Author: Laura Moser
Genre: Non-Fiction,
Biography
About the book…
A short biography of screen legend Bette
Davis that spans her entire life and career.
What I think…
This
wasn’t very well written in my opinion. One of the big things that bothered me,
was that quotes from Davis and others were not well integrated, some even being
stand-alone sentences that interrupted the text more than supplementing it.
Moser
also seems to spend a considerable amount of time analyzing Davis based on her
movie roles and how they related to her life or predicted her future sorrows. While
this was an interesting perspective, this is not something I expected to spend
an entire biography reading about. While Davis was by no means a pleasant
person and was often unreasonable or disruptive to the extreme, I felt that
Moser focuses more on the negatives, even when it came to her successes, as well.
While not directly related to the text, I
also found it odd that on every page next to the page number a title was
included to tell you what was on the page (ex: “72 Now, Voyager”-just in case you were sure that’s
what movie you were reading about).
That aside, I did like learning more
about Davis' childhood and what contributed to the progression and decline of her career over the years. However, I just
wish it would have been written differently and had it been any longer I
probably wouldn’t have even finished it.
To sum it all up…
While
informative, not a biography that I would recommend if you’re looking for a
more objective view on Bette Davis. ♥
I agree that that sounds like a creative angle to take, but think it would make sense as a supporting role in a biography, not per se at the forefront, as doing so makes it more of a take on the person's career and less about what went on in their life between rolls.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed your next read is considerably more enjoyable!
Sending tons of hugs & joyful Easter week wishes your way,
♥ Jessica
I kept feeling like I was reading a really lengthy critical essay written by a student because of that aspect.
DeleteI've a few options in mind for the next one, so we'll see if I pick a good one. :)
A happy Easter week to you too!
I don't know much about Bette, but I do know she was a rather strong woman with a strong personality. I dislike when biographers hone in on the negatives of a person's life and ignore some of the positives. I find a lot of that in Marilyn bio's, which is why I'm hesitant to pick them up.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I must admit to avoiding the biographies of certain stars for precisely that reason. I'm more than happy to admit their are negatives in the lives of everyone, but if I'm reading a biography, for most people I expect a good balance.
Delete