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The Life and Death of Sophie Stark
The Life and Death of Sophie Stark is the story of an enigmatic film director, told by the six people who loved her most. Brilliant, infuriating, all-seeing and unknowable, Sophie Stark makes films said to be 'more like life than life itself'. But her genius comes at a terrible cost: to her husband, to the brother she left behind, and to the actress she can't quite forget.
With shades of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, A Visit from the Goon Squad and Where'd You Go, Bernadette, it combines a uniquely appealing sensibility with a compulsively page-turning plot.
With shades of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, A Visit from the Goon Squad and Where'd You Go, Bernadette, it combines a uniquely appealing sensibility with a compulsively page-turning plot.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 19, 2015
151 people are currently reading
11924 people want to read
About the author
Anna North
11 books847 followersAnna North is a novelist and journalist. She is the author of the novels Bog Queen (October 2025), Outlawed (a New York Times bestseller and Reese's Book Club pick), The Life and Death of Sophie Stark, and America Pacifica. She has been a writer and editor at Jezebel, BuzzFeed, and the New York Times, and is now a senior correspondent at Vox.
Follow her on Bluesky or Instagram.
Follow her on Bluesky or Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 872 reviews
June 22, 2022
HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!!
"I thought making movies would make me more like other people," said Sophie. "But sometimes I think it just makes me even more like me."
man, i just loved this book. it reminded me of my favorite robert coover novel - John's Wife, or the structural underpinnings of twin peaks in that all of the action revolves around a central character, in this case sophie stark, who is both charismatic and enigmatic, and never given a voice in her own story except through the filter of others. the narrative is driven by those who had considered themselves close to her, and it is the memories of their experiences with sophie and their interpretations of her behavior that shape the reader's understanding of who she was. it's a tricky thing to do well, but north handles it perfectly.
i had read her first novel, America Pacifica, years ago and it was a lightweight post-apocalyptic piece that didn't really impress me, but i have to say, this one was excellent. her writing, her characterization, her quiet perfect behavioral observations, it's all incredibly strong here.
sophie stark is a filmmaker whose movies are beautiful, disquieting and emotionally jarring. very image-focused, they reveal something to the viewer that speaks to the human condition but is also somehow distancing: …as if an alien had come down and filmed humans and shown us what we were like so much more honestly then any other human could.
and it is this bewitching/disturbing duality that has made sophie's movies so compelling, but has made a shambles of her personal life. her character is dissected by the people to whom she was closest, and those who felt closest to her work: her brother, her girlfriend, her husband, a former obsession, a critic, and a producer.
sophie has never been able to relate to people on an emotional level, and she can only understand them through the lens of a camera. i'm sure she is meant to be somewhere on the spectrum, but this book isn't about neurology, it is about the sacrifices a true visionary makes in order to fulfill their goals. sophie has patience, strength, and confidence in her work, and she is able to manifest something in her art that stuns the subject.
her brother remembers:
Sophie had gotten a little point-and-shoot camera for her fifteenth birthday, and she'd taken photos on and off since then. She'd taken one of me when we were both in high school that I still love - I'm sitting on our front steps eating an ice cream sandwich, and I look more like myself than I've ever looked in any mirror, a little bit angry but a little bit hopeful, too, like I'm looking forward to not being mad.
but sophie is also a slave to her artistic temperament which will not allow her to spare someone's feelings if she senses that a more powerful story can be told. after she infuriates her husband by using his tragic memories of his mother in a film that he understood was to employ more of a hopeful, cathartic tone, she recognizes that his anger is justified, but her artistic scruples would not allow her to pull her punches:
…I got into it, and I realized there was a much better way to make it that would be really beautiful and interesting, And I knew I could either make it happy or I could make it good.
all of the people in sophie's life have been hurt by her in various ways, but sophie is not necessarily a malicious person. she's empathically-challenged, and she comes across as cold and driven, but several anecdotes show her vulnerability, and her longing to connect at a deeper level. she just doesn't understand the balance - how to be as patient in her personal life as she is with the details of her art, and she doesn't have it in her to be pinned down for too long.
…long ago I'd had to accept that I would see and know Sophie on her terms and not mine.
this book is largely about damage. all of the people who fall under sophie's magnetism are damaged in some way, the way all people are, but there is very little regret in their memories of her - it is a privilege to have been allowed as close as she would allow.
And when people ask me why I married her that September, even though I'd known her for only three months and I knew it wouldn't last, I tell them that a life is a heavy burden and imagine if someone just carried it for you for a while, just picked it up and carried it.
the vagueness about who is carrying whom here is one of those nice, subtle moments, as well as the many small contradictions that appear as we observe how differently the other characters interpret sophie's behavior based on their own experiences. and how different combinations of people encourage different facets of a person to emerge: her brother claims he had only seen sophie cry once, but her husband sees her cry on the very first night they meet. it's the small details like these that make this book so strong and so realistic.
it's also there in the way that the other characters are free with their own backstories, allowing us to see their own damage and how they were able to be sucked into her orbit. like her girlfriend allison:
I worked at a diner until my manager started stealing my tips, and then as a bar waitress until a customer tried to follow me home, and then at a bodega where I had to stay because I had no ideas left, even though the owner always pressed his crotch against my ass when he walked behind me and yelled at me for not selling expired food. I felt like I'd come to a place for people who didn't know how to be people, and if I was there I must not really know how to be a person either.
allison knows how to "be a person" much better than sophie does, but she hurts people, too. no one is exempt from the casual cruelty people inflict throughout their lives, but as a public figure, sophie's shortcomings transcend the personal realm and become lore.
the ending is not surprising - it's all right there in the title, and the "how" of it is a pretty foregone conclusion. but this isn't a mystery novel, it's the study of one troubled, dynamic woman, whose life is scrutinized both by her inner circle and by those who only "knew" her through her art. it's a lovely story; strong and haunting, spotlighting all the pitfalls and warts of loving and being loved.
…all my strongest memories of Sophie were of her leaving.
yeah. read it.
come to my blog!
"I thought making movies would make me more like other people," said Sophie. "But sometimes I think it just makes me even more like me."
man, i just loved this book. it reminded me of my favorite robert coover novel - John's Wife, or the structural underpinnings of twin peaks in that all of the action revolves around a central character, in this case sophie stark, who is both charismatic and enigmatic, and never given a voice in her own story except through the filter of others. the narrative is driven by those who had considered themselves close to her, and it is the memories of their experiences with sophie and their interpretations of her behavior that shape the reader's understanding of who she was. it's a tricky thing to do well, but north handles it perfectly.
i had read her first novel, America Pacifica, years ago and it was a lightweight post-apocalyptic piece that didn't really impress me, but i have to say, this one was excellent. her writing, her characterization, her quiet perfect behavioral observations, it's all incredibly strong here.
sophie stark is a filmmaker whose movies are beautiful, disquieting and emotionally jarring. very image-focused, they reveal something to the viewer that speaks to the human condition but is also somehow distancing: …as if an alien had come down and filmed humans and shown us what we were like so much more honestly then any other human could.
and it is this bewitching/disturbing duality that has made sophie's movies so compelling, but has made a shambles of her personal life. her character is dissected by the people to whom she was closest, and those who felt closest to her work: her brother, her girlfriend, her husband, a former obsession, a critic, and a producer.
sophie has never been able to relate to people on an emotional level, and she can only understand them through the lens of a camera. i'm sure she is meant to be somewhere on the spectrum, but this book isn't about neurology, it is about the sacrifices a true visionary makes in order to fulfill their goals. sophie has patience, strength, and confidence in her work, and she is able to manifest something in her art that stuns the subject.
her brother remembers:
Sophie had gotten a little point-and-shoot camera for her fifteenth birthday, and she'd taken photos on and off since then. She'd taken one of me when we were both in high school that I still love - I'm sitting on our front steps eating an ice cream sandwich, and I look more like myself than I've ever looked in any mirror, a little bit angry but a little bit hopeful, too, like I'm looking forward to not being mad.
but sophie is also a slave to her artistic temperament which will not allow her to spare someone's feelings if she senses that a more powerful story can be told. after she infuriates her husband by using his tragic memories of his mother in a film that he understood was to employ more of a hopeful, cathartic tone, she recognizes that his anger is justified, but her artistic scruples would not allow her to pull her punches:
…I got into it, and I realized there was a much better way to make it that would be really beautiful and interesting, And I knew I could either make it happy or I could make it good.
all of the people in sophie's life have been hurt by her in various ways, but sophie is not necessarily a malicious person. she's empathically-challenged, and she comes across as cold and driven, but several anecdotes show her vulnerability, and her longing to connect at a deeper level. she just doesn't understand the balance - how to be as patient in her personal life as she is with the details of her art, and she doesn't have it in her to be pinned down for too long.
…long ago I'd had to accept that I would see and know Sophie on her terms and not mine.
this book is largely about damage. all of the people who fall under sophie's magnetism are damaged in some way, the way all people are, but there is very little regret in their memories of her - it is a privilege to have been allowed as close as she would allow.
And when people ask me why I married her that September, even though I'd known her for only three months and I knew it wouldn't last, I tell them that a life is a heavy burden and imagine if someone just carried it for you for a while, just picked it up and carried it.
the vagueness about who is carrying whom here is one of those nice, subtle moments, as well as the many small contradictions that appear as we observe how differently the other characters interpret sophie's behavior based on their own experiences. and how different combinations of people encourage different facets of a person to emerge: her brother claims he had only seen sophie cry once, but her husband sees her cry on the very first night they meet. it's the small details like these that make this book so strong and so realistic.
it's also there in the way that the other characters are free with their own backstories, allowing us to see their own damage and how they were able to be sucked into her orbit. like her girlfriend allison:
I worked at a diner until my manager started stealing my tips, and then as a bar waitress until a customer tried to follow me home, and then at a bodega where I had to stay because I had no ideas left, even though the owner always pressed his crotch against my ass when he walked behind me and yelled at me for not selling expired food. I felt like I'd come to a place for people who didn't know how to be people, and if I was there I must not really know how to be a person either.
allison knows how to "be a person" much better than sophie does, but she hurts people, too. no one is exempt from the casual cruelty people inflict throughout their lives, but as a public figure, sophie's shortcomings transcend the personal realm and become lore.
the ending is not surprising - it's all right there in the title, and the "how" of it is a pretty foregone conclusion. but this isn't a mystery novel, it's the study of one troubled, dynamic woman, whose life is scrutinized both by her inner circle and by those who only "knew" her through her art. it's a lovely story; strong and haunting, spotlighting all the pitfalls and warts of loving and being loved.
…all my strongest memories of Sophie were of her leaving.
yeah. read it.
come to my blog!
June 19, 2017
Man, what a writer! North conducts an off-beat symphony about an enigmatic filmmaker named Sophie. Sophie’s friends (victims?) comprise the chorus, and they alternate chapters to tell about their dramatic relationship with Sophie. I was glued to the performance. Only a brilliant writer could make me feel sorry for a sociopathic mind-fucker. Or IS that what she is? A part of me thinks that Sophie is the real victim here. Others become obsessed with her, try to devour her, make too many demands on her. Then I think it has nothing to do with who is the biggest victim—maybe Sophie is just a mentally ill genius who can’t communicate except through art.
