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Based on a True Story
It might not have happened precisely that way... Fresh out of rehab, badly behaved diva Augusta Price has one last chance to turn her life around. Her memoir, Based on a True Story, has become an unlikely hit, and she's going to use that fame to start afresh. But Augusta is her own worst enemy. Augusta discovers that her former lover is planning a tell-all book of his own. Enraged - and concerned that perhaps her version of events may not have been the most accurate - Augusta decides to ensure that her story is the only one that will see the light of day. Aided and abetted by Frances, her newly employed ghostwriter, Augusta finds her way back to California, and to her lost love. It's time to face up to her something that will be the making - or breaking - of Augusta Price. Hilarious, honest, and unforgettable, Augustawill find her way into your heart - and steal it, and all your vodka.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 5, 2014
17 people are currently reading
346 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Renzetti
7 books74 followersIt all began in a small sod hut on the Prairies .... no, it didn't. It began with my failure to do well in math, which led to journalism school, which led to the Globe and Mail, which led to interviewing dozens (hundreds? it felt that way sometimes) of authors, which led to this run-on sentence that would have caused my first journalism professor to cut off my typing digits.
In short, I was one of those kids whose best friends were fictional characters. I walked into poles regularly because I read as I walked, and I was a better reader than a walker.
Then I was a journalist, first in Toronto and then in Los Angeles and London for the Globe and Mail, sometimes known as the Mope and Pail, Canada's national newspaper. All along, I continued to find ways to interview writers and study their alchemy from up close. How did they manage to turn the dull stuff of everyday life into the gold I read on the page? It seemed like something only a magician could do. It seemed like something I could never do.
Yet somehow I did, and there's a novel with a very bright pink cover to prove it (Based on a True Story, House of Anansi, June 2014).
It's a comedy. Or a tragi-comedy. I wish there were a better way to encapsulate laughter with bitterness, or disappointment, at its core. I wish I could coin such a word, the way Tyra Banks, in her genius, has given the English language "smize" (smile with your eyes.) If anyone has such a neologism at hand, please let me know. In the meanwhile, read. Enjoy. The two should be synonymous.
In short, I was one of those kids whose best friends were fictional characters. I walked into poles regularly because I read as I walked, and I was a better reader than a walker.
Then I was a journalist, first in Toronto and then in Los Angeles and London for the Globe and Mail, sometimes known as the Mope and Pail, Canada's national newspaper. All along, I continued to find ways to interview writers and study their alchemy from up close. How did they manage to turn the dull stuff of everyday life into the gold I read on the page? It seemed like something only a magician could do. It seemed like something I could never do.
Yet somehow I did, and there's a novel with a very bright pink cover to prove it (Based on a True Story, House of Anansi, June 2014).
It's a comedy. Or a tragi-comedy. I wish there were a better way to encapsulate laughter with bitterness, or disappointment, at its core. I wish I could coin such a word, the way Tyra Banks, in her genius, has given the English language "smize" (smile with your eyes.) If anyone has such a neologism at hand, please let me know. In the meanwhile, read. Enjoy. The two should be synonymous.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
August 20, 2014
Elizabeth Renzetti is a bright and interesting columnist for the Globe and Mail -- I enjoy her trenchant writing and fresh approach to various subjects. So I have been looking forward to her debut novel -- a droll trans-Atlantic romp through the celebrity world of a fading actress as witnessed by a young women caught in the collapse of traditional journalism.
This is a novel with some fine laugh-out-loud parts, and the life of Augusta Price is painted with a touching combination of hilarity and pathos that makes her seem real. But I found the book a disappointment overall. Far too many of the comic situations seem derivative -- Augusta losing self-control during an air flight and being arrested, for example. And the core of the book emotionally -- Price's relationship with her son -- is never really resolved.
In the end, it seemed to me that Renzetti played this one for laughs -- and got some -- but could have written a deeper and more thoughtful book about the fleeting character of fame, the realities of addiction and of aging and the power of love. Perhaps her next novel will show such maturity.
This is a novel with some fine laugh-out-loud parts, and the life of Augusta Price is painted with a touching combination of hilarity and pathos that makes her seem real. But I found the book a disappointment overall. Far too many of the comic situations seem derivative -- Augusta losing self-control during an air flight and being arrested, for example. And the core of the book emotionally -- Price's relationship with her son -- is never really resolved.
In the end, it seemed to me that Renzetti played this one for laughs -- and got some -- but could have written a deeper and more thoughtful book about the fleeting character of fame, the realities of addiction and of aging and the power of love. Perhaps her next novel will show such maturity.
