Garbo by Barry Paris Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Garbo
Book Review: KOLA BOOF
Summary: 5 Stars
After reading this, I think that writer Kola Boof is the new Greta Garbo just as the New York Times wrote she is. What remarkable simularities.
Book Review: Long and Dull...
Summary: 2 Stars
Let me start by saying, I bought this book because of all the great reviews it got here. So, I thought I'd better give my opinion too, since it is so different!
This book includes everything you'd ever want to know about Garbo! So, it's great for the fan of hers who wants to know absolutley every detail about her. However, it is not written in an interesting way. It is like reading a "G" encyclopedia that is all about Garbo! It is long, boring, and difficult to read because the facts of her life are just layed out in chronological order. Not very engaging to read. I kept putting it down and reading other books, then going back to it.
Book Review: Meticulous Job
Summary: 4 Stars
One of the problems with celebrity biography is that biographers often claim too much, offering as fact things that are actually speculation or hearsay. Barry Paris avoids this trap very well, indicating clearly which of his conclusions are speculative and which can be documented. We see the value of this approach in his chapter on Garbo's sexuality: unlike some other Garbo biographers, Paris wisely refuses to rely on circumstantial evidence. Yes, I'm disappointed that the information is not more definitive, but then again, who would expect the record of Garbo's life to be any less ambiguous than the woman herself? (And, as Garbo would no doubt point out, her sex life is none of our business anyway.)
If Paris is careful to separate fact from gossip in biographical details, he is less cautious when indulging in psychological conjecture. For instance, his explanation of Garbo's attraction to women (or her "sexual pathology," as he terms it) is superficial, amateurish, and at times downright offensive (p. 249). (She turned to women only because she had been so hurt and betrayed by men? Please. Why must same-sex attraction be explained in terms of psychological damage and trauma? Why must it be "explained" at all?)
In general, the biography is weakest in its psychological and cultural analyses. Despite some interesting insights, Paris is obviously no psychologist, nor is he much of a cultural theorist. But I found it easy to skim these sections and instead concentrate on the specifics of Garbo's life and words, material that Paris presents thoroughly, meticulously, and (as far as I can tell) honestly. He's respectful of his subject without being obsequious or gushy; he treats Garbo's flaws in a balanced fashion.
Structurally, Paris can be repetitive. Stylistically, he tends to overuse his exclamation points! In a piece of serious writing, this quirk is distracting!
But all in all, "Garbo" is a solid, informative, enjoyable biography.
Book Review: One of the best biographies I've ever read
Summary: 4 Stars
I have always been a fan of books about movies, film stars and anything related to Holywood Golden Years, the era of the big studios and stellar actors and actresses who still are an essential part of our iconic world today. This Greta Garbo bio has utterly surprised me for its objective point of view, its love for detail without falling into boring accounts, its accurate psychological approach of the woman -yet not forgetting about her magnificent talent as a performer. Throughout its pages you can breath the glamourous life of Holywood's inhabitants in the 1930s and '40s, know the twisted way MGM worked, feel the ordinary worries and vital insatisfaction of Greta Gustafsson.
I recommend this book to all of you willing to know what can be known for sure, to all those who don't like being told a story that only really happened in the author's mind. Take form me -I've read a lot of this sort of bios.
Book Review: Outstanding. A great read.
Summary: 4 Stars
The best writing available on Garbo. The most comprehensive. Engaging. I was sorry there was not more info on her family. Her relationship with them. The people themselves. Some of it you can research to fill in the blanks. With G.G. though some of her enigma will always remain. Conversations and Recollections with Garbo, by Raymond Daum is also strongly recommended. This book was very thought provoking. Kata was an original. No were near as mysterious as the illusion/persona she crafted. If your anykind of armchair pychologist or avid researcher these books will be alot of fun. Thank you Mr. Paris. Rest in peace, Ms. G.