Adult / Humor / Realistic Fiction
I gave this book 4 of 5 stars on Goodreads
“Charlie believes he can take London theatre
by storm . . . despite bad luck and bad parts.” What an understatement! In A.L. Freeman’s The Bright Side of Life, we meet Charlie Brightman: an uber-optimistic
young actor who arrives in London with an acting scholarship, a fabulous
wardrobe, and the theatre world at his feet.
Well, he would have the theatre world at his feet if he didn’t have the most
ridiculously bad luck of any human that ever lived. It seems that whatever Charlie gets is
immediately taken away from him, often in a somewhat humiliating manner. A lesser man would let it get him down, but
not Charlie Brightman! Disasters of
finance, acting, women, and even fashion don’t discourage Charlie; he
perseveres, ever the confident fellow.
When all seems lost, and Charlie’s circumstances are about as low as low
can go, opportunity comes knocking from a casting agent with a major
offer. Is this the big break that
Charlie’s been waiting for or just one more nail in his acting coffin?
Oh, the pain – and hilarity – of watching
Charlie Brightman try to make his way in London, in theatre, and in life. As I read The Bright Side of Life, the lyrics to Chumbawumba’s 90s hit kept
running through my mind: “I get knocked down, but I get up again. You're never
gonna keep me down.” And, where
Chumbawumba’s escapist drinks of choice were whiskey, vodka, lager, and cider, all
good ol’ Charlie needs to keep standing -- or to fall into a drunken sleep --
is a good gin. A good gin, which along
with food and cash, he most frequently has to beg, steal, or borrow. Remember Wimpy, from the old Popeye cartoons? “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger
today.” This is Charlie.
A.L.
Freeman’s writing is outstanding and in both the writing and characterization, it
truly catches the nuances of the British world that Australian Charlie has
entered. Readers will find themselves
shaking their heads at Charlie’s poor decisions and their consequences, and
even more so with Charlie’s unwavering, almost supernatural optimism. The
first half of the story drags a bit, but there are laugh-out-loud moments as
Charlie finds himself in a variety of situations which always are the worst
possible outcomes. The story tied-up a
bit too neatly for my liking, and it was a bit of a stretch to believe the
particulars in how the ending played out, but all in all, it worked, and
readers will turn the last page feeling like their time was well spent.
This book was
reviewed for Readers' Favorite, who provided me a free eBook in exchange for my
honest review -- the only kind I give.
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