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about Sophie. She may be one of the most intriguing and magnetic characters I’ve ever met. She’s a walking contradiction. She's tiny and frail yet strong. She's independent yet terribly dependent. She’s confident but scared. She’s proud of her work but she’s insecure about it. She’s lovable but stand-offish. She’s totally devoted but completely detached. She is either sticking like glue or running away fast. Shit, what DO I think about her? I’ll tell you this—the author is one smart cookie to make me feel so ambivalent about a character.
The book structure is brilliant. I feel like I’m inside Sophie’s head. But wait! How can I feel like I’m inside Sophie’s head, when Sophie never directly tells me what she’s thinking or feeling or doing? There isn’t a Sophie chapter! I just learn about her through others. Genius, I tell you, pure genius.
Only two teensy nits. First, there is a page of text that appears twice in the book. I’m reading along and I think, didn’t I just read this exact page a while ago? Sure enough, I had. It’s no biggie, but it did pull me out of the coziness of the story for a minute. I all of the sudden see the author sitting at her computer (perhaps with a cup of coffee and a cat by her side), concentrating hard as she cuts and pastes, accidentally putting the same page of text into two scenes. The editor should have caught this; I didn’t appreciate having to leave the story for a minute and think about the writer process.
Second, even though I liked the structure—of each person having a chapter to themselves—I did find it a little hard at first to figure out how the chapters, and characters, related to each other. I couldn’t see where the story was going. But once I hit the third chapter, the story started to gel. From the very start, though, I was loving it so much, I didn’t much care.
This is one fantastic psychological study. The book is about vulnerability, fear, insecurity, betrayal, trust, love, and obsession. It’s even about morality—is it okay to betray a person’s confidence in order to make compelling art? Where do we draw the line? I’m dying to talk specifics here but I won’t. You’ve got to read this one to see what I mean.
Oh, and the ending is pure genius!!! Conductor, take a bow!!!
One of my favorite favorites of 2015. Highly highly recommend!
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about Sophie. She may be one of the most intriguing and magnetic characters I’ve ever met. She’s a walking contradiction. She's tiny and frail yet strong. She's independent yet terribly dependent. She’s confident but scared. She’s proud of her work but she’s insecure about it. She’s lovable but stand-offish. She’s totally devoted but completely detached. She is either sticking like glue or running away fast. Shit, what DO I think about her? I’ll tell you this—the author is one smart cookie to make me feel so ambivalent about a character.
The book structure is brilliant. I feel like I’m inside Sophie’s head. But wait! How can I feel like I’m inside Sophie’s head, when Sophie never directly tells me what she’s thinking or feeling or doing? There isn’t a Sophie chapter! I just learn about her through others. Genius, I tell you, pure genius.
Only two teensy nits. First, there is a page of text that appears twice in the book. I’m reading along and I think, didn’t I just read this exact page a while ago? Sure enough, I had. It’s no biggie, but it did pull me out of the coziness of the story for a minute. I all of the sudden see the author sitting at her computer (perhaps with a cup of coffee and a cat by her side), concentrating hard as she cuts and pastes, accidentally putting the same page of text into two scenes. The editor should have caught this; I didn’t appreciate having to leave the story for a minute and think about the writer process.
Second, even though I liked the structure—of each person having a chapter to themselves—I did find it a little hard at first to figure out how the chapters, and characters, related to each other. I couldn’t see where the story was going. But once I hit the third chapter, the story started to gel. From the very start, though, I was loving it so much, I didn’t much care.
This is one fantastic psychological study. The book is about vulnerability, fear, insecurity, betrayal, trust, love, and obsession. It’s even about morality—is it okay to betray a person’s confidence in order to make compelling art? Where do we draw the line? I’m dying to talk specifics here but I won’t. You’ve got to read this one to see what I mean.
Oh, and the ending is pure genius!!! Conductor, take a bow!!!
One of my favorite favorites of 2015. Highly highly recommend!
June 18, 2017
4.75 Starry Starry Stars
”Starry
Starry night
Paint your palette blue and grey
Look out on a summer's day
With eyes that know the
Darkness in my soul.
Shadows on the hills
Sketch the trees and the daffodils
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colors on the snowy linen land.
And now I understand what you tried to say to me
How you suffered for your sanity
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen
They did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now.”
Don McLean “Vincent”
The Life and Death of Sophie Stark begins through the eyes of Allison, a young woman from Burnsville, West Virginia, a small town with a relatively small population, 133 families. She’s left the small town life for NYC.
”When Sophie first saw me, I was onstage.”
So begins this story of Sophie Stark. Allison is in a bar in Bushwick, a working class neighborhood in Brooklyn.
”But there I was in New York and for ten minutes I could make people listen to me and treat me like I was important.’”
Sophie approaches her, waiting patiently for her congratulators and fans to depart.
”’I make movies about people,’ she said, ‘and I’d like you to be in one.’”
Sophie’s already made a movie, but she knows this one will be better, she’s learned from mistakes, but holds on to her vision of what, as an artist, she wants to show, to say, to leave the viewer with, weaving her inspired, imaginative wand over it all.
Seen through the eyes of Allison, Robbie, Jacob, Daniel, and George, this is a stunning study of what it means to truly recognize and understand another soul. To see and be seen. An artist seen through myriad viewpoints, coloured by personal opinions, interactions with Sophie Stark. Who is Sophie Stark to each of these characters, how her interaction with each person is unique and complete to itself, but when combined paints a portrait of a young woman who seems to place herself at the perimeter of relationships, desperately hoping for that connection where she feels safe, seen, but poised to flee, not willing to compromise her art, herself.
“Starry
Starry night
Flaming flo'rs that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds in violet haze reflect in
Vincent's eyes of China blue.
Colors changing hue
Morning fields of amber grain
Weathered faces lined in pain
Are soothed beneath the artist's
Loving hand.
And now I understand what you tried to say to me
How you suffered for your sanity
How you tried to set them free.
Perhaps they'll listen now.”
Sophie may not be a likeable character, but she’s so broken, so untrusting of life that she draws you further inside. Those that see her films have seen inside her, her thoughts and feelings and perspectives on the world. There’s an aching beauty in her somewhat dysfunctional relationships, her inability to connect verbally as she can in her films.
"I thought making movies would make me more like other people. But sometimes I think it just makes me even more like me."
The vision she has for her films, her art, are her guiding light, when it comes to her creations she is like a mother protecting a child and will sacrifice all she has or loves in order to not compromise on her vision. Love or friendship, relationships are not part of the equation. Sacrificing her art would be like sacrificing herself for the opinions, desires of another. What, then, of her art? It would no longer exist, it would be something else, altogether, the vision of someone else, not Sophie – and what then of Sophie if her art disappears? Does she disappear, as well?
“For they could not love you
But still your love was true
And when no hope was left in sight on that starry
Starry night.
You took your life
As lovers often do;
But I could have told you
Vincent
This world was never
Meant for one
As beautiful as you.
They would not listen
They're not
List'ning still
Perhaps they never will.”
Don McLean “Vincent”
”Starry
Starry night
Paint your palette blue and grey
Look out on a summer's day
With eyes that know the
Darkness in my soul.
Shadows on the hills
Sketch the trees and the daffodils
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colors on the snowy linen land.
And now I understand what you tried to say to me
How you suffered for your sanity
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen
They did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now.”
Don McLean “Vincent”
The Life and Death of Sophie Stark begins through the eyes of Allison, a young woman from Burnsville, West Virginia, a small town with a relatively small population, 133 families. She’s left the small town life for NYC.
”When Sophie first saw me, I was onstage.”
So begins this story of Sophie Stark. Allison is in a bar in Bushwick, a working class neighborhood in Brooklyn.
”But there I was in New York and for ten minutes I could make people listen to me and treat me like I was important.’”
Sophie approaches her, waiting patiently for her congratulators and fans to depart.
”’I make movies about people,’ she said, ‘and I’d like you to be in one.’”
Sophie’s already made a movie, but she knows this one will be better, she’s learned from mistakes, but holds on to her vision of what, as an artist, she wants to show, to say, to leave the viewer with, weaving her inspired, imaginative wand over it all.
Seen through the eyes of Allison, Robbie, Jacob, Daniel, and George, this is a stunning study of what it means to truly recognize and understand another soul. To see and be seen. An artist seen through myriad viewpoints, coloured by personal opinions, interactions with Sophie Stark. Who is Sophie Stark to each of these characters, how her interaction with each person is unique and complete to itself, but when combined paints a portrait of a young woman who seems to place herself at the perimeter of relationships, desperately hoping for that connection where she feels safe, seen, but poised to flee, not willing to compromise her art, herself.
“Starry
Starry night
Flaming flo'rs that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds in violet haze reflect in
Vincent's eyes of China blue.
Colors changing hue
Morning fields of amber grain
Weathered faces lined in pain
Are soothed beneath the artist's
Loving hand.
And now I understand what you tried to say to me
How you suffered for your sanity
How you tried to set them free.
Perhaps they'll listen now.”
Sophie may not be a likeable character, but she’s so broken, so untrusting of life that she draws you further inside. Those that see her films have seen inside her, her thoughts and feelings and perspectives on the world. There’s an aching beauty in her somewhat dysfunctional relationships, her inability to connect verbally as she can in her films.
"I thought making movies would make me more like other people. But sometimes I think it just makes me even more like me."
The vision she has for her films, her art, are her guiding light, when it comes to her creations she is like a mother protecting a child and will sacrifice all she has or loves in order to not compromise on her vision. Love or friendship, relationships are not part of the equation. Sacrificing her art would be like sacrificing herself for the opinions, desires of another. What, then, of her art? It would no longer exist, it would be something else, altogether, the vision of someone else, not Sophie – and what then of Sophie if her art disappears? Does she disappear, as well?
“For they could not love you
But still your love was true
And when no hope was left in sight on that starry
Starry night.
You took your life
As lovers often do;
But I could have told you
Vincent
This world was never
Meant for one
As beautiful as you.
They would not listen
They're not
List'ning still
Perhaps they never will.”
Don McLean “Vincent”
June 19, 2015
WARNING: THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Okay, I confess, I thought this was a thriller! Had I bothered to read the book description, i would have missed out on this extraordinary read! I'm not one who thinks much about cinematography or the artistry involved, maybe my brain just leans the other way. BUT THIS BOOK! It tugged at me and before I knew it I was deep inside it's world. It's really much more of a character study, all told from the other characters point of view.
Sophie is what most consider a misfit. I loved how she put it, "It's like having everybody mispronounce your name, everyday. And at first you try to correct them, but they keep fucking it up, and then you start to wonder if maybe you're the one who's wrong and that really is how to pronounce your name. And after awhile you start to wonder if you even have a name. Are you a person? Do you even exist? Who the fuck knows!" Nothing really matters to Sophie unless she finds it interesting. She may deal with her demons through cinematography, yet the questions she provokes are universal.
