help but feel a little envious, a little bitter each time he sees Martha in the media.
Desperate for the money to support another fertility treatment, Eddie reluctantly jumps at the idea to sell an old sex tape that he and Martha made back in the day. He figures that no publicity is bad publicity, so if the attention around the leaked sex tape gives him the chance to get back into the spotlight, he won't complain. But Eddie drastically underestimates the effect the tape will have on his life, his marriage, his career, his relationships with others, and his dream of finally becoming an actor. He won't ever have control of his life ever again.
Christopher Beha's Arts & Entertainments is a satirical look at our obsession with celebrities and reality television, and just how manipulated reality really is. While the book strives to be outlandish, and is in some ways, it's scary how some of the more ridiculous things the book pokes fun of have actually happened on television—or probably will soon. This book had particular relevance for me as I watched a former Bachelorette have an ultrasound on television last night to determine the sex of her unborn child (despite the fact that magazines had already reported she and her husband knew the sex of their baby in advance).
This is a funny, entertaining book, and a very quick read. It all seems fairly familiar, especially if you have any knowledge of our celebrity-obsessed culture, but that doesn't detract from its appeal. The only thing I couldn't quite figure out was whether Beha was saying that everyone really wants to be a star of their own reality television series, or if his characters all were ultimately as shallow as they appeared.
I wasn't sure what to expect of this book, but I enjoyed it. It's a fun summer read—and the perfect complement to the magazines you might pick up at the newsstand or the grocery store. (But it's a book, so you can feel slightly superior.)
"Handsome Eddie" Hartley dreamed of being a successful actor. After being noticed in a small play, he started to get parts in commercials and small roles on television. But despite his good looks and his desire to succeed, his career never took off. Now, at age 33, he teaches acting to students at the Catholic boys' school he used to attend, and despite the fact that he and his wife Susan are struggling to have a child—something that is taking both a financial and an emotional toll—he's happy with his life, even if it didn't turn out like he had hoped.
Well, sort of. You see, Martha Martin, star of the wildly popular television show Dr. Drake and a perennial fixture in the entertainment media, used to be Eddie's girlfriend. Eddie thought he and Martha had something special, but when her career took off, she quickly left him behind, never to speak to him again. And although Eddie has moved on with his life, he can't help but feel a little envious, a little bitter each time he sees Martha in the media.
Desperate for the money to support another fertility treatment, Eddie reluctantly jumps at the idea to sell an old sex tape that he and Martha made back in the day. He figures that no publicity is bad publicity, so if the attention around the leaked sex tape gives him the chance to get back into the spotlight, he won't complain. But Eddie drastically underestimates the effect the tape will have on his life, his marriage, his career, his relationships with others, and his dream of finally becoming an actor. He won't ever have control of his life ever again.
Christopher Beha's Arts & Entertainments is a satirical look at our obsession with celebrities and reality television, and just how manipulated reality really is. While the book strives to be outlandish, and is in some ways, it's scary how some of the more ridiculous things the book pokes fun of have actually happened on television—or probably will soon. This book had particular relevance for me as I watched a former Bachelorette have an ultrasound on television last night to determine the sex of her unborn child (despite the fact that magazines had already reported she and her husband knew the sex of their baby in advance).
This is a funny, entertaining book, and a very quick read. It all seems fairly familiar, especially if you have any knowledge of our celebrity-obsessed culture, but that doesn't detract from its appeal. The only thing I couldn't quite figure out was whether Beha was saying that everyone really wants to be a star of their own reality television series, or if his characters all were ultimately as shallow as they appeared.
I wasn't sure what to expect of this book, but I enjoyed it. It's a fun summer read—and the perfect complement to the magazines you might pick up at the newsstand or the grocery store. (But it's a book, so you can feel slightly superior.)
September 23, 2014
Eddie Hartley thinks that he may have hit his peak in his early twenties. Back then, he was handsome, dating a gorgeous girlfriend and he had even landed a few small acting roles, which should have been his first step on his way to fame.
Now, in his mid-thirties, he is in a rut. He didn't make it in Hollywood and he has given up on his own acting career. Instead, he is a drama teacher at his alma matter, an fancy all-boys private school. He tries to convince himself that teaching the next generation of actors was the role that he was born to do, but internally, he suspects that it's a default position due to the fact that he was never a great actor in the first place. To make matters worse, the beautiful girlfriend that he dated in his twenties, is now a megastar on a hit television show. Even though they broke up years ago, Martha's presence is everywhere. He can't escape her.
