The Age of Dreaming

by Nina Revoyr

Book Overview

"Rare indeed is a novel this deeply pleasurable and significant." --Booklist, Starred Review

" Nina Revoyr is] an empathetic chronicler of the dispossessed outsider in LA." --Los Angeles Times

Jun Nakayama was a silent film star in the early days of Hollywood, but by 1964, he finds himself living in complete obscurity--until a young writer, Nick Bellinger, tracks him down for an interview. When Bellinger reveals that he has written...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1933354461
• ISBN13: 9781933354460
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Akashic Books, Ltd.
• Length: 330 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.6" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

A Very Poignant Read

Ms. Revoyr has given us a wonderful novel with "The Age of Dreaming". The story centers around Jun Nakayama, a young Japanese man, who becomes a famous silent film star in the early 1900's while in the United States. The story is presented to us during the 1960's as our main character has been asked to return to the screen (after a forty year absence) and he recounts some of the highlights of his career prior to being asked to take on his first speaking role. We not only are made aware of the racial inequities of the time, but we also learn about many of his friends who were also stars of the "silent era". The author gives us a wonderful historical perspective of Los Angeles as she discusses the film industry and its beginnings in the city of angels. Additionally, there is the murder of one of Jun's favorite directors from the past; and the story is kicked up a notch as Jun visits some of his "friends" from the "silent era" to see what they recall about the unsolved murder. Ultimately, Ms. Revoyr gives us a very satisfying ending to what I found to be a very poignant read. Highly recommended.

excellent multi faceted story

Nina Revoyr's third literary novel is an intriguing mix of silent film history, written from the point of view of a man who has hidden components of his life both from himself and others. ....Like her previous books, it is clear that Revoyr both knows and loves Los Angeles history.

A beautifully written, absorbing novel

"The Age of Dreaming" is a story draped in history, a work of fiction inspired by actual events in the silent film era. But you need not be a film historian or familiar with the events to appreciate the gifts of Revoyr's enthralling tale. This well-crafted, engaging novel will appeal to mystery lovers, film buffs, and anyone who appreciates the pleasures of captivating prose and a story you can't put down. The book also offers an intriguing exploration of racial politics, the tenacity of self-deception, and the consequences for our understanding of stories---our own and others'---when we view them through the eyes of an unreliable narrator. As with her two previous (and equally superb) novels, Revoyr brings her characters and their surroundings alive for the reader, evoking a vivid sense of place in scenes both past and present. The protagonist, Jun, may at first seem to have little in common with many of Revoyr's readers. Yet through her skillful presentation of his humanity and his gradually dawning self-understanding, Revoyr makes Jun a character we unexpectedly relate to. If you're already a fan of Revoyr's work you'll appreciate how she just keeps getting better and better. If you're first encountering her here, you're in for a treat. Either way, this book will make you eager for more.

good novel about silent film days

This is a well-written novel about the early days (through 1922, primarily) of Hollywood film-making. There are real characters in the novel (e.g. Chaplin, Pickford, etc), purely fictional characters, and characters who to degrees from about 5% to 95% are based on real people: it can be a little confusing sorting out what's real and what's fiction. The protagonist, Jun Nakayama, is tracked down by a silent film enthusiast. The novel shuttles back and forth thereafter between the present (1964) and the past (primarily about 1907-1922). There are elements of Sessue Hayakawa in Nakayama, but there are also major differences. If you know a bit about silent film history, you can sniff out a major plot line early in the book. One of the people Nakayama speaks about is Nora Minton Niles, who will play a major role in Nakayama's life and the book. You might be able to realize that this is a fictionalized Mary Miles Minter, a young and popular star who is best remembered now for her role in the William Desmond Taylor murder case. I wasn't really happy about this--it seemed to telegraph too much of what might lay ahead. Why not use her real name, use an unrelated name such as Lola Lola, or, best of all perhaps, make up a plot element that is not a well-known part of Hollywood history. So, later on, when Ashley Bennett Tyler enters the story, you know that this is intended to be William Desmond Taylor. The Mabel Normand equivalent(?) is rather more subtle. There are episodes in history which are hard to improve on if you try to present them as fiction. Keeping the names the same, retaining the facts, but describing thoughts and dialogue that were never set down or recorded makes for historical fiction. You can think of, say, the baseball work Eight Men Out about the Black Sox--good historical fiction based on fact. Then imagine a novel with the same facts, but with all names changed and the team is the Ruppert Mundys. Michener does this kind of thing in Centennial--not successfully, if you know a bit of Colorado history. So I would have much preferred to see real names and facts in the book, or else simply invent an interesting plot line. The Nakayama-Niles-Tyler linkage forms a rather major part of the story, but there are other parts as well--the racism, the Hollywood life, the making of the silent films: these all make for an interesting novel. For some additional reading, Kirkpatrick's A Cast of Killers relates King Vidor's investigation of the Taylor murder: it's a very well-done piece of nonfiction, and there are photos on Minter, Taylor, etc. Also worthwhile is Mann's Biograph Girl: this is a novel based upon the real silent film actress Florence Lawrence. The actress, now 107 and in a nursing home, relates to some young people about her days in Hollywood, and some mysterious events that occurred, including her own supposed suicide in 1938. So--Age of Dreaming is a good novel for those who want a view of Hollywood in the sil

Exceptional Quality and Depth

"The Age of Dreaming" is a book for readers who want to immerse themselves in history and place. "The Age of Dreaming" is a book for readers who love to learn about a different culture. This is a book for readers who appreciate the nuances of language and the well-turned phrase. "The Age of Dreaming" takes place in Los Angeles in the early twentieth century. The narrator, Jun Nakayama, looks back at his decision to withdraw from the world at large, but more precisely, the world of silent films after a surprisingly successful early career. His realizations about race relations, the meaning of love, and the need for family are revealed slowly and subtly with surprising twists and a murder mystery. This is an elegant, satisfying novel from a talented writer. Ms. Revoyr treats both her subject and her readers with respect.