This is one of my ancient paperbacks that I bought for twenty-five cents at the main branch on Su 1/28/95, and I finished it in two days on Su 3/26/95. A cryptic message after 'date finished'- "Begin new job tomorrow". I think this refers to when I began driving semis....those were NOT the days.
Re-finished We 1/4/17- the first book of the new year!
The whole novel is one conversation between Jack Pines, a drug addled, alcoholic, washed-up American film star, and and interviewer by the name of Michael Connelly.
"I'm so hungover, I've got to sit down." "You are sitting down". "In that case, I'll have to lie down".
Jack Pine is great friends with Buddy Pal. The reason, is that during a teenage sexual encounter (Jack's first), Jack murders the girl, Wendy. Buddy helps him hide the body in the trunk of the car and they push it over a cliff into a lake. This cements their friendship and Buddy begins to take advantage.
The chapters are called 'Flashbacks' and they tell the story of Jack's rise to the top. He begins in high school and college theater, then NY theater, and finally Hollywood. At one point, he has a long affair with a gay theater director. He's not gay, but does it to advance his career.
The 'big reveal' is that Buddy has gone to Brazil to get reconstructive surgery to look exactly like his friend. Buddy had been an avid patron of Brazilian plastic surgery. Buddy wants to 'become' Jack, and to 'be a better Jack Pine than Jack could ever be'. Jack kills Buddy with several blows to the head with the Oscar that he won when he was still a great talent. Jack tries to repeat 'the Wendy Caper', but is so wasted that, instead of a cliff and lake, he drives the car into his own pool.
Michael Connelly is actually a police detective who is trying to get a confession for Buddy's murder. Jack was never sure exactly who Connelly was, and assumed he was being interviewed for a magazine.
It was an easy read, and I finished it in two sessions. It's not my favorite Westlake, not even close, but it could probably make a nice film.
The book at amazon-
https://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Monster-Donald-Westlake/dp/0445408863
The author's page at wikipedia-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_E._Westlake
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