January 4, 2023
I read this because I participated in a workshop with the author a few years back, and I enjoy her non-fiction writing. This isn't in my typical genre of reading - a bit too cynical, maybe? but I did actually quite enjoy it, although both characters (Augusta the celebrity alcoholic and Frances the basic naive doofus) were QUITE irritating at many points. But that's the thing about humans: they often are incredibly irritating. I actually like that there was not an easy, pat resolution- just the ongoing truth of starting over, every time, with friendship and love, imperfect though we all are with those.
September 15, 2016
I found this novel left behind at a vacation home (and other people's holiday reading sometimes offer great choices). It wasn't a great novel, but it was entertaining. The British heroine is a boozy self-obsessed actor who has alienated pretty well everyone in her life, including her adult son. Augusta's inner dialogue is witty and amusing, and you can't help but admire her chutzpah. When she decides to visit Hollywood, she runs across her ex-husband, who mysteriously is still carrying a torch for her. The book was interesting enough that I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens.
November 17, 2014
Really more of a 2.5 than a 3, but I'm feeling generous. I was hoping this book would be a well-written beach read, and while that's still probably how I would describe it, it still didn't live up to my expectations. I really struggled to feel attached to any of the characters, and didn't find it as funny as I'd hoped. Just wasn't the book for me, unfortunately.
June 13, 2017
While I enjoy the author's Globe and Mail column, and the book has its amusing moments and some well-crafted turns of phrase, I was left wondering "What's the point?"
November 21, 2018
‘Addictive, hilarious and wildly entertaining ... funny, poignant and intoxicating.’
An overblown description of what is a very average book.
An overblown description of what is a very average book.
July 14, 2014
2.5 stars, rounding up, because I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. I feel like I SHOULD like it more than I did.
There's charm and humour in the writing, but that's as far as I can go. The dialogue is overly-mannered, like an American parody of how the British speak. The pages are cluttered with self-conscious metaphors and similes that are too archly clever by half. The plot doesn't stray very far from the conventional modern romance. And the characters are barely 2-dimensional. Our hero, Augusta Price, would be a truly horrible person if she ever actually resembled a real person. I imagine we are expected to empathize with her sidekick, the put-upon Frances. But Frances' complete self-absorption is just boring.
Sorry. I really, really wanted to like this. Maybe the problem was with my expectations. I am a huge fan of Renzetti's columns in the Globe and Mail, the reviews for this book were good, and I was excited to read this. I feel almost guilty for this review, and I keep clicking on "edit". I want to change what I've written, but I can't think of how to change it.
There's charm and humour in the writing, but that's as far as I can go. The dialogue is overly-mannered, like an American parody of how the British speak. The pages are cluttered with self-conscious metaphors and similes that are too archly clever by half. The plot doesn't stray very far from the conventional modern romance. And the characters are barely 2-dimensional. Our hero, Augusta Price, would be a truly horrible person if she ever actually resembled a real person. I imagine we are expected to empathize with her sidekick, the put-upon Frances. But Frances' complete self-absorption is just boring.
Sorry. I really, really wanted to like this. Maybe the problem was with my expectations. I am a huge fan of Renzetti's columns in the Globe and Mail, the reviews for this book were good, and I was excited to read this. I feel almost guilty for this review, and I keep clicking on "edit". I want to change what I've written, but I can't think of how to change it.
July 11, 2020
Informacja na okładce ostrzega :
Uwaga.Lektura grozi niekontrolowanymi wybuchami śmiechu."
Hmmm, chyba nie mam poczucia humoru (angielskiego) ,bo uśmiechnęłam się tylko raz ,
a to tylko dlatego że w knajpie zamiast napisu toaleta był napis jałówki ;-) .
Nie wiem skąd też pomysł na pierwszy wyraz w tytule ,bo jakoś w książce o plotce nic nie było.
A co było ,Augusta Price aktorka ,która wydała książkę ,nałogowa kłamczucha ,lub mówiąc oględniej widząca prawdę w innym świetle .
Oprócz tego uzależniona od alkoholu i środków przeciwbólowych,niezła mieszanka ;-) .
Augusta dowiaduje się że jej ex partner pisze książkę ,a ona postanawia wykraść rękopis ,bo nie życzy sobie żeby o niej też w tej książce wspominał.
Czy jej się to uda? Jeśli jednak macie ochotę sięgnąć po tę książkę ,choćby jako przerywnik od "cięższego kalibru" to odkryjecie też dlaczego syn zerwał z nią kontakt .
Ogólnie książka na jeden ,góra dwa wieczory :-)
Uwaga.Lektura grozi niekontrolowanymi wybuchami śmiechu."
