Growing up in Des Moines, Iowa, Anna knew from a very early age that she wanted to be an actress. No, not just an actress – a star. And a star she became. Now, in her own words, and in intimate detail, Anna tells us how she made that happen, and about the men she encountered along the way. Each relationship, whether it lasted for a year, a month, or a single night, had a purpose. Each encounter … encounter was by her choice and, often literally, on her terms.
Like show business itself, ANNA: The Story Behind the Star isn’t for the faint of heart. In the telling of Anna’s story, there are frank depictions of adult sexuality. All tastefully done (of course), and with a healthy dose of humor. Ultimately, it’s about a woman who sets her mind on a goal and will stop at nothing to achieve it.
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A.K. Arlington, ‘Anna, The Story Behind the Star’.
As a Hidden Gem ARC reader I received this book for free. And promised an honest review. Here it is.
English isn’t my first language. Sorry for errors.
Rating: 4,5 stars (of 5).
In general: Fascinating book about world of theatre and film in USA.
Main character:
– Anna Arlington. Her parents divorced when she was two years old. Living in Des Moines she’s raised by her mom. At a very young age (6) she’s already obsessed with becoming a star actress. Her mother is hardly interested and too poor to help her, so she’s on her own to fullfill her dream.
At school she wants to get the best roles in school-plays. She appears to have talent and is willing to work hard to make a good impression. But a girl of the same age, Sarah, is better and often gets the best roles. Both girls respect each other and Sarah even helps Anna.
Anna tries to get better by working extra hard. At first without success. But around the age of 16 her girl-body develops the curves of a woman. It results in a lot of attention from boys and men. She learns that a gorgeous appearance can make an impression on the men who decide about the roles in plays. And that she can increase her influence on those men with a tempting smile, some cleavage and acting nice. So, while she accepts that Sarah is the better actress, Anna starts to get the better roles.
After some time Anna discovers that she has to move to the big cities to really become a star. So she lives in Chicago, New York and later in LA to play in films and get power in the world of acting, directing and producing.
A.K. Arlington writes a novel, but it reads as an autobiography. And a fascinating one.
The reader who expects hot sex scenes will be disappointed. The ‘why’ of a sex meeting is more important than the ‘how’. So there are hardly detailed descriptions.
The main character confesses: some of this necessary sex was horrible, often it was bearable or nice and in a few cases it resulted in great sex. It looks if Anna is a bit shy about it. When she finds a lover, she admits: ‘I can’t tell about our sex-life, it’s too personal’.
For this reader it was especially fascinating to learn about the manipulations often used to get power in the world of theatre and film in the USA. A.K. Arlington writes about it with a great knowledge. This reader got a bit more understanding of the ‘Me Too’-affair. It’s not a clear deal like ‘you get the role if you give me a BJ’, but much more subtle. How to react as a healthy man on an ‘accidental’ short touch of your dick by a gorgeous actress or a doubting remark you can interprete as an invitation?
And – last but not least – I understand now much better that acting is not only talent but it’s a profession that takes a lot of study and experience. This aspect the author describes also with much insight: the difference between acting in a theatre or in a film, how to prepare for an audition or get the right ‘feeling’ for a role, etc?
Very interesting.
R. Huiszoon.