Things at home are also not as he planned. Eddie's wife, Susan, desperately wants a child and the couple has blown through their meager savings on fertility treatments that have failed to help.
Eddie is feeling trapped when an old friend comes back into his life with a suggestion. Why not sell an old sex tape that he made with Martha to a tabloid? After all, she broke up with him and the money could be used to finance the fertility treatments. Why not use a piece of his past to secure his future?
Christopher Beha's novel Arts & Entertainments is a hilarious satire of our socities obsession with celebrity culture. What really works is Beha's anti-hero, Eddie. I see Eddie to varying degrees in many people that I know. He wants to do the right thing, but his need for validation from his peers and his desire for fame, makes him often oblivious to the good things that he has in his life. He doesn't look at his wife, steady job or cushy middle-class life, as positives. He is so focused on what he doesn't have, that he makes his life miserable and the standards to which he is measuring himself against, are impossible.
Although Eddie makes a million mistakes and often in the name of self-interest, I still felt compassion for him, because he was realistic and reflected in people that I care about. This was the strongest aspect of Beha's story, his ability to see then ugly truths of our society and make them human.
Arts & Entertainments often had me laughing-out-loud. Beha has a great sense of humor and that reminded me of Bret Easton Ellis. I found the story to be very engaging, until the last quarter of the story, where the resolution fell a bit flat. Honestly, I can't think of a better ending, but it still didn't resonate. It was off.
Overall, I enjoyed the story. Beha has a gift for mirroring the unflattering truths about our society and creating characters that feel real. His quick wit really shines in his writing and makes the story difficult to put down.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
Now, in his mid-thirties, he is in a rut. He didn't make it in Hollywood and he has given up on his own acting career. Instead, he is a drama teacher at his alma matter, an fancy all-boys private school. He tries to convince himself that teaching the next generation of actors was the role that he was born to do, but internally, he suspects that it's a default position due to the fact that he was never a great actor in the first place. To make matters worse, the beautiful girlfriend that he dated in his twenties, is now a megastar on a hit television show. Even though they broke up years ago, Martha's presence is everywhere. He can't escape her.
Things at home are also not as he planned. Eddie's wife, Susan, desperately wants a child and the couple has blown through their meager savings on fertility treatments that have failed to help.
Eddie is feeling trapped when an old friend comes back into his life with a suggestion. Why not sell an old sex tape that he made with Martha to a tabloid? After all, she broke up with him and the money could be used to finance the fertility treatments. Why not use a piece of his past to secure his future?
Christopher Beha's novel Arts & Entertainments is a hilarious satire of our socities obsession with celebrity culture. What really works is Beha's anti-hero, Eddie. I see Eddie to varying degrees in many people that I know. He wants to do the right thing, but his need for validation from his peers and his desire for fame, makes him often oblivious to the good things that he has in his life. He doesn't look at his wife, steady job or cushy middle-class life, as positives. He is so focused on what he doesn't have, that he makes his life miserable and the standards to which he is measuring himself against, are impossible.
Although Eddie makes a million mistakes and often in the name of self-interest, I still felt compassion for him, because he was realistic and reflected in people that I care about. This was the strongest aspect of Beha's story, his ability to see then ugly truths of our society and make them human.
Arts & Entertainments often had me laughing-out-loud. Beha has a great sense of humor and that reminded me of Bret Easton Ellis. I found the story to be very engaging, until the last quarter of the story, where the resolution fell a bit flat. Honestly, I can't think of a better ending, but it still didn't resonate. It was off.
Overall, I enjoyed the story. Beha has a gift for mirroring the unflattering truths about our society and creating characters that feel real. His quick wit really shines in his writing and makes the story difficult to put down.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
September 17, 2014
I am a sucker for reality TV just like the next person. While I try to keep my viewing habits healthy, I can never pass up a Teen Mom marathon or new episode of Sister Wives. I know that, like eating straight sugar, this is bad for me but sometimes I just don't care! Add to that all of the magazines that make money off of which reality TV star is eating where with who...you can easily fall down the rabbit hole. That's why when I heard about this book, I knew I would have to read it; not because I pray at the alter of the E! network. But because I am a member of today's "reality" laden society. Overall, I was pleased by the novel but it just wasn't over the top enough to be satire. In fact, it could have been non-fiction.
