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Late
So, was it hard to pretend I was “dead”? Well, my motivation was abundant; it was splendiferous, endless, you might say.’
An American actress, renowned for being late, is living with her two cats in a modernist clifftop apartment in Sydney in the late 1980s.
The recounting of her story is prompted by the arrival of an old typewriter and a book addressed to Zelda Zonk. And by the arrival of a young man called Daniel, who is locked out while house-sitting her neighbour’s apartment.
Together Zelda and Daniel form an unlikely but close bond as they go walking, prepare dinner for Shabbat, traverse Sydney Harbour on a ferry and talk about their lives. Part of their bond is the discovery that they are both orphans. Daniel is also a habitué of the nearby sandstone cliffs where men have mysteriously gone missing.
In Late, Michael Fitzgerald superbly captures the literary spirit and sensibility of an ageing woman and icon who has escaped celebrity. It is a haunting and lyrical novel about art, friendship, and confronting our fears.
An American actress, renowned for being late, is living with her two cats in a modernist clifftop apartment in Sydney in the late 1980s.
The recounting of her story is prompted by the arrival of an old typewriter and a book addressed to Zelda Zonk. And by the arrival of a young man called Daniel, who is locked out while house-sitting her neighbour’s apartment.
Together Zelda and Daniel form an unlikely but close bond as they go walking, prepare dinner for Shabbat, traverse Sydney Harbour on a ferry and talk about their lives. Part of their bond is the discovery that they are both orphans. Daniel is also a habitué of the nearby sandstone cliffs where men have mysteriously gone missing.
In Late, Michael Fitzgerald superbly captures the literary spirit and sensibility of an ageing woman and icon who has escaped celebrity. It is a haunting and lyrical novel about art, friendship, and confronting our fears.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2023
4 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Michael Fitzgerald
19 books9 followersMichael Fitzgerald has lived between Sydney and Canberra as the editor of Art Monthly Australasia magazine since 2014. He made his literary debut in 2017 with The Pacific Room, a fictional speculation on Robert Louis Stevenson’s travels through Oceania. Pietà is his second novel.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 10, 2024
another male’s attempt to re-write the story of marilyn monroe, this time her faking her own death and escaping to sydney. men need to leave her alone !!!
this book tried to unpack way too much in such a short book. it somehow ended with astral projection (no joke) and a hate crime (which was a reference oddly enough to hate crimes in bondi area in the 80’s - but why?).
this book tried to unpack way too much in such a short book. it somehow ended with astral projection (no joke) and a hate crime (which was a reference oddly enough to hate crimes in bondi area in the 80’s - but why?).
October 22, 2023
Late: always late for everything. She was known for it and even now in her reclusive retirement this pattern still holds. Somewhat lonely but not alone ‘Zelda Zonk’ once a silver screen icon now lives in a very modern apartment overlooking Sydney, two cats for company.
Daniel comes into her life around the time an old typewriter and book arrive, which prompts the beginning of a friendship, changes to both their lives and intimate, intriguing discussions of times past and present.
During the 1970’s and 1980’s the sandstone clifftops around Sydney were known as the haunts for gay men, many of whom were murdered there, their bodies thrown over the Cliffs. Daniel is known to visit this area.
Daniels’ story is gentle, emotional and compliments the older woman’s; both discover they are orphan’s both have led very different lives, which is so many ways makes them the same but vastly different. Both never quite fitting, never quite reaching the much sought pinnacle of perfection.
As the story unfolds, there is the tantalising prospect that perhaps the actress is an all-time favourite and that perhaps she never died, just simply relocated, the entire episode of suicided manufactured in true Hollywood style.
A little confusing to begin with Late is a story that takes time to begin to resonate, to allow the mind to slip back into a time when Hollywood Screen icons were marketed as the characters they portrayed on the screen, frequently misrepresented, their real persona carefully removed from public viewing.
Once this time slip occurs and it will, Late begins to fall into place. Quotes used lavishly join the pieces together, the tempting though that maybe you know who’s story it is, holds firm until the last page.
Daniel comes into her life around the time an old typewriter and book arrive, which prompts the beginning of a friendship, changes to both their lives and intimate, intriguing discussions of times past and present.
