Overview

From acclaimed director Michael Lindsay-Hogg (The Normal Heart, Brideshead Revisited, Let It Be, etc.), son of glamorous Warners movie star Geraldine Fitzgerald (Dark Victory, Wuthering Heights, etc.)- a magical dreamscape memoir of his boyhood, coming of age, and making his way in the worlds of theater, film, and television. He writes of growing up in Santa Monica, encountering the likes of Marion Davies and William Randolph Hearst; being surrounded by his mother s pals, Hollywood s elite Olivier, Chaplin, Orson Welles, et al. and eyeing a life in the theater as Fitzgerald worked in stage productions in New York. At the book s center, an offhand comment made to him by his mother about rumors circulating (false, she claimed) that she had a romantic relationship with Orson Welles . . . and that Welles was Michael s father. ( You know how people put two and two together and get three, she said.) As Lindsay-Hogg struggled to make sense of it all, questions of missed chances, conversations never had, questions of what is withheld and what is true took root, dogging him, shaping his life . . . questions still, that haunt and inform this deft, irresistible memoir.

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9780307594686

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Reviews

Beautifully written . . . a mysterious mix of memory and insight . . . the book s charm is Lindsay-Hogg s ability to convey the texture of his unusual life. Deirdre Donahue, USA TODAY Irresistible .[Michael Lindsay-Hogg s] incisive writing and ability to deftly transcribe every dramatic moment that shaped his life makes Luck and Circumstance stand out [a] marvelous coming-of-age story. Lizzie Crocker, The Daily Beast [Luck and Circumstance] is a candid, chatty and enlivened by wonderfully detailed mini-portraits of the famous supporting players in his life. David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle Sad, funny and intelligent . . . Show-business memoirs are often long on gossip and short on introspection. This one has plenty of entertaining anecdotes about the famous characters who pass through Lindsay-Hogg s life . . . But Lindsay-Hogg is at his most compelling when trying to make sense of his ambiguous feelings about his parents and his obsession with Welles. Moira Hodgson, The Wall Street Journal Number 3 on Entertainment Weekly s Must List: The Top Ten Things We Love This Week Fascinating. . . Unconcealed flashes of pride mixed with resentment . . . imbue this memoir with its power. Generous, funny, and often poignant. . . Megan O Grady, Vogue.com Lindsay-Hogg makes every effort to parse the practically Shakespearean drama that shaped his life. Epic love, mistaken identities, letters revealing secrets they re all here. Alex Witchel, The New York Times Book Review An unusual story of a life lived among a galaxy of stars, told with enough insight and intelligence that even those who dismiss celebrity memoirs should enjoy this jaunt through the glitz. Kirkus A really good read. It s interesting, and funny, with a poignancy to it also, and the mystery surrounding the elusive big bear, Orson Welles, is fascinating. Mick Jagger A perfect memoir. Filled with exquisite, fascinating portraits of legendary artists at work in the theatre and the movies and rock and roll. The mystery of Orson is a chorus reprised in various corner booths through the years. A sheer pleasure to get to know these people and their vanished worlds, and heartbreaking to lose them one by one. Wes Anderson This explains a lot. Lorne Michaels The ambiguity Michael Lindsay-Hogg has been dealing with all his life would have broken many a lesser man and artist. With truth shifting, and objects of love being uncertain, one feels the pain and sadness and confusion he must have felt. But he shows a touching generosity I don't think I could have shown to the culprits in his life. Larry Kramer Michael Lindsay-Hogg s memoir, honest and witty, is also a mystery story with all the surprises of a detective story. Along with intimate and humorous stories of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, as well as Hollywood in the 40s, there is a courageous revelation of the deepest fears and desires of family life and individual identity. Susanna Moore When if ever should a secret be revealed? I ve puzzled over this for years . . . In this brilliant, compelling memoir of haunting questions you will find the answer. Gloria Vanderbilt

