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laurielorry's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
2000ace's review against another edition
4.0
I took up Lillian Hellman's memoirs when I was recovering from an addiction to Dashiell Hammett, These vignettes are irresistible because they cover the 20s and 30s in Hollywood and other places. There is a lot of historical detail and political intrigue mixed into her stories. Lillian Hellman was a stand-up woman, as hard-boiled in her own way as one of Hammett's characters. She had a vulnerable side as well, which is well represented in these pages.
emmamme's review against another edition
Old paint on a canvas, as it ages, sometimes becomes transparent. When that happens it is possible, in some pictures, to see the original lines: a tree will show through a woman's dress, a child makes way for a dog, a large boat is no longer on an open sea. That is called pentimento because the painter "repented," changed his mind. Perhaps it would be as well to say that the old conception, replaced by a later choice, is a way of seeing and then seeing again. That is all I mean about the people in this book. The paint has aged and I wanted to see what was there for me once, what is there for me now.
Incredible!
brucemcguffin's review
2.0
I would have enjoyed the book more if I hadn't looked it up on wikipedia halfway through and learned there are questions about its truthfulness.
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