What do you think?
Rate this book
And Then Like My Dreams: A Memoir
A celebration of the career of one of the most respected still photographers in the film industry of the 1970s and 1980s, this is the story of Charles Chic Stringer, written by his widow Margaret Rose. Written with a blend of humor and acuity, this work shares the career of the acclaimed photographer who worked on such films as Mad Max and Gone to Ground. It is intended for not only film buffs, but for those who, like Margaret Rose, are bereaved and alone. This work is not only a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at the film and television industry, but it also provides insight into recovery after the loss of a life partner. An intimate and touching work about the power of the human spirit and our will to persevere, this work is, above all, the story of two people who were made for each other and of life after absolute loss."
380 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
2 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Rose Stringer
1 book7 followersMargaret Rose was born in Perth in 1943 and is now a resident of Sydney, having lived there off and on since 1965. She holds a postgraduate Certificate in Editing from UTS. She has spent her life working mostly in the film/television/video production industry as a freelancer and in the employment of such companies as SBS, Film Australia and AFTVS. She met her lifetime partner and husband Chic Stringer, an eminent stillsman in the Australian film industry, in 1974. Chic died in 2006.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 20, 2013
Goodreads winner copy.
The story of two people who lived their lives together. Their poignant trials and tribulations along their path of love. A glimpse of their time together like random photos taken during ones lifetime.
We see their struggle and love along the way. A memoir of life and in the end how we are not immortal and death will eventually strike us. How we cope afterwards as a touching farewell by remembering the love one.
The lesson of life is to never to take for granted people and things and live it to the fullest.
The story of two people who lived their lives together. Their poignant trials and tribulations along their path of love. A glimpse of their time together like random photos taken during ones lifetime.
We see their struggle and love along the way. A memoir of life and in the end how we are not immortal and death will eventually strike us. How we cope afterwards as a touching farewell by remembering the love one.
The lesson of life is to never to take for granted people and things and live it to the fullest.
October 18, 2013
A beautiful tale of two lovers. I haven't actually read it all yet but I wanted to write my review already because what I've read is simply beautiful. It's loving, thoughtful writing. M.R.Stringer has a gift with writing on love and life
January 23, 2015
This book is a life story, an odyssey as all good life stories are. It’s the story of a person who met another person and found in that person everything that was missing. Questions became answers, doubts became certainties. But it isn’t a quaint romantic tale to be narrated above the love theme from Romeo and Juliet. This is a true to life telling of what it is to find yourself through finding someone else. How two became one and the one was so much greater than either. How the two found a greatness in the rightness of their relationship and in the humanity of the other.
And it is a unique and individual story which at the same time reaches out to all of us. In the particular lies the universal. I read it sometimes as a sympathetic observer, sometimes with a detached empathy and oftentimes with fellow feeling.
It’s a poem, a love song and all the more special for being all the more real.
Those of us who have found purpose and possibility in life by meeting the right person, and have had the sense to realise their great good fortune, will find something rather special in these pages. It is more than a love story and it is more than an autobiography. It manages to paint a picture of what it is like to experience the ups and the downs and the going nowheres. It paints a picture of the everyday as well as of the occasions to be celebrated and you realise that it is in the beauty and honesty of the everyday that you discover the remarkable.
Margaret Rose Stringer portrays neither herself nor her husband, who she called Stringer (a touch that I find delightful) as saints. I like the volatile young Aussie woman who is liable to give back as good as she gets and often in a choleric outpouring that, while being blunt and to the point, was nonetheless not lacking in poetry. One minute I’m being charmed by the decency of their joint outlook on life and the next minute I’m being equally charmed by her ability to crumple a TV presenter in half a dozen lines variously referring to him as a moron, idiot, cretin and fuckwit. There’s a good leavening of grit in with the pastoral and I laughed aloud and cheered her on.
It would be hard to include spoilers in reviewing the book. I couldn’t steal thunder from the descriptions of their daily living and Margaret Rose (M.R.) herself tells you what is going to happen in the opening pages. She starts the book before the time she met Stringer and ends the book after Stringer has died. The decline in his health is painfully and truthfully drawn. You get the sense of caring as well as the feelings of inadequacy that we have when someone we love is dying. It’s moving and human. M.R. understands life and is able to bring that sense of truth to the pages of her book. There is no melodrama here just great decency, huge sadness and moments of sparkling delight.
