Epically entertaining . . . You’ll laugh, you’ll cry in the marvelous Mercury Pictures Presents.” — San Francisco Chronicle The story develops slowly and there isn't a lot of plot but the author's wonderful descriptions bring this world to life. His characters are treated lovingly, they are flawed but caring – the villains are off-stage – and, despite conflicting emotions, try to help one another. Not everyone has a happy conclusion but alongside the sadness you are left with a connection to and understanding of these people. We have 4 read-alikes for Mercury Pictures Presents, but non-members are limited to two results. To see the complete list of this book's read-alikes, you need to be a member. It’s the 1940’s. Immigrants have arrived to LA from pre war Europe. Movies become the propaganda for the war. I did miss the Russian setting from his previous books just a tiny bit and had I not has so much work pressure I would have read this faster.

Mercury Pictures Presents - Sharon Virts | Author Mercury Pictures Presents - Sharon Virts | Author

Besides, my father was a defense attorney in the early days of Mussolini’s regime. I’m not unfamiliar with show trials.” The epic tale of a brilliant woman who must reinvent herself to survive, moving from Mussolini's Italy to 1940s Los AngelesThe epic tale of a brilliant woman who must reinvent herself to survive, moving from Mussolini’s Italy to 1940s Los Angeles-a timeless story of love, deceit, and sacrifice from the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of A Constellation of Vital Phenomena

Mercury Pictures Presents ‹ Literary Hub Mercury Pictures Presents ‹ Literary Hub

For years, Maria had devised strategies for smuggling the profane beneath the most sensitive censorial snouts. At her best, she passed more colorful bullshit than Babe the Blue Ox. That’s the second time this year. Christ, when will it end?” “Life’s nasty and brutish but at least it’s short.”

Listen, how about I come with you to Washington,” she suggested. “We’ll prepare your opening statement on the flight in.”

Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra | Hachette UK Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra | Hachette UK

Intimate and sweeping, heartfelt and satirical, one of the funniest and most moving novels I’ve read in a long time.” —Jess Walter In response to pro-interventionist messages in recent movies, a group of isolationist senators accused Hollywood of plotting with Roosevelt “to make America punch drunk with propaganda to push her into war” against Germany and Italy. Congressional hearings were hastily arranged to investigate these charges and propose legislative remedies. And Artie Feldman, ever reliant on the free publicity of controversy to find an audience, wanted to both undermine the legitimacy of the investigation and capitalize on his newfound notoriety with Mercury’s next movie. All told, there are about twenty characters in the novel, each one connected in some way. An interesting figure is Anna Weber, who has emigrated from Berlin, Germany and is the studio's miniaturist. Anna purposely left Germany before the war started, due to its politics. With Mercury Pictures under financial pressures, Artie has been summoned to face the Senate investigation, accompanied by the ever reliable Maria. Maria is in love with a Chinese American actor, Eddie Lu, condemned to playing stereotypes that bring him real life dangers. A glimpse of Germany in the inter-war years is provided by the miniaturist Anna Weber, devastated by the loss of her son, Kurt, when her Nazi husband is given custody. In San Lorenzo, portrait photographer, Nino Picone, escapes, arriving in LA with a stolen identity. With Pearl Harbour and the American entry into WW2, the fortunes of Mercury Pictures change dramatically as they make morale boosting war propaganda, but the emigres are designated enemy aliens, made to feel unworthy and unwanted. Anna heads to Utah, with her miniaturist talents being utilised by the American military. The characters lives intersect and connect as we learn of their pasts, present and sometimes their future.Artie didn’t believe in aging gracefully. He didn’t believe in aging at all. At fifty-three, he maintained the same exercise regime that had made him a promising semi-professional boxer before a shattered wrist forced him into the only other business to reward his brand of controlled aggression. (He still kept a speedbag mounted to his office wall and liked to pummel it while in meetings with unaccommodating agents.) Sure, maybe he lost a step; maybe his knees sounded like a pair of maracas when he climbed stairs; maybe the boys in the mailroom let him win when he challenged them to arm-wrestling matches—but he wasn’t getting old.