The story is so hooked in with how the characters surrounding Sophie relate to the world, it becomes easy to understand why Sophie feels as she does. A few of the questions considered are the concept of love, do people fall in love just because the other becomes interesting? Also, the many ways one is considered strong. Do we glorify the strong and silent type, or can we recognize that asking for help and letting people in is a strength. What about jealousy? What role does jealousy play in showing that we care? How quickly can we be forgotten? Even accidents/illnesses. Are we "less than." Does some part of us want to die to be replaced by a "whole?" And, how often do we compromise our integrity for a steady paycheck?
Sophie's attempts at understanding the world, and many of these questions are through the movies she has written. Yet, she has found they only make her more like other people. Did she think others really knew how to be in this world, but finally realized they were just as clueless, had only perfected an outward "act?"
a complete stranger says of Sophie, "She saw people for what they are, and I think if you've that perceptive, you just can't live in the world for very long. Think about it. To see the truth of life as she did - it would be unbearable."
While Sophie's movies focused on the awful things that happen to other people, does she finally include herself in the end? Did she leave to go somewhere safe?
Damn, never written a review with so many questions! But, this is the type of read that could be read again and again, always with something new to discover. Loved it!
Okay, I confess, I thought this was a thriller! Had I bothered to read the book description, i would have missed out on this extraordinary read! I'm not one who thinks much about cinematography or the artistry involved, maybe my brain just leans the other way. BUT THIS BOOK! It tugged at me and before I knew it I was deep inside it's world. It's really much more of a character study, all told from the other characters point of view.
Sophie is what most consider a misfit. I loved how she put it, "It's like having everybody mispronounce your name, everyday. And at first you try to correct them, but they keep fucking it up, and then you start to wonder if maybe you're the one who's wrong and that really is how to pronounce your name. And after awhile you start to wonder if you even have a name. Are you a person? Do you even exist? Who the fuck knows!" Nothing really matters to Sophie unless she finds it interesting. She may deal with her demons through cinematography, yet the questions she provokes are universal.
The story is so hooked in with how the characters surrounding Sophie relate to the world, it becomes easy to understand why Sophie feels as she does. A few of the questions considered are the concept of love, do people fall in love just because the other becomes interesting? Also, the many ways one is considered strong. Do we glorify the strong and silent type, or can we recognize that asking for help and letting people in is a strength. What about jealousy? What role does jealousy play in showing that we care? How quickly can we be forgotten? Even accidents/illnesses. Are we "less than." Does some part of us want to die to be replaced by a "whole?" And, how often do we compromise our integrity for a steady paycheck?
Sophie's attempts at understanding the world, and many of these questions are through the movies she has written. Yet, she has found they only make her more like other people. Did she think others really knew how to be in this world, but finally realized they were just as clueless, had only perfected an outward "act?"
a complete stranger says of Sophie, "She saw people for what they are, and I think if you've that perceptive, you just can't live in the world for very long. Think about it. To see the truth of life as she did - it would be unbearable."
While Sophie's movies focused on the awful things that happen to other people, does she finally include herself in the end? Did she leave to go somewhere safe?
Damn, never written a review with so many questions! But, this is the type of read that could be read again and again, always with something new to discover. Loved it!
May 20, 2015
I'm just not sure how I feel about this book , and I guess that's a plus because my ambivalence reflects how thought provoking it is . Is Sophie Stark , the filmmaker , a genius or an opportunist hurting the people closest to her along the way to her fame or is she a vulnerable, even fragile young woman who bears the scars of bullying and never belonging? Maybe all of these .
What we know about Sophie , we learn from the narratives of others - her lover Allison, her brother Robbie, her husband Jacob, her college obsession and subject of her first film, Daniel. We also hear from George, a not so successful Hollywood producer . From these narratives , we know that Sophie is manipulative . She lies to these people for what appears to be her own agenda and she sometimes hurts people for her own ends or presumably her art .
All of these things made me dislike her but yet I saw glimpses of her past that made me feel sorry for her . There was only one moment when I can honestly say that I liked Sophie . It was when she sends Daniel the video of him spinning around . If you read the book , you will know why I thought this was a gift to Daniel . The book is not really all about Sophie , though . It's also about these other characters , who they are , the burdens they bear, how they find their way , and how their relationship with Sophie affects them.
I expected Sophie's fate and didn't see the clever ending coming but for me it was just a clever ending so I have to say 3 stars .
Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Blue Rider Press and NetGalley .
August 3, 2016
"The Life and Death of Sophie Stark" is a strange but fascinating novel. This book tells how Sophie Stark, an emotionally aloof Indie filmmaker manipulates the people who love her the most, including her ex-girlfriend, her brother, her husband, and many more. What makes this book so different is even though the main subject is Sophie Stark - you never hear her point-of-view. Each chapter introduces a different character, (some of the people I mentioned above) and they begin to tell how Sophie impacted their lives. I especially enjoyed reading Allison's chapters, (her past is so dark and tragic) but I thought Robbie's chapters (her dedicated brother) told the best backstory of his strained relationship with his sister, Sophie. Parts of the novel dragged a tad towards the middle, and I felt like this book left me wanting more. It was an excellent and unique story but I felt like I didn't fully understand why Sophie treated people the way she did. Was she suffering from mental illness or did she just have a misguided nature? Who knows. But just let me say that the author of this novel, Anna North is a gifted writer. She's a natural-born storyteller. I was completely hooked after just a few pages. Beautifully written in every way. Enjoy!
February 25, 2015
Fearless ...it claws into you with freshness and truth. This novel exposes the inner workings of the way people think about how they live, what they want, and what they believe.
Sophie and the other characters each live with emotional scars . The stories of each of these characters, richly interwoven, alternating narrators, slowly come together with haunting grace.
The author, Anna North, has created something very original here...(exquisitely written)
Leaving me to question....
Was Sophie's choice an act of unforgivable hubris, or generosity?
Sophie and the other characters each live with emotional scars . The stories of each of these characters, richly interwoven, alternating narrators, slowly come together with haunting grace.
The author, Anna North, has created something very original here...(exquisitely written)
Leaving me to question....
Was Sophie's choice an act of unforgivable hubris, or generosity?
December 29, 2014
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me access to an advance copy of this book. Since I had never heard of North before, it was an unexpectedly good read and very hard to put down. The concept is very clever and works well. Sophie Stark is a film maker with a very unusual personality who has been willing on more than one occasion to sacrifice relationships for the sake of her movies. She is ambiguously portrayed as either very cold or unusually insightful. Her story is told from the perspective of a handful of people who have been involved in her films, including her brother, husband and former lovers. Ultimately, who Sophie is and what makes her so unusual remains somewhat elusive and intangible, but we learn a lot about the characters who tell her story. I found each of their first person narratives fascinating and really engaging. These characters' stories are self contained and interesting, and their unique personalities really come through. North's book is original in its structure, but it is very readable because it portrays what feel like real and complex people. I definitely highly recommend it and will be looking for North's first novel.
July 9, 2015
Extraordinary tale about a small indie filmmaker, Sophie Stark, told by a handful of the people who came closest to knowing her. A misfit in school and college, she comes off as just plain weird. As an adult, she is an irregular weave - obsessed, tortured, and damaged, but with occasional flashes of brilliance with her odd movies. Any dealings you have with her will be strictly on her own terms. Sophie put me in the mind of a feral cat in that way, but one without the basic instinct of self-preservation. A stunning character study.
February 4, 2021
[4+] Sophie Stark is one of the most fascinating and original characters I've encountered. The novel examines her life through the eyes of several people - each of them drawn into her orbit by her magnetic, artistic vision. Or something! She is an enigma - challenging to like or love. North brings her alive in these pages and it won't be easy to forget her.
December 21, 2015
This book is a well done and unusual character study. You come to know Sophie Stark through the stories told by Sophie's brother, lover, husband and other people who have been players in her life. You never hear directly from Sophie herself.
It seemed to me that Sophie was an extremely bright person somewhere on the autistic spectrum and her behavior and betrayals were not necessarily malicious but were driven organically by her disorder. That's my take, anyway. I didn't like or dislike her; I just found her interesting.
It took a while for me to get hooked; I took an immediate dislike to the first character narrating and almost abandoned the book. Glad I didn't!
I recommend this, especially to readers who enjoy psychological thrillers or unlikeable characters.
It seemed to me that Sophie was an extremely bright person somewhere on the autistic spectrum and her behavior and betrayals were not necessarily malicious but were driven organically by her disorder. That's my take, anyway. I didn't like or dislike her; I just found her interesting.
It took a while for me to get hooked; I took an immediate dislike to the first character narrating and almost abandoned the book. Glad I didn't!
I recommend this, especially to readers who enjoy psychological thrillers or unlikeable characters.
June 16, 2015
Despite raves from a few GR friends, I wasn't looking forward at all to reading this. Not because of the subject matter, but because a blurb bit (..the propulsive rise of an iconoclastic (movie maker)) reminded me too much of one of my biggest fiction disappointments in the last few years, Marisha Pessl's Night Film. Apologies to fans of that book, but I just could not fathom its appeal. Fortunately, Anna North is no Marisha Pessl, and Sophie Stark is no Stanislaus Cordova.
The title The Life and Death of Sophie Stark intimates something dark and sinister, but this is not that kind of book This is not an auteur's murky murder mystery; it's a nuanced and well-examined foray into the enigmatic mind of an artist, obliquely approached from multiple viewpoints of friends, family and associates in her life. The novel has wide appeal, not only for aesthetes and cineastes interested in the prime motivators in an artist's life but for anyone tangential to someone right-brained or having someone creative in their life. Examining Sophie Stark (who for some reason reminded me of a female Harmony Korine or a Sophia Coppola with a much more humble upbringing) through those around her was a master stroke by Ms. North, giving the reader just enough of a glimpse into Sophie's life to keep it compelling despite her not being a terribly likable or sympathetic character. Without being particulaly splashy or sensational, the novel is just as gripping as any auteur's thriller (perhaps more so because it feels as big as life and infinitely more relatable).
This is one of those rare occasions when I've wished a novel to be longer, yet totally satisfied by its length. This is Ms. North's sophomore effort; her storytelling chops and ear for believable dialogue belie her relative youth: she's going to have a great career ahead of her.
The title The Life and Death of Sophie Stark intimates something dark and sinister, but this is not that kind of book This is not an auteur's murky murder mystery; it's a nuanced and well-examined foray into the enigmatic mind of an artist, obliquely approached from multiple viewpoints of friends, family and associates in her life. The novel has wide appeal, not only for aesthetes and cineastes interested in the prime motivators in an artist's life but for anyone tangential to someone right-brained or having someone creative in their life. Examining Sophie Stark (who for some reason reminded me of a female Harmony Korine or a Sophia Coppola with a much more humble upbringing) through those around her was a master stroke by Ms. North, giving the reader just enough of a glimpse into Sophie's life to keep it compelling despite her not being a terribly likable or sympathetic character. Without being particulaly splashy or sensational, the novel is just as gripping as any auteur's thriller (perhaps more so because it feels as big as life and infinitely more relatable).
This is one of those rare occasions when I've wished a novel to be longer, yet totally satisfied by its length. This is Ms. North's sophomore effort; her storytelling chops and ear for believable dialogue belie her relative youth: she's going to have a great career ahead of her.