During the 1970’s and 1980’s the sandstone clifftops around Sydney were known as the haunts for gay men, many of whom were murdered there, their bodies thrown over the Cliffs. Daniel is known to visit this area.
Daniels’ story is gentle, emotional and compliments the older woman’s; both discover they are orphan’s both have led very different lives, which is so many ways makes them the same but vastly different. Both never quite fitting, never quite reaching the much sought pinnacle of perfection.
As the story unfolds, there is the tantalising prospect that perhaps the actress is an all-time favourite and that perhaps she never died, just simply relocated, the entire episode of suicided manufactured in true Hollywood style.
A little confusing to begin with Late is a story that takes time to begin to resonate, to allow the mind to slip back into a time when Hollywood Screen icons were marketed as the characters they portrayed on the screen, frequently misrepresented, their real persona carefully removed from public viewing.
Once this time slip occurs and it will, Late begins to fall into place. Quotes used lavishly join the pieces together, the tempting though that maybe you know who’s story it is, holds firm until the last page.
November 7, 2023
Imagine one of the world's most iconic women: capture your image of Hollywood screen legend Marilyn Monroe in your mind's eye...
Born in 1926, she would be 97 now had she not killed herself in 1962 aged 36. Can we imagine her in old age? The prevailing narrative tells us that ageing was what she feared because her identity depended on her beauty, her sensuality, her persona as a sex symbol. People thought that's all she was; they thought she was a dumb blonde, and she thought she had no future as an older woman. Michael Fitzgerald's new novel Late imagines her otherwise, reinventing herself to take control of her destiny. She fakes her suicide, and when the novel opens she is living a life free from the constraints of celebrity in a clifftop apartment in late 1980s Sydney.
Like Fitzgerald's earlier novels, The Pacific Room (2017), and Pietà (2021), Late is a richly layered work that rewards close reading and an openness to allusion. Marilyn, a.k.a. Zelda Zonk narrates the novel, and her interactions with others trigger memories that spark a narrative that sets the record straight about that 'dumb blonde' image. (The Acknowledgements at the back of the book list a remarkable catalogue of sources.)
She has a lot to talk about. She has a childhood marked by poverty and instability and three ex-husbands behind her, plus a career that often exasperated her, a relentless Hollywood publicity machine that exploited her and the effects of a beauty industry that wrecked her hair. (There are no mirrors in her apartment). She's also widely read (most famously of James Joyce's Ulysses, one of 430 books in her personal library); she's interested in architecture, (sending me to Google to find Harry Seidler's Igloo house (more properly known as the Williamson House, see here where you can see why its curves are of interest); she's read countless play scripts and met Khruschev; and she's familiar with the fade-out of Beethoven's last string quartets and Strauss's final songs.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2023/11/08/l...
Born in 1926, she would be 97 now had she not killed herself in 1962 aged 36. Can we imagine her in old age? The prevailing narrative tells us that ageing was what she feared because her identity depended on her beauty, her sensuality, her persona as a sex symbol. People thought that's all she was; they thought she was a dumb blonde, and she thought she had no future as an older woman. Michael Fitzgerald's new novel Late imagines her otherwise, reinventing herself to take control of her destiny. She fakes her suicide, and when the novel opens she is living a life free from the constraints of celebrity in a clifftop apartment in late 1980s Sydney.
Like Fitzgerald's earlier novels, The Pacific Room (2017), and Pietà (2021), Late is a richly layered work that rewards close reading and an openness to allusion. Marilyn, a.k.a. Zelda Zonk narrates the novel, and her interactions with others trigger memories that spark a narrative that sets the record straight about that 'dumb blonde' image. (The Acknowledgements at the back of the book list a remarkable catalogue of sources.)
She has a lot to talk about. She has a childhood marked by poverty and instability and three ex-husbands behind her, plus a career that often exasperated her, a relentless Hollywood publicity machine that exploited her and the effects of a beauty industry that wrecked her hair. (There are no mirrors in her apartment). She's also widely read (most famously of James Joyce's Ulysses, one of 430 books in her personal library); she's interested in architecture, (sending me to Google to find Harry Seidler's Igloo house (more properly known as the Williamson House, see here where you can see why its curves are of interest); she's read countless play scripts and met Khruschev; and she's familiar with the fade-out of Beethoven's last string quartets and Strauss's final songs.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2023/11/08/l...
