A producer, a novelist and an actress walk onto a film set…
Published by Penguin Books, Trio, is award-winning author William Boyd’s sixteenth novel, primarily in Brighton, England.
An unlikely trio, in the form of a producer, a novelist and an actress are brought together on the shoot of a film entitled Emily Bracegirdle’s Extremely Useful Ladder to the Moon. Novelist, Elfrida Wing, is secretly using alcohol to battle a decade-long writer’s block and the hurt inflicted by her philandering husband who is the film’s director, Reggie “Rodrigo” Tipton. The producer Talbot Kydd, is attempting to step out of the shadow of his famous producer father, whilst coming to terms with his sexuality in a time of great change in Britain. American actress Anny Viklund, is haunted by her past relationships and terrible taste in older men, whilst trying to hide her current flame, a younger co-star with the stage name Troy Blaze.
The story takes place in the summer of 1968, a time of political and cultural change, protests and assassinations. During this time of global unrest, the disaster-plagued movie shoot progresses chaotically and the trio’s layers of secrets become progressively more untenable. The pressures build inexorably until both the FBI and CIA get involved. Will one of the trio crack? Or will they all?
Beginning with a quote from fellow writer Anton Chekhov, that most people live the real, most interesting life under the cover of secrecy, the tone of Trio is set by William Boyd before the text even begins.
At once both funny and heartbreaking, Boyd expertly juxtaposes the parallel universes of the trio of characters themselves (i.e. their inner and outer selves) against the turbulent background of the filming and the complexities of sixties Britain, resulting in an expertly crafted narrative with elements of black comedy. As such, each of the main characters are engaging central characters but have very few redeeming features.
Boyd, through his vivid and detailed descriptions, successfully captures both the ordinary routine lives of the main characters and their much darker and unique hidden lives. This wonderful use of description also immerses you in the locations, making you feel as though you are present in those times.
Although sectioned into three parts entitled Duplicity, Surrender and Escape, Boyd has skilfully woven together the seemingly disparate lives, linking them only by circumstances of chance while including them in a single coherent narrative. It creates an engaging, compelling and memorable read, which those familiar with Boyd’s previous work will, no doubt, savour. A new audience will also find his inherent skill as a storyteller irresistible.
Reviewed by Daniella Feltrin
Distributed by: Penguin Books Australia
Released: October 2020
RRP: $32.99
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