THE AMERICAN NO

Rupert Everett’s latest book ‘The American No’ is a series of short stories. If you have read any of Everett’s memoirs you will know he writes with a mixture of vibrant wit, refreshing honesty and exquisite descriptions whilst never hiding from life’s disappointments. As usual, there are the raucous stories of debauched characters, his take on Hollywood and struggling actors. But Everett also includes Oscar Wilde’s last night in Paris, a bizarre funeral, a touching love story and the confessions of a dying 83 year-old widow.

A shorter, hilarious story is that of a wealthy American/Russian countess who with her fading beauty succumbs to the charms and good looks of a much younger male in a Wiltshire tea room whilst her son plays a school rugby match only to discover his intentions come with a caveat!

Everett’s take on Hollywood “a world with all the dials turned up” is told through Harry, a young British actor who recognises he isn’t going to make it in LA and starts working in the mail room of the agent William Morris. He soon learns to play the system, this ‘was the first step towards fitting in, all personal feelings under an impenetrable twitter of birdsong – have a nice day – you’re very welcome – go for Shelley – copy that – way to go – the court vernacular of Los Angeles, he’d put his best foot forward and arrived in good time’. The lengths Harry and his close friends go to make it in Hollywood are both hilarious and tragic, and when Harry does become successful, is it the land of dreams? Not really, ‘but meanwhile the show goes on’!

‘The Last Rites’ are the confessions of a dying 83 year-old widow who mistakenly leaves her beautiful English family for an unsuitable marriage to Captain Saunders based in 1850’s colonial India. She quickly discovers the carefree intimacy they had shared in North England is an illusion when in India he reveals his tyrannical superiority. Everything changes at the Mutiny in Meerut when he is killed and she is captured and forced to marry the Indian who rescues her so never making it back home to her loving family who believe she is dead. She must secretly tell her story to a vicar before she dies.

‘Ten Pound Pom’ is a heart-breaking love story and probably our favourite pick. A young soldier called Tom sells his crumbling, financially unviable family Irish castle. He leaves his remaining elderly relatives behind and sets off for Australia for £10 on an ocean liner. Living below decks in third class, he settles into the daily routine of ship life, until Athens, when Amara, a young Greek girl boards with her guardian Madame Kasta. Amara is betrothed to a husband in Australia she hasn’t yet met, being married in a religious ceremony in Greece without him being there. For the next few weeks they fall in love. Will their love survive? Why didn’t Everett develop this idea for a story into a full-length novel?

The End of Time – based on Proust’s childhood when his imagination is evolving. Everett fears it will never make it to the screen, so this is his way of giving him some recognition. For those of us not familiar reading scripts, this story is the hardest to follow.

When you read Everett’s stories you can’t believe they are not picked up for development to the screen, but maybe it’s because his wonderful observations and gossip are hard to capture in the same way with the camera? For the reader however, they are joyous, poignant and a delight to read.