There are times when things are going well. Both of them have important roles in the Australian film industry; M.R. as a continuity director and Stringer as one of the most respected stills men in the business. They have lean times when the lack of money impinges. But they always feel their richness in each other. They see through the good times and the bad with equal devotion and a shared sense of humour.
I love the attitudes. They don’t agree on everything, in fact they are very different people. The attraction is every bit as much the attraction of opposites as it is of the emotionally identical. On religion she is fiercely reactive to her strained Catholic upbringing, he, while resolutely atheist, is accepting and benign. On music and travel they are hand in glove and the chapters where they go off in search of Europe and opera sweep the reader along with them.
I’m of the same baby boomer generation and this story captures the times and the spirit better than any equivalent book I have read. We see inside the making of films as Australia becomes a major player in movies. We get a real sense of life in Sydney and Melbourne (and to a lesser extent, Perth). We get a feeling of what it was like to be young in the sixties and seventies and to grow older (together) throughout the great changes of the late twentieth century. But above all you get an important story well told. A story with its share of heartbreak and hardship but a story that transcends both and leaves you with a very warm feeling indeed.
I would have liked to have met Stringer. I can’t help feeling we’d have quite a lot in common. I’m pleased to say that I am coming to think of M.R. as a friend and I feel an altogether better man for having read her remarkable book. If you haven’t already done so, I suggest you give it a go. If you can, get the paper version as the electronic one comes without photographs and the pictures are a treat in themselves.
And it is a unique and individual story which at the same time reaches out to all of us. In the particular lies the universal. I read it sometimes as a sympathetic observer, sometimes with a detached empathy and oftentimes with fellow feeling.
It’s a poem, a love song and all the more special for being all the more real.
Those of us who have found purpose and possibility in life by meeting the right person, and have had the sense to realise their great good fortune, will find something rather special in these pages. It is more than a love story and it is more than an autobiography. It manages to paint a picture of what it is like to experience the ups and the downs and the going nowheres. It paints a picture of the everyday as well as of the occasions to be celebrated and you realise that it is in the beauty and honesty of the everyday that you discover the remarkable.
Margaret Rose Stringer portrays neither herself nor her husband, who she called Stringer (a touch that I find delightful) as saints. I like the volatile young Aussie woman who is liable to give back as good as she gets and often in a choleric outpouring that, while being blunt and to the point, was nonetheless not lacking in poetry. One minute I’m being charmed by the decency of their joint outlook on life and the next minute I’m being equally charmed by her ability to crumple a TV presenter in half a dozen lines variously referring to him as a moron, idiot, cretin and fuckwit. There’s a good leavening of grit in with the pastoral and I laughed aloud and cheered her on.
It would be hard to include spoilers in reviewing the book. I couldn’t steal thunder from the descriptions of their daily living and Margaret Rose (M.R.) herself tells you what is going to happen in the opening pages. She starts the book before the time she met Stringer and ends the book after Stringer has died. The decline in his health is painfully and truthfully drawn. You get the sense of caring as well as the feelings of inadequacy that we have when someone we love is dying. It’s moving and human. M.R. understands life and is able to bring that sense of truth to the pages of her book. There is no melodrama here just great decency, huge sadness and moments of sparkling delight.
There are times when things are going well. Both of them have important roles in the Australian film industry; M.R. as a continuity director and Stringer as one of the most respected stills men in the business. They have lean times when the lack of money impinges. But they always feel their richness in each other. They see through the good times and the bad with equal devotion and a shared sense of humour.
I love the attitudes. They don’t agree on everything, in fact they are very different people. The attraction is every bit as much the attraction of opposites as it is of the emotionally identical. On religion she is fiercely reactive to her strained Catholic upbringing, he, while resolutely atheist, is accepting and benign. On music and travel they are hand in glove and the chapters where they go off in search of Europe and opera sweep the reader along with them.
