Customer Reviews (2)

Loves me, Love me not
Amazon.com has not been disappointing.....The only gripe is you've gotten a little slower...

I will order from Amazon.com....I have enjoyed everything I have ordered....My wife is the main person who orders and absolutely love Amazon.....Doris and Arsenio

It was fast!!
I was so happy my book arrived in such great condition & so fast!! I will definately buy from this vendor again! BTW it took me 3 days to read this book, so fascinating! It would have taken me one day, but i had to work:-( ... Read more

Product Description
In the second novel of the Tinseltown trilogy, Joan Crawford returns to MGM in 1953. Her comeback to her alma mater is to make the garish musical Torch Song. Joan suspects that it's hokum, and that she's getting too old for such parts, but she is desperate to make it work. That includes living at the studio in her dressing room during production. All the while, a psycho killer Joan Crawford drag queen stalks Hollywood to eliminate other Joan Crawford drag queens, and Joan is so strung out on vodka and super strength diet pills that she isn't sure if she has taken up murder herself. Her gay best friend is poised ready to help her party. A powerful gangster is only interested in saving her reputation until death, and her loyal hairdresser has a son who has his own sneaky Joan Crawford secrets. The final epic showdown between Joan Crawford and Joan Crawford is beyond any movie ending ever filmed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Bless You!
MGM Queen Joan Crawford reigns supreme in this camp drama that occurs whilst Joan is filming of her `Technicolor comeback' - Torch Song.
In her attempt to be thin and beautiful in `Technicolor' Joan guzzles MGM formula diet pills and drinks oceans of vodka whilst barking at people on and off the set.... Meanwhile a Joan Crawford drag queen is slashing people. Who is the REAL Joan Crawford....will the REAL Joan be found guilty of slicing people up? Even she is not sure... under the influence of booze and pills...she is STRUNG OUT! `Balls!'

I have not laughed out loud whilst reading novel for so long, and Swanson has obviously done his research. If you are a Joan fan you will understand the nuances and references...if you are casual readers you will just love the story, which is the second instalment in his `Tinseltown Trilogy.' I always think a novel is successful if the reader can suspend disbelief, even in the most ridiculous circumstances, which is certainly what these circumstances are....

Great ride
"The Joan Crawford Murders" is the second of the "Tinseltown Trilogy" by Peter Joseph Swanson. You don't have to read the first book,Hollywood Sinners (The Tinseltown Trilogy) which deals with Hollywood in the 1930s or the last book Bad Moviesthat deals with Hollywood in the 1970s to read this book.This book takes on Hollywood in 1953 seen through the eyes of the pill popping vodka swilling Joan Crawford.
I received this book a few days ago and planned to read it after I finished another book. But I just had to take a peek at it to see what it was like. I really don't know that much about Joan Crawford besides some of her movies and "Mommie Dearest". But I knew enough about her that it made me want to read this book.
So I put aside the other book and devoured this book.
Joan is back at MGM, doing her "comeback" movie "Torch Song". She is bedeviled by life - she's getting older, there are fresher faces, Al the Gangster talks about killing her and there's a little matter of multiple Joan Crawfords in Hollywood. Joan always appreciates her fans but sometimes her fans do not appreciate her. One drag queen in particular believes he is the one and only Joan Crawford and plans to eliminate all the others - including the real Joan Crawford.
Peter Joseph Swanson takes the reader on a wild ride with Joan Crawford and the making of "Torch Song". I honestly don't know how much is true in this book and how much is fictional, but all of it rang true for me. Joan's rantings and ravings, her multiple conquests, her barely disguised anger at newer actresses, it's all there. Mr Swanson is able to capture the essence of a Joan Crawford movie and put it in this book. And it is wonderful.
So I recommend this book highly to anyone who is a Joan Crawford fan, you won't be able to put it down. Also if you're a fan of Hollywood in the early 50s, you'll love this book. If you're a fan of murder mysteries, again, well written book. It's a great book and I plan to check out the two other books in the trilogy.

No wire hangers, but plenty of fun!
Look around; everywhere you turn is heartache. It's everywhere that you go. You try everything you can to escape...