Hmmm, chyba nie mam poczucia humoru (angielskiego) ,bo uśmiechnęłam się tylko raz ,
a to tylko dlatego że w knajpie zamiast napisu toaleta był napis jałówki ;-) .
Nie wiem skąd też pomysł na pierwszy wyraz w tytule ,bo jakoś w książce o plotce nic nie było.
A co było ,Augusta Price aktorka ,która wydała książkę ,nałogowa kłamczucha ,lub mówiąc oględniej widząca prawdę w innym świetle .
Oprócz tego uzależniona od alkoholu i środków przeciwbólowych,niezła mieszanka ;-) .
Augusta dowiaduje się że jej ex partner pisze książkę ,a ona postanawia wykraść rękopis ,bo nie życzy sobie żeby o niej też w tej książce wspominał.
Czy jej się to uda? Jeśli jednak macie ochotę sięgnąć po tę książkę ,choćby jako przerywnik od "cięższego kalibru" to odkryjecie też dlaczego syn zerwał z nią kontakt .
Ogólnie książka na jeden ,góra dwa wieczory :-)
June 9, 2019
I think I've never been this betrayed by a summary before... Most of it turned out to be spot on, but at its end, it promised me I would come to like the main character despite her flaws and that the story would be hilarious. So I pictured some light reading, in rom com style. Boy, was I wrong!
Oh well, lesson learned. Next time I'll question the claims of a book summary more thoroughly.
Oh well, lesson learned. Next time I'll question the claims of a book summary more thoroughly.
November 26, 2018
My real rating would be about 3.75, I think. Liz is a smart writer, and there's lots in the book that I suspect comes from her times in England and California. I believed in the characters, and after debating with myself over their development or absence thereof, decided that I liked the way they were portrayed. Having known someone who has continued to shoot herself in the foot despite the best efforts of her friends, I totally appreciated Augusta. I didn't mind there being no tidy resolution to all the dilemmas. The writing was good, too; there were lots of marvelous metaphors and similes, although sometimes it did seem like the author was throwing perfume on the violet, and I wanted to pull out my editing pencil. But overall, I think it is an engaging, light-hearted read.
July 23, 2018
I don't normally read books like this, so maybe it just isn't the book for me. I found the book to be boring and uneventful. By the end of the book I hardly cared for the characters, and it felt as though almost nothing had occurred.
I only completed reading this because it is the next book for the book club.
I only completed reading this because it is the next book for the book club.
March 5, 2021
A miserable story of people going from bad to worse. No money, feeling themselves failures, rightly, and ripping other people off while behaving badly. The only reason it’s not one star is the occasional glimmer of cynicism which is quite entertaining and funny. Otherwise, it’s not one I’d recommend.
September 27, 2018
‘Absolutely Fabulous’ meets ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ read the magazine review & the back cover of the book. I’m not sure we’re speaking about the same book. Augusta Price is a washed up actor addicted to booze & pills. The book is about the sad, sorry mess of her life as an addict.
July 31, 2019
I was struck by an incongruence among story elements, particularly between characterization and language—ex. one of the main characters is a self-absorbed alcoholic/drug dependent washout of a British actress, who speaks with an amazingly elevated vocabulary and a sense of wicked humour. I must be easy to please as a reader, because I was intrigued by this artful use of language, so I ended up quite enjoying a book for which I had no expectations whatsoever.
August 28, 2017
I found this book fairly interesting. I wasn't desperate to read it whenever I could but when I found myself with nothing to do it was a nice read. I thought there would be a bit more going on with Charles and maybe a relationship between him and Frances as I didn't get the feeling that Stanley was really that interested in Frances and the ending felt a little flat to me.
December 3, 2017
It starts off slowly...then lurches into high gear on a hyperbolic course of self-destruction that ends far more tragically, poignantly, and realistically than other novels dealing with the subject matter of celebrity & human frailty. I enjoy Elizabeth Renzetti's newspaper columns; now I can say I equally appreciate her skill as a novelist.
August 14, 2018
Augusta's dialogue cracked me up. I really appreciate an author who's characters speak in different voices.
Renzetti presents characters with realistic inconsistencies. I lapped up the story. I'll read more of her work.
Renzetti presents characters with realistic inconsistencies. I lapped up the story. I'll read more of her work.
January 29, 2024
The book was well-written and the characters were well-drawn, but it was depressing and just didn't go anywhere. Started off my year in a book funk. Took me a long time to get through this one because it put me in a bad mood every time I went to read it.
November 27, 2017
Found it hard to figure out what the protagonist's goal was.
