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The Desperation of Harry
The shocks and the secrets are buried - for now.
In this amazing romantic-mystery loaded with dark humor, twenty-three-year-old Monty Hill leaves his Midwestern roots for 1977 Hollywood with dreams of becoming a major film screenwriter. He meets his new neighbor, Harry, an unpredictable yet endearing man, who in hopes to assist Monty financially, steers him to an apparently dangerous producer of adult films, who demands Monty write him the biggest moneymaker of all time.
Meanwhile, Monty stumbles through a series of volatile romantic relationships with a variety of women along with his other personal encounters, and yet a second narrator looms menacingly in the background, inexplicably relating his own brief reprehensible accounts.
There are shocks and secrets aplenty buried in this intelligent story based on actual events, but it’s up to the reader to figure out where they are hidden before they crash-land with thoroughly unexpected explosions.
In this amazing romantic-mystery loaded with dark humor, twenty-three-year-old Monty Hill leaves his Midwestern roots for 1977 Hollywood with dreams of becoming a major film screenwriter. He meets his new neighbor, Harry, an unpredictable yet endearing man, who in hopes to assist Monty financially, steers him to an apparently dangerous producer of adult films, who demands Monty write him the biggest moneymaker of all time.
Meanwhile, Monty stumbles through a series of volatile romantic relationships with a variety of women along with his other personal encounters, and yet a second narrator looms menacingly in the background, inexplicably relating his own brief reprehensible accounts.
There are shocks and secrets aplenty buried in this intelligent story based on actual events, but it’s up to the reader to figure out where they are hidden before they crash-land with thoroughly unexpected explosions.
342 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2020
217 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 30, 2020
I found it some what confusing at first. However, after I struggled to get to the halfway point the story began to make sense. The ending was excellent because it made sense out of the rest of the book. For this reason I gave it 5 stars. My only recommendation the writer could have reduced some of the chapters especially the interaction with the older woman really did not add anything to the overall plot. It seemed just unnecessarily added - so he had many sexual encounters that did not touch his heart.
July 9, 2020
"Puzzled"
Maybe the title intrigued me, or perhaps it was the front cover, I can't remember. The first chapter was interesting. and I wondered whether the quirky, dark humour could be sustained throughout. The further I read, the less I understood. The subject matter ( pornography, paedophilia) was uncomfortable reading and the writing became unnecessarily crude. By the end I wasn't sure what it all meant.
Maybe the title intrigued me, or perhaps it was the front cover, I can't remember. The first chapter was interesting. and I wondered whether the quirky, dark humour could be sustained throughout. The further I read, the less I understood. The subject matter ( pornography, paedophilia) was uncomfortable reading and the writing became unnecessarily crude. By the end I wasn't sure what it all meant.
April 13, 2020
Massively disappointed in this book. Too many flowery words, making it take twice as long to read this awful book. I feel like I was tricked by the description. Was expecting a dark comedy and got a horror story intend.
December 28, 2021
I stopped reading after a couple of chapters for several reasons, it was slow, too many characters right away to keep straight, a lot of weird sexual conversation, and whatever the story was supposed to be, it didn't seem worth the read.
March 15, 2020
Strange
Starts off with some humor and gets darker with every page. Started off liking and at end just glad to finish.
Starts off with some humor and gets darker with every page. Started off liking and at end just glad to finish.
October 4, 2020
Not for everyone.
Black humor throughout. Some over the top. But skillful writing. Plot twists and turns. Hard to put down. Have a martini ready.
Black humor throughout. Some over the top. But skillful writing. Plot twists and turns. Hard to put down. Have a martini ready.
April 6, 2021
FIVE STARS BECAUSE
Because anything less would be a crime. Thank you for this amazing book. This is one that I will keep to read again.
Because anything less would be a crime. Thank you for this amazing book. This is one that I will keep to read again.
January 4, 2022
Kudos to E Ryan Janz!!! His book, slightly different from my usual reads, kept me captivated with the array of quirky characters and the pace of events...a true Los Angeles adventure!!!
October 4, 2021
If felt like Ignacius J. Reilly got into porn. I don't know why exactly because the characters weren't literally filthy but they were sleezy with an exception or two. The concept was bizarre enough to keep me reading for some reason.
May 10, 2023
the brutality of the 70s, Hollywood and Trauma
The story takes us through what is thought to be Montgomery Hill’s point of view and his writer’s quip until the angst and multiple tragedies and events lead us to a quite pleasant conclusion and understanding of what truly occurred in the past and how he has a pulled through with his first best friend and a truth revealed and healed. Very graphic in some parts not for squeamish readers.
The story takes us through what is thought to be Montgomery Hill’s point of view and his writer’s quip until the angst and multiple tragedies and events lead us to a quite pleasant conclusion and understanding of what truly occurred in the past and how he has a pulled through with his first best friend and a truth revealed and healed. Very graphic in some parts not for squeamish readers.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews