In and Out in Hollywood

Rating:
Summary: Basically Unsatisfied With Hollywood
Review: After reading the promotional material for this novel, as well as the jacket's brief biography of the author, I could not wait to get this book home for a good dishy read. Unfortunately, I was disappointed and aggravated with the material. I was disappointed because the protagonist was spineless and horrendously gullible. Freddie, our hero, starts off as a secure gay man, proud to be out. It is hard to believe that someone with so much self esteem could allow himself to be so completely bamboozled and re-closeted by his new employers. I could accept Freddie as inexperienced and green, but not for the entire year of his employment. If he's been around the block enough times to hold his own with Broadway Divas and Drag Queens, then he should have seen his situation at his new job in television for what it was, and acted appropriately. It is difficult to muster much sympathy for such a total cry baby. I was aggravated because I can not recall ever having read a published manuscript with so many TYPOS. Did any one proof this book before or after it hit the printers? I for one find the overabundance of mistakes with the printed text to be very disconcerting. On a positive note, I think the author shows great potential. The plot was well balanced and the supporting cast was amusing. I hope with his next offering, Mr. Johnson will provide his readers with a stronger more self assured lead character, someone who is not only openly gay, but someone who is not willing to be pushed around because he is.

Rating:
Summary: Success is the Greatest Revenge
Review: Ben Patrick Johnson carefully mixes innocence and Hollywood insight as a recipe for this tasty story of behind the scenes of an on-camera personality. His knack for imagery and accuracy places the reader in the somewhat treacherous fast track of Hollywood. Although the book is fiction, one can exchange the names of the characters with those in the industry and figure out that this is a "true Hollywood story!" Although many gay men and women will relate to the character's angst over trying to balance his professional life with his sexual orientation, they will certainly be taken by surprise that being gay, even in liberal Hollywood, can have an adverse effect on one's career. This book will certainly be landing in Christmas stockings for my friends and family!

Rating:
Summary: Absolute Self-Important CRAP
Review: Extremely verbose and pretentious. Mr. Johnson should give up trying to impress us with his vocabulary or better yet give up writing completely.

It rates one star only because Amazon won't allow negative numbers.

Don't waste your money girls!

Rating:
Summary: An outstanding, realistic read. Very enjoyable.
Review: I read this book from cover-to-cover on a flight from Sacramento to Phoenix. Since the flight's about 2 hours long, I either read REALLY fast, or it was a bit light on content.

Either way, the story IS very similar in nature to Christian McLaughlin's "Glamourpuss" but definitely focused a lot more on anger and defeat. The main character is supposedly beautiful enough on the outside to land a job anchoring a TV show but is then relegated to behind-the-scenes work only when it's discovered that he's gay. The rest of the story is basically the show's managers screwing him over, and him making a whole lotta stupid decisions instead of (I know this is a stretch) quitting?

Overall, the book was well-written, but the story was a disappointment. It's a bit hard to sympathize with a main character who seems so clueless about everything from his personal and physical appearance (like there's such a thing as a gay man living in West Hollywood who is completely unaware of how to use his looks.. right!) to the politics and superficiality of Hollywood.

This is about the 5th fiction book I've read about gay men and Hollywood/Showbiz, and it'll be my last.. Enough alcoholics, psychotic egos, drugs/drugs/drugs.. I think everything 'important' (and I use that word very loosely) that needed to be said on the topic has been said.

Rating:
Summary: A Nice Surprise!
Review: Reading Mr. Patrick Johnson's book was a pleasant surprise. I did not expect the book to be so open and honest with the subject matter. Instead of glossing over the tough parts of the characters life, Mr. Johnson exposed his character. By making the character of Freddie so vulnerable, we were able to really feel for him. I think the book was painful for me at times only because I understand what it means to be the "outsider." Although I am not gay, I think feeling like you do not belong is something we all feel at times. Thanks!