January 3, 2019
An interesting story, but a bit “all over the map” for me. I wanted to like it a whole lot more than I did, but I didn’t really like the two main characters.
November 9, 2020
Fun and promising but lacks direction and is repetitive.
July 31, 2021
A rollicking good time....it reminded me a little of AbFab!
March 19, 2017
This was a relatively light book. Not much there, but not bad, either.
December 21, 2014
Who could go past the exceptionally retro cool cover of Based on a True Story? Who could resist a book described as a combination of Absolutely Fabulous and The Devil Wears Prada? Not I, so it was a lovely surprise when I won an advance copy of this story from Allen & Unwin on Goodreads, because it was on my wish list already.
This book definitely has echoes of Eddie and Patsy in the protagonist, Augusta Price, in that she’s never without a bottle or two (sometimes cunningly disguised as contact lens solution) and that she craves the spotlight. However, as Augusta would say, she’s a true individual with an immensely fascinating life that she’s not planning on giving up any time soon. Firmly implanted in middle age, in Augusta’s head she’s still a stunning young vixen trying it on with everyone she meets. Unfortunately, her charm is wearing off after numerous rehab attempts and millions of falsifications and lies. Her son has abandoned her and her ex-lover has fashioned himself as L.A.’s ‘Mr Romance’. Augusta, once the darling of UK soap, now can’t even get a guest role. Stubbornly, she refuses to give up. Her heavily edited (and ghost-written) memoir is the only thing going for her, so she decides to employ newly unemployed journalist Frances to write a sequel. This involves going to a fan conference in America, stalking her ex-lover and getting into incredibly crazy situations.
Augusta was written in such a way that I didn’t feel sorry for her. The scrapes she gets herself into are generally of her own doing and reluctance to accept that she stuffed up. She’s stubborn and childish. Frances is the complete opposite. She’s the voice of too much reason, always cautious and always thinking of the implications of her actions. I was expecting the road trip the pair take to have positive effects on both of them, but I don’t know how much either of them learnt! Ken, Mr Romance, remained a bit of an enigma – is he so much in love with Augusta that he accepts her unconditionally? Or is he too fed up to care? Charles, their son, played a more minor role that what I would have expected. There wasn’t a showdown and it all seemed to disappear off into the mist.
However flawed the characters, Based on a True Story is a page-turner. I just couldn’t stop reading about Augusta’s japes. Each time, she excelled herself in setting a new low. By the end, I was expecting Augusta to finally grow up, but it’s somewhat ambiguous. On reflection, I think this ending really works – you can highlight the positive progress or you can feel smug that Augusta will muck it up soon enough. That way, the ending works whether you liked her character or not. It’s a light read, great for summer – plus the cover is so fashionable it will go with your wardrobe!
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
This book definitely has echoes of Eddie and Patsy in the protagonist, Augusta Price, in that she’s never without a bottle or two (sometimes cunningly disguised as contact lens solution) and that she craves the spotlight. However, as Augusta would say, she’s a true individual with an immensely fascinating life that she’s not planning on giving up any time soon. Firmly implanted in middle age, in Augusta’s head she’s still a stunning young vixen trying it on with everyone she meets. Unfortunately, her charm is wearing off after numerous rehab attempts and millions of falsifications and lies. Her son has abandoned her and her ex-lover has fashioned himself as L.A.’s ‘Mr Romance’. Augusta, once the darling of UK soap, now can’t even get a guest role. Stubbornly, she refuses to give up. Her heavily edited (and ghost-written) memoir is the only thing going for her, so she decides to employ newly unemployed journalist Frances to write a sequel. This involves going to a fan conference in America, stalking her ex-lover and getting into incredibly crazy situations.
Augusta was written in such a way that I didn’t feel sorry for her. The scrapes she gets herself into are generally of her own doing and reluctance to accept that she stuffed up. She’s stubborn and childish. Frances is the complete opposite. She’s the voice of too much reason, always cautious and always thinking of the implications of her actions. I was expecting the road trip the pair take to have positive effects on both of them, but I don’t know how much either of them learnt! Ken, Mr Romance, remained a bit of an enigma – is he so much in love with Augusta that he accepts her unconditionally? Or is he too fed up to care? Charles, their son, played a more minor role that what I would have expected. There wasn’t a showdown and it all seemed to disappear off into the mist.
However flawed the characters, Based on a True Story is a page-turner. I just couldn’t stop reading about Augusta’s japes. Each time, she excelled herself in setting a new low. By the end, I was expecting Augusta to finally grow up, but it’s somewhat ambiguous. On reflection, I think this ending really works – you can highlight the positive progress or you can feel smug that Augusta will muck it up soon enough. That way, the ending works whether you liked her character or not. It’s a light read, great for summer – plus the cover is so fashionable it will go with your wardrobe!