...the sordidness of 1950s Hollywood, with its goat-cults of Osiris, washed-up monster movie actors, gangsters bent on burying you in the middle of the desert, and sinister Joan Crawford impersonators running around screaming "Bloody knife! Bloody knife!"

If all else fails and you long to be something better than you are today, I know a place where you can get away, it's called

The Joan Crawford Murders (Book Two of the Tinseltown Trilogy) by Peter Joseph Swanson. If you grew up in the `80s like I did, your first impression of Joan Crawford may have come from Faye Dunaway's portrayal of her in Mommie Dearest. No doubt it scared you off of wire hangers for life. Joan Crawford, who died the year I was born, was actually a fascinating woman with a long and celebrated stage, screen and television career. Her name at birth was Lucille LeSeuer. Louis B. Mayer (studio head of MGM) made her change it because it sounded too much like "sewer." His first choice was "Joan Arden," but that name was already taken, so she became Joan Crawford, a name she always thought sounded uncomfortably close to "crawfish."

Peter Joseph Swanson has fun playing with the biographical details of Joan's life in his novel. She was born in Texas, and she did try like the devil to remove any trace of Southwest twang from her speaking voice. William Haines was her closest friend, and he did give her the nickname "Cranberry" (a play on "crawfish," saying she ought to be serving at Thanksgiving dinner with turkey and cranberry sauce).

You don't have to know Joan Crawford's real-life history to enjoy this book, though. Peter brings her to the page as a larger-than-life character, a Hollywood star with all a star's excesses and passions who half believes some of her movies were real. She thunders through the pages in faux diamonds and real furs with a gun in her handgun, ripping lesser starlets (in Joan's opinion, everyone but herself) like Esther Williams and Marilyn Monroe to shreds with her letter-opener-sharp words. But a star of Joan's caliber wouldn't literally rip a starlet (or a drag queen) to shreds, would she? In her vodka- and diet pill-induced fog, Joan doesn't even trust herself anymore.

Read carefully, or you may miss some of Peter's clever one-liners. Despite all the grisly murders and shady Hollywood backroom dealings, this book is fun, fun, fun. There's even a splash of sex here and there, though of course observed through the warped lens of Peter's offbeat literary style. Whether you love mysteries and crime novels, Old School Hollywood, or both, this book promises to be like nothing you've ever read before.

A must for fans of Joan
This is a very funny novel, the author is obviously a fan and has done a great deal of research in Crawfords life around the time she went back to Metro. If you are a fan of Joan you will love this novel it is a really fun read.

Tinseltown Trilogy Review
Some people already know Peter J Swanson. Some also know he is the author of several books, including the Tinseltown Trilogy.When I first read the snippets, comments, and various reviews of these books, I wasn't sure if I wanted to read them or not.I wasn't sure I would even like them because they are not the type of books I usually read.

However, I decided to throw my inhibitions to the wind and give them a try.In doing so, I ordered all three books instead of just the first one.I mean, what good is a threesome if you don't have all three?

Prior to the arrival of the books, I promised to do a book review of each on Gather.When my books FINALLY arrived, I read them at a leisurely pace enjoying each of the characters and the tale that unfolded with each turn of the page.

Some time has passed since I completed the third and final book and I have no excuse for being so slow at posting the review(s).Save only that life has intruded and I did not want to write reviews without being totally engrossed.I wasn't going to take the chance of possibly turning away future readers and/or fans.I also couldn't decide how best to write the reviews, either one at a time or all three in one.So, without further ado, I give you the Ménage à trois: Hollywood Sinners, The Joan Crawford Murders, and Bad Movies.

In Hollywood Sinners, I was transported to the glories and horrors of Hollywood in the 30's.I followed Karin from her home on the farm to her marriage with the lunatic drunk into Hollywood where she met Ramon, Mama, Carol, Antonio, Etienne and Sister Agatha.

That sounds simple, but in reality, I cringed as she suffered at the hands of the drunk, who got what was coming to him pretty early in the tale. I laughed with her and the conversations she had with others.I imagined waking up beside her in the ditch as a foot long lizard stared at us both.I rode on her coattails as she pursued a dream of making it big and all the experiences that go along with the journey.

