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scorpisoph's review against another edition
3.0
finally got my hands on the audiobook and while I enjoyed this story and found it super super interesting, for me it kind of dragged (like a lot). it’s definitely a dense and heavy story, which I did not expect to this extent, but I learned lots and would still recommend it to historical fiction lovers
katie_barty's review against another edition
4.0
“Everything became a fantastic joke if you could afford to hang around long enough for the punchline”
klkreiling's review against another edition
5.0
I loved loved loved this book. Highly recommend- had some of the things I liked about Seven Lives of Evelyn Hugo and City of Girls. If you’re into arcing stories about actresses and the times they lived in, you’ll enjoy this for sure!
herielma's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
courto875's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
klaraperko's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kricketa's review against another edition
4.0
Every once in a while it's fun to go out in the stacks and grab a book I know nothing about, purely based on its cover and synopsis. This one really worked out for me. It's a novel based on Marlene Dietrich, Anna May Wong, and Leni Riefenstahl- their careers in film, their relationships, but also tangential people in their lives that have engrossing stories of their own. The novel covers their entire lifespans with vignettes that eventually get woven together, so I wouldn't recommend it for someone who enjoys a lot of fast-paced action.
donnerbella's review against another edition
5.0
Wow.
in 1928 someone takes a picture of Marlene Dietrich, Anna May Wong, and Leni Riefenstahl at the Berlin Filmball.
From there, the novel tracks the lives of those three iconic Women, their interconnected moments, the divergence of their paths, their relationships to each other, to hollywood and the world. Jumping between decades, continents and points of view, this is a masterclass in fictionalized biography storytelling that I cut not put down.
Especially as someone from Germany who never quite connected with Dietrich and just ignored Riefenstahl outright, this novel brought their unique perspectives of themselves to the forefront in a way I did not foresee.
Almost by way of allegory there are side-characters whose stories are told, and maybe a little too dramatized, but even they seem to be a part of this stream, of a momentum propelled by dreams, ambitions and longing.
A marvelous and surprisingly timely book, because the forces that shaped the lives of Marlene, Leni and Anna May are more present than ever.
in 1928 someone takes a picture of Marlene Dietrich, Anna May Wong, and Leni Riefenstahl at the Berlin Filmball.
From there, the novel tracks the lives of those three iconic Women, their interconnected moments, the divergence of their paths, their relationships to each other, to hollywood and the world. Jumping between decades, continents and points of view, this is a masterclass in fictionalized biography storytelling that I cut not put down.
Especially as someone from Germany who never quite connected with Dietrich and just ignored Riefenstahl outright, this novel brought their unique perspectives of themselves to the forefront in a way I did not foresee.
Almost by way of allegory there are side-characters whose stories are told, and maybe a little too dramatized, but even they seem to be a part of this stream, of a momentum propelled by dreams, ambitions and longing.
A marvelous and surprisingly timely book, because the forces that shaped the lives of Marlene, Leni and Anna May are more present than ever.
marcia_arguelles's review against another edition
5.0
I would give this book more than five stars if I could.
I love historical fiction and this seriously hot all the right spots for me.
These three amazing women, to know how they started and how they ended, how magnificent of a ride this was.
And all those side characters, never as less important as the main ones.
The writing was amazing, funny, emotive, it did amazing things to the senses.
I feel sad it has ended, not gonna lie.
I love historical fiction and this seriously hot all the right spots for me.
These three amazing women, to know how they started and how they ended, how magnificent of a ride this was.
And all those side characters, never as less important as the main ones.
The writing was amazing, funny, emotive, it did amazing things to the senses.
I feel sad it has ended, not gonna lie.