Eddie Hartley is the embodiment of "if you can't do it, teach it!" Eddie had huge dreams of being an actor but when his dreams fail to become reality, he returns to his high school to teach drama. Unfortunately, the salary for a high school drama teacher could never pay of the fertility treatments that his wife so desperately wants. The key to increased cash flow and fame seems to be Eddie's ex-girlfriend who has now made it big in Hollywood. Martha Martin, Eddie's ex, is a sensation equal to any of the female stars on Grey's Anatomy or the early days of ER. So when Eddie discovers one of their old sex tapes, it looks as if his luck is about to change. Once the tape is released, the money rolls in but so does the entire arts and entertainment industry. Eddie must navigate the land of reality TV in order to win back his wife, his career, and his future.
When I first saw this novel, I thought that it was going to be a satire. I looked forward to a story that really pushed the limits and made me think about what the arts and entertainment industry does to its captors, both celebrities and the average Joe. Instead, the novel gathered steam and then puttered out into an average episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. There was limited insight into why we love reality TV and who is really hurts. Instead, it felt like a watered down version of EDtv (which is already pretty watered down). In fact, the characters were so disagreeable that I wished something worse would happen to them. Overall, it was a decent book for my beach bag but I doubt the story will last.
Eddie Hartley is the embodiment of "if you can't do it, teach it!" Eddie had huge dreams of being an actor but when his dreams fail to become reality, he returns to his high school to teach drama. Unfortunately, the salary for a high school drama teacher could never pay of the fertility treatments that his wife so desperately wants. The key to increased cash flow and fame seems to be Eddie's ex-girlfriend who has now made it big in Hollywood. Martha Martin, Eddie's ex, is a sensation equal to any of the female stars on Grey's Anatomy or the early days of ER. So when Eddie discovers one of their old sex tapes, it looks as if his luck is about to change. Once the tape is released, the money rolls in but so does the entire arts and entertainment industry. Eddie must navigate the land of reality TV in order to win back his wife, his career, and his future.
When I first saw this novel, I thought that it was going to be a satire. I looked forward to a story that really pushed the limits and made me think about what the arts and entertainment industry does to its captors, both celebrities and the average Joe. Instead, the novel gathered steam and then puttered out into an average episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. There was limited insight into why we love reality TV and who is really hurts. Instead, it felt like a watered down version of EDtv (which is already pretty watered down). In fact, the characters were so disagreeable that I wished something worse would happen to them. Overall, it was a decent book for my beach bag but I doubt the story will last.
July 5, 2020
This was one of the "best books of 2014" according to a magazine article published in March 2015 and read in July 2016. Yes, my "to read" list for magazines is as long as it is for books, which I understand is stupid but I wear my "most irrationally stubborn" award proudly.
I didn't find this one of the best books of 2014 but still thought it was entertaining. I should admit up front that I hate reality TV and I'm suspicious of people who love it, so it's really no surprise that I'd enjoy a book that pokes fun. And while there's a serious theme to the book, the tone throughout is very much tongue-in-cheek. I chuckled a few times, which is pretty unusual for me, even in a comedy.
I've read a number of books in the past few months where my reviews have commented on the main character's poor choices (Fates and Furies, which I liked, and The Goldfinch and The Special Power of Restoring Lost Things, which I didn't). Clearly a character deciding to sell a sex tape is also involved in some questionable decisions. I was able to sympathize with him, as with Lotto and Mathilde in Fates and Furies, and I'm sure that's what made the book enjoyable.
I didn't find this one of the best books of 2014 but still thought it was entertaining. I should admit up front that I hate reality TV and I'm suspicious of people who love it, so it's really no surprise that I'd enjoy a book that pokes fun. And while there's a serious theme to the book, the tone throughout is very much tongue-in-cheek. I chuckled a few times, which is pretty unusual for me, even in a comedy.
I've read a number of books in the past few months where my reviews have commented on the main character's poor choices (Fates and Furies, which I liked, and The Goldfinch and The Special Power of Restoring Lost Things, which I didn't). Clearly a character deciding to sell a sex tape is also involved in some questionable decisions. I was able to sympathize with him, as with Lotto and Mathilde in Fates and Furies, and I'm sure that's what made the book enjoyable.
March 27, 2015
I found this to be a fun satire of the reality TV world, but maybe because I dislike reality TV and enjoyed poking at its seedy, fake underbelly and the people who can't stop living their lives in the glare of the spotlight, no matter what it takes. Even Handsome Eddie's "happy" ending with Susan isn't entirely that.