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
November 28, 2016
At just past mid-way point I wanted to shout at Augusta "enough already, get on with your life". And then, she did, kind of, and the plot moved along from the rather dead stop it had come to or else I had got very bored of the drugs and drinking non-stop. At any rate, I didn't have to, something happened, the tone of the book abruptly and neatly altered and we moved ahead.
Overall, I enjoyed this book very much. Great debut novel, well executed with many pithy comments and observations from the key characters, Augusta, Kenneth, Alma and Frances but, especially, Augusta, the ageing out of work soap star who has still a certain charm and likability. Actually, I dog-eared so many pages in my copy, so many choice phrases and lines like, "She's like a big, drunken baby who needs constant attention and always wants an audience." and 'Up close, Augusta's dark irises contained a dozen shades, brown and amber and purple. No wonder men become lost thought Frances. Cobra in a snake charmer's basket. Fly in a spider's web.'
We first meet Augusta in a London rehab centre. Of course, she's been ordered there if she wants to work again, no one will touch her otherwise. But she is not serious about rehabbing and is clever about sneaking anything drinkable or worth inhaling or swallowing. We discover how she got onto the magic of drugs back in her teens and how she fell pregnant and how her son Charles-Charlie- may be Kenneth Deller's son or not. Augusta has written a sort of tell all without telling all about her acting life, and now, Kenneth, across the pond in California is embarking, she discovers, on a self help book. The premise of Based on a True Story is Augusta' obsession he will expose their early life together as hapless parents to Charlie, her wasted years and she sets out to get the manuscript to see for herself. Totally self absorbed and determined to exist only through a state of drunkenness, she enlists Frances, a struggling just let go reporter to ghost her new memoir. Frances, while seemingly timid and almost as down and out as Augusta but only career-wise, comes to like and tolerate Augusta's outrageous behavior once they arrive in America and adopts some of the quirks her 'employer' uses to her advantage. Things could go downhill for so long, just, and as I despaired at their despair, that's when Renzetti pulled the nose of the plane, so to speak, back up and sailed them through much adversity to a hopeful end for Augusta, Frances and her new beau and old boss, Stan; and Kenneth and Augusta as a perhaps, reconciled couple after years of warring apart. Kenneth still adores her, loves her even. As for Charlie, it will take a bunch of time for him to come around to Augusta, who made him choose between her and Ken (he chose Ken) but he might, you can only wait, and hope.
Overall, I enjoyed this book very much. Great debut novel, well executed with many pithy comments and observations from the key characters, Augusta, Kenneth, Alma and Frances but, especially, Augusta, the ageing out of work soap star who has still a certain charm and likability. Actually, I dog-eared so many pages in my copy, so many choice phrases and lines like, "She's like a big, drunken baby who needs constant attention and always wants an audience." and 'Up close, Augusta's dark irises contained a dozen shades, brown and amber and purple. No wonder men become lost thought Frances. Cobra in a snake charmer's basket. Fly in a spider's web.'
We first meet Augusta in a London rehab centre. Of course, she's been ordered there if she wants to work again, no one will touch her otherwise. But she is not serious about rehabbing and is clever about sneaking anything drinkable or worth inhaling or swallowing. We discover how she got onto the magic of drugs back in her teens and how she fell pregnant and how her son Charles-Charlie- may be Kenneth Deller's son or not. Augusta has written a sort of tell all without telling all about her acting life, and now, Kenneth, across the pond in California is embarking, she discovers, on a self help book. The premise of Based on a True Story is Augusta' obsession he will expose their early life together as hapless parents to Charlie, her wasted years and she sets out to get the manuscript to see for herself. Totally self absorbed and determined to exist only through a state of drunkenness, she enlists Frances, a struggling just let go reporter to ghost her new memoir. Frances, while seemingly timid and almost as down and out as Augusta but only career-wise, comes to like and tolerate Augusta's outrageous behavior once they arrive in America and adopts some of the quirks her 'employer' uses to her advantage. Things could go downhill for so long, just, and as I despaired at their despair, that's when Renzetti pulled the nose of the plane, so to speak, back up and sailed them through much adversity to a hopeful end for Augusta, Frances and her new beau and old boss, Stan; and Kenneth and Augusta as a perhaps, reconciled couple after years of warring apart. Kenneth still adores her, loves her even. As for Charlie, it will take a bunch of time for him to come around to Augusta, who made him choose between her and Ken (he chose Ken) but he might, you can only wait, and hope.
