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A review by r_j_setser
Clara Bow: The Tragic Life of the "It" Girl: With Illustrations by P. McCarty
informative
sad
fast-paced
2.0
If you don't know anything about Clara Bow (*ahem* like me) this is a decent overview of her life. It's basically just a summary of many of her popular movies without a lot of details, plus a recounting of the drama that followed her throughout her life. It's only 60 pages long (with many photos), so you can imagine that it's brief.
I did appreciate the photos included, that made the experience more lifelike. I had just hoped for more information.
Also, while the author seemed to sympathize with Clara's plight of being publically labeled as "Hollywood's It Girl", some of the terminology used to describe "her many lovers" or "the next one" just struck me as playing into the same public scrutiny that drove her out of Hollywood. I would've preferred a more objective approach to her history and a focus on her accomplishments rather than an overview of her love life. And considering how publicity like this is what drove her to leave her successful career, I can't say that I see her being proud of this exact overview of her life.
I will say, this publication got me started on my research, but I'll be looking for a more detailed and objective biography of Clara Bow in the future.
I did appreciate the photos included, that made the experience more lifelike. I had just hoped for more information.
Also, while the author seemed to sympathize with Clara's plight of being publically labeled as "Hollywood's It Girl", some of the terminology used to describe "her many lovers" or "the next one" just struck me as playing into the same public scrutiny that drove her out of Hollywood. I would've preferred a more objective approach to her history and a focus on her accomplishments rather than an overview of her love life. And considering how publicity like this is what drove her to leave her successful career, I can't say that I see her being proud of this exact overview of her life.
I will say, this publication got me started on my research, but I'll be looking for a more detailed and objective biography of Clara Bow in the future.