Read
July 14, 2016How to sell your soul. Frightening.
January 16, 2021
Some interesting insights on the duality of acting and real life under celebrity culture— the last line was imo the best of the book. Ultimately a little depressing and sometimes disjointed, but the general arc of the plot was impressive (from prosaic school to reality tv). I didn’t like any of the characters, and the main character wasn’t really all that compelling as a focus, but I don’t think Beha was trying to make them likable. Somewhat outdated in terms of where celebrity culture/media is now, but recognizable.
Oh, also tried to somewhat justify selling a sex tape of an ex for money because it was to pay for his wife’s IVF and even implied the ex liked having it circulated, which I guess was meant to be part of the whole “celebrity culture runs on perversion” narrative but just seemed wildly inappropriate.
Oh, also tried to somewhat justify selling a sex tape of an ex for money because it was to pay for his wife’s IVF and even implied the ex liked having it circulated, which I guess was meant to be part of the whole “celebrity culture runs on perversion” narrative but just seemed wildly inappropriate.
May 10, 2023
This was a fun read! Honestly flew by which was nice after a period of reading stagnation.
I feel like for a satire it wasn't as satire-y as I would've wanted (I wish the idea was pushed a little further) although it did have some good moments, especially towards the end. Also did a good job of making me root for a character who was probably objectively not the best dude. Somehow I feel like if the characters were named better I would've liked this book more? They're very "I'm writing a book!!!!!!!!!!" names, if that makes sense (Eddie, Susan, Martha, etc).
Realistically I would call this 3.5 stars but I don't think Goodreads has that function. Overall I liked it though and would recommend it if you're looking for something quick and entertaining.
I feel like for a satire it wasn't as satire-y as I would've wanted (I wish the idea was pushed a little further) although it did have some good moments, especially towards the end. Also did a good job of making me root for a character who was probably objectively not the best dude. Somehow I feel like if the characters were named better I would've liked this book more? They're very "I'm writing a book!!!!!!!!!!" names, if that makes sense (Eddie, Susan, Martha, etc).
Realistically I would call this 3.5 stars but I don't think Goodreads has that function. Overall I liked it though and would recommend it if you're looking for something quick and entertaining.
December 14, 2014
I saw this book on a table at my local indie bookstore, and picked it up. It looked intriguing - and I've been doing a lot of thinking/writing about fame, acting etc lately so I thought it might be fun. It took me a few pages to get into it - there were things about the writing on the first few pages (unnecessary backstory dumps, too many characters introduced all at once) that had me rolling my eyes and scribbling things in the margins as I might for a piece in fiction workshop. But I pressed on and I'm so glad I did! It turned out to be eminently readable, a much better written guilty pleasure than some other lighter reads I allow myself between semesters. I read it in three days, and would have read it in two quite happily if I hadn't had to go out and be sociable - and this coming from someone who doesn't do much binge-reading (unless I'm forced to by lit class requirements, sigh). I recommend it for plane rides and the like - it definitely kept my attention. It had some interesting things to say about culture too - it could make a good book club pick. I'm so glad my local indie had it out in the table - would never have heard of it otherwise and I'm glad I took a chance!
Oh - and don't read the synopsis or anything about the book past the first paragraph of the jacket copy. It would have spoiled it to know what was going to happen!
Oh - and don't read the synopsis or anything about the book past the first paragraph of the jacket copy. It would have spoiled it to know what was going to happen!
February 16, 2015
A failed, indebted New York actor sells a sex tape of a former lover who's made it big. He thinks he can remain anonymous, which lasts about 30 seconds, and his life spirals out of control in hilarious ways. Beha offers fast-paced social satire, an Evelyn Waugh or Peter De Vries for the reality television age. The best jabs are at the celebrity entertainment industry and the ways we all turn our lives into performances for social media.
July 11, 2014
If I knew how to give a half star I'd rate this 31/2. Still, an amusing and insightful examination of our national obsession with fame, especially that conferred on so called reality stars. Handsome Eddie is a sympathetic protagonist, but the changes in other characters seem, well, out of character. But I suppose that's the point, the corrupting and pernicious lure of fame.
July 15, 2014
A perfect summer book to read about reality television. Unfortunately while the book is fiction it may as well be a documentary of TV, social media, and celebrity in 2014, and was completely believable. The book is well written and quite funny.
