Flavor of the Month

by Olivia Goldsmith

Book Overview

A feisty and fun-filled tale of celebrity and beauty and its consequences that dissolves the glamorous veneer of Hollywood. Goldsmith gives readers a witty expose praised by Entertainment Weekly as... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671794493
• ISBN13: 9780671794491
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Poseidon Press
• Length: 698 Pages
• Weight: 2.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.2" x 6.6" x 9.8"

Customer Reviews

Flavor of the Month

A truly excellent, entertaining novel in the "Hollywood insider" style. Goldsmith's trademark humor is present but so is her wisdom which is encased in the riveting story she tells. The author's compassionate treatment of her themes....beauty, the absence of beauty, the chains that bind women and the sheer irrelevence of physical attributes, is complex and powerful. Acknowledging the reality while highlighting the tragic unfairness is a difficult balance to achieve; yet Goldsmith does this flawlessly and amusingly. In the end, the lessons are there. But as a tribute to her tragic end, I find it sad that apparently Olivia was a prisoner who could not escape the very shackles she thought were so wrong for women. How ultimately unfair that plastic surgery caused her death. What wonderful novels she left for all of us to read and reread forever.

Another Winner From Goldsmith

I didn't think I could like any book of Goldsmith's as much as "Best Seller" but this novel is every bit as good. The primary character, Mary Jane, cannot get ahead in the acting world due to her looks despite her considerable talent. She thus transforms herself via extensive plastic surgery to Jahne and her acting opportunities at last open up. Or do they? Remember that adage of "Be careful what you wish for," for Jahne faces a whole new set of problems. Two other primary characters are two other women she acts with on a series, one on the run from murder and the other on the run from her aging but leading lady star mother. If you love Hollywood sagas, this one is a doozy!

WOW! CAN YOU HAVE 6 STARS?

For a lover of crime fiction, this has got to one of the best books around that is definately not crime! I could not put this book down, I was even reading this at work! It was a very long book (800+ pages) but believe me, you will not notice it as you will just wanting to read one more chapter...This book is a real eye-opener into the beloved world of Hollywood and L.A. Even though this is a fiction book, you can't help but wonder if that what REALLY goes on in Tinsel Town (and I am SURE that it does!). This centres around the lives of three young actresses - Jahne Moore, Lila Kyle and Sharleen Smith, each with their own style, each trying to make it big in Hollywood, each with their own problems and secrets. I am definately not into books by Jackie Collins etc but this was one trashy, hilarious, sexy, excellent book that has a serious undertone and an insight into the false world of the entertainment industry.If you REALLY want to know what goes on 'behind the scenes' with all your favourite actors, producers and directors or if you just love a wickedly funny, trashy book, then definately do yourself a favour..pick this up, have a couple of days off work and READ IT!!!

Oh La-La... land ! by M. Boucher

A genuine page-turner! From the instant FLAVOR OF THE MONTH opens, you're caught. Goldsmith takes you on a roller coaster ride through Hollywood (where three aspiring actresses make it big),and never let go. What makes FLAVOR... different from other «Hollywood» novels is that the author succeeds, besides having a cleverly crafted plot, and a witty, unique dialogue, in making you care about her characters. Especially the one of Sharleen Smith, the innocent Texan who has a hard time dealing with the price of fame. The scene where she is abused on the Hollywood hills is heartbreaking. It is written with such skills that you find yourself with a lump in your throat. This is Olivia Goldsmith second novel and a far better book than her previous one. Better written, better structuted, better plotted. It is «the» ultimate Hollywood novel. Imagine what La-La land could make of this one. It has to be a television mini-series, though. Two hours is not just long enough to capture the essence of that wonderful, impossible-to-put-down novel! Hats off, miss Goldsmith!

Raw sex, powerful women, and frightfully real relationships!

Rapture's Review: This was an outstanding book it follows three main characters and keeps you gasping in amazement. Jahne is the good girl who gets hurt in all of us. She goes on to get the best possible revenge on an ex-lover and fufill her dreams at the same time. She later realizes that the perfect breasts, firmest butt and all the other things women concern themselves with are nonessential. Towards the end of the book, is a great scene where she gets so fed up with being shoved into a one-size-fits-all mold for women and releases in such a powerful way that it would make anyone want to stop and take a deep breath before reading on and causing any permanent insanity in themselves. The secon Femme Fatal is Lyla Kyle 100% rich brat. She is what we all hate but all want at the same time. She's the little girl you want to take home, but the grown-woman you love to hate. Lyla has her own little secret that makes you say to your self "I guess pretty people have problems too" Sharleen represents so much that is wrong with America. She's good in her own, but others like to steal her beauty. She's naturally beautiful and naturally hated. Sharleen is constantly raped in every possible sense and when she finally does get her happy life, it turns on her and rapes her like all others.