To Die For : A Novel

Determined to realize her dream of television glory, a fame-obsessed weather reporter conspires to murder her husband Local weather reporter Suzanne Maretto wants nothing more than to transcend life at her suburban television news station. Unrelentingly perky and ruthlessly ambitious, she dreams of national stardom. And she believes that in order to realize her destiny, she must get rid of her husband, whose buttoned-up demeanor has grown tiring and whose tragic death would win her the sympathy of millions of television viewers. With the help of three easily manipulated teenagersone of them her loverSuzanne sets her murderous plan in motion . . . Told through a series of recollections by twenty-four characters, To Die For, which inspired a movie of the same name starring Nicole Kidman and directed by Gus Van Sant, is a razor-sharp satire of a celebrity-obsessed culture, and the story of one woman's all-consuming pursuit of fame. This ebook features an... ?That{u2019}s the beauty of television. It{u2019}s like an eye that{u2019}s on you all the time. . . . Kind of like God, if you want to get heavy.?Local weather reporter Suzanne Maretto craves nothing more than to transcend life at her suburban cable television news station and follow in the footsteps of her idol: Barbara Walters. When she concludes that her unglamorous husband is getting in the way of her dream of stardom, the solution seems obvious: Get rid of him. She seduces a fifteen-year-old admirer, Jimmy, and persuades him to do her dirty work. Mission accomplished, Suzanne takes to the airwaves in her new role as grieving widow, in search of a TV deal. If that means selling Jimmy down the river, she{u2019}s ready.Maynard{u2019}s brilliant, funny, and groundbreaking novel{u2014}adapted by Gus Van Sant into the cult classic movie of the same name, starring Nicole Kidman{u2014}was first published in 1992 before the era of manufactured stardom and the phenomenon of televised murder trials as entertainment. The book still stands as a razor-sharp satire of celebrity-fixated culture and the American obsession with TV{u2014}a novel that imagined the phenomenon of reality television before its creation, with alternately bone-chilling and hilarious accuracy.This ebook features an illustrated biography of Joyce Maynard including rare photos from the author{u2019}s personal collection “A seductive page-turner” about a murderously ambitious cable-news star by the New York Times –bestselling author of Labor Day ( The New York Times Book Review ). Local weather reporter Suzanne Maretto craves nothing more than to transcend life at her suburban cable television news station and follow in the footsteps of her idol: Barbara Walters. When she concludes that her unglamorous husband is getting in the way of her dream of stardom, the solution seems obvious: Get rid of him. She seduces a fifteen-year-old admirer, Jimmy, and persuades him to do her dirty work. Mission accomplished, Suzanne takes to the airwaves in her new role as grieving widow, in search of a TV deal. If that means selling Jimmy down the river, she’s ready. Maynard’s brilliant, funny, and groundbreaking novel—adapted by Gus Van Sant into the cult classic movie of the same name, starring Nicole Kidman—was first published in 1992 before the era of manufactured stardom and the phenomenon of televised murder trials as entertainment. The book still stands as a razor-sharp satire of celebrity-fixated culture and the American obsession with TV—a novel that imagined the phenomenon of reality television before its creation, with alternately bone-chilling and hilarious accuracy. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Joyce Maynard including rare photos from the author’s personal collection. Behind her facade of a high achievment, attractive middle-class newlywed Suzanne Maretto nurtures her true desires, which include violent heavy metal music, the manipulation, sexual and otherwise, of teenagers, and murder.