Review: Play Him Again
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 20, 2012
I really enjoyed "Play Him Again", by Jeffrey Stone.  The opening story of Danny had me hooked from the beginning, and the palpable enthusiasm of the author kept me reading.  I mean, seriously:  Mr Stone either did an amazing amount of research, or over time has acquired a vast quantity of knowledge regarding bootlegging, the movie industry, and 1920's Hollywood. Either way, I was impressed.  Personally, I love this era for the pure drama of a competitive and rapidly evolving movie "scene", as well as for the intrigue and industriousness of the anti-prohibitionists.I loved the wit displayed in the narration and much of the dialogue.  There was also great character description provided by the dialogue; I got to know and like/dislike different characters through what they said to whom, and how each reacted.  I think this was a strength of J Stones' writing.  I also felt that character development in general was great, and thought the depictions of real-life Hollywood icons came through expertly.  Throughout the book, I really rooted for Hud and his gang, whether I (or the law) agreed with everything they did or not.  The intricate setting descriptions made me feel like part of the action, and I thought that the author had a good grasp of what many citizens felt as prohibition swooped in with seemingly good intentions but really bad ramifications and prediction of outcome.I found the editing to be well done, and have only one area with which I struggled.  Without expounding on what has already been said by others, I would echo the feeling that there was sometimes too much back-story and information thrown at the reader.  In my opinion, sometimes an author should make his point with brevity, then trust the reader's imagination and intellect to pick up what is being told.  However, this was not a point that detracted from my overall enjoyment of the book.In all, this is an entertaining and informational read, and I would recommend it highly to fans of this genre.  It really is a worthwhile read.  I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.