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A review by ketutar
Mommie Dearest by Christina Crawford
5.0
I am... I don't know what to say. I am terrified. My heart is broken and I am so confused, bewildered, by how this could happen. How many children did this happen to, and how many children is this still happening to? Why didn't anyone stop it? Why doesn't anyone stop it? Oh, I know... it's hard to do anything about things like this, and even harder back at 40s, 50s, 60s.
I read Joan Crawford's [b:My Way of Life|34593688|My Way of Life|Joan Crawford|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1494052468l/34593688._SY75_.jpg|997181] and found it very confusing, because the image I got of Joan from that book didn't match with the image of Joan I got from the movie Mommie Dearest. Now I understand it.
Anyway, this book is amazing. Christina manages to tell the story of her upbringing in a wonderful way. She adjusted the style to her age. Yet it never broke. It is a coherent story all through. It is a very easy read in that the writing is beautiful and coherent, yet it's a very hard read, because the story itself is so vile. How can people do things like this? How can you punish a 11 years old for something that happened to her, or something you are afraid would happen? Joan Crawford was so scared of how her children would affect her reputation and public image, that she made some of it happen. I have read some opinions on Christina Crawford, and it sounds that she has oppositional defiant disorder, and if she does, I don't blame her, or find it unbelievable, I blame Joan Crawford. There comes a time when a child realizes that she cannot be obedient even when she tries, because the authority is irrational and seriously out to "get you". It's hard to believe the world doesn't work that way, when that is the only way the world has worked for the first years of your life.
Anyway, I think everyone should read this book with the attitude that it is true, what Christina tells about her life and childhood is true, that some mothers are insane and behaves like this and treats their children like this. Mothers' Day is not a nice holiday for a lot of people. The Day of Our Glorious Leader, more like it. "We Love the Dictator". Brrr.
I read Joan Crawford's [b:My Way of Life|34593688|My Way of Life|Joan Crawford|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1494052468l/34593688._SY75_.jpg|997181] and found it very confusing, because the image I got of Joan from that book didn't match with the image of Joan I got from the movie Mommie Dearest. Now I understand it.
Anyway, this book is amazing. Christina manages to tell the story of her upbringing in a wonderful way. She adjusted the style to her age. Yet it never broke. It is a coherent story all through. It is a very easy read in that the writing is beautiful and coherent, yet it's a very hard read, because the story itself is so vile. How can people do things like this? How can you punish a 11 years old for something that happened to her, or something you are afraid would happen? Joan Crawford was so scared of how her children would affect her reputation and public image, that she made some of it happen. I have read some opinions on Christina Crawford, and it sounds that she has oppositional defiant disorder, and if she does, I don't blame her, or find it unbelievable, I blame Joan Crawford. There comes a time when a child realizes that she cannot be obedient even when she tries, because the authority is irrational and seriously out to "get you". It's hard to believe the world doesn't work that way, when that is the only way the world has worked for the first years of your life.
Anyway, I think everyone should read this book with the attitude that it is true, what Christina tells about her life and childhood is true, that some mothers are insane and behaves like this and treats their children like this. Mothers' Day is not a nice holiday for a lot of people. The Day of Our Glorious Leader, more like it. "We Love the Dictator". Brrr.