October 9, 2016
“Honey, there comes a time when you have to face the fact that you’re an old broad,” legendary screen goddess Ava Gardener once said. But for Augusta Price, the supremely flawed, booze-addicted, washed up soap star of Renzetti’s debut novel, the transition into old broadness—with its implications of respectable invisibility —is one she’s been holding off, with all the vigilance and enablers she can get.
As an aging vixen who thinks she’s still “got it”, Augusta is an easy target to laugh at. But beauty, combined with celebrity, gives enormous privileges in life—and privileges are hard to give up. Is Augusta unlikeable at times? Yes. But as an aging narcissist myself, I’ll admit there were parts of her that I could ruefully relate to.
Most of the plot centers on her unlikely friendship with Frances, an unemployed, but responsible journalist who has been hired to ghostwrite a sequel to Augusta’s best selling memoir. Augusta’s glory days may be long gone, but there are few ahead for Frances in the age of dying newspapers. Sacked from her job at a London newsroom which “smelled of yesterday’s air”, she has joined the ranks of the desperate. Hitching a ride onto Augusta’s wobbly wagon is at least a reprieve from an uncertain future, which she sees an “arctic slide through failure towards death.” The result is a buddy road trip, filled with hilarious twists and turns.
Renzetti is a droll, trenchant writer, with a screenwriter’s gift for witty one-liners. But she doesn’t shy away from trickier subjects like maternal instinct—or in Augusta’s case, the lack of it. Not surprisingly, Augusta is a horrible mother to her son Charles whom she hasn’t seen in years. But at least she tried with the cranky newborn she never planned for. In one particularly poignant passage, Renzetti writes:
“So Augusta patted and prodded Charlie, and tried slipping her battered nipple nipple into his frantic mouth, but nothing calmed him. She felt as if she were trying to knit a sweater while wearing oven mitts. No one she knew was any help. Who did she know? Notting Hill coke dealers and cross-dressing performance artists; selfish bastard actors who were babies themselves; and women like Alma who’d had terminations all through their lives and now couldn’t look at babies because babies were the road not taken.”
Do those oven mitts miraculously turn into June Cleaver white gloves when Augusta finally reunites with her long lost son? No spoilers, but suffice to say the ending is unresolved—like much of life. Toward the end of the book, there is a suggestion that Augusta may be stumbling towards maturity—but on her own terms. She’s not pressing the old broad button until she’s damn well good and ready to. And for that, I’m rooting for her.
August 31, 2015
Review first posted on my blog: http://spoonfulofhappyendings.blogspo...
Augusta Price wants nothing more than to be in the spotlight, but it seems she has left her best years, during which she was a big soap star loved by the UK audience, behind her and people just aren't interested anymore. Augusta keeps making mistakes and ruining everything, mainly because after several stints in rehab she still can't control her drinking problem. When her memoir unexpectedly becomes a big hit, Augusta wants to use that fame to get back on top. But when she discovers her ex-lover is about to release his own story, Augusta knows she has to do something to stop him. She hires journalist Frances who has just been fired to help her write another book, while deciding they are going to California to confront Augusta's ex, and perhaps some other things from her past, once and for all.
'Based On a True Story' is quite a quick read with about 320 pages, and also quite an original read. Author Elizabeth Renzetti definitely has her own voice which suits this kind of story well. The book focuses mainly on fading actress Augusta Price and how she tries to get back into the spotlight. I personally had some real difficulty warming to Augusta. She's a complex character; on the one hand it was really easy to dislike her (she's selfish, a true addict, rude), but on the other hand I did find myself rooting for her and wanting her to succeed and find some form of happiness. I did really like Frances, the journalist whom Augusta hires, and I would have loved to have read more about her background and character.
I was fascinated by the story and definitely wanted to finish it, curious to see what would happen. However, quite a few aspects of the novel remain unresolved. Of course this provides the reader with the chance to fill in some of the blanks by themselves, but it did bother me a bit in this case. 'Based On a True Story' is basically a tale about two different women who find each other at a point in their lives when they have hit a low and need to try and pick themselves up again. It's a witty, quick, and unique read with characters that will stay with me for some time to come (either in a good or bad way). It wasn't entirely my read, but I did enjoy it in a way, and I'm sure other readers will as well.
Augusta Price wants nothing more than to be in the spotlight, but it seems she has left her best years, during which she was a big soap star loved by the UK audience, behind her and people just aren't interested anymore. Augusta keeps making mistakes and ruining everything, mainly because after several stints in rehab she still can't control her drinking problem. When her memoir unexpectedly becomes a big hit, Augusta wants to use that fame to get back on top. But when she discovers her ex-lover is about to release his own story, Augusta knows she has to do something to stop him. She hires journalist Frances who has just been fired to help her write another book, while deciding they are going to California to confront Augusta's ex, and perhaps some other things from her past, once and for all.