I’m of the same baby boomer generation and this story captures the times and the spirit better than any equivalent book I have read. We see inside the making of films as Australia becomes a major player in movies. We get a real sense of life in Sydney and Melbourne (and to a lesser extent, Perth). We get a feeling of what it was like to be young in the sixties and seventies and to grow older (together) throughout the great changes of the late twentieth century. But above all you get an important story well told. A story with its share of heartbreak and hardship but a story that transcends both and leaves you with a very warm feeling indeed.
I would have liked to have met Stringer. I can’t help feeling we’d have quite a lot in common. I’m pleased to say that I am coming to think of M.R. as a friend and I feel an altogether better man for having read her remarkable book. If you haven’t already done so, I suggest you give it a go. If you can, get the paper version as the electronic one comes without photographs and the pictures are a treat in themselves.
October 9, 2013
I won a copy on the Goodreads giveaways so thank you to the publishers for providing a copy of the book. I did find it challenging to rate this book as I have mixed feelings about it.
I found the beginning a bit confusing, partly because I know nothing about the film industry, partly because I think I misunderstood the early timeline which and possibly confused myself. Otherwise I found the writing to be easy to read, very much story-telling style, as if you were sitting with MR reminiscing over coffee.
It seems that MR grew up not feeling supported by her family, consequently is insecure about her appearance, has numerous fears and phobias and uses self deprecation as humour. I think the description is a bit misleading in that to me this was more a book of self reflection. I feel I have a better sense of MR than I do of Chic or of their relationship. I did get the sense that Chic and MR were happy in their own world. I think the line which sums up my impression of the relationship was:
"The couple you see comprises two people inextricably bound together; she by her total dependence on him and he by his joy in being thus depended on."
The main issue was that I had a difficult time relating to MR. It saddens me when people have low self worth and put themselves down but I can't relate and so struggled to get through some parts but hopefully writing those insecurities out has been therapeutic so MR can move on. I was interested in the opera stories as that is one interest we have in common, and I also know how exciting it is to connect with someone you have admired. Those are some great memories!
Overall though I think that many people suffer from low self esteem and would relate to MR and would feel quite connected with her story.
I found the beginning a bit confusing, partly because I know nothing about the film industry, partly because I think I misunderstood the early timeline which and possibly confused myself. Otherwise I found the writing to be easy to read, very much story-telling style, as if you were sitting with MR reminiscing over coffee.
It seems that MR grew up not feeling supported by her family, consequently is insecure about her appearance, has numerous fears and phobias and uses self deprecation as humour. I think the description is a bit misleading in that to me this was more a book of self reflection. I feel I have a better sense of MR than I do of Chic or of their relationship. I did get the sense that Chic and MR were happy in their own world. I think the line which sums up my impression of the relationship was:
"The couple you see comprises two people inextricably bound together; she by her total dependence on him and he by his joy in being thus depended on."
The main issue was that I had a difficult time relating to MR. It saddens me when people have low self worth and put themselves down but I can't relate and so struggled to get through some parts but hopefully writing those insecurities out has been therapeutic so MR can move on. I was interested in the opera stories as that is one interest we have in common, and I also know how exciting it is to connect with someone you have admired. Those are some great memories!
Overall though I think that many people suffer from low self esteem and would relate to MR and would feel quite connected with her story.
October 5, 2013
"And Then Like My Dreams" which I won from Goodreads Giveaways is a romantic memoir about the journey of two lovers, two soul mates through life's challenges and joys. As the story opens Margaret Rose struggles against a lack of self-esteem fuelled by a highly intelligent, but insensitive mother who constantly ridicules her about her overweight. Never far from feelings of inferiority and anxiety, Margaret takes on the job of continuity on a film crew. It is through her involvement in the film industry that will lead to her meeting ,loving and marrying Charles 'Chic' Stringer a photographic stills expert. Wrapped in their love for each they journey through the joys and pitfalls of life until heartbreak strikes and they are separated. This is a warm-hearted passionate story of love that endures through many storms, each one needing the other to feel complete.
The plot is fascinating although I found the personal antidotes, added like excerpts from a screen play, disconcerting and didn't add much to this affectionate look at the life of these two remarkable people. They seemed insulated from the world in their love, needing no one but each other to bring joy. Each seemed to offset the other's weakness; Chic Stringer composed, perceptive and genuine counterbalanced Margaret's highly intelligent forceful determination. As Chic needed to love someone he could look after so Margaret surrendered to the joy of being lovingly watched over.
