Orson Welles: The Road to Xanadu is the first in a series of books stage/film director Simon Callow has written about Orson Welles. It covers Orson's life from childhood to the making of Citizen Kane (1941).
This is an incredibly engaging read. Focusing on only part of Orson's life, allows it to be much more in depth than the average biography. Even those who are very familiar with Orson's work and life will learn a lot from this book. Callow goes into great depth into many of Orson's stage and radio productions (and even greater into Citizen Kane), while still having plenty of room to paint a picture of his personal life and who he was as a person. The writings about his stage and radio productions are especially valuable to Welles fans as most writings about him seem to focus on his film work. Not only do we get great detail about the making of these productions but there is also great critical insight (as the author has worked on the stage as well). This critical insight often praises Orson's genius showing how it was very evident even at this early stage, while also not being afraid to criticize, his flaws as a storyteller. This is a fair and unbiased look at his work and while it may be very critical one always feels the author's fondness and appreciation for his work. The same can be said for Callow's portrait of Welles as a person. The book does not shy away from Welles' flaws as a person, yet it is a derogatory piece either and is just as quick to point out his better qualities. By the end of this book, we feel a much greater understanding of Orson Welles as a person.
A must read for Welles fans.
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