A Bright Ray of Darkness
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I didn’t know that Ethan Hawke wrote fictional books. Did yall know that Ethan Hawke wrote fictional books? He’s out here with four Academy Award nominations (two for acting, two for writing) and he’s also writing some lit on the side. Now that I’m going down a Wikipedia rabbit hole, I’ll also share that he was previously married to Uma Thurman. I love that for him.
A Bright Ray of Darkness is about a made-up actor, William Harding, whose marriage is dissolving right as he’s taking on a complex role in a Shakespearean play. It’s much more philosophical than I expected– the book is a revolving door of other actors and friends who share their wisdom on his relationship, his acting, and how they all intersect. Sometimes, it revolved a little too fast, i.e. lots of characters crammed in not much space.
It also had many unrealistic moments that were difficult for me to get behind. A five-year-old kid who certainly didn’t sound like a five-year-old, unrealistic benders (ex: downing a fifth of whiskey and then waking up “surprisingly clearheaded”), and over the top sex scenes. But the advice on life and the profound perspective on the juncture of acting and identity overshadowed these moments.
The protagonist, Harding, is very self-centered but endearingly so. His world is crashing down and he’s trying to come to terms with it. Because he’s so deep in his own shit, the reader actually sees what it’s like to be a flawed human in the process of trying to become slightly less flawed. There’s a desperation to it, and Hawke writes the character in a very authentic way. I wouldn’t say I ~like~ William Harding, but I do sympathize with his desire to want more out of his life while still trying to be a good dad, a respected actor, and someone who can look himself in the mirror. This book was a pleasant surprise even when it required me to suspend disbelief. Overall, it receives 4 out of 5 flames.
