5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Confessions of a Dangerous Ex Pat Mind, 8 Aug 2006
This review is from: Plus One: A Year in the Life of a Hollywood Nobody (Mass Market Paperback)
British Claire arrives in SoCal to take a mid-life gap year at the Santa Monica residence of her sister, acclaimed singer songwriter Julia Fordham, and finds to her delight that she has become Julia's "plus one" (for the uninitiated: invitations issued to singletons for publicity and other industry celebratory events almost always inscribe the name of the guest "plus one", indicating the guest can also bring a guest thereby avoiding the shame and humiliation of being alone).
She finds her sister has also invited an additional roommate, a lively canine rescued from a certain short street life in Fiji. These twin circumstances (pooch and parties) lead to a nonstop romp of silliness and zany adventures as Claire attends rounds of parties, acts as her sister's PA and guitar roadie on various gigs including a Philippines tour, and deals with Muttley: the dog who eats condoms, atlases, and deposits his foul turds on Claire's bed.
Will Claire ever meet her secret fantasy boyfriend George Clooney? Or her back up secret fantasy boyfriend David " do shag me" Duchovny? These amorous quests are punctuated by her flings with a tennis buddy and a writer, the visits of her grown-up son and daughter from Britain, and her assimilation into Californian culture ( and no, gentle reader, that is most certainly not an oxymoron).
From the moment I saw her interviewed on Craig Ferguson, I knew : I have to read everything this author writes. Do I identify with her? Well, let's see: we're both single (but not for long - congrats Claire!), stumbling through the lunacy of the Southern California glitterati/literati scene after leaving a sane and socially responsible lifestyle to write about poo-ing dogs, wanker men, and figuring out how to find Roberto Cavalli togs on a tight budget. Ah, that would be a "yes".
I loved, loved, loved this book. Reading it makes me feel like I just had an all night girlfriend pajama party with cappuccino and lemon cake. The writing style is familiar and easy. Claire's life experiences are spot-on-typical, yet described with such wit and style that even the calamitous is given perspective. I recommend it for a sunny Sunday at the beach or café when you feel you need a chirker-up. You'll be the happier for it.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Perfect Read, 16 July 2005
This review is from: Plus One: A Year in the Life of a Hollywood Nobody (Mass Market Paperback)
Once I had opened this book to read I could not put it down, it's absolutely the funniest thing I have ever read. I had loads of curious looks on the bus as I was laughing out loud, something you can't help do when reading this book. Unfortunately I finished it far too quickly and can only hope there are more to come. An absolutley fantastic read.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
From nobody to somebody, 7 July 2005
This review is from: Plus One: A Year in the Life of a Hollywood Nobody (Mass Market Paperback)
I haven't enjoyed a book as much as this in ages. A 40 year old British mum decides to spend a year living with her sister in California. The sister just happens to be a pop diva, thus gaining Claire access to a glittering array of Hollywood parties. Though wide-eyed and innocent, Claire pitches in full belt - with only Muttley, the dog, threatening to bring everything to a grinding halt. The book has many laugh-out-loud episodes. But it's more than the honest tale of an innocent abroad. Claire Fordham writes movingly about her close relationship with her children, her parents and, especially, her sister. George Clooney, buy this book!
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