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A review by labunnywtf
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? by Henry Farrell
3.0
The one thing I will take away from the reading of this book is that Henry Farrell wrote it because his wife was dying.
Molly Dodd, an actress and his wife, was diagnosed with cancer. He'd had a modest success in his writing, but cancer is expensive, and he needed money. So he decided to write something that would be a commercial success. And out came this book. She died in 1981, and this story has become a cult classic that is still talked about almost 60 years after publication. That's the hook, for me.
The story itself is kind of amazing. The atmosphere is so claustrophobic, the tension so thick. Even if you've seen the movie and know how it will end, you'll still feel like the walls are closing in on you while reading it.
Included in this edition are three other stories Farrell published, including What Ever Happened to Cousin Charlotte? I have yet to see that movie, but from reading [b: The Divine Feud|374652|Bette and Joan The Divine Feud|Shaun Considine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1356634243s/374652.jpg|364526] I knew how it would go. It's a short story, but I like it even better than Baby Jane.
The other two are completely forgettable.
Baby Jane is a solid three stars. Worth the read, but you get just as much from seeing the movie.
Molly Dodd, an actress and his wife, was diagnosed with cancer. He'd had a modest success in his writing, but cancer is expensive, and he needed money. So he decided to write something that would be a commercial success. And out came this book. She died in 1981, and this story has become a cult classic that is still talked about almost 60 years after publication. That's the hook, for me.
The story itself is kind of amazing. The atmosphere is so claustrophobic, the tension so thick. Even if you've seen the movie and know how it will end, you'll still feel like the walls are closing in on you while reading it.
Included in this edition are three other stories Farrell published, including What Ever Happened to Cousin Charlotte? I have yet to see that movie, but from reading [b: The Divine Feud|374652|Bette and Joan The Divine Feud|Shaun Considine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1356634243s/374652.jpg|364526] I knew how it would go. It's a short story, but I like it even better than Baby Jane.
The other two are completely forgettable.
Baby Jane is a solid three stars. Worth the read, but you get just as much from seeing the movie.