July 5, 2015
"The Life and Death of Sophie Stark" was astonishingly good! Ann North is an incredible writer! I was so impressed with this book. Sophie is a filmmaker/genius/savant and her story is told through the eyes of the people who were most touched by her, but not always in a good way. Sophie used those around her to make her films the way she wanted. I found her manipulative behavior to be disgusting at times but other times I felt myself feeling very sorry for her. Twice she used people just because she needed a place to stay! I mean it was Sophie's World and the characters were just living in it!
Watching Sophie was like watching a train wreck, especially in the end, but I couldn't get enough of her.
Believe the hype on this one! It's so good! Highly recommended! This book will probably be on many people's favorites of 2015!
Watching Sophie was like watching a train wreck, especially in the end, but I couldn't get enough of her.
Believe the hype on this one! It's so good! Highly recommended! This book will probably be on many people's favorites of 2015!
August 10, 2016
I was really eager to read this much talked about book and knew I was on to a winner very early in the book. The writing is just sublime and this character-driven novel really is something special. This is not a fast-paced book full of thrills or anything, it's a book about people, love, choices, careers, mistakes, regrets and so much more. The strength of the novel really does lie in the characters and very much the dialogue in my opinion.
Sophie Stark does not fit in at high school, she stands out like a sore-thumb and is the victim of some quite extreme bullying because of it. Sophie doesn't want to fit in. She quite possibly can't. She is different and she knows it. Conforming does not even seem to cross her mind, not in high school, not ever. This is the essence of Sophie.
Sophie starts film making as a teenager, her first movie being a documentary called Daniel which is about a young man in school she has a tremendous crush on. This is just the start of a journey where through the lens Sophie creates movies that critics want to write about. There is something so fragile, yet so strong about Sophie's character. It's quite addictive reading.
There is a lot of emotion in the book, as well as some fascinating relationship dynamics between Sophie and key figures in her life as we journey with her through the years. She is a character that you don't necessarily warm to instantly, but I certainly did admire her very much and at times felt sad for also. Her character really is quite unique and at times conflicted.
Sophie's life, her loves, her losses, her movies, her thoughts, her vision all gets shared in this unique novel that has us see deeply into the very soul of Sophie Stark. It's a book that really does grip on to you and if you enjoy books that are very character driven you will no doubt love this one too. The ending is very powerful and very moving indeed.
A unique read for me and a great start to 2016. 5 stars from me for this one.
Many thanks to the publisher for my copy of the novel via NetGalley to read and review.
For more of my reviews, books to win and author features: https://www.facebook.com/BookloverCat...
To follow me on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/promotethatbook
Sophie Stark does not fit in at high school, she stands out like a sore-thumb and is the victim of some quite extreme bullying because of it. Sophie doesn't want to fit in. She quite possibly can't. She is different and she knows it. Conforming does not even seem to cross her mind, not in high school, not ever. This is the essence of Sophie.
Sophie starts film making as a teenager, her first movie being a documentary called Daniel which is about a young man in school she has a tremendous crush on. This is just the start of a journey where through the lens Sophie creates movies that critics want to write about. There is something so fragile, yet so strong about Sophie's character. It's quite addictive reading.
There is a lot of emotion in the book, as well as some fascinating relationship dynamics between Sophie and key figures in her life as we journey with her through the years. She is a character that you don't necessarily warm to instantly, but I certainly did admire her very much and at times felt sad for also. Her character really is quite unique and at times conflicted.
Sophie's life, her loves, her losses, her movies, her thoughts, her vision all gets shared in this unique novel that has us see deeply into the very soul of Sophie Stark. It's a book that really does grip on to you and if you enjoy books that are very character driven you will no doubt love this one too. The ending is very powerful and very moving indeed.
A unique read for me and a great start to 2016. 5 stars from me for this one.
Many thanks to the publisher for my copy of the novel via NetGalley to read and review.
For more of my reviews, books to win and author features: https://www.facebook.com/BookloverCat...
To follow me on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/promotethatbook
June 27, 2015
"I thought making movies would make me more like other people. But sometimes I think it just makes me even more like me."
Anna North's fascinating, thought-provoking The Life and Death of Sophie Stark looks at the rise and ultimate fall (no surprise, given the book's title) of a young film director whose work causes people to marvel even while they're feeling unsettled or uncomfortable, told by a chorus of the people who perhaps knew her best.
Sophie Stark gets her start when she decides to film a documentary about a college basketball player she has a crush on. Her near-obsession with Daniel puts her younger brother on edge, as he is a student at the same college and only wants to be popular and meet girls. It also makes her more than her share of enemies. But her single-handed pursuit of her craft, even as it comes at great personal sacrifice, characterizes her style, and starts catching the eye of the film community, noting that she is a talent to watch.
As Sophie's career blossoms, she connects with people whose stories intrigue her, and she uses those stories to make her films. She is dogged in her vision and knows exactly what truths she wants to convey in each film, even as she alienates those closest to her. She wants to succeed and will not compromise her vision to do so, and she recognizes that success might take an emotional toll, but she appears all too willing to take those risks and move on.
Is Sophie a true artist, or is she simply a troubled, emotionally distant person willing to sacrifice those who care about her for the sake of her art? Does she recognize that she hurts or offends people, and if she does, does she care?
"I used to think I was special and that was why I seemed to fuck everything up all the time. But now I know it's just because I'm not a very good person."
Sophie Stark is one of the most fascinating characters I've come across in at least the last several years. At times she is utterly unlikeable, almost asocial, but you have to admire her drive to succeed and her passion for her craft. You also can't help but wonder whether the emotional connections she forges are legitimate or if she is simply using them to advance her career.
A number of my Goodreads friends absolutely raved about this book. While I was reading it, I honestly wasn't sure what to make of it because Anna North kept me guessing at where she'd take Sophie and the plot. North is a tremendously talented writer, as it takes skill to keep you intrigued by an unsympathetic character. But as someone who loves movies and those who make them, this book really resonated with me. Pick this one up.
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
Anna North's fascinating, thought-provoking The Life and Death of Sophie Stark looks at the rise and ultimate fall (no surprise, given the book's title) of a young film director whose work causes people to marvel even while they're feeling unsettled or uncomfortable, told by a chorus of the people who perhaps knew her best.
Sophie Stark gets her start when she decides to film a documentary about a college basketball player she has a crush on. Her near-obsession with Daniel puts her younger brother on edge, as he is a student at the same college and only wants to be popular and meet girls. It also makes her more than her share of enemies. But her single-handed pursuit of her craft, even as it comes at great personal sacrifice, characterizes her style, and starts catching the eye of the film community, noting that she is a talent to watch.
As Sophie's career blossoms, she connects with people whose stories intrigue her, and she uses those stories to make her films. She is dogged in her vision and knows exactly what truths she wants to convey in each film, even as she alienates those closest to her. She wants to succeed and will not compromise her vision to do so, and she recognizes that success might take an emotional toll, but she appears all too willing to take those risks and move on.
Is Sophie a true artist, or is she simply a troubled, emotionally distant person willing to sacrifice those who care about her for the sake of her art? Does she recognize that she hurts or offends people, and if she does, does she care?
"I used to think I was special and that was why I seemed to fuck everything up all the time. But now I know it's just because I'm not a very good person."
Sophie Stark is one of the most fascinating characters I've come across in at least the last several years. At times she is utterly unlikeable, almost asocial, but you have to admire her drive to succeed and her passion for her craft. You also can't help but wonder whether the emotional connections she forges are legitimate or if she is simply using them to advance her career.
A number of my Goodreads friends absolutely raved about this book. While I was reading it, I honestly wasn't sure what to make of it because Anna North kept me guessing at where she'd take Sophie and the plot. North is a tremendously talented writer, as it takes skill to keep you intrigued by an unsympathetic character. But as someone who loves movies and those who make them, this book really resonated with me. Pick this one up.
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
July 13, 2015
This is an interesting novel in that the story is told by many points of view in an almost “documentary” style narration. Sophie Stark was a very creative filmmaker. As we know from the title, Sophie dies at some point. Anna North tells a story of a creative genius through those closest to her. Each character provides a glimpse into Sophie’s life. Because Sophie has no voice, the reader develops an idea of whom Sophie was, based upon the narration told by each person.
North also uses her characters to have the reader ponder what creative genius is, and how much can a creative genius do to their subjects in the name of art. Sophie certainly takes advantage of those closest to her to get her best work accomplished. North provides fodder for the question of when an artist is creating, does the artist have the right to abuse it’s subjects in the name of art.
As a reader, I enjoyed the documentary style of narration. I thought it was a fresh way to tell a story, without giving voice to the main character. I’m not sure if this novel would be a main-stream winner in that it’s “artsty” in it’s format; and for that reason I found North’s idea of telling a story about a creative genius in this way captivating.
North also uses her characters to have the reader ponder what creative genius is, and how much can a creative genius do to their subjects in the name of art. Sophie certainly takes advantage of those closest to her to get her best work accomplished. North provides fodder for the question of when an artist is creating, does the artist have the right to abuse it’s subjects in the name of art.
As a reader, I enjoyed the documentary style of narration. I thought it was a fresh way to tell a story, without giving voice to the main character. I’m not sure if this novel would be a main-stream winner in that it’s “artsty” in it’s format; and for that reason I found North’s idea of telling a story about a creative genius in this way captivating.
March 24, 2017
I finished this book some time ago and I’ve struggled with what to write, how do I review a book that defies a simple explanation? To say I was completely absorbed is an understatement, to tell you that Sophie haunts me seems clichéd, though true. So I’m giving it the full five because the author deserves it for her gripping narrative structure, the questions she poses about the unknowability of creative genius, how we see others, ourselves, our assumptions, this is multi-layered literature at its very best, the kind that lingers and changes your perceptions.
Utterly fascinating and deeply unsettling, North provides us a character study of an artist told through a prism of perspectives—you see Sophie in a fractured way, never quite whole, the essence of her never truly understood. And like a prism, we see and learn more and less about her depending on your vantage point. The character of Sophie, an unconventional, cinéma vérité director, is savant-like in her inability to communicate, yet behind the camera she is able to reveal her subjects in a way that even they had not seen themselves. She’s not exactly a likable character, yet she comes across as fully authentic.
In structure, voice and narrative, this is a truly original story told in an affecting manner. Sophie is the linchpin of the narration and each of the other characters has been shaped by her enigmatic character, often in an emotionally absorbing way, yet they are all realistic, the author inhabits their voices perfectly without guile or moral judgment. And the end is, well, a perfect coda to the story. North doesn’t give us melodrama, we are not to pity Sophie, if anything, she gives us one more glimpse into her character and more questions to ponder long after turning the last page. North deserves the full five rating for a deeply satisfying read told in an unconventional and revealing way.
Utterly fascinating and deeply unsettling, North provides us a character study of an artist told through a prism of perspectives—you see Sophie in a fractured way, never quite whole, the essence of her never truly understood. And like a prism, we see and learn more and less about her depending on your vantage point. The character of Sophie, an unconventional, cinéma vérité director, is savant-like in her inability to communicate, yet behind the camera she is able to reveal her subjects in a way that even they had not seen themselves. She’s not exactly a likable character, yet she comes across as fully authentic.
