Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of Mr. Wilder & Me by Jonathan Coe. This is a coming-of-age story, taking place in the '70s, about a girl named Calista. Somewhat naive, she gets a job working for a very famous movie producer, Billy Wilder. This story begins in a Greek island and carries over to Munich. It's as much about Calista as it is Billy. I liked this book and I do recommend it if you enjoy contemporary-ish dramas.

In the summer of 1977, Calista, a young woman, leaves Athens for adventure - which she finds in the form of iconic Hollywood director, Billy Wilder. The novel brilliantly intertwines Calista's rise with Wilder's fall to tell a thrilling story.

Mr. Wilder and Me is a historical novel by Jonathan Coe, and is a homage of sorts to the late, great Hollywood director Billy Wilder that features a blend of characters, both real and imagined.

As the narrative begins we meet 57 year old Calista, a film composer whose best professional years are behind her and who is now confronted with problems involving her two adult daughters. As Calista addresses her current family dilemma she begins to ruminate about her youth in Greece and the time she was hired as a translator/interpreter for Billy Wilder and his writing partner I. A. Diamond during the filming of Wilders final film FEDORA.

During her short employment she becomes acquainted with Wilder, Diamond and their wives which gives her, as well as the reader, an in depth look at the group in general and Wilder in particular, while presenting a nostalgic look at old Hollywood, a great director and the search and “survivors guilt” that plagued him over a lifetime.

This is a well-researched book that is sure to be appreciated by anyone who is a cinema buff, as well as lovers of nostalgia and most definitely by bibliophiles who appreciate a tale well told.

I wanted to like this one, but I just didn’t. I found my self really confused through most of it. I thought it had a good premises but just feel flat for me unfortunately.

Delighted to include this title in the October instalment of Novel Encounters, my regular column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction for the Books section of Zoomer magazine. Rooted in the making of the movie about an aging film star, shot on location in France, Germany and Greece (and with sensuous descriptions of the settings), Coe crafts two bittersweet portraits – of a hopeful coming-of-age and of a man in his twilight — both suffused with humour and nostalgia.

A dream of a read from one of my favourite comic novelists. A coming-of-age story told in flashback of young women working on a film with a Hollywood legend.

A delightfully funny and wry look at ageing, this sweeping novel, like many of Coe's is crying out for a big screen version. A delicious book to curl up with, highly recommend, it's Coe at his best.

This book is not my typical. I much prefer genre fiction and literary fiction often leaves me frustrated. However, I was excited about the historical aspect and the setting of Greece for large sections of the book. When I began the book, I was shocked that it begins in modern day with a middle aged heroine. I got over this and got into the main character's concerns and her memories.
This book has multiple timelines and frames: Calista is middle aged, Calista is a teen, Calista is a young adult on a movie set, Billy is telling his story about world war ii. This last part killed me. I know this book is called Mr. Wilder and Me and Billy Wilder sits at the center, but I wanted more of Calista. I wanted more about Greece and her experiences. I lost a lot of steam when Billy's story of his journey out of Europe and then back around world war ii. Just write a biography of Billy Wilder if that's what you want. I really liked the parts that were centered in Calista's experience, but I just didn't care about Billy Wilder's reminisces.

An old-fashioned and self-indulgent bio-fiction centered on Billy Wilder and to a lesser extent his writing partner Iz Diamond, in the waning days of their celebrated careers. Wilder is portrayed dutifully, with actual quotes and plenty of affection. Yet somehow he is a colorless figure, almost a caricature. The format - naive, inexperienced bystander drawn into intimate revelations and transformed thereby - is a cliche. Underwhelming.

It's no "Godfather" moment, but the dinner exchange in Jonathan Coe's addictively entertaining new Hollywood novel, "Mr. Wilder and Me," in which Al Pacino is admonished by director Billy Wilder for ordering a cheeseburger at a posh German restaurant stands out for how it’s Michael Corleone, he of the deadly icy stare, who’s being chided – and chided unsparingly.
Maybe the waiter could get you some ketchup and mayo to go with that, take away the cutlery, even, and let you eat the sandwich with your hands, Wilder continues with his needling of Pacino, who doesn't exactly flash Corleone steel as he responds simply that he likes burgers. But then Pacino might never have been associated with the don role at all, might have forever been associated with roles such as in "Dog Day Afternoon," if we're to believe the recent movie about the making of “Godfather" in which it’s contended that he was hardly the first choice for the Corleone role, an assertion confirmed by costar Diane Keaton.
"Nobody wanted Pacino," she says, giving one to wonder what the movie might have looked like without Pacino, who was so effective precisely for how with that soulful countenance he wasn't in the vein of mobster portrayals of old (think George Raft or Edward G. Robinson) and giving the "Godfather" series its special stamp that had Wilder pronouncing the films as “very good”-- or the second one, anyway, which he pronounced “brilliant, one of the best I ever saw.” Which, given that De Niro was the focus of a significant portion of the second film, begs the question of what exactly Wilder felt about the performance of Pacino, whose acting skill he’s hardly complimentary about in the book when he says that with the way Pacino mumbles, if you gave him Hamlet's "to be or not to be" speech, you wouldn't be able to understand a word of it."
Not that Pacino comes in for particular abuse in Coe’s novel, much of the appeal of which comes from Wilder's acerbic put-downs – and not just of actors but fellow directors. Of Mel Brooks, for instance, he says that while he likes him and finds him “very clever, very funny,” his humor is hardly subtle, citing in particular the extended flatulence scene in “Blazing Saddles.” Not something he'd ever do in one of his own films, he says, drawing a reproachful "Oh, Billy!" from his wife when he imagines a scene in which a star in a movie of his might sit up in her chair and lift her leg and break wind.
And Spielberg? “Really talented, the best of them all," Wilder says, singling out "Sugarland Express" as particularly good, with how it's about "people that you have some interest in," rather than how he says Spielberg went "the other way" with "Jaws," going for fairground-like thrills rather than stories about characters.
Sharks, sharks, sharks, Wilder says, the movies had come to be all about sharks after Spielberg's movie, to where he wonders if he shouldn't think of redoing a current film of his as "Sharks in Venice." Though he does acknowledge the greatness of Spielberg's "Schindler's List," which he calls "one of the greatest, better than anything I could have done," making one wonder what "Schindler's List" might have looked like if it too had been done by Wilder, who had in fact expressed interest in making such a movie, what with his abiding interest in the Holocaust after his mother was among the many missing.
Taking all this in with starstruck fascination is Coe's narrator, Calista Frangopoulou, a young Greek woman who aspires to write music for films and who has been brought in as translator on Wilder's movie of the moment, "Fedora," in which actor William Holden plays a principal role and who is present at the dinner exchange with Pacino and not shy about voicing what he thinks of Wilder's put-downs. "One mean goddamn bastard son of a bitch" is how he characterizes the director, a characterization further buttressed by a story, also told at the dinner, of how Wilder, upon receiving a letter on distinctly colored notepaper from one of his many heartbroken "conquests," first tears up the letter and tosses it into the trash only to retrieve a scrap of it for use later as a possible color sample for the wallpaper that his wife is having put up at their residence.
But the most absorbing story to come out of the dinner, which gives way to an extended screenplay about the Reich era, arises from Wilder's response to a fellow diner who, in the way of Holocaust deniers, claims there is credible evidence that the Holocaust hadn't in fact been as bad as had been claimed, making for that screenplay and ending with Wilder asking simply of him, if there was no Holocaust, what happened to my mother?
All of which may give an impression of unrelieved heaviness about the book (though it's certainly heavy enough, with Wilder at one point spending hours viewing concentration camp films in the way of the obsessed Richard Widmark character in "Judgment at Nuremberg), which can be considerably lighter at times. There's the time, for instance, what in fact makes for Wilder and the narrator coming together, when Wilder gets an idea for how to proceed with a scene that's been troubling him, how to make truly distinct a male character's reaction to coming upon a beautiful naked starlet, when he gets his answer by seeing the narrator yawn. "That's it!" Wilder yells, that's the reaction the male character could have, one so unexpected for the female star that she's intrigued enough with him to want to sleep with him. Which might strike some readers as highly unlikely or even outlandish, and indeed I wondered as much, not just about that scene but others throughout the book (it's the key question about such biographical novels, how much is actually to be believed), but it's the sort of thing that makes the novel such an entertaining read.
All in all, one of the most engrossing books I've read in some time, Coe's novel, which I read in one sitting and which, in the way of the best fiction, tests and expands definitions of the novel in the way of, say, Julian Barnes' "Flaubert's Parrot," in which its homage to the French writer is interwoven with a more personal story about the novel's narrator, just as in Coe's novel the Wilder narrative is interwoven with a more personal story about its narrator's life. Not everyone's cup of tea, granted, such a metafictional brew, but absorbing reading for anyone interested in the possibilities of the novel form as well as, less heavily, the lives of prominent people in whom we all have some interest.

Get ready to enter the dazzling, and not-so-dazzling, world of the Hollywood Film industry. This Historical Fiction about the famous who have past their prime is a bit of a slow burn, but an interesting view into the later life of Billy Wilder. I didn’t know very much about Wilder going in, but I found this characterization of him to be magnetic and the overall themes were meaningful and thought provoking. Though the story itself is told by a fictional character, Calista, she often feels like just the vehicle through which we can see Wilder instead of a strong, unique presence in this world. If you are interested in learning about Billy Wilder and old Hollywood, this is definitely a book for you!

After a chance meeting with Billy Wilder in California, Calista finds herself enamored with both the film producer and the seemingly glamorous life of the rich and famous. She soon gets the opportunity to immerse herself in this world when she is hired as a translator for Wilder as he films “Fedora”. Now late in his career, Wilder’s star is waning as he struggles to compete with the new generation of movie makers and consumers. As Calista travels the world with Wilder to produce one of the last movies in his career, she learns much more about the man behind the camera and the bittersweet realities of being past your prime in an industry that celebrates the young and trendy.

Though this story is narrated by a fictional character, Billy Wilder is truly who it is about. Like Calista herself, you are drawn to his magnetic presence from the first meeting and he feels like an old friend by the end. We enter both Calista’s and Wilder’s stories as they struggle to remain relevant as they approach the end of their careers. Though fading stardom in the fickle film industry is nothing new, I was really impressed by this particular approach. Even as he works on his newest film, Wilder is not disillusioned and his own awareness leads to a more meaningful exploration of his past. The weight of this journey is never lost on the reader and each encounter feels intimate and important.

We begin the book with a present day Calista at a moment in her life and career that has some parallels to Wilder when she met him in 1977. Despite an interesting setup, most of the story is told as a flashback to her younger self with meaningful connections to the present few and far between. Unfortunately, the Calista of 1977 doesn’t seem as interested in being an active participant in her own story and is more of a passive observer that things happen to. Where I don’t mind her as a character, I also don’t think the story would change much if she simply wasn’t there. There are simply a lot of missed opportunities with this character which is the only thing keeping me from giving this book top marks.

This was an entertaining read that does an excellent job of sort-of mimicking the style of the titular director. I found myself enjoying it quite a bit by the end.

3.5, rounded slightly down. This was a perfectly diverting comfort read from one of my favorite comic novelists. I've long looked forward to curling up with the next Jonathan Coe novel, and oddly, this one is finally being published in the US (thanks, Europa Editions!) after its UK publication in 2020.

The entirely fictional Calista, of mixed Greek and English parentage, is in her early 20s, and by a string of coincidences and good luck, works as a translator on Fedora, a now-forgotten 1977 film by the master director Billy Wilder. Coe has reconstructed Wilder's dialogue from deep research into his career and the film-making world of the late 1970s, when "kids with beards" like Spielberg and Scorsese were creating the New Hollywood and leaving the old guard behind.

Meanwhile, Calista emerges from a sheltered childhood in Athens to learn some major lessons about art, life, and love from WIlder and his longtime screenwriter Iz Diamond. There are many moments of cleverness and wit in here-- especially the extended screenplay treatment of Wilder's well-timed escape from Berlin to Paris in 1933-- but the whole thing felt a bit too mechanical and contrived.

Thanks to Europa Editions and Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC of this in return for an honest, unbiased review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Calista is backpacking through America when she is invited to a prestigious dinner event. There, she ends up meeting Mr. Wilder, who is a famous film director. She leaves an impression on him and ends up working on the set of one of his films, Fedora.

This was an enjoyable summer read but I felt that it was lacking substance. The plot was very lacking, though I found Calista’s character to be very interesting and the writing style to be captivating. However, I just found that there wasn’t enough tension to keep me invested in the story.

…that’s because it’s a picture about people, and nobody wants to see those any more.

from Mr Wilder and Me by Jonathan Coe
In 1977, Star Wars dominated the culture and Jaws was the highest grossing film of all time. Famed Hollywood director Billy Wilder was ‘out’, compelled to turn to Germany to fund a film close to his heart.

By chance, a Greek-born, multilingual, amateur musician is traveling America with a friend whose father arranged a meeting with Wilder. Calista knew nothing of the films of the golden age of Hollywood, including Wilder’s masterpieces Sunset Boulevard, Some Like it Hot, The Apartment, and Double Indemnity. Arriving in flip flops sandals and cut-off jean shorts, the girls are disoriented by the glamorous restaurant and the company. In the middle of dinner, the friend takes off, leaving Calista alone.

Wilder and his writer Iz Diamond hope to pick Calista’s brain to understand “what the young people want from the pictures these days.” One yawn later, Calista has inspired Wilder with an idea. He gives her the script for his film to read.

When Wilder heads to Greece to film his movie, he asks Calista to be a translator. And Calista’s life is changed, immersed in movie making, surrounded by Hollywood stars, embarking on a love affair, learning at Wilder’s side, all leading to a career writing movie music.

Wilder understands the horror of life. His mother disappeared during WWII. He wants to make compassionate films, a romantic at heart. Fedora, Calista contends, was the product of Wilder’s urge to give something beautiful to a world obsessed with “youth and novelty.”

You have to give them something else, something a little bit elegant, a little bit beautiful. Life is ugly. We all know that. You don’t need to go to the movies to learn that life is ugly. You go because those two hours will five your life some little spark…that it didn’t have before. A bit of joy, maybe.

from Mr. Wilder and Me by Jonathan Coe
Mr. Wilder and Me is a lovely escape, saturated with Hollywood nostalgia and insight. It is a thing of beauty.

Now, I want to go on a Wilder movie binge.

I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.

Sometimes I get an unexpected gift from Netgalley, this book is certainly that. It is the story of the young, naive Calista who becomes a translator/assistant to the mythical team of Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond. This novel richly recalls the era of magnificent achievement in cinema that this team created.

The author was able to recreate the filming of FEDORA, a disaster that basically ended their careers. The careful research and beautiful writing made it hard to believe that this is not a memoir. I especially enjoyed sections about Billy’s role in post-WW II Germany and his memories of pre-war life there.

I’m a great lover of film, so this novel was intriguing and engaging. How fortunate I feel to have had this opportunity to read and review this totally original novel.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

This is the first book I've read by Jonathan Coe after hearing great things, and I have to say I loved it. The story is a woman looking back to her younger days when she worked on a film with Hollywood legend Billy Wilder. This is a wonderful book about aging and different parts of life--young people struggling with what direction their lives should go and older people dealing with audiences no longer being interested in what they have to say.

Coe's writing is a pleasure to read. I'm sorry that's vague, but it's not literary pyrotechnics. I simply love the way he moves from one sentence to the next and when you look up, 30 pages have rushed by. Really wonderful.

Netgalley provided me a free ecopy of this book in return for this review.

This book was a sweet coming of age story where we follow Calista, a Greek girl, through her role as a translator on a movie set. The book cuts back and forth to 50 year old Calista and it's emboldening to see how she looks on her life as a 20 year old and draws strength and ideas from that version of herself.

It's an easy read and the description of Bill Wilder is funny and highlights his eccentricities. This isn't a book I would re-read but I found it light and cute.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC of the Europa version.

A very interesting short novel about a woman looking back on her time , thirty years earlier she. She meets Billy Wilder and becomes his assistant working on one f his last movies, Fedora. At once an examination of the film industry , a look at the life ofBilly Wilder and his long time collaborator, I. Diamond, and finally a family drama. It’s a hard to describe book but it’s really interesting and different. And very well written. Highly recommended.