The Confessions Of Edward Day
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'Martin evokes the competitive world of Broadway hopefuls with caustic panache.' (Emma Hagestadt INDEPENDENT )
'A deliciously creepy tale of clashing egos and unspoken desires, Valerie Martin's novel about aspiring actor Edward Day...is irresistible.' (Lesley McDowell INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY )
'A deliciously creepy tale of clashing egos and unspoken desires, Valerie Martin's novel about aspiring actor Edward Day...is irresistible.' (Lesley McDowell INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY )
Product Description
In the seamy theatre world of 1970s New York, where rents are cheap and love is free, aspiring actor Edward Day joins his friends for a summer weekend on the New Jersey Shore. But something happens - and Edward's life will never be the same again. He is saved from drowning by the mysterious Guy Margate, a man with whom he shares both a marked physical resemblance and an implacable attraction to the beautiful, talented, neurotic Madeleine. Ever after, in encounters provoked by envy and resentment, Edward is torn between his desire for Madeleine and his indebtedness to the querulous Guy. Professional and personal jealousies come to a head when Edward is cast opposite Madeleine in an acclaimed production of Uncle Vanya, their respective roles painfully mirroring the reality of their personal situations. As the sexual tensions of the play spill over outside the theatre walls, Guy - Edward's reluctant saviour and now Madeleine's husband - makes the ultimate act of protest...
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Orange Prize winner Valerie Martin (for Property) is one of those writers with whom you feel an immediate sense of security, as a reader, chiefly because of her own assurance in character creation. You feel secure, even if you are having the rug pulled away plot-wise, that her characters will not go strange on you in pursuit of a plot-line. This book is a very good example of the kind of plot/character juggling that she does best.
The protagonist is an actor, young, invited to an east coast gathering of other young people by someone he knew in college. Edward Day is at the beginning of his acting career, and doesn't yet know his trade entirely, or trust his own abilities. On the first night he meets and beds one of the young women Madeleine, then goes for a late night walk, and then, on impulse, for a swim. But he gets into difficulties and is saved from certain death by a man, Guy Margate, also an aspiring actor.
The novel is mainly about the relationships between these three people, Madeleine's love for Edward, and then, although we only see events through Edward's eyes, for Guy, and the ups and downs of the acting profession in and around New York. It is a facinating story, embracing the demands and humiliations of being an actor, the pains of both witnessing a rival's success and the thrill of one's own successes. Meanwhile, friendships and the fluctuating course of their affairs, take on something of a sinister tone (but this is never overplayed or melodramatic), especially for Edward Day. It's a wonderfully compelling read with a shocking climax.
The protagonist is an actor, young, invited to an east coast gathering of other young people by someone he knew in college. Edward Day is at the beginning of his acting career, and doesn't yet know his trade entirely, or trust his own abilities. On the first night he meets and beds one of the young women Madeleine, then goes for a late night walk, and then, on impulse, for a swim. But he gets into difficulties and is saved from certain death by a man, Guy Margate, also an aspiring actor.
The novel is mainly about the relationships between these three people, Madeleine's love for Edward, and then, although we only see events through Edward's eyes, for Guy, and the ups and downs of the acting profession in and around New York. It is a facinating story, embracing the demands and humiliations of being an actor, the pains of both witnessing a rival's success and the thrill of one's own successes. Meanwhile, friendships and the fluctuating course of their affairs, take on something of a sinister tone (but this is never overplayed or melodramatic), especially for Edward Day. It's a wonderfully compelling read with a shocking climax.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I am a huge fan of Valerie Martin, and this is one of her most enjoyable books to date. For once the central character is likeable as well as compelling, as Edward describes his life, his achievements, failures and frequent bad behaviour with humour and honesty. One of those books that you cannot put down and you hate it when it's finished.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Edward Day is a stage actor living in 70s New York. One day Edward is rescued from drowning from a guy called Guy (most annoying character name ever) who looks uncannily like Edward. Guy is also an actor, is also in love with Edwards on/off girlfriend Madeline and just always seems to pop up in Edwards life at inopportune moments making things very difficult. The events which unfold are told from Edwards point of view and throwing a spanner into the works is the fact that Edward is a complete narcissist making the reader unsure what to believe.
Martin's writing flows very easily making this quite a quick read and I enjoyed reading the events unfolding, before then having to completely rethink the whole thing at the end. The triangle between Edward, Guy and Madeline is unusual as some events don't quite add up and its up to the reader to decide if this is because Edward is leaving stuff out of his narration or if this is how he genuinely sees it (given the narcissistic aspect I believe the events are how Edward sees it).
The novel also goes into detail of the stage lives of Edward and his fellow actor friends and the highs and lows that entails. These aspects coupled with the sinister undertones throughout makes for some entertaining reading and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed these parts of the book. Unfortunately the ending was a little bit of a let down for me but only because I don't think I really 'got it' and I'm not sure why the character Guy had to look like Edward, it didn't really seem to add anything, but these are very minor criticisms.
Martin's writing flows very easily making this quite a quick read and I enjoyed reading the events unfolding, before then having to completely rethink the whole thing at the end. The triangle between Edward, Guy and Madeline is unusual as some events don't quite add up and its up to the reader to decide if this is because Edward is leaving stuff out of his narration or if this is how he genuinely sees it (given the narcissistic aspect I believe the events are how Edward sees it).
The novel also goes into detail of the stage lives of Edward and his fellow actor friends and the highs and lows that entails. These aspects coupled with the sinister undertones throughout makes for some entertaining reading and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed these parts of the book. Unfortunately the ending was a little bit of a let down for me but only because I don't think I really 'got it' and I'm not sure why the character Guy had to look like Edward, it didn't really seem to add anything, but these are very minor criticisms.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
GOOD READ WITH INSIGHT INTO THE WORLD OF ACTING
I enjoyed this novel.I have read Mary Reilly,which I enjoyed, but this book was set in a different time scale, and was supposed to give an insight into the world of acting, so I... Read more
Published 13 months ago by bibliophile
"Somebody's got to teach. Acting is an art after all"
Martin hit's a slam dunk with this wry and thoughtful novel set in the Manhattan theatre world of the 1970's where much of the story is framed around the illusions and theatrical... Read more
Published on 17 Aug 2009 by Michael Leonard
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