I won't give it away by saying what happened to Karin and those she came into contact with.However, I will say the journey was quite an enjoyable ride.

In The Joan Crawford Murders, I was again sent to Hollywood only this time the setting was the 50's.Instead of Karin, I was now enjoying the city with Joan Crawford.Whatever I thought I knew about Joan was thrown to the side after reading this book.

During Joan's comeback production, I was able to see her in a new light as one Joan Crawford drag queen look-a-like is murdered after another.One by one someone is eliminating them and Joan's alcohol and drug induced paranoia had me wondering if she wasn't the psychotic killer.You know, Joan, no not that one...this one, not her...her.

In the end, well...no, I can't tell you.Just get the book and read the filming for yourself.Who knows who will be left standing in the end ;)

The final book in the trilogy, Bad Movies, was as good if not better than the first two.It had me laughing, cringing, crying, and blushing more than ever as I was thrust into the 70's with Jill in Tinseltown.

Jill wishes to be a successful model, however she is naive as to the price she'll have to pay to achieve this goal.The price of bad movie making, a stalking psycho, murders, and natural disasters.All of these make an appearance in Jill's journey to stardom.Not to mention her fleeting, but haunting memories of losing body parts....

There you have it, my quick review of the Tinseltown Trilogy.You can find these books on Amazon.com. In my opinion, these books were a welcomed distraction.Peter made me believe I was in Tinseltown and witnessing everything happening.He made the characters, their dreams and motivations, their struggles and achievements, and the lifestyles believable.The mystery and intrigue had me wondering what was going to happen next.All in all, I enjoyed these three books and I look forward to reading more by this author. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Juicy, Entertaining, but not Credible
This book was definitely an enjoyable, entertaining read; very juicy.The only thing that bothers me is credibility.The book is written as a biography of Joan Crawford's career and love life in particular.Nice details about her films and the other celebrities she worked with.However, there are no sources cited anywhere in the book.The book is written almost entirely in quoted dialogue of conversations between Joan and others, and there is no possible way that the author could have actually been present during many of these conversations.Authors need to be careful when using quotes so much!The author did have many conversations with Joan and others who knew her, but she never recorded any of these interviews (which she admits in the beginning of the book).The dialogue is so detailed it leaves the reader feeling that its content may have been subject to much bias and faulty memory.So, enjoy a good easy read, but don't take it all as the truth! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A great book from my past
I have the hardcopy version of this book.It was a birthday or Christmas present many years ago.I remember it was $40, which was a lot for a book back in the early 1970's.I poured over that book, especially the section on Garbo to see how she did her eyes.I glance at this book every now and then to remember my teenage years.

When glamour was glamour
As an adolescent, I must have spent hours studying my mom's copy of this book.On page after page of photos (from films, promotional shoots and other sources) I noted and compared the curve of eyebrows and shape oflips, the placement of beauty marks, the lines of hairstyles and figures,etc.Those images have stayed with me -- the very definition of womanlyclass and style.This book is full of beautifully done photographs of fourstrong, sexy women from a time when glamour was glamour.I highlyrecommend it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Gorgeous.
I love this book. I just got it down from the top shelf of one of my many bookcases and blew the dust off. I bought it used when I was in my early teens. I loved looking at those old pictures, and drinking in the dramatic, black and white, bygone beauty.

Oh, what a difference an eyebrow makes!
Like the first reviewer, I've loved this book for years.You can faithfully read fashion magazine for years and not learn what is in this book.Study it carefully and see what a subtle change here and there makes.It's really fun. ... Read more