March 6, 2015
Dear book club, Arts and Entertainments IS A CANOE.
January 15, 2024
I found the characters to be remarkably shallow. After reading the Index of Self-Destructive Acts, which I could not put down, this read as a less elegant effort by a talented author.
January 27, 2015
It was ok - not quite funny enough, but not quite mean enough either.
May 22, 2019
I actually enjoyed this book more than I thought I would at the start, despite how long it took me to actually finish but that's what happens when you get busy. I would give it another half star if I could so I'd give it 3.5 stars. Possibly 3.8. Yeah, 3.8 is an accurate rating for it. Definitely more than three stars but less than 4 because I liked it, I just didn't LOVE it.
Honestly, I expected Handsome Eddie to be a more headstrong character, but through the majority of the book, he seems like he's just everyone's doormat and he's letting people treat him like he's not a leading man but a co-star in his own life. I feel like he could've shown more confidence in himself and been more defensive to the people that were documenting and ruining his life, making him out to be something that he wasn't just for the sake of fame or ratings. I mean, honestly, there's so many people these days that pull that crap in reality TV and it makes me sick. He was treated unfairly but at the same time, he should've at least fought a little harder to be the person he truly wanted to be, not some "imaginary" character in a reality show. He deserved to be on a reality show with his wife, not this "cradle-robber" and poor excuse for a husband.
I constantly found myself yelling at the book and Eddie like: "WTF are you doing? Grow a spine already! Tell them to f-off!" But it was a constant repetitive cycle of him doing this and that for the producers of the show and not being able to run away and just letting them walk all over him. For what? Just so he could get money to help his wife? It seems like he went through a lot of hell that he didn't have to and there could've been a better way for him to get money other than letting himself be put out there like that and made a fool of. Like he was a piece of meat. He definitely needed to be slapped a bunch of times and needed some kind of sidekick to knock some sense into him. I guess that would be me, the reader.
One thing's for sure, I'll never be able to look at reality shows the same way after reading this book. I thought it was all staged before but now I really do feel like there's a lot of people out there that are screwing us around and the people on these shows just for ratings. Like I said before, it sickens me to think that this is what television has become and that people can be so f-ing cruel for the price of fame. It's just...ugh! Just ugh! It makes me glad that I'm not on one of those shows and I never want to be now because I wouldn't stand for that bullshit. No way! Either I get to be who I am or good riddance.
I'm glad the story at least had a happy ending, but I still think after all they went through, Eddie and his wife deserve a life of peace and that everyone should just back the F off! I mean, sure, they might be loved now but damn...let them have a private life for at least 6 months or something. I guess, the saying really is true, there's no going back. He made his bed and now he has to lie in it. At least people were nice enough to give them a better home to live in with all the things they need to raise their children. But at what cost? No private life. Ridiculous.
Honestly, I expected Handsome Eddie to be a more headstrong character, but through the majority of the book, he seems like he's just everyone's doormat and he's letting people treat him like he's not a leading man but a co-star in his own life. I feel like he could've shown more confidence in himself and been more defensive to the people that were documenting and ruining his life, making him out to be something that he wasn't just for the sake of fame or ratings. I mean, honestly, there's so many people these days that pull that crap in reality TV and it makes me sick. He was treated unfairly but at the same time, he should've at least fought a little harder to be the person he truly wanted to be, not some "imaginary" character in a reality show. He deserved to be on a reality show with his wife, not this "cradle-robber" and poor excuse for a husband.
I constantly found myself yelling at the book and Eddie like: "WTF are you doing? Grow a spine already! Tell them to f-off!" But it was a constant repetitive cycle of him doing this and that for the producers of the show and not being able to run away and just letting them walk all over him. For what? Just so he could get money to help his wife? It seems like he went through a lot of hell that he didn't have to and there could've been a better way for him to get money other than letting himself be put out there like that and made a fool of. Like he was a piece of meat. He definitely needed to be slapped a bunch of times and needed some kind of sidekick to knock some sense into him. I guess that would be me, the reader.
One thing's for sure, I'll never be able to look at reality shows the same way after reading this book. I thought it was all staged before but now I really do feel like there's a lot of people out there that are screwing us around and the people on these shows just for ratings. Like I said before, it sickens me to think that this is what television has become and that people can be so f-ing cruel for the price of fame. It's just...ugh! Just ugh! It makes me glad that I'm not on one of those shows and I never want to be now because I wouldn't stand for that bullshit. No way! Either I get to be who I am or good riddance.