Beautifully written . . . a mysterious mix of memory and insight . . . the book s charm is Lindsay-Hogg s ability to convey the texture of his unusual life. <i> Deirdre Donahue, USA TODAY</i> Irresistible .[Michael Lindsay-Hogg s] incisive writing and ability to deftly transcribe every dramatic moment that shaped his life makes <i>Luck and Circumstance </i>stand out [a] marvelous coming-of-age story. Lizzie Crocker, <i>The Daily Beast</i> <i> [Luck and Circumstance] </i>is a candid, chatty and enlivened by wonderfully detailed mini-portraits of the famous supporting players in his life. David Wiegand, <i>San Francisco Chronicle</i> Sad, funny and intelligent . . . Show-business memoirs are often long on gossip and short on introspection. This one has plenty of entertaining anecdotes about the famous characters who pass through Lindsay-Hogg s life . . . But Lindsay-Hogg is at his most compelling when trying to make sense of his ambiguous feelings about his parents and his obsession with Welles. <b> </b>Moira Hodgson, <i>The</i> <i>Wall Street Journal</i> Number 3 on <i>Entertainment Weekly s</i> <i>Must List: The Top Ten Things We Love This Week</i> Fascinating. . . Unconcealed flashes of pride mixed with resentment . . . imbue this memoir with its power. Generous, funny, and often poignant. . . <b> </b>Megan O Grady, <i>Vogue.com</i><b> </b> Lindsay-Hogg makes every effort to parse the practically Shakespearean drama that shaped his life. Epic love, mistaken identities, letters revealing secrets they re all here. Alex Witchel, <i>The New York Times Book Review</i> An unusual story of a life lived among a galaxy of stars, told with enough insight and intelligence that even those who dismiss celebrity memoirs should enjoy this jaunt through the glitz. <i>Kirkus </i> A really good read. It s interesting, and funny, with a poignancy to it also, and the mystery surrounding the elusive big bear, Orson Welles, is fascinating. Mick Jagger A perfect memoir. Filled with exquisite, fascinating portraits of legendary artists at work in the theatre and the movies and rock and roll. The mystery of Orson is a chorus reprised in various corner booths through the years. A sheer pleasure to get to know these people and their vanished worlds, and heartbreaking to lose them one by one. Wes Anderson This explains a lot. Lorne Michaels The ambiguity Michael Lindsay-Hogg has been dealing with all his life would have broken many a lesser man and artist. With truth shifting, and objects of love being uncertain, one feels the pain and sadness and confusion he must have felt. But he shows a touching generosity I don't think I could have shown to the culprits in his life. Larry Kramer Michael Lindsay-Hogg s memoir, honest and witty, is also a mystery story with all the surprises of a detective story. Along with intimate and humorous stories of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, as well as Hollywood in the 40s, there is a courageous revelation of the deepest fears and desires of family life and individual identity. Susanna Moore When if ever should a secret be revealed? I ve puzzled over this for years . . . In this brilliant, compelling memoir of haunting questions you will find the answer. Gloria Vanderbilt