Product Description
Garbo and Crawford. Ava, Hedy, Judy, Liz epitomized Hollywood's golden era. With a trembling lip or sultry eye, with a tear or song or husky whisper, these women held moviegoers across America in their sway from the hard times of the 1930s through the booming postwar years to the early sixties. They were royalty and box office, and led pampered public lives-furs, jewels, designer gowns; limousines, flash bulbs, handsome escorts-that captured the national imagination. They also signed seven-year contracts with a morals clause, and the more they slipped, the more the secret abortions, efficient cover-ups, legal legerdemain, and dropped charges bound them to the wizard in their Oz, Louis B. Mayer. The slips are here along with the successes. Here, too, are the Blonde Bombshell Jean Harlow, Million-Dollar Mermaid Esther Williams, Sweater Girl Lana Turner, and bad girl Ava Gardner ("She can't act. She can't talk. She's terrific," declared Mayer after her screen test). From Jeanette MacDonald and Norma Shearer to Princess Grace and Dame Elizabeth Taylor, the sixteen portraits in this lively, photograph-filled volume, each accompanied by the star's filmography, tell the tales that have long lay hidden behind the gossip and the glories of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's glamorous golden girls. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

Terrible
Not worth the time it takes to read.She misquotes lines from movies, and as it's entirely possible to watch these and quote them accurately, you have to assume she spent as much time with these lines as she did with the rest of the material here.It's really laughably bad.

Do yourself a favor and skip this one.

don't waste your $$
I can't make head nor tail of this book as it does not include footnotes...are we meant to think that she could read the minds of all of these long-dead stars and knew exactly how much or how little one enjoyed sex with one man vs. another, etc...also it is written poorly, with many rather damning claims simply stated in a sentence and then no more about it. I am not sure who this woman is or was, but this is not among the sort of books one should use for any sort of research...i wonder if she has been sued by any of the estates of these stars...i did not know you could simply write things that he or she allegedly said (or thought) and not be required to list a source...

Sensationalist gossip masquerading as an informative biography.
It's not often that I venture forth to offer a review on Amazon, but I was so upset with this book that I had to speak up. I checked this book out of my University library to help with research for a film exhibit I am working on. I was hoping to find an at most academic and at least intelligent, or reliably informative retelling of the lives of these famous actresses within, how they were perceived by the viewing public, and the effect they had on the film industry during their tenures as stars. What I got was a sensationalist account concerned only with detailing every sexual encounter these women ever had, and taking delight in citing most of them as gay or bisexual, something that is not offensive to me but seems particularly overemphasized in this book.

Why is it important to know that several of these women didn't wear underwear on the set? This book is full of lascivious quotes from male film stars about the sexual appetites of all of these women, and time and time again I found myself questioning the legitimacy of these sources, not to mention the bias of what these men were saying considering attitudes about women at the time. Perhaps even more offensive, in Wayne's account none of these women are allowed to succeed on their own without men. Instead Wayne depicts their careers as driven primarily by sex, and there is no real examination of how these women succeeded based on their own talents or business savvy. They need men to land roles in films, they need men to fulfill whatever emotional void is in their life, and don't forget they prey on men like the vamps many portrayed on screen to fulfill their rampant sexual appetites. But I kept asking, over and over, so what? The dreaded question that every historian or biographer should strive to answer to justify the time and money spent into publishing any paper or book. The drivel presented here doesn't even attempt to answer this question.

There's no denying that none of these film stars were saints, but what does this book honestly add to any serious or intelligent discussion of film? Whether or not these actresses were as oversexualized as Wayne takes delight in portraying them, they are fascinating subjects who captured the imaginations of millions through their revolutionary presence on screen, whether through sheer talent, manipulation of their images, or both. They were acting during one of the most fruitful times for women in Hollywood in many cases, when women were allowed to be sexual and independent creatures who strove for what they wanted in their roles on screen. But instead of even attempting to point this out, Wayne is almost offensively interested in cataloging everything that supposedly went on in their bedrooms.

This book read like the worst of gossip columns with no analysis that even the more disappointing biographies I have read for this project made sure to offer. Further, the endless catalog of love affairs reads like a laundry list, making the writing bland and boring no matter how tantalizing the questionable subject matter attempts to be.

pure speculation
i have read the book and i keep wondering if any of this really true. it is just pure specualtion. idle gossip. but it was fun reading it. why was so much attention given to grace kelly when she only made a couple pictures with MGM. katharine hepburn was a much bigger star and the author gave her a couple of pages. just not enough.

