Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
For awhile while reading this book, I was thinking in my head..."3 stars... 3 stars..." because, let's face it, Gilda is not a writer. The focus of this book often shifted, there wasn't much organization to it, the vocabulary was very simple. It's no academic text, it's not literary... it just is.
But, what I realized by the time I was reading the last twenty pages was - that's not what it's meant to be. This book isn't meant to be some literary masterpiece full of colorful language and impressive vocabulary... that wasn't Gilda, and that's not this book. This book was just the upright, honest telling of her story in her own words in her own language the way she wanted it to be. Throughout her life and throughout her book Gilda constantly proved that despite not having certified "talent," she still succeeded, made it through, and was inspiring in doing so. This book was amazing. I'll never forget it. And more importantly, I'll never forget Gilda.
I also recommend watching "Love, Gilda" the CNN documentary recently released. It's very good.
But, what I realized by the time I was reading the last twenty pages was - that's not what it's meant to be. This book isn't meant to be some literary masterpiece full of colorful language and impressive vocabulary... that wasn't Gilda, and that's not this book. This book was just the upright, honest telling of her story in her own words in her own language the way she wanted it to be. Throughout her life and throughout her book Gilda constantly proved that despite not having certified "talent," she still succeeded, made it through, and was inspiring in doing so. This book was amazing. I'll never forget it. And more importantly, I'll never forget Gilda.
I also recommend watching "Love, Gilda" the CNN documentary recently released. It's very good.
I'm in tears. I'm wrecked. I loved this and yet it breaks my heart. There is a photo of Gilda, John Belushi, and Harold Ramis, and I choked as it hit me, they are gone. Gilda turned 41 while writing this book, my age. She died at 42, the same year this book was published. I don't have cancer. I have MS. Not truly comparable but still comes with a great deal of uncertainty. What is my body going to do to me next. Lately it's having to drop to the floor when I find something funny, b/c my legs give out, and feel lightheaded, and sometimes like I can't really breathe, but I'm laughing; all because my body wanted to snack on my hypothalamus, (or so I understand, doctors are awful at saying, here are the lesions on your brain, this is what that part of the brain does, and these are the symptoms that could arise). I love funny people. As a kid my heroes were Carol Burnett, Bill Murray, John Ritter, Robin Williams, and Gilda.
It's neat to look into her psyche and her relationship with Gene Wilder. This was the first biography I think I ever read (usually flip through).
This book kind of got misplaced during the moving and shuffling. I did finally manage to uncover it and keep hold of it long enough to finish it.
Gilda Radner, of Saturday Night Live fame, tells of her early life and the decision to become a comedian - the how and why - her insecurities and her strengths. She fell in love with Gene Wilder and was desperately clingy. But then, a friend gave her a Yorkie, who became very important to her and saw her though the rough time when she and Gene were apart. They decided to give it another try and in the airport, she became concerned that her Yorkie had eaten some rat poison and told Gene she had to take him to a vet, he could go on alone. Gene decided then that she had matured enough not to smother him. They got married in France and she wanted to start a family, but miscarried a couple of times. Then she began to have pains in her legs as well as severe stomach pains. That's when they discovered she had ovarian cancer.
She goes through her reactions and her decisions and tells how she worked out her decision to fight this and came to terms with it. It wasn't an easy fight and is not without emotion, but she is mostly positive and matter of fact. The really sad part comes at the end where Gene Wilder tells of a poem she wrote just before her death and a drawing he found after she died.
Gilda Radner, of Saturday Night Live fame, tells of her early life and the decision to become a comedian - the how and why - her insecurities and her strengths. She fell in love with Gene Wilder and was desperately clingy. But then, a friend gave her a Yorkie, who became very important to her and saw her though the rough time when she and Gene were apart. They decided to give it another try and in the airport, she became concerned that her Yorkie had eaten some rat poison and told Gene she had to take him to a vet, he could go on alone. Gene decided then that she had matured enough not to smother him. They got married in France and she wanted to start a family, but miscarried a couple of times. Then she began to have pains in her legs as well as severe stomach pains. That's when they discovered she had ovarian cancer.
She goes through her reactions and her decisions and tells how she worked out her decision to fight this and came to terms with it. It wasn't an easy fight and is not without emotion, but she is mostly positive and matter of fact. The really sad part comes at the end where Gene Wilder tells of a poem she wrote just before her death and a drawing he found after she died.
I don’t think there’s any reason for me to rate this book. It doesn’t feel right to assign numerical value to something so deeply personal and tragic.
This memoir is poignant and witty, while also crushingly realistic at times. Radner shines in this book, and it’s heart-breaking to know that she was taken from us too soon.
This memoir is poignant and witty, while also crushingly realistic at times. Radner shines in this book, and it’s heart-breaking to know that she was taken from us too soon.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
So great to hear her story in her own words but so so sad
Gilda Radner is very real. She was neurotic and not always likable, but her true self shines through in this book and I really admire that. I also like the lesson from the end of the book. Cancer, like many issues in life, cannot always be overcome. Instead, it can be battled, managed, dealt with. Life is a process. Live it. Don't wait for all the right things to happen to give it your all. This is your chance right now.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Wonderful story of Gilda's struggle with cancer. Difficult to relate to having nothing to compare it to but very personable in her telling.
I grew up with her on Saturday Night Live and now I know how we all lost her. I loved her ability to always make me laugh. My life is better for her being a part of it.
Thank you Gilda.
I grew up with her on Saturday Night Live and now I know how we all lost her. I loved her ability to always make me laugh. My life is better for her being a part of it.
Thank you Gilda.
A person as beautiful and marvelous and genuine as Gilda did not deserve to suffer through such a horrific disease. No one does. I have chosen not to give her heart-wrenching memoir a star rating, as it feels inappropriate to put a rating on her experience. In the almost 30 years that she’s been gone, I hope she knows that she hasn’t been forgotten. Even more so, I hope she knows that young people who were born years after her passing, such as myself, grew up looking to her as a role model and inspiration. She will always be one of the people I admire most. Gilda, you are missed beyond words.