This novel of Charlie Chaplin only has its main character in about a third of the book. The rest is … everywhere. To say that this is a "sprawling" novel is an understatement.

There are some wonderful parts, but I had a hard time figuring out how they all related to each other. By the end, the through-line appear to be simply, "movies." And Gold really captures the way that they cross culture and boundaries. (I recall Kate Winslet telling a story of hiking somewhere remote in northern India, where she met a monk. The monk squinted at her and then said, "Titanic.")

The book, like Gold's first (and much much better book) Carter Beats the Devil, blends history and fiction seamlessly. With Carter, I didn't care how much was real or not, I was caught up in the story. Not the case with Sunnyside.

I did learn at least one interesting thing. During World War I, the United States, along with many other countries, invaded Russia. Specifically, we sent 5,000 troops to occupy Archangel. Known as the Polar Bear Expedition, the troops came from Michigan, and stayed there in combat long after the Armistice for reasons that no one could really quite explain.

All that said, I just can't quite bring myself to recommend the book. It's got some real meaty parts and some wonderful scenes, but there's a lot of gristle to work your way around to get there. If you haven't read Carter Beats the Devil yet, go for that instead.