A Company of Three - Hardcover

O'Connor, Varley

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1565123735 ISBN 13: 9781565123731

Publisher: Algonquin Books, 2003

Synopsis

When Robert, Patrick, and Irene met in New York, they were all determined to become actors, and it felt as if the city--indeed, the world--could be their oyster. Robert was the good-looking, ambitious one. Patrick was tall, ungainly, but naturally dramatic. And Irene, a former rodeo star out of Kansas, was the beautiful ingenue. They were young, talented, and passionate, and they soon became inseparable.

But as it happens, their careers don't take off together. Patrick becomes too embroiled in dangerous love affairs to stay the course. Irene, sizing up the competition, decides to try and sleep her way to the top. And Robert finds himself suddenly becoming a soap opera star. As their lives change course, their friendships are tested, and the casualties start to mount: Patrick's career, Irene's loyalty, Robert's heart.

Set against the backdrop of New York City in the late 1970s, A Company of Three takes us inside the complex, sometimes brutal world of actors, and the heart-rending choices that threaten to undo them. And with echoes of A Home at the End of the World, Varley O'Connor examines the true value of friendship, love, and the most unlikely forms of family.

About this title

About the Author

In addition to her writing career, veteran actor Varley O'Connor has appeared in an array of stage productions, television shows, and commercials. Her debut novel, Like China, was described by the New York Times as "a first novel that soars."

Reviews

In her appealing second novel, actress O'Connor (Like China) spotlights the lives of three aspiring actors in New York City in the late 1970s. Narrator Robert, who hails from New Jersey, is handsome and determined; New England trust-funder Patrick is darkly dramatic; and beautiful 21-year-old Irene, fresh off the bus from Kansas, will do anything to become a star. They quickly form an inseparable trio-Patrick and Robert, already friends, swoop in on newbie Irene after acting class and take her out for cheesecake-consoling each other over tough auditions, rejection and heartbreak, and celebrating their all-consuming love for acting. As the years pass, Robert falls in love with Irene, "the hub of the wheel of our threesome"; Patrick descends into a depression and seeks out abusive lovers; and Irene decides to sleep her way to acting success. Just as Robert and Irene finally admit their love for one another, Patrick's troubled past comes back to haunt him. In the midst of everything, Robert accepts a part in a soap opera: "I had succeeded not because I was a finer actor than Irene and Patrick," he reflects, "nor because I was smarter or stronger, but because I refused to give up. I managed to accept the rules." Robert's fame and glory shift the balance; when he moves to Los Angeles, he leaves his best friend and great love behind. But when Patrick's despair grows too deep and Irene realizes how much she misses Robert, the three friends must decide how far they'll go to save themselves and the family that they have formed. O'Connor's clean, affecting prose and her book's moving conclusion will stay with readers long after the curtain drops.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Set in the 1970s, O'Connor's novel chronicles the trials of three young hopefuls trying to make it as theater actors in New York. Robert and Patrick meet Irene in acting class, and the three soon become inseparable. Robert falls hard for Irene, but she's taken up with an aging soap opera actor. Patrick maintains an aloof attitude when it comes to his love affairs, though Robert and Irene have heard whispers about Benton, a shady lover from his past. As with any close group, the dynamics are complex and often tense. Robert becomes frustrated with Patrick's dramatic reaction to any setback, and with Irene's ambition, which leads her into an affair with an arrogant director. It is Robert's star that ascends first, after he wins a part in a soap opera and attracts Hollywood's attention. O'Connor has created a fascinating set of characters, who rely on and push each other away in equal measure, and their struggles are sure to engage readers, especially those interested in the cutthroat world of acting. Kristine Huntley
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Edition details

• Publisher: Algonquin Books
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1565123735
• ISBN 13: 9781565123731
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320