In structure, voice and narrative, this is a truly original story told in an affecting manner. Sophie is the linchpin of the narration and each of the other characters has been shaped by her enigmatic character, often in an emotionally absorbing way, yet they are all realistic, the author inhabits their voices perfectly without guile or moral judgment. And the end is, well, a perfect coda to the story. North doesn’t give us melodrama, we are not to pity Sophie, if anything, she gives us one more glimpse into her character and more questions to ponder long after turning the last page. North deserves the full five rating for a deeply satisfying read told in an unconventional and revealing way.
January 24, 2016
Truly an excellent book, so well paced and subtle and skillfully executed, unfolding gradually with great imagination and vision.
A misfit girl from Iowa, Emily, creates or recreates herself, or perhaps realizes herself, in the persona of Sophie Stark, an indie filmmaker who gains recognition for her cult films while still remaining an enigmatic figure herself. On a larger scale, the mystery of Sophie is also the mystery of how we create and consume art, and how this process transforms creator, consumer, and, most interesting of all and central to this book, all the human material or capital encompassed in the creative process: e.g., the appropriation, inspiration, interpretation, collaboration, compromise, commodification, betrayal involved. Simply put, Sophie Stark is a book about the often painful and always powerful intersection of art-making, meaning-making, and interpersonal relationships.
In keeping with all this - the reader never hears from Sophie directly in the book. We are several times removed from Sophie, from the very beginning when we learn "Sophie" was really Emily, and all the way through to the end, when we learn Emily first created the "Sophie" persona ostensibly based on another artist's self-portrait that we then learn may have never existed in the first place other than in Emily/Sophie's brain! (How meta is that?!)
Without any direct narration from Sophie, we are left to interpret her character, her artistic vision/contribution, and her life story based on a few types of textual evidence: descriptions of the several films in her relatively small body of work; a series of reviews from an increasingly influential film critic who followed her career from its very earliest days; and, most significantly, a series of narratives from several people who were as relatively close to Sophie as she ever got to anyone (which even these folks admit isn't all that much): actors, muses, producers, or other collaborators from her film career; her lovers (who sometimes overlap with the actors/muses/collaborators); and her younger brother, perhaps the only person with whom Sophie maintains a healthy (again, relatively), consistent, long-term, caring relationship. These narratives are all engaging not only for what they reveal about Sophie, but also for what they reveal about these characters (all interesting in their own right) and their lives before, during, and after their relationship with Sophie and whatever role in which they participated (often unknowingly) within her artmaking process.
As such, this is a masterful character study on several levels as well as a fascinating reflection on creativity. North achieves the remarkable and rare feat of creating a captivating and mysterious protagonist who is a woman, and an artist, and a sexual, charismatic creature, and often offputting, unlikeable, and eccentric, but yet somehow despite all this, does not fall into the dreadful saint/whore dichotomy or become an entirely reviled or desired character. Sophie is powerfully compelling because she is complex and contradictory. She's hyperbolic and yet too real.
(Trying to think of an analogous movie - I came up with High Art, starring the comeback Ally Sheedy as photographer Lucy - anyone?)
I should mention that since the book often invites visual thinking, I could not resist "casting" the movie in my head, and came up with Kristen Stewart as capable of playing my vision of Sophie, who needs to be equally vulnerable/fragile and strong/aggressive, and androgynous or able to transcend gender. Hear me out, folks!
I struggled a bit to picture Sophie's films based on their descriptions, but I came up with something satisfying that I'd call "Rustbelt/Grungy Sofia Coppola."
I don't know if I can make you like the book as much as I did, but I sure hope I've made you want to read it!
A misfit girl from Iowa, Emily, creates or recreates herself, or perhaps realizes herself, in the persona of Sophie Stark, an indie filmmaker who gains recognition for her cult films while still remaining an enigmatic figure herself. On a larger scale, the mystery of Sophie is also the mystery of how we create and consume art, and how this process transforms creator, consumer, and, most interesting of all and central to this book, all the human material or capital encompassed in the creative process: e.g., the appropriation, inspiration, interpretation, collaboration, compromise, commodification, betrayal involved. Simply put, Sophie Stark is a book about the often painful and always powerful intersection of art-making, meaning-making, and interpersonal relationships.
In keeping with all this - the reader never hears from Sophie directly in the book. We are several times removed from Sophie, from the very beginning when we learn "Sophie" was really Emily, and all the way through to the end, when we learn Emily first created the "Sophie" persona ostensibly based on another artist's self-portrait that we then learn may have never existed in the first place other than in Emily/Sophie's brain! (How meta is that?!)
Without any direct narration from Sophie, we are left to interpret her character, her artistic vision/contribution, and her life story based on a few types of textual evidence: descriptions of the several films in her relatively small body of work; a series of reviews from an increasingly influential film critic who followed her career from its very earliest days; and, most significantly, a series of narratives from several people who were as relatively close to Sophie as she ever got to anyone (which even these folks admit isn't all that much): actors, muses, producers, or other collaborators from her film career; her lovers (who sometimes overlap with the actors/muses/collaborators); and her younger brother, perhaps the only person with whom Sophie maintains a healthy (again, relatively), consistent, long-term, caring relationship. These narratives are all engaging not only for what they reveal about Sophie, but also for what they reveal about these characters (all interesting in their own right) and their lives before, during, and after their relationship with Sophie and whatever role in which they participated (often unknowingly) within her artmaking process.
As such, this is a masterful character study on several levels as well as a fascinating reflection on creativity. North achieves the remarkable and rare feat of creating a captivating and mysterious protagonist who is a woman, and an artist, and a sexual, charismatic creature, and often offputting, unlikeable, and eccentric, but yet somehow despite all this, does not fall into the dreadful saint/whore dichotomy or become an entirely reviled or desired character. Sophie is powerfully compelling because she is complex and contradictory. She's hyperbolic and yet too real.
(Trying to think of an analogous movie - I came up with High Art, starring the comeback Ally Sheedy as photographer Lucy - anyone?)
I should mention that since the book often invites visual thinking, I could not resist "casting" the movie in my head, and came up with Kristen Stewart as capable of playing my vision of Sophie, who needs to be equally vulnerable/fragile and strong/aggressive, and androgynous or able to transcend gender. Hear me out, folks!
I struggled a bit to picture Sophie's films based on their descriptions, but I came up with something satisfying that I'd call "Rustbelt/Grungy Sofia Coppola."
I don't know if I can make you like the book as much as I did, but I sure hope I've made you want to read it!
January 18, 2016
Holly Shit! What a novel!
Who’s this author?
WOW!
What a bloody original, simple yet complex novel! It was so unexpectedly good, actually, Great! I’m just blown away by it.
I’ll have to do some digging, because I’m very interested in finding out more about the creative process and inspiration behind “The Life and Death of Sophie Stark”.
I’m even more annoyed than usual with my limited writing skills, but I’ll do my best to articulate what I felt about this novel. It would probably be best if I let it sink in a little longer, but knowing me, if I don’t get on with it, I’ll just forget about it, or post-pone it to eternity.
“When Sophie first saw me, I was onstage”.
Simple introduction. But wait. It’s told in the first person by another character who’s not the presumed central character of the novel. Puzzling… I was instantly intrigued.
As we read on, through Allison Mieskowski we find out about Sophie Stark. The two of them met in a bar, where Allison told a story. That story will be turned into a movie - "Marianne". Allison and Sophie embark on a creative relationship, which quickly turns into a love/sexual relationship.
Sophie is like no one Allison has ever met. Sophie’s mystifying. She’s small, quiet and unassuming. She’s also blunt and dominant.
With each chapter, through different characters’ perspectives, we get to know more and more about Sophie: Robbie is her brother; Jacob is just a guy in a band whose musical video she directed and who’ll become her husband; Daniel is Sophie’s first college crush and the subject of her first movie/documentary; George is a movie producer. As if closing the circle, the story, the novel’s first and last chapters are Allison’s musings.
Anna North is a very skilled writer. With each chapter we discover more about Sophie, but we also learn so much about each narrator. I thought that was exceptionally clever.
So what about Sophie Stark? Who is she?
She’s mysterious. She’s straightforward. She’s unfeeling. She’s shy. She’s direct. She’s a genius. She’s a robot. She’s gay. She’s straight. She’s distant. She’s obsessive. She’s a recluse. She’s manipulative. She’s relaxed. She’s tense. She cares. She doesn’t care. She’s unique. Etc.
Is Sophie a sociopath? Was Sophie on the Autism Spectrum Disorder? Some of her traits, such as her tone of voice, and arguably, her inability to relate, fit the profile. Does it matter?
So many questions… so many things to ponder.
Some of those questions refer to art, artistic expression and even critique.
When asked what it felt like to have people talk about your movies, this is what Sophie replied:
“It’s like having everybody mispronounce your name, every day. And at first you try to correct them, but they keep fucking it up, and then you start to wonder if maybe you’re the one who’s wrong and that really is how to pronounce your name. And after a while you start to wonder if you even have a name. Are you even a person? Do you even exist? Who fucking knows?”
One could psychoanalyse the crap out of this novel. There is so much to take out from it, so much to interpret, which, in my opinion, makes this a brilliant novel.
I’m beyond impressed.
People, pay attention! We may have just read the work of a future Pulitzer, Man Booker Prize winner.
Anna North, I'm looking forward to reading your next novel.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Cover: I love the cover and the font, but I dislike the testimonial.
I've received this novel via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Hachette Australia for the opportunity to read and review this tremendous novel. Merry Christmas!
Who’s this author?
WOW!
What a bloody original, simple yet complex novel! It was so unexpectedly good, actually, Great! I’m just blown away by it.
I’ll have to do some digging, because I’m very interested in finding out more about the creative process and inspiration behind “The Life and Death of Sophie Stark”.
I’m even more annoyed than usual with my limited writing skills, but I’ll do my best to articulate what I felt about this novel. It would probably be best if I let it sink in a little longer, but knowing me, if I don’t get on with it, I’ll just forget about it, or post-pone it to eternity.
“When Sophie first saw me, I was onstage”.
Simple introduction. But wait. It’s told in the first person by another character who’s not the presumed central character of the novel. Puzzling… I was instantly intrigued.
As we read on, through Allison Mieskowski we find out about Sophie Stark. The two of them met in a bar, where Allison told a story. That story will be turned into a movie - "Marianne". Allison and Sophie embark on a creative relationship, which quickly turns into a love/sexual relationship.
Sophie is like no one Allison has ever met. Sophie’s mystifying. She’s small, quiet and unassuming. She’s also blunt and dominant.
With each chapter, through different characters’ perspectives, we get to know more and more about Sophie: Robbie is her brother; Jacob is just a guy in a band whose musical video she directed and who’ll become her husband; Daniel is Sophie’s first college crush and the subject of her first movie/documentary; George is a movie producer. As if closing the circle, the story, the novel’s first and last chapters are Allison’s musings.
Anna North is a very skilled writer. With each chapter we discover more about Sophie, but we also learn so much about each narrator. I thought that was exceptionally clever.
So what about Sophie Stark? Who is she?
