A Bright Ray of Darkness
Intense
Original
Testosterone-y

A Bright Ray of Darkness

Ethan Hawke2021
The blistering story of a young man making his Broadway debut in Henry IV just as his marriage implodes--an utterly transfixing book about art and love, fame and heartbreak from the acclaimed actor/writer/director. Hawke's first novel in nearly twenty years is a bracing meditation on fame and celebrity, and the redemptive, healing power of art; a portrait of the ravages of disappointment and divorce; a poignant consideration of the rites of fatherhood and manhood; a novel soaked in rage and sex, longing and despair; and a passionate love letter to the world of theater. A Bright Ray of Darkness showcases Ethan Hawke's gifts as a novelist as never before. Hawke's narrator is a young man in torment, disgusted with himself after the collapse of his marriage, still half-hoping for a reconciliation that would allow him to forgive himself and move on as he clumsily, and sometimes hilariously, tries to manage the wreckage of his personal life with whiskey and sex. What saves him is theater: in particular, the challenge of performing the role of Hotspur in a production of Henry IV under the leadership of a brilliant director, helmed by one of the most electrifying--and narcissistic--Falstaff's of all time. Searing and raw, A Bright Ray of Darkness is a novel about shame and beauty and faith, and the moral power of art.
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Reviews

Photo of Celine
Celine@152celine
4.5 stars
May 14, 2024
Intense
Powerful
Original
Meaningful
Refreshing
Testosterone-y
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camille peiffer@camillepeiffer
1 star
Jan 8, 2024
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rhea @rheachalak
4 stars
Jan 8, 2024
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rie@fitinmypoems
2 stars
Jan 8, 2024
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Ashley Janssen@aninterestingidea
1 star
Oct 18, 2022
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Kuba Milcarz@kubamilcarz
5 stars
Aug 17, 2022
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Amalie@amalien
2.5 stars
Jan 26, 2024
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Udit Desai@uydesai
4 stars
Jun 14, 2022
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Tabea Lüth@tabealt
3.5 stars
Mar 14, 2022
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Sarah McGrath@sarahmc
3 stars
Aug 22, 2023
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Dennis Jacob Rosenfeld@rosenfeld
4 stars
Aug 18, 2023
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Imogen west@imogen1005
5 stars
Jun 6, 2023
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Barbara@brubru
4 stars
May 7, 2023
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Marisa N@marisannrn
3 stars
May 4, 2023
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Emma Greene@emmagreene18
3 stars
Nov 24, 2022
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Phuong Do@donamphuong
4 stars
Sep 12, 2022
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Vedant Jain@vedant
4 stars
Jul 5, 2022
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Kim Arychuk@kimba13
4 stars
Nov 24, 2021

Highlights

Photo of Celine
Celine@152celine
Page 237
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Celine@152celine
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Celine@152celine
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Celine@152celine
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Celine@152celine
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Celine@152celine
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Celine@152celine
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Celine@152celine
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Celine@152celine
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Celine@152celine
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Tabea Lüth@tabealt
Photo of Tabea Lüth
Tabea Lüth@tabealt
Photo of Tabea Lüth
Tabea Lüth@tabealt
Photo of Tabea Lüth
Tabea Lüth@tabealt
Photo of Tabea Lüth
Tabea Lüth@tabealt
Photo of Tabea Lüth
Tabea Lüth@tabealt