December 21, 2023
A slow burner that features some beautiful writing and craftily evokes the Sydney that I grew up in during the 1980s. The lead character is portrayed as a woman of wit, intelligence and humour, a person well aware that her true talent was being wasted by the machine:
'Across the script I scrawled, Am I making a picture or punching a time clock?'
And this from someone who had trained in The Method.
'When at a press conference they asked me how to spell Dostoyevsky, as in The Brothers Karamazov, I replied sweetly, ‘Actually, have you read the book? There’s a wonderful character in it named Grushenka, she’s a real seductress. I think it would be a good part for me.’
Sadly, that was never to be. Yet the great sadness of this story belongs to the supporting character of Daniel, who is representative of the queer males who were victimised and brutalised at The Gap. The scenes of assault towards the end are harrowing but, for this reader, incredibly important as an educative memorial and a reminder that such atrocities must never be allowed to happen again.
The novel is leisurely paced (maybe that's a euphemism), however, Fitzgerald's portrayal of its leading lady (meant with absolute respect) is both tender and revealing.
'Across the script I scrawled, Am I making a picture or punching a time clock?'
And this from someone who had trained in The Method.
'When at a press conference they asked me how to spell Dostoyevsky, as in The Brothers Karamazov, I replied sweetly, ‘Actually, have you read the book? There’s a wonderful character in it named Grushenka, she’s a real seductress. I think it would be a good part for me.’
Sadly, that was never to be. Yet the great sadness of this story belongs to the supporting character of Daniel, who is representative of the queer males who were victimised and brutalised at The Gap. The scenes of assault towards the end are harrowing but, for this reader, incredibly important as an educative memorial and a reminder that such atrocities must never be allowed to happen again.
The novel is leisurely paced (maybe that's a euphemism), however, Fitzgerald's portrayal of its leading lady (meant with absolute respect) is both tender and revealing.
December 24, 2024
I won't spoil people's fun with the discovery of the female character in this novel. Within 10% of the book, I knew who it was and in general I did enjoy the literary and actual references that support the identity, but Man!!! there just so many of them and it became a chore. Then it felt like the author was just showing off their erudition in the subject. Tedious and boring.
The addition of the Bondi gay hate murderer felt clunky rather than enhancing the narrative or themes.
For an established author, this was a disappointment, as it reads like a 1st novel of a young person.
The addition of the Bondi gay hate murderer felt clunky rather than enhancing the narrative or themes.
For an established author, this was a disappointment, as it reads like a 1st novel of a young person.
February 19, 2024
Evocative, moody, funny. I loved spending time in Marilyn/Zelda’s late 80’s Sydney world.
November 7, 2023
Late by Australian author Michael Fitzgerald is a heartwarming fiction story of overcoming fears and finding oneself in the process.
Zelda Zonk an American actress is a mess, a physical mess inside, and dealing with it while also starring in motion pictures. Drawn into the world of fads and beauty that is Hollywood she decides to leave the industry and moves to Sydney, Australia.
Living in a clifftop apartment with her two cats Zelda occurs an old typewriter. She was not the typical star you found in Hollywood and as she writes a book to herself, she begins to re-count her life following her struggles.
Daniel is locked out of his friend’s apartment who he is house-sitting for. When he meets his neighbour Zelda, she is suspicious of this young man’s actions, he wins her over with his wit and charm. Despite the age difference the pair form an improbable close connection and open to each other about their lives.
The descriptive power of the narration was incredible, and I found myself thoroughly absorbed in the story as it progressed. Although it is a quick read it is deep, emotional, and thought provoking.
The main characters are realistic, and each have a distinctive personality. The dialogue between the friends is entertaining and endearing. I enjoyed how they were so different but both being orphans sealed their bond.
Zelda’s characterization was very well put together as she is forced to draw upon her own inner strength to vanquish terrible obstacles and hidden secrets. Facing who you truly are and the meaning in your life is never easy, but it is even more difficult when you’re an actress.
