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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
absolutely heart breaking story. i had to stop reading several times because i couldn’t stop crying. it’s such a sad story, of abuse and pain and suffering, and just the utter confusion of loving someone who can hurt you so much.
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
This book was written by the daughter of Joan Crawford, a Hollywood icon of a past era who will be remembered as one of the greatest actresses of the early days of motion pictures. The author Christina Crawford paints a dark picture of the private life of her mother, her abuses of alcohol, abuses of her two older children especially Christina, her obsessions with cleanliness and order, her many lovers, her horrific mood swings and everything else not normally shared with the public. I am not inclined to believe it has any baring on Joan as an actress and wonder at the relevancy to the public in general. This almost appears as a book created out of spite by just one of her four children, but to what purpose?..because her mother left her and Christopher out of her will, I do not know. Christopher and Christina stand by the book...the other two adopted children do not agree with them. I find it sad that these children do not feel that Joan loved them and her sole intention on adopting them was for publicity. As a mother myself, for what ever the purpose of the writing of this book was, it is fortunate that it was published after Joan had passed on, as this would have been the biggest disappointed she would have ever had to face.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
This is a terrifying story and it's very real. Whether you're reading it because you are curious about Crawford's life or have a "Mommie Dearest" of you own, this book with strike a cord. On another note, there were so many typos--sometimes several a page.
Some trashy summer reading for me. Pretty good and even more fair than I expected. If you've seen the movie you know the best parts but the interesting thing about the book is the way Christina chronicles pattern of broken trust over 40+ years of her life, so that by the final blow you are almost as exasperated as she was.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Uggg....this book just dragged on for me. I've seen the movie several times but was interested in reading the book to learn about what the movie left out or changed. In the beginning it was very interesting to hear about how Joan Crawford moved up in Hollywood and the stardom that was created around her and not to mention the names that were dropped. It was also very interesting and cut-wrenching to hear the manipulative things that she did to the children she adopted. But after awhile the book really began to drag. The writing became to drab and basic. I wanted to get to the end to see if anything was different and to read Christina Crawfords reaction to the will reading but it took me forever to get there. I swear JC died and it was another 20-30 pages to get to the funeral services.
While reading the book I learned there was a newer addition that Christina Crawford says:
"....is published as I intended it. More than 100 pages - mostly that delve into my adult relationship with Mother - that were left out of the original version are back in. I've also added eyewitness accounts from people who came forward with information after the book was initially published, a preface to reflect the whirlwind that has happened in my life since Mommie Dearest was first published, and an afterword on adoption reform."
When I heard this I was interested in getting this edition to read the add-in items. Not any more.
This book was a disappointment.
While reading the book I learned there was a newer addition that Christina Crawford says:
"....is published as I intended it. More than 100 pages - mostly that delve into my adult relationship with Mother - that were left out of the original version are back in. I've also added eyewitness accounts from people who came forward with information after the book was initially published, a preface to reflect the whirlwind that has happened in my life since Mommie Dearest was first published, and an afterword on adoption reform."
When I heard this I was interested in getting this edition to read the add-in items. Not any more.
This book was a disappointment.