'Based On a True Story' is quite a quick read with about 320 pages, and also quite an original read. Author Elizabeth Renzetti definitely has her own voice which suits this kind of story well. The book focuses mainly on fading actress Augusta Price and how she tries to get back into the spotlight. I personally had some real difficulty warming to Augusta. She's a complex character; on the one hand it was really easy to dislike her (she's selfish, a true addict, rude), but on the other hand I did find myself rooting for her and wanting her to succeed and find some form of happiness. I did really like Frances, the journalist whom Augusta hires, and I would have loved to have read more about her background and character.
I was fascinated by the story and definitely wanted to finish it, curious to see what would happen. However, quite a few aspects of the novel remain unresolved. Of course this provides the reader with the chance to fill in some of the blanks by themselves, but it did bother me a bit in this case. 'Based On a True Story' is basically a tale about two different women who find each other at a point in their lives when they have hit a low and need to try and pick themselves up again. It's a witty, quick, and unique read with characters that will stay with me for some time to come (either in a good or bad way). It wasn't entirely my read, but I did enjoy it in a way, and I'm sure other readers will as well.
July 22, 2014
Based on a True Story is a great read for the summer!
It is saucy, fast moving and Augusta is the sort of character that is easier to take while you are sitting on the side of a lake.
That is because Augusta is so easy to hate. She is selfish, washed up, mean, rude, in your face, and a bit of a drunk. But underneath all this, you are almost rooting for her to win,
even just a little, the whole time. Because there is just something about a character who is such a mess isn’t there?
This book really raised a lot of issues with me, with society in general, which in not something that I excepted. Is everyone meant to be a mother? And those of us who aren’t, should we feel like it is something we have to do? And if we do have a child, must we step up and change who we are?
This novel is centered around Augusta, a washed up, English, middle-aged actress, someone who always has trouble with alcohol and drugs. She has left behind a partner who was always good to her, Ken, who I have a hard time understanding why she hates so much, and a son, Charles. She has been struggling to find a role to get her back onto the screen and stay sober long enough to remember to show up. She has also released a book with the help of a ghost writer that has put her back in the glimmer of the spotlight. Enter Frances Bleeker, a displaced Californian, who has been sent by her boss to write an article about Augusta’s book for the tabloid she works at. Frances sure is not the most secure creature, and together her and Augusta mix like oil and water. One floating on top, the other one barely noticeable.
Augusta has heard a rumour that her ex-lover, Ken is writing a book about love. And she sure does not want her name in it. Ken lives in California now, not cloudy England but Augusta still can’t let him tarnish her (ahem) good name. So, she enlists the help of Frances, now; out of a job, and out of luck to accompany her to California.
And off they go, on their often very rocky adventure.
So settle in, buckle your seat belt and take off on a bumpy ride. The book is daring, the cover is pink, but most things never turn out perfect, so don’t make an assumption and take this book too lightly. You shouldn’t. It has got some serious punch.
It is saucy, fast moving and Augusta is the sort of character that is easier to take while you are sitting on the side of a lake.
That is because Augusta is so easy to hate. She is selfish, washed up, mean, rude, in your face, and a bit of a drunk. But underneath all this, you are almost rooting for her to win,
even just a little, the whole time. Because there is just something about a character who is such a mess isn’t there?
This book really raised a lot of issues with me, with society in general, which in not something that I excepted. Is everyone meant to be a mother? And those of us who aren’t, should we feel like it is something we have to do? And if we do have a child, must we step up and change who we are?
This novel is centered around Augusta, a washed up, English, middle-aged actress, someone who always has trouble with alcohol and drugs. She has left behind a partner who was always good to her, Ken, who I have a hard time understanding why she hates so much, and a son, Charles. She has been struggling to find a role to get her back onto the screen and stay sober long enough to remember to show up. She has also released a book with the help of a ghost writer that has put her back in the glimmer of the spotlight. Enter Frances Bleeker, a displaced Californian, who has been sent by her boss to write an article about Augusta’s book for the tabloid she works at. Frances sure is not the most secure creature, and together her and Augusta mix like oil and water. One floating on top, the other one barely noticeable.
Augusta has heard a rumour that her ex-lover, Ken is writing a book about love. And she sure does not want her name in it. Ken lives in California now, not cloudy England but Augusta still can’t let him tarnish her (ahem) good name. So, she enlists the help of Frances, now; out of a job, and out of luck to accompany her to California.