There are a lot of moving pieces and dramatic scenes in the novel. I particularly enjoyed the idea that choosing the right way to handle things and that everything you do and decide will affect every other aspect of your life, and of those around you.
The poem at the end is deep and profound which will tug at your heart. I find poems can capture the interest of any reader, even if they are not poetry lovers.
Late is a novel about deep love and connections on a visceral and emotional level that really draw the reader into the world and deliver a powerful story.
I recommend to anyone who wants a well written story with a message at its core.
Thank you, Beauty and Lace and Transit Lounge for the opportunity to tread and review.,
Zelda Zonk an American actress is a mess, a physical mess inside, and dealing with it while also starring in motion pictures. Drawn into the world of fads and beauty that is Hollywood she decides to leave the industry and moves to Sydney, Australia.
Living in a clifftop apartment with her two cats Zelda occurs an old typewriter. She was not the typical star you found in Hollywood and as she writes a book to herself, she begins to re-count her life following her struggles.
Daniel is locked out of his friend’s apartment who he is house-sitting for. When he meets his neighbour Zelda, she is suspicious of this young man’s actions, he wins her over with his wit and charm. Despite the age difference the pair form an improbable close connection and open to each other about their lives.
The descriptive power of the narration was incredible, and I found myself thoroughly absorbed in the story as it progressed. Although it is a quick read it is deep, emotional, and thought provoking.
The main characters are realistic, and each have a distinctive personality. The dialogue between the friends is entertaining and endearing. I enjoyed how they were so different but both being orphans sealed their bond.
Zelda’s characterization was very well put together as she is forced to draw upon her own inner strength to vanquish terrible obstacles and hidden secrets. Facing who you truly are and the meaning in your life is never easy, but it is even more difficult when you’re an actress.
There are a lot of moving pieces and dramatic scenes in the novel. I particularly enjoyed the idea that choosing the right way to handle things and that everything you do and decide will affect every other aspect of your life, and of those around you.
The poem at the end is deep and profound which will tug at your heart. I find poems can capture the interest of any reader, even if they are not poetry lovers.
Late is a novel about deep love and connections on a visceral and emotional level that really draw the reader into the world and deliver a powerful story.
I recommend to anyone who wants a well written story with a message at its core.
Thank you, Beauty and Lace and Transit Lounge for the opportunity to tread and review.,
January 12, 2024
“Late” is the kind of novel that some people will love, and others will find pretentious. The main difficulty readers will have with it, I think, is that it relies to some extent on the reader being familiar with Marilyn Monroe’s life. The more familiar you are with her life and career, the more likely you are to appreciate this novel.
“Late” is the story of a retired actress living in Sydney in the late 1980s. It is clear that the actress, although called Zelda Zonk, is in fact intended to be Marilyn Monroe after she has faked her death. This is more of a character study than a story. It’s told as a stream of consciousness, and is light on plot. It’s also light on details as to how she faked her death.
The novel is rich with allusions to Marilyn’s life. There were some I picked up on and understood; I suspect I missed many more, because I’m not that familiar with the details of her biography. This is somewhat frustrating, as I think this would have been a much better reading experience if I could follow more of the passing references to films, marriages, and public gossip about her.
Even without that, I found it an interesting character study of a woman who’s very cynical about how other people see her, and yet can’t stop thinking about it. This is a relatively slight volume, and I found it a fast read. It wasn’t exactly absorbing, but it did hold my interest.
The novel uses footnotes liberally, which I found distracting and annoying. They didn’t add enough to the novel to justify the constant interruption. When there was a stretch without footnotes, the writing flowed well and swept me along quite quickly.
The novel raises a lot of questions about how we view each other – particularly public figures – and how that aligns (or not) with their own inner life. It’s mildly thought provoking, but I’m not sure that it says anything very new.
Overall this was interesting. However, it’s not very accessible to readers unfamiliar with Marilyn Monroe’s life. If you’re looking for something well written that may push you a bit out of your comfort zone, this will do it.
If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.
An edited version of this review first appeared on www.beautyandlace.net as part of their bookclub.
