Solid Ivory: A Memoir

Revisiting his life and decades-long career, filmmaker Ivory (b. 1928) presents richly evoked tales of his career, travels, and sexuality. Ivory and his filmmaking and romantic partner, Ismail Merchant, made dozens of films, including A Room with a View and The Remains of the Day, and the label “A Merchant Ivory Film” became shorthand for beautifully filmed and acted works of art. In this wonderfully entertaining, keenly observed book, Ivory discusses his childhood in Oregon; his sexual exploration as a gay teen and young adult (including a tender recollection of a boy Ivory observed from afar at age 15, whose name he never learned); movie sets in India and England; high-society gatherings; and interactions with a host of figures, from Vanessa Redgrave to Bruce Chatwin. He also offers poignant sketches of Merchant and longtime collaborator Ruth Prawer Jhabvala.