Not Worthy for the Collector
Miss Wayne clearly did not investigate the rumors that fills this book.Many of her facts are not validated and that many more are known to be just rumor.The typographical errors abound, i.e. Wiltshire Boulevard in Los Angeles - it is Wilshire Boulevard.Her dates are deplorable - i.e. Esther Williams and Fernando Lamas were married for 22 years from 1969 until his death in 1982 - that's 13 years, Miss Wayne!

As an avid collector of classic movies and the literature of the Golden Age of Hollywood, this book has no value to this or any other collector! ... Read more

Product Description
Explosive, exhaustive and unsparing, the inside, tell-all story of the celebrated, long-term feud of Hollywood's two greatest screen legends, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Great gossip book
Loved the book, it has lots of good gossip about the private lives of these two screen legends. And it was in good shape for it's age.

Quick Delivery
This was a Christmas Gift, and it arrived on time and is a great read.

Thank You

The Guiltiest of Guilty Pleasures
This book serves as a pretty decent biography of both Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.The author does an excellent job of extracting the juiciest of dirty laundry the two legends aired via the press and to various members of the Hollywood establishment throughout their careers.

You may feel embarrassed for even opening this book, but if you dare to begin reading it, you won't want to put it down.

A 50+ Year Rivalry
Bette Davis and Joan Crawford were two of the biggest stars of their time, and their time lasted several decades. Each appeared in important movies and were staples of the golden age of Hollywood. Both worked for Warner Brothers for a time, made one (and a half) film(s) together, and both ended their careers in a series of cheap horror flicks. Perhaps it is because of these similarities that they seemed to have a rivalry, although they often ignored or denied its existence. This book examines the careers of both women and the surprising parallels between them.

Crawford was a poor, fast flapper whose hard work paid off and landed her at MGM, the star factory. Her entire demeanor was manufactured and she played the role of a star both on and off screen. She had a tendency to reach out to even the least prestigious people on the set, even if her gestures seemed forced at times. Davis on the other hand came from the stage. She felt superior to Crawford and other actors who grew up on the screen. She was difficult to get along with at times, but always had a sense of humor about herself and strove to be a good actress. Their personalities clashed intensely and culminated when they starred together in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? But the feud did not end there; it could only be ended in death.

This book is well researched with an extensive bibliography. It is very well written. The chapters are divided into segments which makes for quick and easy reading. There are plenty of quotes by fellow actors, family members, and members of the press to provide a general outlook on the ladies and not just one point of view. Although not all of their films are discussed, the important ones are here. A worthwhile read for both seasoned fans of the ladies and the casual classic film viewer, author Shaun Considine will not disappoint.

catty, queeny fun
this book can't be trusted-- too many unattributed quotes.based on my having read so many other joan and bette biographies, however, it appears to tonally, if not factually accurate. in any event, it is great fun; it's the book that got me started on all those other bios in the first place. ... Read more

Product Description
Three life-like paper dolls and twenty-eight costumes from as many films have been carefully rendered by fashion illustrator Tom Tierney. Projects Joan’s many glamorous images. Short biography. Captions. 16 full-color plates.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Una edición hermosa
Este libro superó mis expectativas respecto del contenido; las ilustraciones son excepcionales y la selección de trajes está muy bien lograda, ya que ilustra cronológicamente la carrera de Miss Crawford a través de los trajes más icónicos usados por sus personajes. Además incluye una biografía muy bien resumida, sin contar con que el formato es cómodo y perfectamente impreso.

Joan Crawford Shines
Tom Tierney did a fantastic job with this tribute to Joan Crawford.The dolls and the costumes are faithfully reproduced.
Some of the highlights were the black and white dress from "Grand Hotel",the beaded dress from "The Bride Wore Red" and the pinstriped suit from "Mildred Pierce".
This is not just a great summary of Joan Crawford's career, but also a valuable chronicle of the development of Hollywood style from the 1920s to the 1960s.

class act on paper
I nearly did not purchase this due to it's two and a half star rating.Then I read the reveiw and realized that the reveiwer was not a fan.I am glad that I did buy it.All three dolls well represent each stage of the actresses career.The middle doll is the best likeness, but all are good.GOD BLESS

Fine overview of a colorful career
Like almost all of Tierney's work, this is beautifully drawn and authentic.The book features three dolls, depicting Crawford during different stages of her life and career, from giddy flapper to toughenedcareer broad, and an array of costumes covering everything from her silentfilms to her '60s horror movies.The likenesses are good in general(although the middle doll is less like Crawford) and the range ofcostumes--from 18th-century court gown to futuristic and Austrian dancecostumes--is enjoyable.Fans of Crawford's career should enjoy this--as Ido.

