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karenstory 's review for:
Ava Gardner
by Lee Server
Catching up…
This was donated to my Little Free Library Shed several weeks ago. I was looking forward to re-visiting it so that I could provide a review for Goodreads.
I am a great fan of film noir. And she definitely was one of the actresses I use to love watching whenever the old movies would come on when we use to have cable television.
I thought I liked it when I first read this book as part of my celebrity biography reading stage period of my life years ago.
Recently the New York Times posted an article featuring the most notable books from the year 2000-2023. And, this book was listed for the year 2006. So, I can only presume that this book must have made an impression on their writers, too.
But notable doesn’t necessarily mean great, does it? Just worthy of notice.
As I began to re-visit this book, I noticed that the author’s research felt a bit chaotic. It appeared more focused on her life in tabloids. Whatever was printed in the newspapers, or magazines seemed to be how this author chose to tell his story of Ava Gardner.
And of course, whatever could be said about her had a lot to do with what we could all see on screen or in writing – her voluptuous beauty, the men, the marriages, the movies. How the newspapers and magazines chose to interpret her. From film set to film set. Or from marriage to marriage.
And then there was her drinking. Her unreliability because of it. From famous to infamous to notorious. In this book, 500 pages later we see her at the end of life at 67.
But those of us who admired her acting, or her stage presence, where we really wanted to be was with her as we saw her on the cover page of this book. To be honest, that is how we really wanted to remember her. Gorgeous. Stunning. Immensely talented.
Was the read worth it – especially a second time?
If you love Ava Gardner, maybe. Or, just go watch one of her old movies, and live in the nostalgia of her. It might be a better, happier experience.
This was donated to my Little Free Library Shed several weeks ago. I was looking forward to re-visiting it so that I could provide a review for Goodreads.
I am a great fan of film noir. And she definitely was one of the actresses I use to love watching whenever the old movies would come on when we use to have cable television.
I thought I liked it when I first read this book as part of my celebrity biography reading stage period of my life years ago.
Recently the New York Times posted an article featuring the most notable books from the year 2000-2023. And, this book was listed for the year 2006. So, I can only presume that this book must have made an impression on their writers, too.
But notable doesn’t necessarily mean great, does it? Just worthy of notice.
As I began to re-visit this book, I noticed that the author’s research felt a bit chaotic. It appeared more focused on her life in tabloids. Whatever was printed in the newspapers, or magazines seemed to be how this author chose to tell his story of Ava Gardner.
And of course, whatever could be said about her had a lot to do with what we could all see on screen or in writing – her voluptuous beauty, the men, the marriages, the movies. How the newspapers and magazines chose to interpret her. From film set to film set. Or from marriage to marriage.
And then there was her drinking. Her unreliability because of it. From famous to infamous to notorious. In this book, 500 pages later we see her at the end of life at 67.
But those of us who admired her acting, or her stage presence, where we really wanted to be was with her as we saw her on the cover page of this book. To be honest, that is how we really wanted to remember her. Gorgeous. Stunning. Immensely talented.
Was the read worth it – especially a second time?
If you love Ava Gardner, maybe. Or, just go watch one of her old movies, and live in the nostalgia of her. It might be a better, happier experience.