I'm glad the story at least had a happy ending, but I still think after all they went through, Eddie and his wife deserve a life of peace and that everyone should just back the F off! I mean, sure, they might be loved now but damn...let them have a private life for at least 6 months or something. I guess, the saying really is true, there's no going back. He made his bed and now he has to lie in it. At least people were nice enough to give them a better home to live in with all the things they need to raise their children. But at what cost? No private life. Ridiculous.
June 16, 2021
Was surprised that it takes place among same characters as Index of Self-Destructive Acts. But not in same world. The premise is sharp. I don’t care at all about reality TV, have never watched it, and don’t even consider it a major part of American culture. So some of the premise I didn’t buy. Nevertheless, there’s more going on than a critique of celebrity culture. In fact, the analogies to religion imbue the reality TV with depths it doesn’t have in real life and the satire of reality TV gets at some important dimensions of religion in America.
***** landmark read. Will never forget it. Possibly life changing. Stands apart from everything else in its category. Will always have a copy to keep on my shelf and give away. Might organize a book group around it. Maybe 10% of the books I finish.
**** Excellent. Very glad I read it—and you should, too! Pretty much everybody who cares about the things I care about will enjoy and be glad they read it. 20-30% of books I finish.
***Good. Definitely worth reading. I might recommend if there’s a particular fit with your tastes.
** not sure why I finished this. Would not recommend. But also don’t regret it.
* disliked. Maybe did not finish.
***** landmark read. Will never forget it. Possibly life changing. Stands apart from everything else in its category. Will always have a copy to keep on my shelf and give away. Might organize a book group around it. Maybe 10% of the books I finish.
**** Excellent. Very glad I read it—and you should, too! Pretty much everybody who cares about the things I care about will enjoy and be glad they read it. 20-30% of books I finish.
***Good. Definitely worth reading. I might recommend if there’s a particular fit with your tastes.
** not sure why I finished this. Would not recommend. But also don’t regret it.
* disliked. Maybe did not finish.
January 15, 2020
I don't really know what to think. I can't remember if I've read a novel chock-full of such despicable characters, and I can't really tell whether or not that's the point. A blurb on the rear cover of the paperback calls it "a deliciously witty, ultimately tender novel..." And I have to vehemently disagree. There's nothing tender, real, or redeeming in the book. It's either intentionally nasty or severely misses the chance to offer its main characters growth or meaning. If the former, I kinda liked it, even if I need a shower now.
March 27, 2017
I'm somewhere between 3 and 4 stars here. This was an engaging read with heart. The characters were relatable and believable, Handsome Eddie in particular. While other reviewers found the story shallow, I tend to disagree. Reality TV is shallow, but looking at its underbelly and exploring some of its tricks through this story was enlightening and somehow brought out its humanity, flaws and all. I'll certainly watch with a different lens in the future.
June 16, 2017
I bought this book because it was five dollars in the Barnes and noble bargain bin. I bought it a year ago and found it while cleaning off my shelf and decided to give it a go. I didn't know at the time that this book would change my perception on the media entirely. One thing that made me think is that my hatred for the media is better for them than my indifference. Short read. Witty, quick in every way. Do recommend.
February 18, 2018
I’m of two minds about this book. On the one hand, it is a fascinating look at reality TV culture. It’s riveting and hard to look away from, which is basically the point of reality TV. On the other hand, I’m bored of stories about whiny men breaking everything. But I appreciate Eddie’s redemption arc. But I hate that this book is also a reality show. I don’t know, everybody. It’s an interesting, terrible, great book, I guess.
March 3, 2021
I had a lot of dejavu while reading this but I'm prettttty sure I hadn't read it before? Or did I read it during a dissociative period? I feel insane. Anyways it reminded me of this recent era where we were all fascinated by reality TV and the meta implications of it, and it felt strange to be reading that era in hindsight, like it feels retro now. Cool to see how much better Beha's writing and thinking has gotten in the time between A&E and his current book.
June 18, 2024
Finished this today on the way to Dollywood with the 7th grade. I am leading with these two disclaimers: 1) I let my daughter choose my book this time, and 2) it was a Dollar Tree purchase if I recall correctly. However, despite this unstable beginning, it was quite the entertaining read as a witty, sardonic dissection of our culture of social media and manufactured celebrity. There aren't a lot of real surprises, but it's a relatively quick and enjoyable page turner.
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