Review something old or something

Spaghetti Si talked about having a thread where we can review books that we have been reading. I waited patiently, but have now just jumped in. Plus, I've been waiting to use the gag in the title for a long while.

My review is the book I read last night during an insanely dull European Cup Final.

"What Lie did I tell ?" by William Goldman.

This is a book about the film world, a book about screenplays and making movies and it just also happens to be full of tips on the art and business of writing. It is worth reading for the following reasons :- 1. Goldman is an interesting chap. He has integrity and principles and he has flaws in his character which he is happy to share. 2. He has had an interesting life, as far as I am concerned Butch Cassidy is one of the finest films I ever saw, so when the writer wants to say something, I want to hear it. 3. It's about movies, for God's sake - who isn't interested in that ? 4. Goldman is not afraid to say the basic truth about Hollywood, is that it is all about luck and timing. 5. Rather than listen to some nobody tell you about how to write, this guy has been doing it professionally for 40 years, with commercial and critical success - and he is also prepared to discuss his failures and why they didn't work out.

This is the one piece of guidance I will take away - Goldman is very comfortable with key scenes in his movies, his problem is getting from A to C (the middle stuff), which is where I struggle. He gives an anecdote about a Broadway producer who during rehearsals, sees the girls stop dancing and the choreographer clutch fevered brow. The choreographer doesn't know what the girls should do next. The producer says, "Well, make them do SOMETHING, then we can change it. "

I don't have unstinting praise for this book - there are some small portions where Goldman comes across as a bit of a jerk. But someone who is prepared to write two-thirds of a screenplay, send it to other writers and then print the savaging they give it deserves some respect.

For non-writers, it would get a 7/10. For writers 9/10