In this day and age when there are so many divorces this story brings hope that anyone can find their soul mate and live a life of joy and fulfillment. I enjoyed it and found it well-worth reading.
The plot is fascinating although I found the personal antidotes, added like excerpts from a screen play, disconcerting and didn't add much to this affectionate look at the life of these two remarkable people. They seemed insulated from the world in their love, needing no one but each other to bring joy. Each seemed to offset the other's weakness; Chic Stringer composed, perceptive and genuine counterbalanced Margaret's highly intelligent forceful determination. As Chic needed to love someone he could look after so Margaret surrendered to the joy of being lovingly watched over.
In this day and age when there are so many divorces this story brings hope that anyone can find their soul mate and live a life of joy and fulfillment. I enjoyed it and found it well-worth reading.
October 7, 2013
M.R. Stringer is the first-time author of memoir ‘And Then Like My Dreams’ which traverses her family life and career while weaving an account of her enduring, touching love affair with her late husband ‘Chic’.
Margaret Rose could write the phonebook and make it a fascinating read. She has a writer's deft touch, recalling moments from childhood and family relations with the emotional punch that makes you feel like it just happened, as well as the insight that comes from years well past.
I enjoyed this book for its fly-on-the-wall look into the Australian film industry and the quirky retelling of scenes from M.R and Chic's relationship in a script format. But most of all I enjoyed it because it is a touching tribute to someone who must have been a fantastic guy and at it's core, because this is a story about the kind of love that lasts.
Margaret Rose could write the phonebook and make it a fascinating read. She has a writer's deft touch, recalling moments from childhood and family relations with the emotional punch that makes you feel like it just happened, as well as the insight that comes from years well past.
I enjoyed this book for its fly-on-the-wall look into the Australian film industry and the quirky retelling of scenes from M.R and Chic's relationship in a script format. But most of all I enjoyed it because it is a touching tribute to someone who must have been a fantastic guy and at it's core, because this is a story about the kind of love that lasts.
July 11, 2015
And then Like My Dreams is a memoir, a love story, and more. It is the story of the author and her beloved husband, Chic Stringer, who met, fell in love, married, and had an incredible journey on their life together for the next thirty or so years. Margaret Rose, or "M-R," tells of how her life changed, became something different, after meeting Chic, who was an outstanding stills photographer when everything in the film business was actually shot on film. Reading about the career they both had in the film industry was fascinating to me, but the book also describes a rich life outside the lively film business.
I was immersed in the travels to Italy and France, the cuisine, the music, the friends, and the home M-R and Chic (literally) built together. I loved hearing about their lives in Australia. Interlaced with the author's wit and humor, the book celebrates the joy and fulfillment of loving someone as deeply as she and Chic loved each other, and also gives and honest sharing of her struggles and heartbreak.
I continue to be moved by this story, saddened so by the loss that we know from the beginning is coming, and inspired by the depths of the love these two shared. M-R's writing about her anguish and grief at Chic's illness and death give even more meaning to the story of the times they shared when he was alive. This book reminds us how brightly love can shine, how quickly life can pass, and how cherished are those moments we share with those we love.
It entertained me; it moved me; it affected me deeply. It inspired me. And for that, I am grateful.
I was immersed in the travels to Italy and France, the cuisine, the music, the friends, and the home M-R and Chic (literally) built together. I loved hearing about their lives in Australia. Interlaced with the author's wit and humor, the book celebrates the joy and fulfillment of loving someone as deeply as she and Chic loved each other, and also gives and honest sharing of her struggles and heartbreak.
I continue to be moved by this story, saddened so by the loss that we know from the beginning is coming, and inspired by the depths of the love these two shared. M-R's writing about her anguish and grief at Chic's illness and death give even more meaning to the story of the times they shared when he was alive. This book reminds us how brightly love can shine, how quickly life can pass, and how cherished are those moments we share with those we love.
It entertained me; it moved me; it affected me deeply. It inspired me. And for that, I am grateful.
July 10, 2014
And Then Like My Dream [a memoir] written by Margaret Rose Stringer, grabbed my interest and my heart from the opening words when the author reveals that the light that once saved her from the abyss of instability was suddenly taken away, plunging her into unbearable darkness. Her beloved husband, her source of joy, passion and life itself, died.
