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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
Well not as in depth as other books about the
Kennedy woman, it was great to learn more about Ethel & Joan. I felt so sorry for poor Joan Kennedy about the way Ted treated her. I'm very curious to read the late Ted Kennedy's autobiography and see what he has to say for himself about those years.
Kennedy woman, it was great to learn more about Ethel & Joan. I felt so sorry for poor Joan Kennedy about the way Ted treated her. I'm very curious to read the late Ted Kennedy's autobiography and see what he has to say for himself about those years.
Ah, this was such a guilty pleasure read. All the glorious drama and destiny, scandal and tragedy, love, loss, and legacy!
Dozens of books have been written about Jacqueline Kennedy, the stylish wife of the late president. At least this one has some new information -- J. Randy Taraborrelli also explores the other Kennedy wives in "Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot." The problem is Taraborrelli's talent for making stuff up.
Jackie was a confident debutante who impressed (or irritated) people with her charm and refined sensibiltiies. Ethel a religious, exuberant gal who fit in with the rough'n'tumble Kennedy family. And Joan was a fragile, confidence-free waif who was troubled by alcoholism and her perpetually philandering husband Ted.
Taraborrelli explores their childhoods, early relationships, marriages and lives with their husbands, which peaked in the glory years of the so-called "Camelot." Then everything went downhill: Jackie and Ethel's husbands were assassinated, Joan's was permanently disgraced, and the three women went through nightmares of publicity, family deaths, miscarriages, remarriages and alcoholism.
The Jackie stuff in here is nothing new, nor does Taraborrelli have any new spins on it. In fact, she seems a bit dull beside the vibrant Ethel and tragic Joan, both of whom are revealed in all their tarnished glory. In fact, it's the information about those two ladies that keep this book from being a total loss.
Unlike prior biographers have done, Taraborrelli seems interested in the many facets of Ethel and Joan's personalities: Ethel was both ruthless and compassionate, utterly loving and very rough. Rather than portraying the forceful woman as a harpy, as others have done, Taraborrelli focuses on her complexity. And Joan is shown as a sweet, almost ideal girl who succumbed to a family disease as she was humilated in front of the entire world.
So long as he sticks to the facts, Taraborrelli is a capable biographer. Unfortunately, he launches into obviously fictional anecdotes and conversations, scuppering much of his credibility, and often fiddles with the facts to make the Kennedys seem like one big happy family, despite all the cheating and infighting. Since when was everyone so fond of the prudish, cold Rose?
The information about Ethel and Joan Kennedy is outstanding, and actually makes these underrated ladies seem more interesting than their legendary sister-in-law. But Taraborrelli's little "conversations" should have been saved for a novel.
Jackie was a confident debutante who impressed (or irritated) people with her charm and refined sensibiltiies. Ethel a religious, exuberant gal who fit in with the rough'n'tumble Kennedy family. And Joan was a fragile, confidence-free waif who was troubled by alcoholism and her perpetually philandering husband Ted.
Taraborrelli explores their childhoods, early relationships, marriages and lives with their husbands, which peaked in the glory years of the so-called "Camelot." Then everything went downhill: Jackie and Ethel's husbands were assassinated, Joan's was permanently disgraced, and the three women went through nightmares of publicity, family deaths, miscarriages, remarriages and alcoholism.
The Jackie stuff in here is nothing new, nor does Taraborrelli have any new spins on it. In fact, she seems a bit dull beside the vibrant Ethel and tragic Joan, both of whom are revealed in all their tarnished glory. In fact, it's the information about those two ladies that keep this book from being a total loss.
Unlike prior biographers have done, Taraborrelli seems interested in the many facets of Ethel and Joan's personalities: Ethel was both ruthless and compassionate, utterly loving and very rough. Rather than portraying the forceful woman as a harpy, as others have done, Taraborrelli focuses on her complexity. And Joan is shown as a sweet, almost ideal girl who succumbed to a family disease as she was humilated in front of the entire world.
So long as he sticks to the facts, Taraborrelli is a capable biographer. Unfortunately, he launches into obviously fictional anecdotes and conversations, scuppering much of his credibility, and often fiddles with the facts to make the Kennedys seem like one big happy family, despite all the cheating and infighting. Since when was everyone so fond of the prudish, cold Rose?
The information about Ethel and Joan Kennedy is outstanding, and actually makes these underrated ladies seem more interesting than their legendary sister-in-law. But Taraborrelli's little "conversations" should have been saved for a novel.
Of all the books about the Kennedys I've read over the years, this is one of the most revelatory and personal that I've yet read. Jackie and Ethel Kennedy I had known about largely through the supportive roles both played for their husbands in the prime of their political careers. Then there was the "Jackie O" phase and Jackie Kennedy's later career as an associate editor for Doubleday in New York. Ethel Kennedy, for her part, became the keeper of her husband's legacy following his murder in 1968. And as for Joan, the wife of Senator Ted Kennedy, prior to reading this book, I knew very little about her. Of the 3 women, she was, by far, the most modest, shy, and self-effacing.
The book is well-researched and contains 68 pages of 'Acknowledgements and Source Notes.' I highly recommend it for any reader with an interest in the life and times of a family who had such a profound and lasting impact on the U.S. cultural and political landscape in the latter half of the 20th century.
The book is well-researched and contains 68 pages of 'Acknowledgements and Source Notes.' I highly recommend it for any reader with an interest in the life and times of a family who had such a profound and lasting impact on the U.S. cultural and political landscape in the latter half of the 20th century.
This book read a bit like a gossip column...not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but when I finished, I didn't feel I'd really read a history book. It was fascinating, however, to read some of the intimate, lurid details of the family history, and to learn of the relationship among the sisters-in-law.
Four-stars seems a bit too much for this book, but I did really enjoy it. It was a relatively light, entertaining read about the Kennedy women.
Four-stars seems a bit too much for this book, but I did really enjoy it. It was a relatively light, entertaining read about the Kennedy women.