A Stranger in the Mirror
First edition
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| Author | Sidney Sheldon |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | William Morrow |
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Publication date
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1976 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 322 pp |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 3345201 |
| 813/.5/4 | |
| LC Class | PZ4.S5439 Bl PS3569.H3927 |
A Stranger in the Mirror is a 1976 novel written by Sidney Sheldon. The novel is one of the earliest Sheldon's works, but contains the typical Sheldon fast-paced narration and several narrative techniques with the exception of a twist ending. The novel tells the life story of two fictitious Hollywood celebrities - Toby Temple and Jill Castle (roman à clef on Sheldon's acquaintances Groucho Marx and Erin Fleming) portray the emotional extremes of success and failure and how people inevitably become victims of time. It was adapted into a television film in 1993 starring Perry King, Lori Loughlin, Christopher Plummer, and Juliet Mills.
The love story between Jill Castle, born Josephine Czinski, and Toby Temple is told through a flashback. The prologue is told by a captain who had retired and became a bistro owner. He loves retelling the story of the day he decided to retire: Years ago, while checking the names of the cruise's V.I.P.s, a series of mysterious events occur, all peaking when he feels something odd about Jill Temple's attitude.
The Templarhauses are German immigrants coming to the USA. Freida Templarhaus is the wife of a lousy poet who would rather write poems than focus on his job as a butcher. Bitter in realizing that her illusions of marrying a poet was false and that her husband is weak, she takes control of the meat shop and becomes the family matriarch. They have a son named Tobias, who is noted to be born with an extremely large penis. Throughout his childhood, Toby has always strove to earn his busy mother's affections, and has learned to gain it through comedy. However, in his teens, Toby has gained a large libido and eventually impregnates a classmate, who unfortunately turns out to be the daughter of the local police chief. Because she has big dreams for her son and doesn't want him to be tied down by a "stupid nobody", she packs up his bags and sends him to the city to become famous, hoping he would send for her as soon as he became successful. She lies to the police chief that Toby ran away. As soon as he makes it to Hollywood, he changes his name to Toby Temple.
Toby's career has a rocky start, as the audience do not appreciate his jokes the same way his mother does. In less than a year, his mother has a heart attack and dies, but he is told by his father that he must not return for the funeral as the police chief will expect Toby to come and will be on the lookout for him, as his daughter is going to give birth at any day. He joins the army and along the way meets Sam Winters, a prominent PR in Hollywood who likes Toby's personality and wants to make him a star. After the war, Toby is forced to continue his career without Sam's help as Sam's secretary will not believe his story and he never gets to talk to Sam. Toby gets his big break when all the better-liked comedians are unavailable to perform for the president of the United States. He gains fame soon after, and in the process catches the attention of Clifton Lawrence, another celebrity producer, and Toby hires him. Sam eventually catches up with him, and they eventually make Toby rich and famous. Toby places his father in a retirement home and immediately begins living the fast life.
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