Knowing these sad realities in the opening chapter could have clouded this memoir with sentimentality or emotional manipulation. It did not. I found the book remarkable, and surprisingly delightful. This is a story told well.
The author and her husband, Australian film industry stillsman Charles 'Chic' Stringer, spent more than thirty years together building a life beyond their immersion in the often erratic world of the film industry. This memoir details their remarkably strong relationship with stories told of mutual dependency as they aged together sharing commitment to a full and marvelous life steeped in art and opera, travel and cuisine, simple daily activities with warmth and cherished routines, and most of all, a profoundly deep and intimate love.
Ms. Stringer brings the reader along to experience them as a couple, but along the way highlighting 'Stringer' as someone I would have enjoyed knowing as a good friend. I highly recommend this book. It will make you think about the nature of cultivating love relationships and reminding us of the reason we are encouraged to live life to its fullest. This couple did that, and I feel enriched for having read their story.
Knowing these sad realities in the opening chapter could have clouded this memoir with sentimentality or emotional manipulation. It did not. I found the book remarkable, and surprisingly delightful. This is a story told well.
The author and her husband, Australian film industry stillsman Charles 'Chic' Stringer, spent more than thirty years together building a life beyond their immersion in the often erratic world of the film industry. This memoir details their remarkably strong relationship with stories told of mutual dependency as they aged together sharing commitment to a full and marvelous life steeped in art and opera, travel and cuisine, simple daily activities with warmth and cherished routines, and most of all, a profoundly deep and intimate love.
Ms. Stringer brings the reader along to experience them as a couple, but along the way highlighting 'Stringer' as someone I would have enjoyed knowing as a good friend. I highly recommend this book. It will make you think about the nature of cultivating love relationships and reminding us of the reason we are encouraged to live life to its fullest. This couple did that, and I feel enriched for having read their story.
September 29, 2013
*Goodreads winner copy*
I had expected to enjoy the book, as I am particularly fond of biographies/autobiographies. What I had not expected was to be totally swept up in what seemingly could be the story of my own life.
MR lovingly portrays her life with her soul mate Chic in a natural and intensely personal way. I feel as though she and I have been sitting chatting over a cup of tea for the past few hours, replete with holiday pictures! I loved her honest and at times painful recounts of both their adventures and daily routines. It was also refreshing to engage in such genuine dialogue between an older, married couple. Needless to say the final chapters were devastatingly realistic and heart retching.
I found the author's intimate retelling of her unwavering devotion to her husband both inspirational and overwhelming.
I had expected to enjoy the book, as I am particularly fond of biographies/autobiographies. What I had not expected was to be totally swept up in what seemingly could be the story of my own life.
MR lovingly portrays her life with her soul mate Chic in a natural and intensely personal way. I feel as though she and I have been sitting chatting over a cup of tea for the past few hours, replete with holiday pictures! I loved her honest and at times painful recounts of both their adventures and daily routines. It was also refreshing to engage in such genuine dialogue between an older, married couple. Needless to say the final chapters were devastatingly realistic and heart retching.
I found the author's intimate retelling of her unwavering devotion to her husband both inspirational and overwhelming.
July 31, 2014
A beautiful love story about the life shared by two soul mates. Many people will be able to identify with the highs and lows of the relationship that Margaret Rose so poignantly describes, as well as the issues of self-esteem and personal growth. The book is written in a very unique style which I found highly refreshing and the smattering of photos adds an extra layer of sentimentally to the memoir. A heartfelt story about love and loss.
March 12, 2015
What a surprise this read was. Margaret Rose is an entertaining and humorous author. She clearly conveyed the great love that she and her beloved Chic shared and her tales of their life together were searingly honest and heartwarming to read. Some excerpts had me laughing out loud. I really hope that she continues to write. she has obviously led an interesting life.
October 15, 2017
A wonderfully moving book about a special and deep love between two people who met while working in the Australian film industry. MR Stringer's writing is fresh and honest, and very readable. For my full review, see: http://whisperinggums.com/2014/01/17/... (Review copy from Fremantle Press)
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews