A dark, glittering debut novel echoing Hitchcock’s Vertigo, The Body Double is the suspenseful story of a young woman who is recruited by a stranger to give up her old life and identity to impersonate a reclusive Hollywood star.A strange man discovers our nameless narrator selling popcorn at a decrepit small-town movie theater and offers her an odd and lucrative position: she will forget her job, … position: she will forget her job, her acquaintances, even her name, and move to Los Angeles, where she will become the body double of the famous and troubled celebrity Rosanna Feld. A nervous breakdown has forced Rosanna out of the public eye, and she needs a look-alike to take her place in the tabloid media circus of Hollywood. Overseen by Max, who hired her for the job, our narrator spends her days locked up in a small apartment in the hills watching hidden camera footage of Rosanna, wearing Rosanna’s clothes, eating the food Rosanna likes, practicing her mannerisms, learning to become Rosanna in every way. But as she makes her public debut as Rosanna, dining at elegant restaurants, shopping in stylish boutiques, and finally risking a dinner party with Rosanna’s true inner circle, alarming questions begin to arise. What really caused Rosanna’s mental collapse? Will she ever return? And is Max truly her ally, or something more sinister? The Body Double is a fabulously plotted noir about fame, beauty, and the darkness of Hollywood.
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“The Body Double” by Emily Beyda opens in a narrative by a worker at a movie theater concession stand. She makes an Instant connection with readers through the first person construction. She shares in great detail what she sees: the landscapes, the people, and her surroundings. She describes people and places based on her observations, expectations and feelings. She rationalizes her doubts and justifies her opinions. Readers get to know her well. Someone else knows her well, too. She is perfect, well almost perfect, for the most important role of her life – standing in for Rosanna an “ill” celebrity.
Beyda constructs a story so preposterous that it is becomes believable in this age of celebrities and social media. The intense mannerism training, the social manipulation, and the physical alterations are the staple of reality TV. Readers follow as she gets a new name, new residence, and a new, large bank account. The pace is very slow as she morphs into Rosanna, leaving her past behind. She soon learns that this transformation is different from what she imagined; it becomes more than a well-paying job, more than a temporary fill-in part. This role has changed her; it sent her to a dark place. The supporting characters are also seen through her eyes. No one is as she expected; no one is her friend; no one cares about her. Readers soon come to distrust if not hate most of them.
“The Body Double” starts with in intriguing premise, a stand-in for a celebrity, but too much of the story is centered on the mechanics of her transportation, rather than on her performance as the replacement celebrity. I was given a review copy of “The Body Double” by Emily Beyda and Random House. This debut novel by Emily Beyda has compelling components, but I was somewhat disappointed by the slow-burn brooding, and wanted more “celebrity conflict.”
It wasn’t my favorite; the pacing was odd and while the premise was fantastic, I found most of the characters, particularly our unnamed protagonist difficult to invest in in any meaningful way.
Shades of Hitchcock but not quite enough and I predicted the “surprise” which is always a let-down.
Thank you very much to Emily Beyda, Doubleday Books and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this ARC.
3.5 stars
“There is something half remembered there, some other name, the contours of a profile glimpsed in a dark mirror, a bad dream disappearing back into the muddy depths of sleep…”
Emily Beyda’s ‘The Body Double’ features a nameless protagonist, who finds her sense of self—and her sanity—slipping away, as she dives deeply into impersonating a famous Hollywood actress. Her only contact with the outside world is the mysterious Max, whom she both loves and fears. And there is also the specter of Rosanna, the diaphanous starlet whom the protagonist is trying to imitate. And as she delves further into Rosanna’s world, and begins to impersonate her in public, many questions begin to arise.
This is a deftly written noir that constantly challenges the reader’s perceptions and understanding of the events being portrayed. It’s opaque, almost annoying so, but the opacity works for this particular narrative, because it hinges on a slow unraveling of facts. In some places, the novel is perhaps a little overambitious and convoluted, but there are also moments of suspenseful brilliance.
If you’re a fan of suspense and plot ambiguity and fluidity of interpretation, this is a great read. You have to work for it, but the payoff is worth it.