Putting on the Ritz (Contemporary American Fiction) - Softcover
A segment of "sophisticated" New York society, with its ostentation and incessant craving for pleasure and publicity, provides Keenan ( Blue Heaven , Penguin, 1988) with abundant opportunity for the exercise of his caustic wit and power of observation. The story revolves around the efforts of songwriters Philip and Claire to compose lyrics and music for the talentless wife of an arrogant real estate magnate while spying on the couple for their friend Gilbert, who is working on an expose of the husband's questionable business dealings. Most chapters provide compact essays on stereotyped people and are animated by just the right amount of malice. The fact that many of the characters seem molded more from familiarity than fancy only serves to heighten their plausibility. The book moves briskly and should keep most readers amused.
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About the Author:
A playwright and lyricist, Joe Keenan received his M.F.A in Musical Theatre from New York University. His musical The Times received the Richard Rodgers Development Award from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters as well as the Kleban Award from the Ed Kleban Foundation. His first novel, Blue Heaven - which introduced the characters of Philip Cavanaugh, Gilbert Selwyn and Claire Simmons - is also published by Arrow. Mr Keenan spent six years as a writer/producer for the television show Frasier. His work on the show earned him five Emmys and two Writes Guild Awards. He has also worked as a writer on the television series Desperate Housewives along with a number of screen plays. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Mr Keenan lives in Los Angeles with his partner Gerry Bernardi.
From Kirkus Reviews:
In a knockabout sequel to Blue Heaven (1988), songwriter Philip Cavanaugh agrees to write a set of tunes for untalented would-be songbird Elsa Champion--as a cover for spying on her boorish super- rich husband Peter. Peter's latest step in his feud with rival billionaire Boyd Larkin, you see, has been to start Estime, a gossipy magazine whose circulation already tops that of Larkin's Boulevardier; meanwhile, Larkin, his scrumptious aide-de-camp Tommy Parker, and Philip's old pal Gilbert Selwyn (who's thoroughly smitten by Tommy) persuade Philip to sign on with Elsa in order to get the dirt on Peter's nefarious business practices so they can blackmail him out of the business. What Philip actually gets (after masquerades and double-crosses too numerous to count) is much better--an audio tape, hilariously procured, of Peter's S/M session with Elsa's sister Kitty Driscoll. But his hapless attempts to deliver it without delivering himself to Peter or his lawyers lands him in repeated jams only his songwriting partner, improbably straight, unkinky Claire Simmons, can get him out of--and she's not kindly disposed toward him after Elsa's debut in the Rainbow Room, somewhat dampened by her just having heard the tape, makes Claire a laughingstock (along with Elsa) and the codefendant (along with Philip) in a ten-million-dollar lawsuit. Still to come: Philip's long-awaited romance with Tommy, whom Larkin insinuates into the editorship of Estime (and who plans to ``elevate'' it into financial ruin) and a showdown between Kitty, Elsa, and assorted hangers-on on live TV. An ebullient, overplotted tour of New York's brutish high life that's zany, arch, and gay in every sense of the word. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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- PublisherPenguin Books Ltd
- Publication date1993
- ISBN 10 0140230378
- ISBN 13 9780140230376
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages336
- Rating
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Putting on the Ritz
Published by
Penguin Books Ltd, London
(1993)
ISBN 10: 0140230378
ISBN 13: 9780140230376
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Softcover
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Book Description Condition: Very Good. A segment of "sophisticated" New York society, with its ostentation and inc essant craving for pleasure and publicity, provides Keenan ( Blue Heaven , Penguin, 1988) with abundant opportunity for the exercise of his caustic wi t and power of observation. The story revolves around the efforts of songwr iters Philip and Claire to compose lyrics and music for the talentless wife of an arrogant real estate magnate while spying on the couple for their fr iend Gilbert, who is working on an expose of the husband's questionable bus iness dealings. Most chapters provide compact essays on stereotyped people and are animated by just the right amount of malice. The fact that many of the characters seem molded more from familiarity than fancy only serves to heighten their plausibility. The book moves briskly and should keep most re aders amused. Seller Inventory # RWARE0000013930
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