“Late” is the story of a retired actress living in Sydney in the late 1980s. It is clear that the actress, although called Zelda Zonk, is in fact intended to be Marilyn Monroe after she has faked her death. This is more of a character study than a story. It’s told as a stream of consciousness, and is light on plot. It’s also light on details as to how she faked her death.
The novel is rich with allusions to Marilyn’s life. There were some I picked up on and understood; I suspect I missed many more, because I’m not that familiar with the details of her biography. This is somewhat frustrating, as I think this would have been a much better reading experience if I could follow more of the passing references to films, marriages, and public gossip about her.
Even without that, I found it an interesting character study of a woman who’s very cynical about how other people see her, and yet can’t stop thinking about it. This is a relatively slight volume, and I found it a fast read. It wasn’t exactly absorbing, but it did hold my interest.
The novel uses footnotes liberally, which I found distracting and annoying. They didn’t add enough to the novel to justify the constant interruption. When there was a stretch without footnotes, the writing flowed well and swept me along quite quickly.
The novel raises a lot of questions about how we view each other – particularly public figures – and how that aligns (or not) with their own inner life. It’s mildly thought provoking, but I’m not sure that it says anything very new.
Overall this was interesting. However, it’s not very accessible to readers unfamiliar with Marilyn Monroe’s life. If you’re looking for something well written that may push you a bit out of your comfort zone, this will do it.
If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.
An edited version of this review first appeared on www.beautyandlace.net as part of their bookclub.
March 31, 2024
Had no idea it was meant to Marilyn Monroe. Why? And also the gay hate crimes were set in Bondi, when they were in Manly - this confused me at the beginning, as I was thinking it was Manly - a VERY different suburb. And Marilyn ending up in Sydney? As if??!!
Too many adjectives. Yes it was pretentious as another reviewer says - Pucci, fur coat (like you need one in Sydney - never!) etc etc....The steam of consciousness was just messy. Maybe this was intentional, I just found it annoying. And the female character talking about her two selves. Didn't work for me. I wasn't 'in' on all the 'in jokes' of it being Marilyn. Also all the footnotes were unnecessary and didn't add anything to the narrative.
Too many adjectives. Yes it was pretentious as another reviewer says - Pucci, fur coat (like you need one in Sydney - never!) etc etc....The steam of consciousness was just messy. Maybe this was intentional, I just found it annoying. And the female character talking about her two selves. Didn't work for me. I wasn't 'in' on all the 'in jokes' of it being Marilyn. Also all the footnotes were unnecessary and didn't add anything to the narrative.
October 17, 2023
Many thanks to Beauty and Lace and Transit Lounge for my copy to read and review.
At the start I was really confused about what I was reading. I persevered and it began to make sense. It was about half way through I realized who the main character was supposed to be. Although truly fiction it was well researched and portrayed well.
I did find it hard as I kept missing the little asterisk’s and in turn missing the keynotes placed at the bottom of the page. Once I got my head around this it became a lot easier to read and understand. That’s not the author’s fault it was just that I was not used to reading this way.
Many people would find it easy.
The story itself had a lot of interesting elements. It hit on subjects like being gay in the 80’s with gay bashing and the scare of aids around that time, of adoption, friendships and family.
It was a quick book to read, easily read in a day but left an impression.
At the start I was really confused about what I was reading. I persevered and it began to make sense. It was about half way through I realized who the main character was supposed to be. Although truly fiction it was well researched and portrayed well.
I did find it hard as I kept missing the little asterisk’s and in turn missing the keynotes placed at the bottom of the page. Once I got my head around this it became a lot easier to read and understand. That’s not the author’s fault it was just that I was not used to reading this way.
Many people would find it easy.
The story itself had a lot of interesting elements. It hit on subjects like being gay in the 80’s with gay bashing and the scare of aids around that time, of adoption, friendships and family.
It was a quick book to read, easily read in a day but left an impression.
January 24, 2024
i found it hard going .Quite intense and I found it annoying that there were references to words
I did not know and when I read the meaning of that sentence or time I had lost interest . I did persevere until the end .
I did not know and when I read the meaning of that sentence or time I had lost interest . I did persevere until the end .
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews