Cover Image: Solid Ivory

Solid Ivory

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Member Reviews

I truly love so many of the works of James Ivory that I knew I would like this book, and I did. It is amazing to think he comes from Oregon. Not that Americans don't relish British and European classics! This great director is proof of the same. Solid Ivory presents a satisfying introduction to the man behind the genius, or vice-versa.

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Thanks to Netgalley and FSG for the ebook. This is the life story of a director that I’ve always admired. The first half of the book is a pretty straightforward telling of his early life, prosperous family in Oregon, through his days at the University of Oregon. The second half is about his life as a film director. These stories follow no chronology. It’s as though you’ve come upon the director at a party and one story, or city, reminds him of another story and on and on. And they’re lovely stories. The most touching are the ones of his favorite screenwriter, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, and his producer, and great love of his life, Ismail Merchant.

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Solid Ivory is not a traditional memoir. It provides a picture of a fascinating and occasionally frustrating man. He is quite open about his flaws as a person and doesn't hold back on the gossip. As a gay man, he goes into a lot of detail about his formative experiences. Ivory is voluble on the differences between circumcised and uncircumcised men and describes a great many of both. I would have liked to hear more about the film making.

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