The protagonist of this novel, the first in five years from Hawke (best known for his acting role in Richard Linklater's Before trilogy), is also disgusted at the ways in which he has allowed his marriage to collapse around him. It is just a self-absorbed, self-pitying narrator who expects his soon-to-be ex-wife to show up and applaud his theatrical brilliance as he performs in a Shakespeare production. This recycled gossip is tiresome, but what’s most irritating about “A Bright Ray of Darkness” is that it’s really good.

Toward the end, the protagonist is witness to other's stories and life philosophies that shed light on how he might handle his personal dilemma.A bracing meditation on fame and celebrity, and the redemptive, healing power of art; a portrait of the ravages of disappointment and divorce; a poignant consideration of the rites of fatherhood and manhood; a novel soaked in rage and sex, longing and despair; and a passionate love letter to the world of theatre, A Bright Ray of Darkness showcases Ethan Hawke's gifts as a novelist as never before. PATTI SMITH “Una brillante narración desde dentro que muestra las alegrías y los temores de la actuación, las servidumbres de la fama y los secretos de Enrique IV". And he teaches the reader a lot about theater… an engaging book for those who love theater and Shakespeare. What saves him is theater: in particular, the challenge of performing the role of Hotspur in a production of Henry IV under the leadership of a brilliant director, helmed by one of the most electrifying—and narcissistic—Falstaff’s of all time.

This guy has more Yoda-figures in his life than most of us have Chewbacca-figures on our hardwood floors (rug burn joke). Fortunately, the play is also an opportunity to climb out of himself and be someone else at the very moment he really needs that.A bracing meditation on fame and celebrity, and the redemptive, healing power of art; a portrait of the ravages of disappointment and divorce; a poignant consideration of the rites of fatherhood and manhood; a novel soaked in rage and sex, longing and despair; and a passionate love letter to the world of theater, A Bright Ray of Darkness showcases Ethan Hawke’s gifts as a novelist as never before. Having been delighted by his performance in The Good Lord Bird, and learning of his writing accolades, I was compelled to read this story.

Hawke's narrator is a young man in torment, disgusted with himself after the collapse of his marriage, still half-hoping for a reconciliation that would allow him to forgive himself and move on as he clumsily, and sometimes hilariously, tries to manage the wreckage of his personal life with whisky and sex. Amid the endless pandemic lockdown, reading this novel with its spirited scene-by-scene reenactments is the closest I’ve gotten to live theater in 10 months. One need only relate to the conflicting human impulses of wanting to hold on to love while needing to let it go.

La rabbia e l’ardore lo sostengono, insieme a un desiderio confuso di riscatto e di rivalsa che lotta contro la tentazione di lasciarsi semplicemente andare a fondo. Be that as it may, I thoroughly enjoyed Hawke's tome, and am tempted to read at least some of his backlist.