Scan barcode
pbraue13's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
kateleos's review
Moved to audio for a while, but then ran out of time on the loan. I think I've gotten what I need from it, although I may eventually go back for the section on A League of Their Own and see if there's anything new there.
carespo's review
5.0
This is the most detailed biography I’ve ever read. Set in the period of 1958-2020, Mary Gabriel comprehensively tells both Madonna’s story and the socio-political story of the times making this book both a biography and an important historical record. And while dense at over 800 pages of small print, I found it to be highly engaging and readable.
mkduds's review against another edition
5.0
Audiobook review. Wow, this was comprehensive. It’s very long but there’s so much that’s memorable about it (especially listening to it). What an impressive feat to write this book and to live this life. It paints a very clear picture of Madonna as a cutting edge artist and someone who was always destined for an artist’s life given her passions and work ethic.
Three interesting moments:
Girls are usually advised what not to do in order to protect themselves. Boys are told what they can do to get ahead. (I believe this is the author’s idea and not a quote.)
This difference is of course touched on a bit in Madonna’s “What It Feels Like For A Girl,” but it’s also explored by many female artists. Beyoncé has “If I Were A Boy” and Taylor Swift has “The Man.”
Three interesting moments:
Girls are usually advised what not to do in order to protect themselves. Boys are told what they can do to get ahead. (I believe this is the author’s idea and not a quote.)
This difference is of course touched on a bit in Madonna’s “What It Feels Like For A Girl,” but it’s also explored by many female artists. Beyoncé has “If I Were A Boy” and Taylor Swift has “The Man.”
Another moment that stuck out:
Madonna began hanging out New York with Sandra Bernhard and Jennifer Grey. She was taking refuge in the company of women while working on a play surrounded by men where she was playing the victim. After the tabloids had exhausted the Madonna/Bernhard rumors, they seized on Grey as her new paramour. “‘It became a question of whatever female I had a close relationship with who is an outspoken girl, which Jennifer is, then I must be sleeping with her,’ Madonna explained.” As a Taylor Swift fan, this sounded very familiar. When people see a celebrity as someone who dates a lot or has a lot of relationships, they seem to feel that speculation of *any* of the public relationships is fair game.
Finally, there was talk of overexposure a few times throughout the decades. I hear this a lot with Taylor Swift and some say that she “succumbed” to overexposure in 2016 and the public turned on her. But, I also have heard it mentioned regarding Michael Jackson in the 80’s (“The Biggest Night in Pop”). I would love to read “A History of Overexposure.”
Finally, there was talk of overexposure a few times throughout the decades. I hear this a lot with Taylor Swift and some say that she “succumbed” to overexposure in 2016 and the public turned on her. But, I also have heard it mentioned regarding Michael Jackson in the 80’s (“The Biggest Night in Pop”). I would love to read “A History of Overexposure.”