Οι Πρωταγωνίστριες

by Shirley Conran, Κλαίρη Παπαμιχαήλ-Λαϊνά (Translator)

1901. Η δεκατριάχρονη Μίμι Κουίν φτάνει στο Λονδίνο για να γίνει υπηρέτρια, είναι ο μόνος τρόπος για να ξεφύγει από τη φτώχεια και την κακομεταχείριση. Όμως εκεί συναντα τυχαία μια ομάδα από ηθοποιούς του μιούζικ χολ και η ζωή της παίρνει τελείως διαφορετική πορεία...

Στο θίασο του Τζόλι Τζο, η Μίμι διακρίνεται γρήγορα για τη βαθιά, αισθησιακή φωνή της, ενώ η συνομήλική της Μπέτσι Μπρίτζες ξεχωρίζει για την εξαίσια ομορφιά και τη λάμψη της. Τα δυο κορίτσια γίνονται αχώριστες φίλες, παρά το άγρυπνο βλέμμα της φιλόδοξης μητέρας της Μπετσι, που προορίζει την κόρη της για πρωταγωνίστρια.

Και τότε, ένα φριχτό ατύχημα γκρεμίζει τα όνειρα της Μίμι και γίνεται η αφορμή για να ξεκινήσει ανάμεσα σε κείνη και την Μπέτσι μια αδυσώπητη βεντέτα. Οι δρόμοι τους χωρίζουν, αλλά το μίσος και το αμοιβαίο πάθος τους για εκδίκηση φερνει διαρκώς αντιμέτωπες δύο από τις πιο διάσημες οικογένειες ηθοποιών στις δύο άκρες του Ατλαντικού. Στη μεγάλη οθόνη, στη σκηνή και στα παρασκήνια, οι μάχες που ακολουθούν απειλούν να καταστρέψουν όχι μόνο τις δυο γυναίκες αλλά καί τους ανθρώπους που αγαπούν...

Ένα επικό μυθιστόρημα για την αγάπη και το μίσος, το δώρο της φιλίας και τον πόνο της προδοσίας. Η συγκλονιστική ιστορία δύο γυναικών, που εξερευνά το τίμημα της εκδίκησης και την ανταμοιβή της συγνώμης, με ψόντο το λαμπερό κόσμο του θεάτρου των αρχών του αιώνα και τη γέννηση του κινηματογράφου.

Genres: Contemporary, Fiction

669 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 1998

About the author

Shirley Conran is the ex-wife of British designer, restaurateur, retailer and writer Sir Terence Conran. She is the mother of designers Sebastian Conran and Jasper Conran. A bestselling author in her own right whose most memorable books include Lace and Superwoman.

She was educated at the University of Portsmouth. In addition to novel writing, she wrote regularly for The Observer newspaper's women's page and was the first women's editor of The Observer Colour Magazine and women's editor of The Daily Mail newspaper where she launched the weekly women's magazine 'Femail'. She also has great experience as a designer in textiles and as a colour consultant - she had her own paint range. She handled the publicity for the Women in Media Campaign devoted to sex discrimination legislation. She was on the selection committee of the Council of Industrial Design for eight years. She also has been a columnist for Vanity Fair (magazine).

Shirley Conran is well known for having said: "First things first, second things never".

She was successfully treated for skin cancer several years ago.

She has homes in France and London.

Reviews

[Rosh (on a medical break)]

Read (and even reread) this in the good old days when I actually had patience with teeny font sizes and 700 pages in a paperback. Found my old copy today while implementing some 'shelf-control' and felt nostalgic. Hence this review. :D

Story Synopsis:

The story of the rivalry between Mimi Quinn (extraordinary voice and stage presence) and Betsy Bridges (extraordinary looks). After an accident tests their friendship, their lives aren’t the same again. This tale begins somewhere in the early 1900s and lasts about 70 years.

I remember loving the story but finding the ending abrupt and disappointing. The proceedings are somewhat predictable, but then again, the book was written in 1999 – judge accordingly.

It must be more than 15 years since I last read this but Mimi and Betsy are still strong in my mind – that’s an indicator of the amazing character development in this book.

Despite the lacklustre climax, definitely recommended if you enjoy:
✔ Historical fiction with LGBTQ rep.
✔ A tale of friendship, betrayal, and revenge.
✔ Strong and well-sketched characters
✔ Interesting depiction of ‘behind-the-scenes’ of vaudeville shows and Hollywood movies in the silent era.
✔ A narrative of how rags-to-riches doesn’t necessarily have a happily-ever-after.

PS: If this book had come on my radar today, I wouldn’t even have cast a second glance at it because of its abysmal GR rating. I wonder how many good books I have thus missed out on, simply because I mostly ignore books with GR ratings of less than 3.8 stars. Oh well! C'est la vie.



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[Vanda Bromwich]

This starts in the early 1900's with two friends hoping to make the big time in the theatre. There is a fire and one is injured and she blames her friend for her not being caught in the flames. This feud continues through their lives as one reaches the top in England and the other in America.
A light holiday read.

[Renay]

i realised i was nearly 3/4 of the way through the book before i put it down and gave up on it.
the story of mimi's tough childhood and teen years led into a reasonably interesting read about getting into theatre back in the early 1900's, and after a fire tragedy left her scarred and revenge-ful, the book just seemed to dwindle into nothingness. so i put it down.
i figure by 3/4 the way through the story should be well on it's way uphill to the climax at the end of the story, and if it hasnt excited me by this point... well, i just gave up, see?
after i put it down i re-read the blurb and it said that the story was a portrayal of early theatre and movie star life. if this indeed was such a portrayal, then we should all be glad we are not stars, coz it wouldn't be such an exciting life after all!

[Rachel Pinn]

A story about actors and two women's friendship that turns sour. Some parts are graphic and refer to incest and rape be warned. In parts it's a bit slow and I lost enthusiasm for the main characters.

[Nicola]

Predictable fluff

[Michelle Ohara]

Good Story

[Thomas West]

r has read it 2.

[Tabitha Ormiston-Smith]

I could hardly believe that Shirley Conran wrote this. From the author of Lace, I had expected a really great read. Sadly, this was not to be. The best I can say about this tedious book is that it solved my insomnia.

[Bookbunny]

slow and filled with drama