She’s mysterious. She’s straightforward. She’s unfeeling. She’s shy. She’s direct. She’s a genius. She’s a robot. She’s gay. She’s straight. She’s distant. She’s obsessive. She’s a recluse. She’s manipulative. She’s relaxed. She’s tense. She cares. She doesn’t care. She’s unique. Etc.
Is Sophie a sociopath? Was Sophie on the Autism Spectrum Disorder? Some of her traits, such as her tone of voice, and arguably, her inability to relate, fit the profile. Does it matter?
So many questions… so many things to ponder.
Some of those questions refer to art, artistic expression and even critique.
When asked what it felt like to have people talk about your movies, this is what Sophie replied:
“It’s like having everybody mispronounce your name, every day. And at first you try to correct them, but they keep fucking it up, and then you start to wonder if maybe you’re the one who’s wrong and that really is how to pronounce your name. And after a while you start to wonder if you even have a name. Are you even a person? Do you even exist? Who fucking knows?”
One could psychoanalyse the crap out of this novel. There is so much to take out from it, so much to interpret, which, in my opinion, makes this a brilliant novel.
I’m beyond impressed.
People, pay attention! We may have just read the work of a future Pulitzer, Man Booker Prize winner.
Anna North, I'm looking forward to reading your next novel.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Cover: I love the cover and the font, but I dislike the testimonial.
I've received this novel via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Hachette Australia for the opportunity to read and review this tremendous novel. Merry Christmas!
March 6, 2020
3.25 stars
The main questions the characters in this book try to answer is Who is Sophie Stark? and What is she thinking? To most, who didn't know her, she was a semi-successful and talented indie film director with a unique way of viewing the world. To colleagues and acquaintances, she was a socially awkward, driven and gifted individual with a reputation for being abrupt and difficult to work with and understand. But to the handful of people who knew her best, she was so much more. Six of them (Allison, Robbie, Jacob, Daniel, George, and Ben) describe her momentous impact on their lives in this tragic tale. They're also trying to figure the answers out to these questions even after her death.
In my opinion, this novel attempts to showcase readers what it means to be an artist and the personal sacrifices which are required in order to achieve greatness. Sophie is unable to articulate her own feelings and isn't good at social conventions but she is very good at capturing the emotions of others through her movies because she's absorbed at creating the best movie. (Could this be a hint of Asperger syndrome? It's never addressed so it's purely speculation.) A question that is brought up throughout the stories is whether she goes too far - is she mining the lives of the people she loves the most for her own personal gain? When Jacob, a musician friend who becomes her husband, tells her a deeply intimate story about the life and death of his mother, this is how she describes her thoughts behind the filming of it to her producer friend George:
"I knew that Jacob wanted it to be a happy story, like about his mom finding peace. And I let him think I'd make that. I thought I could make it. But then I got into it and I realized there was a much better way to make it that would be really beautiful and interesting. And I knew I could either make it happy or I could make it good."
George understands that this is a part of making movies and that she shouldn't apologize for creating the best art possible. For others, it would seem like a major betrayal of trust and understanding between a husband and wife. It definitely shows how high Sophie puts her art above her emotional connections.
It was fascinating seeing how Sophie stretched her creativity by making a short documentary in "Daniel," Indie psychological thriller "Marianne," music video "Deep," Indie drama based on a true story "Woods," and Hollywood backed period piece "Isabella." We got to see how relationships developed with Sophie but there were moments I felt like I missed something. Something happened to make an emotional change or a character had a thought that changed the course of the book but I didn't understand it. I wished the author, Ms. North, would have explained so many of these moments better. The book is supposed to be confusing like its main character but a little bit of clarity in regards to the other characters would have helped me understand them and connect to the book as a whole.
"The Life and Death of Sophie Stark" is a touching story which is told in a deceptively simple style and moves at a brisk pace. I was able to finish this book in 2 days and it's less than 300 pages. We know Sophie is doomed from the title and the mystery of her eventual demise and how her relationships could be impacted or lead to her death kept me reading. Sophie is a fascinating creation - an innovative, single-minded genius in her career and a heartbreaking failure in her personal life. Anna North has imagined an unforgettable, self-destructive, pitiable, and at times unlikeable character. If you're looking for an authentic, original account about the destructive pursuit of art and how it can affect the artist and those around them then give this book a try.
The main questions the characters in this book try to answer is Who is Sophie Stark? and What is she thinking? To most, who didn't know her, she was a semi-successful and talented indie film director with a unique way of viewing the world. To colleagues and acquaintances, she was a socially awkward, driven and gifted individual with a reputation for being abrupt and difficult to work with and understand. But to the handful of people who knew her best, she was so much more. Six of them (Allison, Robbie, Jacob, Daniel, George, and Ben) describe her momentous impact on their lives in this tragic tale. They're also trying to figure the answers out to these questions even after her death.
In my opinion, this novel attempts to showcase readers what it means to be an artist and the personal sacrifices which are required in order to achieve greatness. Sophie is unable to articulate her own feelings and isn't good at social conventions but she is very good at capturing the emotions of others through her movies because she's absorbed at creating the best movie. (Could this be a hint of Asperger syndrome? It's never addressed so it's purely speculation.) A question that is brought up throughout the stories is whether she goes too far - is she mining the lives of the people she loves the most for her own personal gain? When Jacob, a musician friend who becomes her husband, tells her a deeply intimate story about the life and death of his mother, this is how she describes her thoughts behind the filming of it to her producer friend George:
"I knew that Jacob wanted it to be a happy story, like about his mom finding peace. And I let him think I'd make that. I thought I could make it. But then I got into it and I realized there was a much better way to make it that would be really beautiful and interesting. And I knew I could either make it happy or I could make it good."
George understands that this is a part of making movies and that she shouldn't apologize for creating the best art possible. For others, it would seem like a major betrayal of trust and understanding between a husband and wife. It definitely shows how high Sophie puts her art above her emotional connections.
It was fascinating seeing how Sophie stretched her creativity by making a short documentary in "Daniel," Indie psychological thriller "Marianne," music video "Deep," Indie drama based on a true story "Woods," and Hollywood backed period piece "Isabella." We got to see how relationships developed with Sophie but there were moments I felt like I missed something. Something happened to make an emotional change or a character had a thought that changed the course of the book but I didn't understand it. I wished the author, Ms. North, would have explained so many of these moments better. The book is supposed to be confusing like its main character but a little bit of clarity in regards to the other characters would have helped me understand them and connect to the book as a whole.
"The Life and Death of Sophie Stark" is a touching story which is told in a deceptively simple style and moves at a brisk pace. I was able to finish this book in 2 days and it's less than 300 pages. We know Sophie is doomed from the title and the mystery of her eventual demise and how her relationships could be impacted or lead to her death kept me reading. Sophie is a fascinating creation - an innovative, single-minded genius in her career and a heartbreaking failure in her personal life. Anna North has imagined an unforgettable, self-destructive, pitiable, and at times unlikeable character. If you're looking for an authentic, original account about the destructive pursuit of art and how it can affect the artist and those around them then give this book a try.
January 7, 2016
“It’s hard for me to talk about love. I think movies are the way I do that.”The Life and Death of Sophie Stark is a perfectly pleasant read, if one can really say that about a book that centres around something of a sociopath…
“I think I’m like one of those crabs, where it builds itself out of parts of other animals.”Sophie Stark is a visionary and unapologetic filmmaker. She uses stories from the lives of those around her—the boy she was obsessed with in college, her girlfriend, and her husband—to create movies that bring her critical recognition and acclaim. But as her career explodes, Sophie’s unwavering dedication to her art leads to the shattering betrayal of the people she loves most.
This is a story told in negative space, with each of the people who knew and loved Sophie the most telling the reader who she was to them, and how they came to know her.
There’s Allison – lover, actress, and topic of her second movie:
I told her Sophie and I were working together again, and she raised an eyebrow and asked if we were together together too. I said of course not, I was with Abe. She said that was good, he was a kind person, and Sophie wasn’t kind. I nodded, pretended that I agreed with her. I didn’t tell her I was realizing I wasn’t very kind either.Robbie – brother, camera guy, protector, person who knew her best:
My sister’s left ear was higher than her right. Her mouth sloped down a little to the right side, and her cheekbones flared out of her thin face like wings. I had never noticed any of this before, and I might’ve gone my whole life without knowing it, if she hadn’t come to my door that day with her head completely shaved.Jacob – Musician with a troubled childhood, the person who convinced Sophie to do something completely uncharacteristic and marry him, the subject of her third film:
And when people ask me why I married her that September, even though I’d only known her for three months and I knew it wouldn’t last, I tell them that a life is a heavy burden and imagine if someone just carried it for you for a while, just picked it up and carried it.Daniel – the boy she was obsessed with and liked to follow around with a camera in college, the subject of her first film:
“That’s a terrible thing to say about yourself,” I told her.George – the producer who wants to bring Sophie in to make one of his scripts, before she makes any more of a name for herself and is too big to touch:
She shrugged. “I call ’em like I see ’em,” she said. The phrase sounded weird, like she’s learned it from TV. She looked miserable, but she wasn’t crying. She looked like people look when they’ve cried all they can and they still don’t feel any better.
At the end, when Sophie stood in the bathroom with her shaved head, I watched her face – her crooked mouth, those giant eyes. I remembered how she’d looked on my couch the night before she left. I thought there might be a human thing inside her, trying to get out.And Benjamin Martin – the reviewer who followed Sophie’s career right from the start:
An extended shot of the title character spinning around and around like the child he no longer quite is warmed the heart of even this jaded veiwer, who in the past thought himself profoundly allergic to anything remotely heartwarming.
The rest of this review can be found HERE!
January 21, 2016
A-Z and PopSugar Challenge with Karly and Jess
A book with antonyms in the title - The Life and Death of Sophie Stark
N = North, Anna
4 stars
The Life and Death of Sophie Stark is exactly about what the title infers. I really wasn’t sure what to expect out of this one, but I found the synopsis and cover intriguing and Karen highly approved of it. Sophie Stark is somewhat of an enigma, she has a hard time relating to those around her, was often treated as an outcast by her schoolmates, dresses uniquely, and often seems emotionally detached.
“I used to feel kind of isolated a lot of the time,” she said, “like I was in a box and the rest of the world was outside the box.”
Sophie was not an easy character to like at first. She came off as very self-involved and selfish, inconsiderate, oblivious to the pain she cause to those who loved her. As he story unfolds however, deeper levels of her are revealed, you find that she doesn’t do things out of malice so much as a lack of understanding. She’s not withdrawn to be cold or vindictive; she just doesn’t know how to “be”.
“I thought making movies would make me more like other people,” said Sophie. “But sometimes I think it just makes me even more like me.”
Unlike most novels, North chose a unique technique in telling Sophie’s story through the eyes of her friends, acquaintances, and loved ones, via interviews as part of a documentary about her life. At times this didn’t always work for me as it felt more detached from the characters inner conscience than I would normally like, but North did a good job of pulling this off. And although I know it is somewhat difficult to accomplish, since technically Sophie is dead, I really would have liked to hear more of Sophie, from her perspective, not just everyone around her.
Overall, I enjoyed this one quite a bit and would recommend to those who enjoy stories that make them contemplate, without having a happy little bow at the end.
