The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece: a novel
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‘A stunning, emotionally satisfying tale about the art of storytelling. I never wanted the lights to come up. I could not put it down’ GRAHAM NORTON
‘It’s its own universe, complete with a sun, a cast of circling planets, and a limitless number of stars. Its gravity pulls you in and its far reaching, multi-layered, rollicking exuberance holds you in place. I would have been happy to live inside this book forever’ ANN PATCHETT
A wildly ambitious story of the making of a colossal, star-studded, multimillion-dollar superhero action film, and the humble comic book that inspired it all.
Spanning 80 years of a changing America and culminating in the opening of the film, we meet a colourful cast of characters including a troubled soldier returning from war, a young boy with an artistic gift, an inspired and eccentric director, a pompous film star on the rise, a tireless production assistant and countless film crew members that together create Hollywood magic.
Funny, touching, and wonderfully thought-provoking, The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece offers an insider’s take on the momentous efforts it takes to make a film. At once a reflection on America’s past and present, on the world of show business and the real world we all live in.
Praise for Tom Hanks:
‘Authentically geniune . . . a Writer with a capital W.’ Stephen Fry
‘Hanks’s prose is impressive . . . fluent, convincing and confident.’ The Times
‘Tom Hanks is a wise and hilarious writer with an endlessly surprising mind.’ Steve Martin
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Additional information
| Publisher | Hutchinson Heinemann, 1st edition (9 May 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 448 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1529151805 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1529151800 |
| Dimensions | 16.2 x 4 x 24 cm |
by iPhone 15 case
Perfect read. Loved it. Got myself & my daughter a copy. We both really enjoyed it.
by Anne
I really wanted to enjoy this book as I loved Tom Hanks’ book of short stories, Uncommon Type. But I fear the short story is really his forte as this is like several short stories mixed together and also just feels so PADDED.
He tells us the same thing over and over (and over) in different words and includes long, long lists of stuff (a whole page listing the contents of the production office, right down to the stapler AND staples!). There’s pages and pages of unnecessary details. Its never “she made a cup of tea”, its “she walked over to the Evening Station and made a cup of hot herbal tea in a Garden Suites HOT DRINK! container using one of the bags from the plexiglass dispenser” (that’s a typical sentence). Added to that is a multitude of unnecessary footnotes telling us stuff we either didn’t need to know or already knew (does anyone not know what a “recce” is?)
I’m only a third of the way through, but it’s like wading through treacle. Richard Osman’s comment that it is “ENDLESSLY entertaining” has taken on a new meaning!
Tom Hanks is so lovely, maybe that’s why nobody could bring themselves to take a blue pencil to this.
by PuddleDuck
I was curious about Tom Hanks book. I thought it would be good, just my view of the man. But when I read the sample on my kindle, I was left unsure. Well written, but, I had no sense of where it was going and held off buying it. By chance I came across the abridged version read by Hanks on BBC Sounds in ten fifteen minute parts. Tom Hanks narrates with actors reading other parts making it far more interesting than just one person reading it.
Tom Hanks is a good actor and makes a good narrator using all his skills to tell the story. I was hooked and after spending the afternoon listening to all ten abridged parts. I went on Amazon and bought the audio book. Shopping in the supermarket today I passed the book and bought the hardback (sorry Amazon, but I normal buy from you). It was an impulse purchase, As I enjoyed the audio book so much.
The first few chapters may have you wondering where the book is going and do I want to read the rest, but once past them, you will not want to put the book down.
by Jennyanydots
I was in two minds when I started to read this book, both rather snobbish and sneery. Tom Hanks is, after all an amazing actor and obviously (and rarely) a terribly nice man in Hollywood, but shouldn’t he just stick to the day job and not try his hand at writing too? I could not have been more wrong. It was like boarding the smoothest of American trains for a long-distance journey over several days of epic story-telling with a passionate advocacy for the art of movie-making and a cast of characters that you really care about (mostly). I learned so much that I would have had no idea about otherwise, concerning what goes into making a film from inception to editing, but there is a back-story which is genuinely moving about an all-American family and how they have been affected over the generations by the fortunes of war and the ebb and flow of American history. The movie being made, which is at the heart of the story, is a superhero all-action franchise and there are three beautifully drawn comic strips which are part of the novel which are unique in my experience and greatly add to our understanding of what is being written. Some have said that the book is too long, but for me it wasn’t long enough. Some have said that there are too many strands to the plot, yet I found that Hanks handles them all masterfully, drawing everything together in the very last sentence of the book which made tears come. Hanks’ compassion for and love for people, and his deep love of his country and its history are apparent all the way through, as is his love for and understanding of his craft and his appreciation of all the people – including the most humble – who are essential in helping a movie come together. This book is a triumph and compulsively readable, and boy can the man write!
by Mr. C. POTTER
Tom Hanks flourishes here as a writer.
An Steven Spielberg-esque overview about the making of an epic superhero film.
But the focus isn’t on the film itself, it’s about the hard work and effort from the whole creative team (actors, writers, directors, producers, runners,etc) behind the making of the film.
Spanning 80 years, from the inspiration for and creating of the comic (the film is based) to today, creating the film like Casting, Production (Pre & Post) and Release.
Lots of great characters here. All with their own (very) interesting stories.
Very descriptive, nostalgic, tender and ultimately, heart-warming.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
by Helen by the sea
The title says it all. If you don’t go to the movies then this is not for you. But, if you love a good movie and have a questioning mind then this is a great book to immerse yourself in. For me it was one of those I don’t want this book to end but I can’t put it down books. I have recommended it to my son who is a bit of movie and comic book nerd but there is so much more to the book than that. One to read again in a few years I think.
by Mrs. S. Wood
Found it rather boring – had mistakenly thought it was written by Tom Hanks the actor! – my mistake
by Henry Costello
I find the book especially the first part very childish and who wants to hear about small town America and who the occupants are.
Did not enjoy