Sarah Whitelaw

Elvis ... very (too) long, excessive eyemake up .. and irritating flitting about cinematography .. Great costumes and Austin Butler as the adult Elvis certainly can move .. ! Tragic story of exploitation.. not sure I go for Baz Luhrmans heavy reliance on visual trickery approach .. but I suppose that to counterbalance a somewhat thin story and sound taking a very second place (except in singing and music sequences) I must admit to missing quite a bit of the dialogue.. Southern states drawl not the easiest to follow.. its no Oscar winner..but worth a look if you have three hours to spare 😉

I was given a copy by a friend who's opinion on reading matter, (and much else!) I value, otherwise I'd have probably ignored it in a snippy sort of way as frivolous populist stuff by 'that quiz show host' .. well.. I'd have missed an absolute treat.. this is a well crafted, amusing, poignant and well structured story, full of humour and tidbits to keep you guessing and engaged .. yes, some of the characters are rather stereotypes in reverse, (but still stereotypes ) ..but they work.. and the moral/ethical questions provide a continuous food for thought thread ... I dont think it should be compared with, say, McDiarmid, or Rankin it's of a different complexion.. give it a go .. I don't think it will disappoint (if you're in the mood for something uplifting or amusing as well as thought provoking!!