Sunnyside

From the author of CARTER BEATS THE DEVIL comes a panoramic tale of power and stardom, ambition and dreams that reaches from California in 1916 to the battlefields of France and the icy wastes of northern Russia. At the heart of its enthralling cast of characters which includes a thieving Girl Scout, Mary Pickford, a charismatic British general and even the dog Rin Tin Tin lies the troubled genius that was Charlie Chaplin.

Here America debuts on the world stage in the Great War, Hollywood blossoms into a global phenomenon, and the cult of celebrity is born. Here, in a novel as darkly comic as it is thrilling, the modern age dawns.

“This brimming saga begins in 1916 with a bang and never lets up...The cascade of historic details Gold generates is breathtaking, but it is his electrifying characters, wildly inventive action replete with comedic mishaps and witty dialogue, and trenchant insights into the absurdity of war and the mythic dimension of movies that gather force and velocity to make this such a hilarious, brilliant, and transporting novel.”

A kaleidoscopic tale of romance and intrigue...This is a book to remind you of the pleasures of chuckling aloud in public...After a dazzling debut, he has managed to pull off a consummate, ambitious encore. Sunnyside is a cane-twirling, bowler-doffing triumph - Christian House, Independent on Sunday

Dazzling...a gloriously enjoyable read, with pleasures on almost every page: a novel of which Chaplin, the supreme entertainer, would have been proud - Dominic Sandbrook, Daily Telegraph

An insanely ambitious novel...entertaining and thought-provoking - Aravind Adiga, Financial Times

A rare fictional portrayal of this enigmatic figure, and Gold's rendition is marvellous...a nuanced portrait that is as moving, and at times as funny, as Chaplin's best works - Michael Saler, Times Literary Supplement

An epic - and suitably cinematic - tale...Gold displays a prodigious gift for storytelling, with a succession of scintillating set pieces and audacious one-liners...fantastic - Time Out

Gold has matched a big subject with a suitably big treatment...Chapin himself appears as one of this sprawling, ingenious novel's three central characters as Gold borrows all sorts of silent movie cinematic devices - cliffhangers, rescue scenes, set pieces - and transfers them into fictional form with cracking dash and verve. - Tina Jackson, Metro

Imaginative, romantic, it's what reading was invented for - Elle

Entrancing...Reading SUNNYSIDE feels a bit like watching a historical epic with a staggering budget...Gold keeps you busy ogling the lavish costumes and spectacular sets. But he also knows when to reward you with a marvellous close-up. - Helen Echlin, Observer

Glen David Gold was born in Hollywood and raised in San Francisco where he began his life-long love of the strange and dazzling aspects of history. His first novel, CARTER BEATS THE DEVIL, was published in 2001, when it was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award, and has been translated into 14 languages. He lives in San Francisco with his wife, Alice Sebold.

From the author of CARTER BEATS THE DEVIL comes a panoramic tale of power and stardom, ambition and dreams that reaches from California in 1916 to the battlefields of France and the icy wastes of northern Russia. At the heart of its enthralling cast of characters which includes a thieving Girl Scout, Mary Pickford, a charismatic British general and even the dog Rin Tin Tin lies the troubled genius that was Charlie Chaplin.Here America debuts on the world stage in the Great War, Hollywood blossoms into a global phenomenon, and the cult of celebrity is born. Here, in a novel as darkly comic as it is thrilling, the modern age dawns.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.