What You See In The Dark - Hardcover

Munoz, Manuel

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1565125339 ISBN 13: 9781565125339

Publisher: Algonquin Books (division of Workman), 2011

Synopsis

Bakersfield, California in the late 1950s is a dusty, quiet town too far from Los Angeles to share that city's energy yet close enough to Hollywood to fill its citizens with the kind of dreams they discover in the darkness of the movie theatre. For Teresa, an aspiring singer working at a shoe store, dreams lie in the music of love and longing her mother shared with her. In Dan Watson, the most desirable young man in town, she thinks she has found someone to help realize her dreams. When a famous actress arrives from Hollywood with a great and already legendary director, local gossip about Teresa and Dan gives way to speculation about the celebrated visitors, there to work on what will become an iconic, groundbreaking film of madness and murder at a roadside motel. No one anticipates how the ill-fated love affair between Dan and Teresa will soon rival anything the director could ever put on the screen. This is a thoroughly original work within the great tradition of noir, captivating in its juxtapositions of tenderness and menace, violence and regret, played out in a town on the brink of change.

About this title

Review:

'A stellar first novel... The author brilliantly presents the Actress's inner thoughts, while he handles the violence with a subtlety worthy of Hitchcock himself' Publishers Weekly (Starred review) 'The lyrical prose and sensitive portrayal ... elevate this far beyond the typical noir' Publishers Weekly (Starred review) 'How beautifully the pieces of this book fit together and how radiantly original it is' Joan Silber 'In his dazzling debut novel, Manuel Munoz takes into the heart of small-town 1950s California with pathos, sensitivity, and astonishing beauty. The book is a love story, a tragedy, and a cautionary Hollywood tale all in one. Be forewarned: once you pick up this gorgeously riveting book, you won't be able to put it down until it's done' Cristina Garcia, author of The Lady Matador's Hotel

About the Author:

Manuel Munoz was born in 1972 and went to Harvard University. He has published two short story collections, and received a National Endowment for the Arts literature fellowship, and the prestigious Whiting Writers' Award. Find him online at www.manuel-munoz.com.

About this edition

• Publisher: Algonquin Books (division of Workman)
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1565125339
• ISBN 13: 9781565125339
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 272