Don't do it!
While ordering Mommie Dearest I thought I'd order this too, to have a few laughs with my friends.Well, the drawing is horrible.Like a faded old Woolworth's ad from the 1950's.Also, you have to cut them out.You can't just punch them out.And, there is barely a likeness between the dolls andJoan. I wish someone had written this review before I wasted my money. ... Read more

Product Description
Only Rita Mae Brown, author of Rubyfruit Jungle, could have written a novel as passionately delightful as Southern Discomfort.  Here is a witty, warm and pentrating tale of two decades in Montgomery Alabama--a world where all is not what it seems.  Meet Hortensia Reedmuller Banastre, a beautiful woman entrenched on old money, white magnolia and a loveless marriage--until she meets an utterly gorgeous young prizefighter.  Amid such memorable characters as Banana Mae Parker and Blue Rhonda Latrec (two first-class whores) and Reverend Linton Ray (who wears his clerical collar too tightly for anyone's good), Hortensia struggles to survive the hurricane of emotions caused by her scandalous love.  How she ultimately triumphs is a touching and beautiful human drama--an intense and exuberant affair of the heart. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Hilarious!
This book was both hilarious and very sad. It spanned a broad range of topics and emotions. There was a large cast but characters were very easy to get to know and it was easy to form opinions about them. There were several surprises in the book from near the beginning to the very end, some easy to predict and some came as a real suprise to me. Much of it was a real cultural learning experience for me- a New Englander! I would recommend it for the laughter and the tears. It is a fairly fast read, though complex, and I had trouble putting it down.

what book is being reviewed here?
Can anyone tell me why most of the reviews for this Joan Crawford biography are for another book?

Funny, but not Fierce Enough
When "Rubyfruit Jungle" bubbled up from the radical lesbian underground to become a cult best-seller back in 1977, a new literary star was born.As books go it was boisterously funny, unself-pitying, straightforwardly sapphic,eons removed from that old Radclyffe Hall, "Well of Loneliness," love-that-dare-not-speak-its-name genre.It left readers wanting more.

So "Southern Discomfort"was more, but also less: it's a skinny book.It's a romance set earlier in the century in Montgomery, Alabama; and skinny though it is, it's generous in the ways that count.Just bursting with fanciful characters, unorthodox sexual couplings, preposterous happenings.It's even funnier than "Rubyfruit Jungle," as it's not so autobiographical, and its canvas is bigger.It gives us more of Brown's talent for establishing place, and elucidating the ties that bind.It demonstrates her knack for making the bizarre seem appropriate, and for delivering it in an understated "isn't all the world like this" style.

Plainly, while Brown's an avowed lesbian and lesbian themes are important to her, she's also working in the popular Southern Gothic style, as exemplified by Flannery O'Connor and others.

Brown's rendition of Montgomery, Alabama, its mores, its minor characters, and its annual Halloween Great Witch Hunt is delicious.We learn that "people could tell you that an Orange captain of 1835 went on to become a Confederate colonel, or a Black captain of 1852 made a fortune in railroads.As it turned out, most captains did well in this world: a few degenerated into drunks or scoundrels, but not many. Lila Reedmuller was Orange captain of 1891.She was one of the four girls ever chosen for that honor, and Lila went on to reign over Montgomery society...."

And we meet Blue Rhonda Latrec, who "was eighteen years old and at the top of her profession.She was a first-class whore.On this hot day she plopped her butt on the front stoop of her small frame dwelling on Water Street.Blue Rhonda considered herself fortunate in her location, as the train station was just down the road.From the mouth of that beautiful structure poured a steady stream of new customers...."

