Sydmace

Don't Read, Listen!

Revisado: 12-22-23

Every review of this book has mentioned the length of it - almost 1,000 pages or over 48 hours of listening. I think a person's level of tolerance for that will be in direct correlation with their appreciation of the artist. I have always found Ms. Streisand fascinating as a performer and as a person and I believe her reclusiveness has diminished her recognition as the greatest female pop singer of all time. A voice like "melted diamonds" per Frank Sinatra.
Apparently she kept journals most of her life; the amount of detail in this book including conversations, meetings, events, outfits worn and meals consumed is staggering. Every bit of that - from her love of coffee ice cream to her exquisite vintage clothing - suffice to reveal Ms. Streisand at her most basic level. And the recounting of her numerous love affairs and friendships from Elliot Gould to Marlon Brando to Madeline Albright to Bob Dylan to Donna Karan reveal her most intimate self.
Her exhaustive detailing of the machinations behind her movies both as a star and a director made me want to go back and re-watch every one. Her chronicle of awards, sold out concerts, and best selling albums illustrate the depth of her popularity for over 60+ years. But the best part of listening to the audio book is that she sings at times! Or at least plays recorded versions of songs. Hearing her voice as illustration is priceless.
The telling of the span of her life also depicts the tumultuous times and people of those years. And the exposure to the issues of those eras including AIDS, equality for women, and climate change among many others apparently made her the politically aware activist that she has become known as today. Before listening to her book, I was unaware of her charitable foundation and support for areas like medical research for women's heart health. She has continually and selflessly given of herself and her fortune to benefit many deserving causes.
My only caveat is that towards the end of her story she becomes overly moralizing about her positions. Ms. Streisand certainly has a right to believe in the very progressive agenda that she espouses. However, she falls into the rather small minded trap of thinking that anyone who disagrees with her (most frequently Republicans) must be either evil, greedy or stupid. She seems to choose to not see the complexity in many of the issues that our culture is divided over and often comes across as frustrated that certain problems can't just be solved. Somehow. Despite her working class roots in Brooklyn, she has led a life of unimaginable wealth and influence. I can't think of many other people who could have a friend's helicopter pick her up at an airport in New Jersey to whisk her to a Broadway show whose 8 p.m. opening has been held for her arrival. One has to think a life with those kinds of perks have come to make her believe that anything can be accomplished. She appears to refuse to acknowledge that issues can have more than one complicated truth. For instance, her devotion and admiration for Bill Clinton is unfazed by the numerous women who have accused him of sexual assault despite her avowed feminism. She conveniently ignores any details that don't correspond with her set in stone ideas.
Despite all that, this was truly a captivating listen. Revealing her life, in her own voice, makes this a mesmerizing experience. Barbra Streisand is undeniably an icon of the entertainment industry in all its facets.

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esto le resultó útil a 7 personas

Fascinating historical perspective

Revisado: 09-24-23

Started out a bit slow, and I wasn’t sure if I was up for 16 + hours on San Francisco. However the incredibly interesting details about aspects of life in one of California’s most famous cities kept me totally engrossed. From Janis Joplin to Patty Hearst and the SLA to the Zodiac killings to Jim Jones to the 49ers (and I hate football) to the scourge of AIDS, San Francisco has dealt with more than it’s fair share of tragedy, change, communal compassion and rebirth. There are lessons and morals to be learned from this book. There are true larger than life characters. There is a microcosm of big city life in America at its best and worst. The narrator was as excellent, somehow capturing Charles Manson as well as Harvey Milk and Diane Feinstein.
Absolutely recommend

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Narrator ruins it

Revisado: 08-31-23

I love Lionel Shriver but could not get past one hour with this narrator’s voice

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Wonderful Read!

