A review by kerryanndunn
Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool: A True Story by Peter Turner

1.0

Well, Peter Turner seems like a real piece of shit. I don’t know what he was trying to accomplish with this “memoir” but the main point he put across is that he’s a selfish, self-involved asshole. The second point he put across is that he should stick to his day job (acting, I guess?) because he is a terrible writer. This book is slim, shallow, with boring, unnecessary and awkward dialogue and descriptions of things the reader doesn’t even care about. Anyone who is reading this book only cares about one thing: Gloria Grahame. This is supposed to be the story of her last days but she’s a minor character, set aside for Peter’s complaining, wallowing selfishness. You barely get a sense of her or their relationship. She’s dying in his family’s home and he’s doing everything but be with her and letting his family stretch themselves thin taking care of her. Poor Gloria and poor Peter’s put upon family. I only read this book because I heard about the film being made with Annette Bening as Gloria (inspired casting). I sure hope they can create a better film out of what should have been a fascinating story but instead is a dull and infuriating read.