"Southern Discomfort" is an entertaining book, but Brown often pulled her punches.With a little more courage, she could be delivering top-flight Southern Gothic,which, at its best, needs ferocious conviction.

If you read one, you know you must read them all
Southern Discomfort is pure delight that is enhanced by author Rita Mae Brown�s wit, wacky characters, wild tales, and wonderful writing style. Southern Discomfort spans two decades in Montgomery, AL, in which beautiful, old-money Hortensia (married) meets the man of her dreams: a spectacularly gorgeous young prizefighter. You�ve got your small-town scandal, complete with Banana Mae and Blue Rhonda, a couple of high-class whores. Wonderful writing accents this surprisingly touching story.

A little different than the other R.M.B. i've read...
This book was a little different than the other Rita Mae Brown books i've read, but just as enjoyable.
It takes place during the 20's in a southern town... and tells the story of people from all walks of life - blacks, the wealthy whites, and some white prostitutes.She tells the story of each group of people in a very authentic way and gives each group a sense of pride.And of course... the stories mingle as the characters begin mingling outside theor social circles.
The way i'd say this book was different than some of her others (and i've read about 10), is that it's more... well... more like a soap opera.(along the lines of V.C. Andrews).There is incestual sex, illigitamate pregnancies, etc.
This book was definately fun to read though... and has a beautiful message... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Christina Crawford Has Lost Her Mind!
This book picks up where "Mommie Dearest" left off, detailing the author's struggles with detractors, under-handed movie producers, and her health, since she suffered a stroke soon after the book's publication. She blames the stroke(as she does everything else) on her mother, Joan Crawford, citing a long-ago physical altercation between Joan Crawford and herself, during which Joan choked her almost to the point of unconciousness. Christina also details the unraveling of her marraige to "David", whom she refers to repeatedly towards the end of "Mommie Dearest". David basically wants to live off of the residuals from "Mommie Dearest", and refuses to work. This drives Christina to drink, resulting in "Mommie Dearest-esque" behavior. She joins A.A., and tries to get her life and health back on track, which she does.
The problem I have with this book, is that it focuses on super-natural happenings, which the author is fascinated with. It is a "New Age", abstract book, and, frankly, I couldn't tell what was symbolic, and what was real. Christina writes of encountering her six year old self on a journey through "the ruins"- whatever that means. She meets the child "Christina", and apologizes to HERSELF for not protecting her more.... it's as confusing as it can possibly be. She then asks the child Christina if she would like to "ride" in her grown-up heart for the rest of her journey. The child agrees- and she literaly picks up the child and deposits her in her chest! HUH? There's also a story about her losing her car keys, and a "Voice" telling her "The keys are in the garbage", which she obeys and, lo and behold! There lie the keys in the trash can;this is supposed to have some sort of spiritual significance. The whole book goes on and on like this, with Christina Crawford attending "New Age" seminars, and hopping on anything and everything claiming to put one in touch with the spiritual world.
Everyone has a right to their own beliefs, and I don't mean to ridicule Christina Crawford. BUT, if you're going to write a book, calling it the sequel to "Mommie Dearest", and then spend 2/3 of said book with this mumbo-jumbo, people are going to feel like they've been taken. I know I did!