“Well, she just saw people so clearly, you know? You can tell from the work. She saw people for what they really are, and I think if you’re that perceptive, you just can’t live in the world for very long.”
I received an arc copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley!
May 7, 2015
The title of this book – The Life and Death of Sophie Stark – implies that Sophie is the main focus of this nuanced and engrossing book.
But is she? Or is the key focus really about those whose Sophie’s life has touched – her love interest, brother, husband, producer and others – and how this accomplished avant-garde filmmaker revealed them for who they really are?
I would argue that the latter interpretation makes the most sense, and here, to me, lies the brilliance of the book. We learn about Sophie through a chorus of voices who confess their impressions of Sophie. Sophie herself never speaks; she remains a cipher, someone whose reality is only defined by others.
We know this: she is quirky, enormously talented, straightforward, lost, and totally committed to honesty in her art. Even her name is not her own; it is taken from a photo she particularly admired. The voices that describe her are often indistinguishable; I believe, with reason. Although we learn a little more about Sophie from each one, the portrait of Sophie that emerges remains – in many ways – constant. In the most important way, Sophie is defined by the stories others tell of her. As Sophie herself says (as related by one narrator): What is famous? “It’s like having everyone mispronounce your name every day…And after a while, you start to wonder if you even have a name. Are you even a person? Do you even exist?”
Great insight, but far more intriguing is how the interactions with Sophie become transformative. Sophie represents “truth” – that nagging feeling that there is something deep within you that is holding you back that you haven’t addressed. Each narrator is damaged in his or her own way, and each one uses Sophie, as a catalyst of sorts, to become more authentic or to overcome an obstacle that stands in the way. “Sometimes the sick part of me just seems like the truest part,” one narrator admits to Sophie. This novel speaks connects the characters – and ultimately us – to those hard-to-confront truths.
But is she? Or is the key focus really about those whose Sophie’s life has touched – her love interest, brother, husband, producer and others – and how this accomplished avant-garde filmmaker revealed them for who they really are?
I would argue that the latter interpretation makes the most sense, and here, to me, lies the brilliance of the book. We learn about Sophie through a chorus of voices who confess their impressions of Sophie. Sophie herself never speaks; she remains a cipher, someone whose reality is only defined by others.
We know this: she is quirky, enormously talented, straightforward, lost, and totally committed to honesty in her art. Even her name is not her own; it is taken from a photo she particularly admired. The voices that describe her are often indistinguishable; I believe, with reason. Although we learn a little more about Sophie from each one, the portrait of Sophie that emerges remains – in many ways – constant. In the most important way, Sophie is defined by the stories others tell of her. As Sophie herself says (as related by one narrator): What is famous? “It’s like having everyone mispronounce your name every day…And after a while, you start to wonder if you even have a name. Are you even a person? Do you even exist?”
Great insight, but far more intriguing is how the interactions with Sophie become transformative. Sophie represents “truth” – that nagging feeling that there is something deep within you that is holding you back that you haven’t addressed. Each narrator is damaged in his or her own way, and each one uses Sophie, as a catalyst of sorts, to become more authentic or to overcome an obstacle that stands in the way. “Sometimes the sick part of me just seems like the truest part,” one narrator admits to Sophie. This novel speaks connects the characters – and ultimately us – to those hard-to-confront truths.
May 19, 2017
When I first heard about this book, it had very little in the way of a description: just a couple of lines referring to how it 'tells a story of fame, love, and legacy through the propulsive rise of an iconoclastic artist', using a 'chorus of voices'. That was enough to pique my interest. But the character of Sophie Stark is a young film director, so it's less like Siri Hustvedt's
The Blazing World
than I'd initially assumed.
That 'chorus of voices' is created by six narrators who take it in turn to talk about Sophie, each chapter introducing a new voice and describing a different period of her life or career. #1 opens strong, with an instantly captivating story from Allison, an actress discovered by Sophie who also becomes her lover. (I'd have preferred to read a whole book about Allison.) #2 is also excellent: it's told from the POV of Sophie's brother, Robbie, and charts her early development as a filmmaker while at university. In between the chapters are reviews of Sophie's films, all by the same critic. The voice of these doesn't really ring true, but I liked the occasional change to a different medium. It was around the middle of #3 (Jacob, a musician Sophie shoots a promo for) that I realised why the book wasn't quite working for me: the stories were all good in themselves, but they just weren't making me care about Sophie.
Because Sophie is rarely heard from (and even then it's just her words as remembered by others), she emerges as more of a conduit for other people's desires than a rounded character, a believable person. Twisted and broken up and reformed through the stories of those who knew her, she is not seen truthfully - naturally, of course, but this makes it a struggle to form any image of her beyond someone else's fantasy, or rather the multiple fantasies of multiple someone-elses. She emerges as a character who is complicated, but not necessarily believable or nuanced, in her contradictions, and her arc is ultimately more one-note than it should/could be. The ending seemed limp, and I felt as if there should be more - some wider appraisal of her life.
The blurb makes references to We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, A Visit from the Goon Squad, and Where'd You Go, Bernadette. I get the Goon Squad comparison, but more than the others mentioned, this reminded me of Sara Taylor's recently-published debut The Shore. Partly because it's essentially a set of short stories with a common theme - here it's a character, in The Shore it's a setting. But also because of my reaction: I enjoyed it, found it compulsive, read it very quickly and am confident in giving it a high-ish rating; yet I find it hard to actually identify many major positives in my overall assessment of it. There are some beautiful moments in this book, and I read it with great eagerness to know what would happen next, it's just that in the end it is quite a flimsy story, as a whole. For the deeper, more mature and intellectually engaging version, seek out The Blazing World.
That 'chorus of voices' is created by six narrators who take it in turn to talk about Sophie, each chapter introducing a new voice and describing a different period of her life or career. #1 opens strong, with an instantly captivating story from Allison, an actress discovered by Sophie who also becomes her lover. (I'd have preferred to read a whole book about Allison.) #2 is also excellent: it's told from the POV of Sophie's brother, Robbie, and charts her early development as a filmmaker while at university. In between the chapters are reviews of Sophie's films, all by the same critic. The voice of these doesn't really ring true, but I liked the occasional change to a different medium. It was around the middle of #3 (Jacob, a musician Sophie shoots a promo for) that I realised why the book wasn't quite working for me: the stories were all good in themselves, but they just weren't making me care about Sophie.
Because Sophie is rarely heard from (and even then it's just her words as remembered by others), she emerges as more of a conduit for other people's desires than a rounded character, a believable person. Twisted and broken up and reformed through the stories of those who knew her, she is not seen truthfully - naturally, of course, but this makes it a struggle to form any image of her beyond someone else's fantasy, or rather the multiple fantasies of multiple someone-elses. She emerges as a character who is complicated, but not necessarily believable or nuanced, in her contradictions, and her arc is ultimately more one-note than it should/could be. The ending seemed limp, and I felt as if there should be more - some wider appraisal of her life.
The blurb makes references to We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, A Visit from the Goon Squad, and Where'd You Go, Bernadette. I get the Goon Squad comparison, but more than the others mentioned, this reminded me of Sara Taylor's recently-published debut The Shore. Partly because it's essentially a set of short stories with a common theme - here it's a character, in The Shore it's a setting. But also because of my reaction: I enjoyed it, found it compulsive, read it very quickly and am confident in giving it a high-ish rating; yet I find it hard to actually identify many major positives in my overall assessment of it. There are some beautiful moments in this book, and I read it with great eagerness to know what would happen next, it's just that in the end it is quite a flimsy story, as a whole. For the deeper, more mature and intellectually engaging version, seek out The Blazing World.
April 27, 2023
beautifully written but it feels somehow impenetrable, like i was reading at arms length. perhaps because all of the narrators are talking about their memories of sophie retrospectively, and despite being the closest people in her life, they were all on the outside.
the alternating-POV structure is fascinating, as we see sophie's life unfold from different angles over the years, never from her own perspective. there are interesting commonalities in the way the narrators describe her. she's compared to a wild animal, to a field mouse with a fast beating heart, to a hawk preparing to dive. she's an enigmatic mess, deeply creative, sometimes tender, often frustrated, rarely understood.
the supporting characters are all extremely interesting themselves, with the off-the-cuff intimate personal details they weave into their stories about sophie. everyone has dark memories to share. the writing is stunning, with clever moments of humanity. but ultimately, there's a sensation of the whole book slipping through my fingers.
the alternating-POV structure is fascinating, as we see sophie's life unfold from different angles over the years, never from her own perspective. there are interesting commonalities in the way the narrators describe her. she's compared to a wild animal, to a field mouse with a fast beating heart, to a hawk preparing to dive. she's an enigmatic mess, deeply creative, sometimes tender, often frustrated, rarely understood.
the supporting characters are all extremely interesting themselves, with the off-the-cuff intimate personal details they weave into their stories about sophie. everyone has dark memories to share. the writing is stunning, with clever moments of humanity. but ultimately, there's a sensation of the whole book slipping through my fingers.
May 21, 2015
Firstly I would like to say about “The Life and Death of Sophie Stark” that not only is it one of my favourite books that I have read this year, but it has also gone immediately onto my favourite books of all time list. So there is that.
I was not sure about it originally – but the thing with this novel is that it sucks you in with some poignant and gorgeous writing and every single character is full of depth, realism and an often ironic edge that is just simply brilliantly done.
Sophie Stark is a film maker. We never hear from her directly in the story but we do hear from an ensemble cast of characters who have been deeply effected by their interactions with her. She is an enigma, we meet her only through the eyes of others, still a profound picture starts to emerge of a troubled creative soul. Even so is this the real Sophie? Well that is the unique twist to this novel, we may guess but can never know…
The author uses her characters to give both a public and private view of Sophie – from her lovers to her family and beyond. Sometimes only peripherally touching a life, Sophie still seems to have formed some part of it and for me she felt like a whirlwind of a human being, touching down briefly then drifting away, tempestuous and suddenly changing lives without warning.
Imaginatively speaking this is alluring, I melted into the descriptions of Sophie’s films, I wanted to watch every single one and indeed felt like I had. Then of course, through the telling we learn so much about the characters who are talking, their hopes dreams and fears, their lives both with and without her. As a character piece this is a truly impressive and magnificently constructed story – Anna North knows how to weave words around the reader and bring them into the world that she has created.
I was quite simply heartbroken at the end of this. Even now it is bittersweet. A book I shall return to again and again I’m sure, I really cannot recommend this highly enough.
This is what storytelling is all about.
I was not sure about it originally – but the thing with this novel is that it sucks you in with some poignant and gorgeous writing and every single character is full of depth, realism and an often ironic edge that is just simply brilliantly done.
Sophie Stark is a film maker. We never hear from her directly in the story but we do hear from an ensemble cast of characters who have been deeply effected by their interactions with her. She is an enigma, we meet her only through the eyes of others, still a profound picture starts to emerge of a troubled creative soul. Even so is this the real Sophie? Well that is the unique twist to this novel, we may guess but can never know…
The author uses her characters to give both a public and private view of Sophie – from her lovers to her family and beyond. Sometimes only peripherally touching a life, Sophie still seems to have formed some part of it and for me she felt like a whirlwind of a human being, touching down briefly then drifting away, tempestuous and suddenly changing lives without warning.
