Now a Major Motion Picture

Unique and entertaining, Peter Wise's super first novel reads as a turbo-charged film script.  Reading it felt like I am standing over the shoulder of a mad director re-cutting the scenes an hour before the deadline - you know how the story ends but you're not really sure until the director's "final cut" is screened.  One is constantly losing and regaining empathy for the main characters, and the laughs and extreme locales liven up the gloom of Rodney's inevitable heartbreak and disenchantment.  But then Peter gives us an ending so fresh and surprising that you smile as you picture the credits roll for the second time.   I loved the book and couldn't put it down!

Gore Vidal reportedly once remarked that, when a friend scores a success, a little something dies within him. How wrong the old narcissist was, as I discovered when my friend and fellow septuagenarian produced his very first novel recently. Intriguingly titled “Now a Major Motion Picture” it is a substantial tale taking us through the curious experiences of an unexceptional chap, an unsuccessful script writer, caught up in a bizarre but thrilling experience with a monstrous and successful film director. The story unfolds at a breathless rate, weaving from London to NY, various parts of the States and the Amazonian rainforest. Those familiar with Fitzcarraldo can expect a distant frisson, encouraged perhaps by the overt structure of the novel, unfolding as if it were a film script, complete with stage directions for chapter headings. A large and colourful cast of characters, not a cardboard cut-out in sight, keeps the interest sharp, helped by one magnificent female character of the kind rarely encountered in real life. The plot unfolds in intriguing ways, the pace is controlled yet driving, the characters emerge, strut their stuff, leave the stage, the scenes change and change again, the drama goes on to the neatest, unexpected yet most satisfying, closure I’ve met in a long time. A great achievement, a pleasure to read, a real success; it deserves a sequel. Very highly recommended.

What an original story and chaotic journey What a fun engrossing read with genuine and believable relationships What a great ending Beautifully edited too So much better than “land in winter”, my last book club.

A light, easy, and enjoyable read, offering fascinating insights into the making of a film — from financing and casting to directing scenes and actors. At many points, it feels like a ‘play within a play’. The author confidently juggles two or three interlocking plots within the same chapter, and at times the novel reads almost like a screenplay — cleverly done. I especially enjoyed the sections set on location or among the filmmakers. Occasionally, the frivolous tone distracts. I would have liked deeper characterisation and richer description of the settings. Still, it’s an excellent book overall.

It is hard to believe that this cracking page turner is Peter Wise’s first novel, or that he only began writing it in his 70s after a lifetime doing other things. But it was well worth the wait. Consistently intelligent and beautifully written, it reflects a fan’s infatuation with the silver screen, but as he takes us through all the hair-raising convolutions and hiccups inherent in the film-making process, he is never slavish or uncritical, for Wise is too perceptive to confuse what appears on screen with what takes place off it, and knows just how arduous, nay impossible, the business has become; how easy it is to lose the plot and how difficult it is to keep to it; how flannel, bullshit and ego are essential parts of the creative process; indeed, how extraordinary it is that anything ever gets off the drawing board, let alone made, even if the shelf life of a modern movie may be no longer than that of most contemporary novels. Troubadour have done the author proud. The book is well designed, without a single typo or misprint, printed in clear and readable type, and stands up to being bashed about on holiday and read at almost one sitting without a cracked spine or single page falling out. Buy it, enjoy it, and hope the author lives long enough to write a follow up as enjoyable as this.