Revisado: 08-06-23

I’d never heard of Tony Tetro, but now I’ll never forget him. His story is fascinating and full of interesting cultural references and asides. I learned a lot about art, the painting process, and the well guarded secrets of the art world. Who knew Dali signed and sold blank canvases, never giving a whit for whether he was forged? The narrator had the right inflection and tone for a man of Tony’s background and age - and he voiced Tony’s book faultlessly as written; the casual conversational language, the “tough guy” expressions, and his very personal hopes, dreams and fears. Easy and compelling read for anyone interested in art, crime, or high society.

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Completely unbelievable

Revisado: 06-12-23

I read reviews of this book and usually enjoy the genre so thought it would be credit worthy. Um, not so much. A young woman - a teacher, so she can’t be completely stupid - marries a guy she barely knows, goes off the grid with him and his father (who’s been totally out of the picture) and wonders if something is wrong? Random plot elements are thrown in that I suppose were to be red herrings but instead they just don’t make sense. And the whole “Dr. Murder” thing keeps reappearing but never gets explained or reconciled. The sex scenes as described by the protagonist are embarrassingly juvenile and it’s a mystery to the reader/listener why she is he even attracted to her husband. Finally, I have an annoyance with the repetition of a particular word as though a thesaurus doesn’t exist. I got to the point where I wanted to take a shot of bourbon every time I heard the word “slick”. A slick of frosting, a slick of blood, a slick of grease, a slick of sweat, ad nauseum.
Not credit worthy

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esto le resultó útil a 5 personas

Totally fun listen

Revisado: 05-26-23

I’m going to argue against those critics who denigrate the writing/dialogue. If you’re expecting Tolstoy you will be disappointed, but if you like Stephen King or similar authors skilled at capturing the phrases, idioms and culture unique to a societal subset, you’ll enjoy this book. The characters are believable and interesting. The plot is “The Making of Another Major Motion Picture”, so yes it’s limited. I found the details and behind the scenes peeks to be fascinating. And then it’s read by Tom Hanks… who obviously reeled in a bunch of talented show biz buddies (and his wife) to read select roles. I loved Ego Nwodim especially as “Al”. Well worth a credit

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Not My Favorite Boyne Novel

Revisado: 04-24-23

While this book was definitely worth a credit, it lacked for me some of the depth and complexity of most of Boyne’s novels. The character development and plot advancements were more like the myriad of WW II female protagonist stories that are currently proliferating. And I never really believed the young Gretel’s motivation or lack of understanding or care about where she was living. That said, the elderly Gretel saved the story for me, and I wished for more of her years. And not to be picky, but why the English accent for young Gretel as opposed to her native German? This happens frequently in movies and on tv, it’s irritating. A British accent is not an acceptable stand in for any European one

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Damon/Demon will open your eyes

Revisado: 02-27-23

This is an unbelievably well written novel with unforgettable characters. An updated David Copperfield set in Appalachia, it chronicles the horror of our foster care system and it’s a terrifying indictment of big pharma. Also a criminal indictment of our culture and of how “hillbillies” constitute an underclass that is continually allowed to be ridiculed. Demon/Damon is a survivor you’ll root for, and he makes real a whole section of our country that many would rather not think about. The author’s prose goes from painfully heartbreaking to lyrically beautiful; Damon’s insights into himself and especially our culture will make you wish you’d realized some of his wisdoms years ago.

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Started out great, but

Revisado: 01-29-23

What a ridiculous ending! I thought I’d accidentally switched to another book, but nope went right from the deepest depth of human loss and emotion to Godzilla

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Starts with a great premise

Revisado: 01-26-23

This book begins with a fascinating idea - what if every adult on earth was given access to their lifespan. How would society and ultimately governments react? How would life and lives lived change? The author delves into much of this in interesting and unexpected ways to some degree. But it ultimately becomes the personal stories of a small group of New Yorkers who all wind up knowing each other… in a city of millions of people…. And there is a fairly blatant and cliched political message throughout the story. It’s still worth listening to, and Julia Whelan can make even the banal parts less so. Though I didn’t expect or even really want to know the source of the boxes with the life strings, I did expect a deeper emotional dissection of their impact.

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