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A review by easolinas
Jackie, Ethel, Joan: The Women of Camelot by J. Randy Taraborrelli
3.0
Dozens of books have been written about Jacqueline Kennedy, the stylish wife of the late president. At least this one has some new information -- J. Randy Taraborrelli also explores the other Kennedy wives in "Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot." The problem is Taraborrelli's talent for making stuff up.
Jackie was a confident debutante who impressed (or irritated) people with her charm and refined sensibiltiies. Ethel a religious, exuberant gal who fit in with the rough'n'tumble Kennedy family. And Joan was a fragile, confidence-free waif who was troubled by alcoholism and her perpetually philandering husband Ted.
Taraborrelli explores their childhoods, early relationships, marriages and lives with their husbands, which peaked in the glory years of the so-called "Camelot." Then everything went downhill: Jackie and Ethel's husbands were assassinated, Joan's was permanently disgraced, and the three women went through nightmares of publicity, family deaths, miscarriages, remarriages and alcoholism.
The Jackie stuff in here is nothing new, nor does Taraborrelli have any new spins on it. In fact, she seems a bit dull beside the vibrant Ethel and tragic Joan, both of whom are revealed in all their tarnished glory. In fact, it's the information about those two ladies that keep this book from being a total loss.
Unlike prior biographers have done, Taraborrelli seems interested in the many facets of Ethel and Joan's personalities: Ethel was both ruthless and compassionate, utterly loving and very rough. Rather than portraying the forceful woman as a harpy, as others have done, Taraborrelli focuses on her complexity. And Joan is shown as a sweet, almost ideal girl who succumbed to a family disease as she was humilated in front of the entire world.
So long as he sticks to the facts, Taraborrelli is a capable biographer. Unfortunately, he launches into obviously fictional anecdotes and conversations, scuppering much of his credibility, and often fiddles with the facts to make the Kennedys seem like one big happy family, despite all the cheating and infighting. Since when was everyone so fond of the prudish, cold Rose?
The information about Ethel and Joan Kennedy is outstanding, and actually makes these underrated ladies seem more interesting than their legendary sister-in-law. But Taraborrelli's little "conversations" should have been saved for a novel.
Jackie was a confident debutante who impressed (or irritated) people with her charm and refined sensibiltiies. Ethel a religious, exuberant gal who fit in with the rough'n'tumble Kennedy family. And Joan was a fragile, confidence-free waif who was troubled by alcoholism and her perpetually philandering husband Ted.
Taraborrelli explores their childhoods, early relationships, marriages and lives with their husbands, which peaked in the glory years of the so-called "Camelot." Then everything went downhill: Jackie and Ethel's husbands were assassinated, Joan's was permanently disgraced, and the three women went through nightmares of publicity, family deaths, miscarriages, remarriages and alcoholism.
The Jackie stuff in here is nothing new, nor does Taraborrelli have any new spins on it. In fact, she seems a bit dull beside the vibrant Ethel and tragic Joan, both of whom are revealed in all their tarnished glory. In fact, it's the information about those two ladies that keep this book from being a total loss.
Unlike prior biographers have done, Taraborrelli seems interested in the many facets of Ethel and Joan's personalities: Ethel was both ruthless and compassionate, utterly loving and very rough. Rather than portraying the forceful woman as a harpy, as others have done, Taraborrelli focuses on her complexity. And Joan is shown as a sweet, almost ideal girl who succumbed to a family disease as she was humilated in front of the entire world.
So long as he sticks to the facts, Taraborrelli is a capable biographer. Unfortunately, he launches into obviously fictional anecdotes and conversations, scuppering much of his credibility, and often fiddles with the facts to make the Kennedys seem like one big happy family, despite all the cheating and infighting. Since when was everyone so fond of the prudish, cold Rose?
The information about Ethel and Joan Kennedy is outstanding, and actually makes these underrated ladies seem more interesting than their legendary sister-in-law. But Taraborrelli's little "conversations" should have been saved for a novel.