Penguin Books Ltd The Actor.

by Chris MacDonald

The Actor ABISBOOK Penguin Books Ltd.

384 pages, Paperback

Published August 15, 2024

Reviews

[Dan Cummerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adam Sealey is set to fulfil a lifelong ambition of winning an Oscar but there’s a dark secret threatening to ruin it all.

Captivating from start to finish, it tells a story of method actor Adam Sealey who trained at the Conservatoire school; under the tutelage of Jonathan. Although the book switches from past to present the flow works perfectly, as we see Adam in his youth training and honing his craft before switching into full fledged actor trying to achieve his dream.

It’s almost autobiographical, of sorts - a tale of lost love and tragedy with strict and watchful eye as the school attempts to bring Hamlet to the stage.

There are only so many NDAs you can dish out and only so much running you can do but in the end, the past will catch up with you.

This was a unique read for me, a subject I’ve not really read and it shows the lengths and sacrifices you need to make if you’re making it to the top. Thoroughly enjoyable and immersive read.

[Richard Morrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

A method actor is on the cusp of winning his first academy award when ghosts from the past start to surface in the present. Dark Academia mixed with the gritty business that is Hollywood help to captivate the audience. The protagonist and narrator, Adam, is presented in such a way that doesn’t make a reader sympathise with him as he has leant into the ‘troubled artist’ trope. It’s dark but extremely captivating and the narrative shifting between past and present really shows off the actor’s motivations for what they chosen to do. With the way this novel is crafted, you can visualise all its goings on so clearly from life in the Drama Conservatoire to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood being used to cover up something shameful and regrettable. Captivating from cover to cover.

[Behrooz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite good. The problem for me was that I am far from the world of this book. Theatres, actors, drama schools and some of things in this book were just alien to me. I must admit that I was getting bored of it around the middle of the book. But I am happy to say that the last 100 pages really picked up with lots of twists and turns and I rerally enjoyed it. Was quite exciting and unusual in the end.
Overall: enjoyed it.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the world of acting, this is a tense read. The protagonist, Adam, is in award season and it’s likely he’s going to win awards so why is he so tortured and messed up? Well, all is revealed in the flashbacks. I really enjoyed reading his journey and the details of his performances and those of his enigmatic mentor. Characters a little 2D in places but I binged this one and am writing a review which is always a good sign.

[Aileen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just could NOT get into this one at all. Picked it up every day for over a week, read a few pages and then decided I had something better to do (empty the dishwasher, put the laundry on..... anything else!). The main character was a self-absorbed git, all the other (very thinly drawn) characters were forgettable. The mentor was a complete a***. Meh, not for me I'm afraid.

[faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

best book i’ve read in a long time

[Sharon Hackett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read but could have been much shorter.