By Design Book

It must be comforting for Richard E. Grant to know that should his acting career ever take a serious dive (God forbid, darling!), he, at least, has another means of making a living. Grant's second book (the first was his wildly successful autobiography, With Nails), will undoubtedly be bought by everyone who is anyone in the weird and wonderful world of Hollywood--if only to make sure they are in it. Fortunately, as Grant declares on page one, this is guaranteed. The book's narrator, Vyvian, is a well-heeled, white, African-born man (spookily like the author), whose sexual preference is never totally clear. He and childhood friend Marga, whose teenage acne has scarred more than just her skin, escape the boredom of Africa for the marvels of Sunset Boulevard. Vyv becomes a designer (interiors, lives, minds, you name it) and professional "friend" to the stars, while Marga, who opts to play life as a deaf-mute, is the celebrities' chosen masseuse. When the Hollywood disaster movie to end all movies goes into production ("The Poseidon Adventure meets Star Wars"), the rich and famous need more than just a rubdown and a sympathetic confidante to whom they can unload their woes. --Carey GreenRead More