Reviews

The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick by Mallory O'Meara

soupertrouper's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

roxymaybe's review against another edition

1.0

At the beginning of this book the author recalls indignation at the suggestion that Milicent Patrick's life isn't interesting enough to fill a whole book. Unfortunately, that person was right. This book is more diversion than content, with lots of personal anecdotes from the author (including fretting over what to wear to a visit to the Mormon archives) and deep dives into people on the peripheries of Milicent's life. When she does talk about Milicent, there's a LOT of focus on how glamorous she looked.
The most galling part, to me, was the constant confident descriptions of what Milicent and other long-dead figures thought and felt, explicitly influenced by the author's own relationships. A long section deriding Milicent's sister ends with a comparison to the behaviour of the author's own estranged mother. It's very clear that this wasn't written by a trained historian, but it also sucks as a memoir.

rawsfaze's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

kimberlyjerger's review against another edition

4.0

*4

artbookshelfodyssey's review against another edition

5.0

This was such a beautifully written book. O'Meara writes with passion and an obvious deep love for her subject. I love how she inserts herself into the story and this book is not only a biography of Milicent Patrick but it chronicles O'Meara's journey of discovery too. She is a part of the story just as much as Milicent is - and I'm here for it.

I listened to the audio book version, and I recommend that one. It's read by the author which really makes the whole experience a very personal journey. Her passion, frustration, heart ache, and joy comes through.

10 stars! Can't wait to read more.

cwbillings's review

funny informative inspiring lighthearted slow-paced

3.0

sexydarwin's review against another edition

emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

3.75

osborne2read's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

trixster33's review against another edition

challenging funny informative inspiring mysterious relaxing medium-paced

3.0

Narrator puts to much of herself in the story, but when she focuses on the subject at hand she illuminates lost piece of history. 

whatchareadingheather's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

Definitely a must-read for fans of The Creature From The Black Lagoon or horror fans in general. Also super informative regarding women in the film industry without being heavily focused on those who are actors.