Beautifully written . . . a mysterious mix of memory and insight . . . the book's charm is Lindsay-Hogg's ability to convey the texture of his unusual life. --Deirdre Donahue, USA TODAY Irresistible....[Michael Lindsay-Hogg's] incisive writing and ability to deftly transcribe every dramatic moment that shaped his life makes Luck and Circumstance stand out...[a] marvelous coming-of-age story. --Lizzie Crocker, The Daily Beast [Luck and Circumstance] is a candid, chatty and enlivened by wonderfully detailed mini-portraits of the famous supporting players in his life. --David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle Sad, funny and intelligent . . . Show-business memoirs are often long on gossip and short on introspection. This one has plenty of entertaining anecdotes about the famous characters who pass through Lindsay-Hogg's life . . . But Lindsay-Hogg is at his most compelling when trying to make sense of his ambiguous feelings about his parents and his obsession with Welles. --Moira Hodgson, The Wall Street Journal Number 3 on Entertainment Weekly's Must List: The Top Ten Things We Love This Week Fascinating. . . Unconcealed flashes of pride mixed with resentment . . . imbue this memoir with its power. Generous, funny, and often poignant. . . --Megan O'Grady, Vogue.com Lindsay-Hogg makes every effort to parse the practically Shakespearean drama that shaped his life. Epic love, mistaken identities, letters revealing secrets--they're all here. --Alex Witchel, The New York Times Book Review An unusual story of a life lived among a galaxy of stars, told with enough insight and intelligence that even those who dismiss celebrity memoirs should enjoy this jaunt through the glitz. --Kirkus A really good read. It's interesting, and funny, with a poignancy to it also, and the mystery surrounding the elusive big bear, Orson Welles, is fascinating. --Mick Jagger A perfect memoir. Filled with exquisite, fascinating portraits of legendary artists at work in the theatre and the movies and rock and roll. The mystery of Orson is a chorus reprised in various corner booths through the years. A sheer pleasure to get to know these people and their vanished worlds, and heartbreaking to lose them one by one. --Wes Anderson This explains a lot. --Lorne Michaels The ambiguity Michael Lindsay-Hogg has been dealing with all his life would have broken many a lesser man and artist. With truth shifting, and objects of love being uncertain, one feels the pain and sadness and confusion he must have felt. But he shows a touching generosity I don't think I could have shown to the culprits in his life. --Larry Kramer Michael Lindsay-Hogg's memoir, honest and witty, is also a mystery story with all the surprises of a detective story. Along with intimate and humorous stories of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, as well as Hollywood in the '40s, there is a courageous revelation of the deepest fears and desires of family life and individual identity. --Susanna Moore When--if ever--should a secret be revealed? I've puzzled over this for years . . . In this brilliant, compelling memoir of haunting questions you will find the answer. --Gloria Vanderbilt Beautifully written . . . a mysterious mix of memory and insight . . . the book s charm is Lindsay-Hogg s ability to convey the texture of his unusual life. Deirdre Donahue, USA TODAY Irresistible .[Michael Lindsay-Hogg s] incisive writing and ability to deftly transcribe every dramatic moment that shaped his life makes Luck and Circumstance stand out [a] marvelous coming-of-age story. Lizzie Crocker, The Daily Beast [Luck and Circumstance] is a candid, chatty and enlivened by wonderfully detailed mini-portraits of the famous supporting players in his life. David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle Sad, funny and intelligent . . . Show-business memoirs are often long on gossip and short on introspection. This one has plenty of entertaining anecdotes about the famous characters who pass through Lindsay-Hogg s life . . . But Lindsay-Hogg is at his most compelling when trying to make sense of his ambiguous feelings about his parents and his obsession with Welles. Moira Hodgson, The Wall Street Journal Number 3 on Entertainment Weekly s Must List: The Top Ten Things We Love This Week Fascinating. . . Unconcealed flashes of pride mixed with resentment . . . imbue this memoir with its power. Generous, funny, and often poignant. . . Megan O Grady, Vogue.com Lindsay-Hogg makes every effort to parse the practically Shakespearean drama that shaped his life. Epic love, mistaken identities, letters revealing secrets they re all here. Alex Witchel, The New York Times Book Review An unusual story of a life lived among a galaxy of stars, told with enough insight and intelligence that even those who dismiss celebrity memoirs should enjoy this jaunt through the glitz. Kirkus A really good read. It s interesting, and funny, with a poignancy to it also, and the mystery surrounding the elusive big bear, Orson Welles, is fascinating. Mick Jagger A perfect memoir. Filled with exquisite, fascinating portraits of legendary artists at work in the theatre and the movies and rock and roll. The mystery of Orson is a chorus reprised in various corner booths through the years. A sheer pleasure to get to know these people and their vanished worlds, and heartbreaking to lose them one by one. Wes Anderson This explains a lot. Lorne Michaels The ambiguity Michael Lindsay-Hogg has been dealing with all his life would have broken many a lesser man and artist. With truth shifting, and objects of love being uncertain, one feels the pain and sadness and confusion he must have felt. But he shows a touching generosity I don't think I could have shown to the culprits in his life. Larry Kramer Michael Lindsay-Hogg s memoir, honest and witty, is also a mystery story with all the surprises of a detective story. Along with intimate and humorous stories of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, as well as Hollywood in the 40s, there is a courageous revelation of the deepest fears and desires of family life and individual identity. Susanna Moore When if ever should a secret be revealed? I ve puzzled over this for years . . . In this brilliant, compelling memoir of haunting questions you will find the answer. Gloria Vanderbilt

Author Information

Michael Lindsay-Hogg studied at Oxford before becoming a director of the 1960s British television rock series Ready, Steady, Go! On Broadway, he has directed Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Agnes of God, and The Boys of Winter. His films include Nasty Habits, Frankie Starlight, The Object of Beauty, and Waiting for Godot. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Lisa.

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