I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Hawke is at least as accomplished a writer as he is an actor, since this is his fifth published novel, and he's been nominated for two Oscars for his screenwriting efforts. But I had never read any of his earlier works, so was pleasantly amazed at just how excellent this book is. At least some of it is autobiographical, since this circles around a production of Shakespeare's Henry IV in which 32 y. o. protagonist, bad boy film actor William Harding is making his Broadway debut as Hotspur - and Hawke himself essayed the role in an acclaimed production at Lincoln Center at the same age. The other thread involves Harding's disintegrating marriage to his beautiful and acclaimed pop star wife - and Hawke was going through a painful divorce with HIS superstar wife Uma Thurman at the same time also. I spent many years in the theater as an actor and playwright, so the world of A Bright Ray of Darkness is one I know well. This is one of the best pieces of writing I’ve ever read to convey the art of pretending to be somebody else in a made-up story in front of hundreds of people who, in the best case, suspend their belief that you are really a regular schlub. Add to that the raucous insanity of a bunch of people whose real emotions don’t know the difference between what they’re pretending and being a regular schlub, and even if they do, sometimes they get overwhelmed by the professionally evoked stuff, but, unlike regular schlubs everywhere, these schlubs get distorted by all the applause, so they think what they do is a matter of life and death. Ethan Hawke is an author. Yes, yes, yes, I know he's actually an actor. A very fine actor. A twice Oscar-nominated actor (he has two Oscar nominations for writing, too). But he is also, without doubt, an author. That's about as good a compliment as you can pay to anyone switching crafts like this. He's an artist, if you will. This is no vanity project; it's a proper, high-quality novel.

What we get is a subtle and realistic character arc as William starts to grow up, both professionally and personally. He starts to take some responsibility for himself but, more than that, sees himself for who he is once the narcissism is stripped away. I'd forgotten what a kiss was like; I'd forgotten what it wwas like to hold someone who wanted to be held; who wanted you to launch your hnd up under her skirt; who was hpoing you would reach a little bit further; push a little harder; someone who made little noises. Now, I'm smart enough to know that blind pursuit of these kinds of shenanigans doesn't lead you to any kind of authentic, substantive, enlightened existence. I guess I know that. I mean, maybe I know that. Or I should say I had long held that to be true, but in that moment, I would have rather died--had a bullet zip right through my cerebral cortex and my blood splash out onto the asphalt--thn let go of that girl's hand. She felt like an instrument of the Divine." Was für ein tolles Cover. Was für ein wunderschöner Titel! Und was für eine unterhaltsame, verblüffend gute Geschichte. Ich war sehr überrascht, dass Ethan Hawke so gut schreiben kann und eine Geschichte über einen weißen Mann doch überzeugend und passend herausgearbeitet hat. And what's not so much to like? Mostly the clichés of an actor's life. And a few writer clichés to boot. Like guy is ridiculously famous, guy gets girl(s) -- all of them -- guy feels sorry for himself while he struggles with fortune's whims (love-hate relationship with fame, struggles with domestic life, mostly), and guy talks about how rough it is to be roguishly handsome and 180 pounds of muscle.The two elements of this story unfold side by side: Harding’s angst ridden struggle to deal with the fact that he’s brought the collapse of his marriage on himself and his desperate effort to deliver a performance worthy of the illustrious cast of seasoned stage actors he’s surrounded by. I loved the way that Hawke was able to bring the theatre scenes alive – both onstage and offstage – it’s brilliantly done. Between performances Harding drinks, fears for his voice, frets for his marriage and yet still finds time to fornicate further. It’s hard to see how he can possibly hold it all together. This is a really magnificent audiobook narrated by the man himself - truly entertaining and engaging, I loved listening to him, but - and it’s a big but - the book is brimming with toxic masculinity and cringey sex scenes. Every woman in the book is either a sexual conquest or a potential sexual conquest and it’s a bit tiresome. Oh lord, can Ethan Hawke write. I kind of wish he weren’t a well-known actor because that gets in the way of him receiving the well-deserved literary admiration people have for, say, Jess Walter and Steve Toltz, whose books I would put on the same shelf next to this one. When you finish a movie, they always forget to call you a car. When you are starting a movie, everything runs perfectly--town cars, hotel rooms, per diem--but once the film ends they couldn't give a shit."

I figured I'd hit some plateau that was adulthood---where I believed things would just stay level for about forty years while I would do great work and have interesting experiences---then rather uneventfully I would begin to decay and die. But this was just not the case. I was not on a plateau. I was descending, tripping, stumbling, and burning. My whole being, or personality or self or whatever is supposed to be the seat of me, or the soul behind my eyes, was being boiled away in a giant iron cauldron like the flavor leaving a carrot Eppure, come scrive il poeta: “preferiremmo andare in rovina piuttosto/ che mutare/ morire piuttosto nella nostra paura/ che salire sulla croce di ogni giorno/ e lasciar morire le nostre illusioni”. Since "Reality Bites," as a young teen, I've been a fan of Ethan Hawke. His angsty 90's vibe was swoon-worthy. Hawke's first book, "The Hottest State" solidified his talent. Not only was he a brilliant actor, but a talented writer. A bracing meditation on fame and celebrity, and the redemptive, healing power of art; a portrait of the ravages of disappointment and divorce; a poignant consideration of the rites of fatherhood and manhood; a novel soaked in rage and sex, longing and despair; and a passionate love letter to the world of theater, A Bright Ray of Darkness showcases Ethan Hawke's gifts as a novelist as never before.

Select a format:

This novel was a difficult read. Brutally honest, dark, chaotic experiences that felt uncomfortable. This speaks to the skill of the author. Hawke writes clean, crisp prose, and doesn't shy away from sharing the characters inner revelations, often aggressive. Hawke spends a lot of time delving into the scenes of the protagonist on stage and the rest of the time ruminating over his broken marriage and how to handle his two children. So much of this story sounds autobiographical. What I read online, he takes parts of his life and implants it into the book. I couldn't shake the feeing of what was real and what wasn't.. Ethan Hawke. If that's his real name, it's a cool one. As for his movies, looking over the bio, I think I've seen only one: Dead Poets Society. And I only remember two actors from that movie -- Robin Williams as the teacher standing on the desk and the kid who ultimately offs himself at the end (tall, thin, dark haired, and most certainly not Ethan Hawke).

The first novel in nearly twenty years from the acclaimed actor/writer/director is a book about art and love, fame and heartbreak--a blistering story of a young man making his Broadway debut in Henry IV just as his marriage implodes.But still, I liked all the Shakespeare. And what life was like for auditioning, memorizing, practicing, performing, etc. Clearly Hawke knows of what he writes in that case and, for this book, there's the rub (read: value). If you read it, take it for what it is. Lights, action, READ!