"The Sequel To Mommie Dearest"
Although not as great as "Mommie Dearest", Christina Crawford's "Survivor" is a fasinating book for anyone who wants to know more about what happened to Christina after the publication of her book on her famous mother Joan Crawford. The front jacket of "Survivor" says it the best; "After publication of "Mommie Dearest" the world as I knew it blew up in my face". "Survivor" starts where "Mommie Dearest" left off at, where Joan's will is read and Christina learns that she and her brother Christopher are disinherited by Joan. Christina goes into detail on when she started writing "Mommie Dearest" and why the book had to be written. She also documents the terror of being raised by an abusive parent and how that terror still haunted her after Joan's death. She tries to understand why her mother hated her so and she comes to the conclusion that her mother was seriously ill. The most informative parts of the book is when Christina writes about how people actually blamed her for exposing the truth of how Joan was a child abuser. Many knew about Crawford's reign of terror on her children during her Hollywood heydey, but those same people felt embarressed and ashamed after "Mommie" was published because they all knew too well that they did nothing to protect Joan's kids. There is a part in the book when a gentleman acquaintance of Joan's discusses with Christina in the late '70's that he witnessed Joan beating Christina back in the 1940's. This man was at Joan's house one day when he saw Joan take Christina and put her hand in a door frame and closed the door onto the child's fingers with Christina screaming in agonizing pain. The man, when asked by Christina what he did in response, stated he went into the bathroom and threw up.
"Survivor" also discusses Christina's attempt in getting the movie version of "Mommie Dearest" off the ground with Anne Bancroft in the title role, and how Christina believes the reason the film failed was because Bancroft backed out due to her distaste in the script.
The most disturbing part of "Survivor" is when Christina discusses her battle with a stroke she had in 1981. Doctors asked her, after she recovered, if she ever had a kneck injury, as that is where the stroke originated from. She states that the only injury to her kneck occurred in 1953 when Joan tried to kill Christina in a drunken haze by choking her. That incident is well documented in "Mommie Dearest" where Joan pulls Christina out of Chadwick and lies about how Christina was expelled from that school to her friend who was visiting Joan from the east coast. When Christina confronted her mother about the lie Joan slapped her then flew off a barstool grabbing the fourteen year old by the throat and knocking her to the floor. It wasn't until a secretary burst into the room that Christina was saved.
The only parts of "Survivor" that I felt should have been left out are the pages in which Christina talks about the metapyhical world. The book would have been a much better read if Miss Crawford had simply concentrated on her life after her breakthrough book was released. However, an outstanding read and a worthy sequel to those who want to know more about the author of the book that blew the lid off one of Hollywood's most glamorous stars. "Survivor" is long out-of-print but there are a few still available on Amazon and Ebay.

wow! that was fast!
I got my book fast! It's an older book & hard to find. I was very happy it arrived so fast. I will definately buy from this vendor again!!

not again
The true Joan Crawford was kind, compassionate and generous to a fault. Joan was a self-made lady who worked for everything she got. She just wanted to keep her head above water in a man's world where women didn't have a voice or a choice. Miss Joan Crawford never for a second forgot where she came from or who she was, and she never for a moment let her beloved family down. All Joan wanted was for someone to give her a chance and believe in her. If you're interested in learning about the true Joan Crawford, I recommend watching some of her pictures. Books are fine, but her true legacy is on film and Joan has always said that her true biography is on film. As you may know, Joan has a very detailed movie library that may look intimidating at first, since it is so long and impressive. A good place to start is her boxed set , which includes some of her greatest movies. Joan also has a second set that will be out next year, too.

This shame of a book was only written by a very greedy person who wants to cash in on Joan Crawford's good name. Ching-ching let that cash register ring!!! This book was actually published 19 years ago and you may be wondering what the "authoress" is up to now. Well, after a string of failed marriages (thank goodness she never had any kids) she gained about 70 pounds and is just as bitter as ever. She makes her living peddling lies and second-hand gossip to low-budge straight-to-DVDs about Joan Crawford. And, her adopted brother Christopher was a hopeless alcoholic; the poor thing died penniless last year. You know, this really is the first (and only) book that I have ever read that took me longer than a few days. Please keep in mind that I am a speed reader but this book was so incredibly boring. There was very little info actually about Joan in it. (I suppose a crooked and dishonest person's imagination can only go so far?) The grand "authoress" has really has turned lying into an art-form. But this book was mostly about her sad and lonely life. And, honestly, who really cares about that? Frankly, I am not surprised that her life turned out like this, though. Because I have always believed that what comes around goes around. There were only a couple pics of Joan in the book. And there was also one of Joan's husband, Phillip Terry. The "authoress" totally contradicted itself when it said in this book, "he was the only father that I ever knew." Because she has said a couple different stories over the years (either she never identified with a "father" or she felt that Al Steele was more of a father-figure.) Whatever story she spews next, it's all just lies, lies, lies. And, frankly, if she wasn't Joan's daughter, I would have thrown this book down my KitchenAid trash compactor.

Survivor book
Thanks for sending the book so quickly.Great Service.Thanks again!! ... Read more