I finally finished The Kid Stays in the Picture last night. It’s funny to me how Evans pours on a healthy dose of “ain’t I great” self-praise but doesn’t irritate me. It’s part of his voice. There’s a dash of humility but there’s more than a dash of old-school Hollywood charm. It’s not at all like Eszterhas who just barrels ahead in his obnoxious tone of voice.

The ups-and-downs of Evans life become a little weary and the last few chapters feel hurried, but the overall picture is solid. It does feel a bit like fiction, which Evans acknowledges himself, and that helps the crazy situations go down a little bit easier.

I read the first chapter of Simon’s Director’s Cut this morning. I was already struck by his tone and rhythm. Unlike Evans or Leonard (the authors of the last two books I read), Simon is both direct and colorful in his language, but expeditiously so. Leonard and Evans have their own rhythms to contend with; each knocking me off track just when I’m moving along. And Evans, not being a writer by trade, tends to be direct or colorful but has difficulty finding a good balance.

I hope Simon keeps it up. I have a feeling he will.