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163 reviews for:
Scandals of Classic Hollywood: Sex, Deviance, and Drama from the Golden Age of American Cinema
Anne Helen Petersen
3.53 AVERAGE
163 reviews for:
Scandals of Classic Hollywood: Sex, Deviance, and Drama from the Golden Age of American Cinema
Anne Helen Petersen
3.53 AVERAGE
I enjoyed it, knowing next to nothing about classic Hollywood, and learned a lot, though I can see how other reviewers who are really interested in the subject found it not so great. I wasn't in love with the format. Each chapter was fairly brief and seemed a bit touch-and-go - a selection of stories from a celebrity's life that mostly served to support a thesis, rather than a real narrative of events. I tend to enjoy books that present stories and let the reader draw conclusions, with maybe a bit of summing up at the end. This felt more academic and less inclined towards storytelling. But, it was a fun and fast read.
After reading 148 of this book's 240 pages of narrative, I'm setting it aside. At the risk of sounding harsh, it offered nothing new about its subjects. If you know anything about classic movies, the little bit of social commentary the book contains does not make up for the re-hash of Judy Garland, James Dean, et al. 1-1/2 stars.
I liked the format of this book, with each chapter examining the life and scandals of s different Hollywood. I appreciate the smartness but I wish it was 25% less academic and more dishy. I have read online articles written by this author and enjoyed them quite a lot; they had more of humorous but still smart vibe, that I didn't quite find here.
Ok I actually really liked the book, but what felt like a lot of copy was taken from her Hairpin columns, which is fine but then I want to just read those, because her commentary is so funny and there are links to certain scenes and way more pictures per subject. Basically, I wish this were one in a series of encyclopedia of Hollywood scandals because there is so much I want to know about.
dark
informative
fast-paced
3.5 stars. This book left me with mixed feelings. Like many others, I picked up this book because I was a fan of the Hairpin columns. I'm not sure why, but the chapters here didn't have quite the same feel, which was a bit of a letdown. Not all the chapters had scandals in them (the most scandalous thing in the James Dean chapter is that he wanted to initiate Marlon Brando's style, for example).
Then there were the things that I wished I'd had. A time line would have been awesome, since many of these stars were active at the same time, and a visual tool would have helped me place them in relation to one another. Additionally, more photos would have been appreciated.
This book was a good introduction to classic Hollywood, and the cultural norms that were at work at the time.
Then there were the things that I wished I'd had. A time line would have been awesome, since many of these stars were active at the same time, and a visual tool would have helped me place them in relation to one another. Additionally, more photos would have been appreciated.
This book was a good introduction to classic Hollywood, and the cultural norms that were at work at the time.
informative
fast-paced
Really enjoyed with bite sizes chapters. That said, it seems a bit unfinished. Like there should have been a chapter 2
I mean this as praise: A fun bathroom reader on some of the major scandals of classic Hollywood. I didn't know much about many of these "celebrities"
Lots of great, in-depth analysis of scandal and Hollywood stars who lived on the periphery. The facts and analysis were very interesting though there were lots of mistakes that I recognized immediately without looking them up, especially dates. I understand that authors have to pay for fact checking of nonfiction books themselves and it's not cheap so these are things an editor would not have pursued.