Imaginatively speaking this is alluring, I melted into the descriptions of Sophie’s films, I wanted to watch every single one and indeed felt like I had. Then of course, through the telling we learn so much about the characters who are talking, their hopes dreams and fears, their lives both with and without her. As a character piece this is a truly impressive and magnificently constructed story – Anna North knows how to weave words around the reader and bring them into the world that she has created.
I was quite simply heartbroken at the end of this. Even now it is bittersweet. A book I shall return to again and again I’m sure, I really cannot recommend this highly enough.
This is what storytelling is all about.
January 29, 2021
The twisty, clever story of a doomed filmmaker – perfect for fans of Hausfrau. Who is Sophie Stark? A New York City-based indie director whose four documentary-style movies are “almost more like life than life itself.” Bisexual and with certain traits of high-functioning autism, Sophie is easily misunderstood. She’s a rebel who doesn’t conform to social niceties. The book is told through five first-person reminiscences from the people closest to her. In this respect the novel’s format recalls Kitchens of the Great Midwest. My favorite sections, though, are the reviews of her films, all by the same critic.
September 11, 2015
I considered giving this a 5 star. Before approximately the 66% level, I might have. The young Emily/Sophie was drawn to her own STARK perception and reaction quite well. Using a natural chronological order but different narrators was a form that was excellent to dissection of that particular condition of young Emily too. Not being a fan of the flip back and forth time period so currently used, or duo locale here and there, or opposing narrators- this particular method using the chronological progression of Sophie but also six sets of varying "eyes" to interchange with her awareness from the outside/in was superb. This writer can write. And does understand the psychological hardware and software that fuse a base platform for human cognition too. Those two traits are both 5 star here. Quite unusual in depth within a first fiction novel to nail prime dysfunctions from a point of observation and not declaration. 9 out of 10 current modern thrillers feature the "non-normal" but the author mostly reveals it within the protagonist thoughts or actions. Anna North has done this from outside "eyes" looking in- and it works better. Regardless, I also wish she understood human affect scales and denials to both choices and culpability, as well as she does Sophie's self-aware lack of "feeling". Sophie and the author both self-define this WITHOUT defining it with words by the characters' discussions context pertaining to Sophie's lack. They seem to think it is compassion, or empathy/sympathy. It isn't. Feeling or "affect" could be many things. It could be flatness, or non-joy, or boredom behind strong walls of defensiveness (some call this loneliness?). But in any case affect is not just warmth, love, sympathy/connection. Not at all. It CAN be NO wave of caring or connection.
When there is lack of feeling, that IS a feeling. Just a different kind. Sophie is not depressed as much as she is anxious. Her affect is on another scale, that doesn't mean it is missing altogether. The young Emily displays the condition more clearly than the elder. Sophie in the last third has learned to be gone when the anxiety reaction to ultimate rejection becomes too difficult to hide under her invincible look of authority/power.
Well the DSM-V gives categories much better than I. But still, I found the last third a 3.5 star at the most. Rather a cop out to both scientific and moral plummets to Sophie.
If you love reading about kind and reciprocal human relationships or want primarily some inspirational tale, this book is not for you. Some of the characters do grow an inch or two. But there is nary a one who stretches to any aspirational goals that are anywhere without the area of their own self-involved gratifications or self-advancing gratuitous associations. Think Medici or Borgia courts. Only after grave injury or devastating pain do a few come to baby steps outside of those "me" territories.
And this book did not make me feel good either, because of this particular factor. You would have never thought a moral or structural component of absolute "no" would even be contemplated by this group of people as any different choice but the most selfishly based, and especially for Sophie. Her art and genius make it ok? To her? To some of the others? Do they? In any measure, no other choices seem much considered by North or her characters. My enjoyment in reading this came out of the writing skill for this psychological divide (Sophie always separating herself for her own aloneness need)- and also from the "what is going to happen next" factor. Almost like the enjoyment you would get from going to Ground Zero in NYC or the Arizona site in Hawaii. Nothing much pleasant to feel there for most of us. Not really.
These characters actions seem to response to their own self-beliefs that their entire lives are pre-determined by their own natures and responses. And they have not a clue or compulsion to seek anything differently. Or despite a doubt or two, that they could do nothing other but exactly what their art or work or fulfillment focus NEED, right now.
Lots goes on within this book. Years of intense activity and consequence. The cinema skills of description and analyzing canyons to film are considerable here too. Despite taking several classes in this during the late '90's, I'm not a movie fan.
There are a couple of absolute 5 star passages now and again when Sophie self-identifies or confesses. They are nearly poetic. Especially the one comparing to a crab who is taking others' "parts" to make himself.
Or when she does her rationalizations that are completely easy to her nihilist mindset. (Does the author believe this hubris worldview too? That her education or development make different "rules" for her own behaviors?)
Like this particular passage Sophie retorts after being questioned that she is using people in her own life as material. (She uses them as if they were snakes and she is poking them with a stick into a fire):
"I don't understand any of the words in that sentence. 'Guilty'- I know what that means, but I don't understand the point of it. And 'use' - people say that like it's so awful, but it's just when you make something into something else, and people do that every day. And 'material'- that's like saying there's some defined thing you have that you make movies out of, like clay or something, and everything else you leave out. Maybe some people make movies that way, but their movies are shit."
I'm fairly sure that Anna North is a savvy rationalizer too.
I won't tell you the plot or the outcome. Many years pass and people beyond Sophie have their innards revealed. Good psychological study and word skill- nearly to a 5 star. Intense, intense read. If you are averse to high content for sexual activity or perversely unkind actions, this book is not for you.
When there is lack of feeling, that IS a feeling. Just a different kind. Sophie is not depressed as much as she is anxious. Her affect is on another scale, that doesn't mean it is missing altogether. The young Emily displays the condition more clearly than the elder. Sophie in the last third has learned to be gone when the anxiety reaction to ultimate rejection becomes too difficult to hide under her invincible look of authority/power.
Well the DSM-V gives categories much better than I. But still, I found the last third a 3.5 star at the most. Rather a cop out to both scientific and moral plummets to Sophie.
If you love reading about kind and reciprocal human relationships or want primarily some inspirational tale, this book is not for you. Some of the characters do grow an inch or two. But there is nary a one who stretches to any aspirational goals that are anywhere without the area of their own self-involved gratifications or self-advancing gratuitous associations. Think Medici or Borgia courts. Only after grave injury or devastating pain do a few come to baby steps outside of those "me" territories.
And this book did not make me feel good either, because of this particular factor. You would have never thought a moral or structural component of absolute "no" would even be contemplated by this group of people as any different choice but the most selfishly based, and especially for Sophie. Her art and genius make it ok? To her? To some of the others? Do they? In any measure, no other choices seem much considered by North or her characters. My enjoyment in reading this came out of the writing skill for this psychological divide (Sophie always separating herself for her own aloneness need)- and also from the "what is going to happen next" factor. Almost like the enjoyment you would get from going to Ground Zero in NYC or the Arizona site in Hawaii. Nothing much pleasant to feel there for most of us. Not really.
These characters actions seem to response to their own self-beliefs that their entire lives are pre-determined by their own natures and responses. And they have not a clue or compulsion to seek anything differently. Or despite a doubt or two, that they could do nothing other but exactly what their art or work or fulfillment focus NEED, right now.
Lots goes on within this book. Years of intense activity and consequence. The cinema skills of description and analyzing canyons to film are considerable here too. Despite taking several classes in this during the late '90's, I'm not a movie fan.
There are a couple of absolute 5 star passages now and again when Sophie self-identifies or confesses. They are nearly poetic. Especially the one comparing to a crab who is taking others' "parts" to make himself.
Or when she does her rationalizations that are completely easy to her nihilist mindset. (Does the author believe this hubris worldview too? That her education or development make different "rules" for her own behaviors?)
Like this particular passage Sophie retorts after being questioned that she is using people in her own life as material. (She uses them as if they were snakes and she is poking them with a stick into a fire):
"I don't understand any of the words in that sentence. 'Guilty'- I know what that means, but I don't understand the point of it. And 'use' - people say that like it's so awful, but it's just when you make something into something else, and people do that every day. And 'material'- that's like saying there's some defined thing you have that you make movies out of, like clay or something, and everything else you leave out. Maybe some people make movies that way, but their movies are shit."
I'm fairly sure that Anna North is a savvy rationalizer too.
I won't tell you the plot or the outcome. Many years pass and people beyond Sophie have their innards revealed. Good psychological study and word skill- nearly to a 5 star. Intense, intense read. If you are averse to high content for sexual activity or perversely unkind actions, this book is not for you.
November 8, 2015
This is the story of an enigmatic film maker, told through the eyes of those who knew her best – from her brother, Robbie, to her ex-husband, Jacob, her lover – and star of an early film – Allison and even Daniel, the unwilling subject of her very first foray into film. Sophie Stark herself, originally called Emily Buckley, only comes alive through other people’s views of her. Was she a compulsive, gifted eccentric; whose need to create great art was worth more to her than how she was viewed by those she was closest to? Did she cause hurt without thinking, or on purpose?
Sophie Stark herself is referred to throughout this novel as an unknowable enigma. Even her manner of speech is monotone, while she, in turns, makes other people either completely uncomfortable or else intrigued. This is a study in genius, obsession and love, which works because of the way it is written. While Sophie is undemonstrative, possibly manipulative and oddly unemotional; she is viewed by others with love, care, frustration, jealousy and anger. It is the emotions she stirs, rather than those she fails to exhibit, which make this book come alive. An interesting, absorbing read, which would make an excellent choice for a reading group as it has so much to discuss.
Sophie Stark herself is referred to throughout this novel as an unknowable enigma. Even her manner of speech is monotone, while she, in turns, makes other people either completely uncomfortable or else intrigued. This is a study in genius, obsession and love, which works because of the way it is written. While Sophie is undemonstrative, possibly manipulative and oddly unemotional; she is viewed by others with love, care, frustration, jealousy and anger. It is the emotions she stirs, rather than those she fails to exhibit, which make this book come alive. An interesting, absorbing read, which would make an excellent choice for a reading group as it has so much to discuss.
May 9, 2016
This was an interesting read, but I didn’t fall in love with it.
I connected more with Allison than I did the main character, Sophie Stark, so although I was really getting into it at the beginning, my connection abruptly ended when the story shifted from Allison to a variety of other characters connected to Sophie. I did read it to the end, and also enjoyed the focus on Daniel, but never really got back into it the way I did at the very beginning, which is a shame.
I would like to thank the publisher, Weidenfeld & Nicolson (Orion Publishing) for allowing me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I connected more with Allison than I did the main character, Sophie Stark, so although I was really getting into it at the beginning, my connection abruptly ended when the story shifted from Allison to a variety of other characters connected to Sophie. I did read it to the end, and also enjoyed the focus on Daniel, but never really got back into it the way I did at the very beginning, which is a shame.
I would like to thank the publisher, Weidenfeld & Nicolson (Orion Publishing) for allowing me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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