Rosebud is a riveting and powerful portrait of the rise and fall of one of Hollywood’s greatest innovators – the man who brought us Citizen Kane and then lost himself to obesity, small talk and conjuring tricks on daytime television.
With humour, pace and the twists of a mystery story, acclaimed film critic and writer David Thomson probes the essential questions surrounding Welles, exploring the ferocious energy and demonic intellect behind the boy genius. Challenging, idiosyncratic, compelling: Rosebud understands Welles as no other study has, and in a way that leaves the reader breathless, amused and deeply moved by the wonder that was once Orson.
With humour, pace and the twists of a mystery story, acclaimed film critic and writer David Thomson probes the essential questions surrounding Welles, exploring the ferocious energy and demonic intellect behind the boy genius. Challenging, idiosyncratic, compelling: Rosebud understands Welles as no other study has, and in a way that leaves the reader breathless, amused and deeply moved by the wonder that was once Orson.
Reviews
The glory of Thomson's superb book is that he never tries to resolve the questions raised; he just makes you want to rewind this bewildering newsreel back to the beginning and puzzle out those questions all over again
Hugely entertaining.
Marvellous...a great book.
Irresistible ... Do the publishers require a shrieking blurb for Rosebud? Glad to oblige. Let them simply recycle, with due attention to the adjective's roots in "terror", the poster slogan for Citizen Kane: "It's terrific!"'