Orson Welles: V.I.P.

Believed to be the only novel authored by Orson Welles, V.I.P. is a hidden gem from the legendary filmmaker’s career away from the silver screen. Recently rediscovered and published here in English for the very first time, this is a distinctly Wellesian tale in its playful mockery and twisting narrative turns.In this witty tale of hijinks and intrigue by the legendary filmmaker Orson Welles, Joe, the heir to a soft drink empire, gets more than he bargained for when he docks in Maliñha, a small island in the Mediterranean ruled by a wacky dictatorship. A series of crossed wires and outrageous misunderstandings lead the islanders to believe Joe is an undercover American agent, sent to oust their leadership. Their panicked response? To rapidly conceal the truth of their authoritarian ways and parade themselves as a serious democracy. Meanwhile Joe, blissfully unaware, continues his reconnaissance mission all for the sake of his family’s beloved, nickel thrill drink Cool-o. Welles’ farce proves a biting satire on American imperialism, soft drinks oligopoly and the perils of capitalism, still as relevant today as it was when he wrote it in 1953.Distinctly Wellesian in its playful mockery and twisting narrative turns, V.I.P. is a hidden gem from the towering auteur’s career that went far beyond the silver screen. This novel, or something between a novel and the beginnings of a film project, was recently rediscovered and is published here in English for the very first time.