And off they go, on their often very rocky adventure.
So settle in, buckle your seat belt and take off on a bumpy ride. The book is daring, the cover is pink, but most things never turn out perfect, so don’t make an assumption and take this book too lightly. You shouldn’t. It has got some serious punch.
September 3, 2014
Real rating: 3.5 / 5 stars
Disclosure: I was given this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book really surprised me. While I do enjoy the occasional chick lit, they often leave me feeling like I should have spent the time reading something more engaging. What I liked most about Based on a True Story was that, despite its fluorescent pink cover and chick-lit-like appearance, the story is not focused on romance. There are many more, far more interesting attributes to this story.
Something that I did not expect (and something that I didn’t particularly like) was how British the novel was. While this is not a negative thing in the least, I initially found it hard to wrap my head around the diction and British-specific lingo. While I was expecting a light, easy read I instead found myself consulting the dictionary every couple of pages.
There is obvious character development in this book. I didn’t really fall in love with any of the characters, but they did hold my attention. If you enjoy stories with complicated relationships, then you will really like this book.
One thing that I will say about Based on a True Story is that the imagery is fantastic. No matter where the chapter is set - in a sketchy neighbourhood outside London or the inside of a rehab facility - it is easy to create a detailed scene in your head and put yourself right in the middle of it. I feel like a lot of this is due to Renzetti’s journalistic background.
I chose this rating for the book because it exceeded my expectations on many levels. I do wish that the ending had involved a bit more closure (it was a little bit too open-ended for my liking), and would have liked to relate more to the characters. I recommend this book if you’re looking for something truly different!
Disclosure: I was given this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book really surprised me. While I do enjoy the occasional chick lit, they often leave me feeling like I should have spent the time reading something more engaging. What I liked most about Based on a True Story was that, despite its fluorescent pink cover and chick-lit-like appearance, the story is not focused on romance. There are many more, far more interesting attributes to this story.
Something that I did not expect (and something that I didn’t particularly like) was how British the novel was. While this is not a negative thing in the least, I initially found it hard to wrap my head around the diction and British-specific lingo. While I was expecting a light, easy read I instead found myself consulting the dictionary every couple of pages.
There is obvious character development in this book. I didn’t really fall in love with any of the characters, but they did hold my attention. If you enjoy stories with complicated relationships, then you will really like this book.
One thing that I will say about Based on a True Story is that the imagery is fantastic. No matter where the chapter is set - in a sketchy neighbourhood outside London or the inside of a rehab facility - it is easy to create a detailed scene in your head and put yourself right in the middle of it. I feel like a lot of this is due to Renzetti’s journalistic background.
I chose this rating for the book because it exceeded my expectations on many levels. I do wish that the ending had involved a bit more closure (it was a little bit too open-ended for my liking), and would have liked to relate more to the characters. I recommend this book if you’re looking for something truly different!
June 25, 2014
Actual rating: 3.5 Stars
Based on a True Story was a great summer read, and I will be keeping an eye out for more from Elizabeth Renzetti from now on. I picked it up because a customer at the bookstore I work at mentioned that the author's style was similarish to Meg Cabot, and I was happy to see that the comparison was not far off.
The plot was compelling, funny (dry humour is the best humour), and told the story of two women reaching their respective rock bottoms and picking themselves back up without being overly sentimental. The characters were well-drawn, their relationships poignant in their realism. What's stopping me from giving it a full 4 stars was the ending. I won't give any spoilers, but I will say that the last few chapters seemed rushed; it was as if the characters and the author had just run out of steam and decided it was as good a place to end as any. Augusta's son, Charles, also could have maybe used a bit...more. I don't know what, exactly, but it felt as though something was missing there.
Overall though, an enjoyable read.
Based on a True Story was a great summer read, and I will be keeping an eye out for more from Elizabeth Renzetti from now on. I picked it up because a customer at the bookstore I work at mentioned that the author's style was similarish to Meg Cabot, and I was happy to see that the comparison was not far off.
The plot was compelling, funny (dry humour is the best humour), and told the story of two women reaching their respective rock bottoms and picking themselves back up without being overly sentimental. The characters were well-drawn, their relationships poignant in their realism. What's stopping me from giving it a full 4 stars was the ending. I won't give any spoilers, but I will say that the last few chapters seemed rushed; it was as if the characters and the author had just run out of steam and decided it was as good a place to end as any. Augusta's son, Charles, also could have maybe used a bit...more. I don't know what, exactly, but it felt as though something was missing there.
Overall though, an enjoyable read.
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