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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
In Christopher Renna’s The Life & Death of Mason Donovan, bestselling novelist James Ryan is invited to write the biography of Mason Donovan, an award-winning Hollywood actor whose death during a sailing trip has left many questions unanswered. Raised in Kansas, Mason becomes a successful New York model before finding fame in film, where his looks and talent make him a household name. With the cooperation of Mason’s husband, film producer Seymour Taylor, James interviews people who knew the actor, discovering that their memories often describe very different men. His search becomes an attempt to understand who Mason was when the cameras were gone. Meanwhile, the work begins to affect the way James sees his own family, as he considers how much a person’s past can shape the life they make for themselves.
Christopher Renna’s The Life & Death of Mason Donovan is top-notch literary fiction, written with a real understanding of what people carry long after someone has gone. The author gives Mason an unforgettable presence through the memories of those who knew him, while his first-person words to James speak directly to the truths everyone else has left unsaid. That is some fine writing, particularly in the way James responds to the responsibility of telling Mason’s story. Mason’s acting is portrayed beautifully, with director Agnes recognizing the painful experiences he draws upon for his performance in Ashes of Summer. Readers who appreciate character-driven literary fiction and the likes of Reid's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Walton's The Final Revival of Opal & Nev are in for a treat. Very highly recommended.
