Product Description
1979 - Bantam #13030-7 - 1st Edition - Paperback - Sophia: Living & Loving - By A.E. Hotchner - 32 Pages of Photos - Her Own Story, Told in Her Own Words - VG-Good Condition - Collectible ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A wonderful book
"I was born wise," says Sophia, and this is true. She is also a very sincere person, and it makes this book even more wonderful to read.

This book is based on numerous interviews with Sophia Loren and her family. It almost like you hear her telling her own story of her life and success.

Anyway this is more than just a biography, this is a source of wisdom.

Awesome Grit, Italian Style
Not very many movie stars, I think, have ever sold tickets to male and female alike: but Sophia Loren did, and probably still could.Even fewer female movie stars who first came to public notice for the "abundanza" of their chests, have, I think, managed to turn into real actresses right in front of our eyes. And only one, I think, has managed to win an Academy Award for a film in a foreign language, following on a career of films in that foreign language, Italian, while never tasting a great English language success.That one, "certo," is Sophia Loren, still very much on the scene for one thing and another.Quite a few years ago, she collaborated with A.E. Hotchner onthis book, and it's still one of the best.

Her Oscar, of course, came for her powerhouse performance in "Two Women," a role that well-illustrated how she could move from sexpot to actress.How many glamorous leading ladies-- who happened to be married to their producers, no less-- would take the role of a mother older than themselves, in a film in which they had originally intended to play the daughter?And play it without makeup, in a wardrobe Gina Lollobrigida wouldn't use for rags?

This is only the half of it, for, in order to be able to give that performance, Lorenhad to dig back to her hungry childhood during World War II.Few of us would want to.

But one of the interesting things about this book is Loren's honesty.She was, as many people know, born illegitimate and very poor in Naples; during the war, her entire village slept in a single rat-infested railway tunnel and scavenged for food.She gives us a good look here at thegrit and stamina that got her out of Pozzuoli and into pictures.

In fact, she seems to be a woman of awesome grit, capable of hanging on for years until she got that slippery producer, Carlo Ponti to the altar.Then, she was capable of spending her two pregnancies isolated in her bed: it's what she had to do to have her children.

There's more in the book, of course, such as her affair with Cary Grant and the choice she had to make between him and Carlo Ponti.Many sources agree that she was one of the great loves of Grant's life, and he never quite got over her loss.

For many years, Rome's cinema elite rebuffed her.The Catholic Church preached against her.And she actually faced criminal prosecutions for adultery and public sinning.

But let's not forget that the same woman who gave us "Two Women," also gave us a series of sparkling sex comedies, and the scintillating "Houseboat" with Cary Grant.Her striptease in "Yesterday Today and Tomorrow," for which she prepped with the exotic dancers from Paris's famous Crazy Horse Saloon, absolutely sizzled, yet still had an undercurrent of humor in it,from Mastroianni's command to "do a striptease, with just the refrigerator light on."That unbuttoned Neopolitan humor continued through "Marriage ItalianStyle," and "A Special Day," and could continue still, should Loren ever decide to go back to film.An actress with as little vanity as Lorencould work forever.

How many stars, after all, would quote this remark of Cary Grant's on their first meeting? "How do you do, Miss Lolloloren, or is it Lorenigida?Ah, you Italian actress,I can never get your names straight?

But I think the rest of the world has long since managed to.

This book is a fine piece of work from Hotchner.The woman who said of herself," my mouth is too large, my nose is too long, and my chin and lips are too broad," couldn't have been an easy subject.

Photos Are Scorchers!
I'm not usually attracted to Italian women but Sophia Loren is in a class all by herself. Coming into fame in an era in which most movie stars were peroxide blondes (and to tell the truth it hasn't really changed all that much in Hollywood-worse even-women are not only still majority blonde but flat-backed stick figures!), this sensuous woman's dark and exotic beauty sent young American men's "you know whats" throbbing!
It is ashame this book is out of print. I used to sneak it away from my mother's shelf and run off to look at the photos. The classic wet shot of Sophia from "Boy On A Dolphin" plus several topless shots from her early days as well as pictures of Sophia in gater belts and stockings (circa late-60's/early-70's) and much shots of her showing off those gorgeously full boobs of hers! I was 12 and I "discovered" my manhood from those photos. The woman is in her 70's now and in her latest film appearance, "Ready To Wear" ("Pret-a-Porter"), she was still beautiful, sexy and alluring. She had it all over her co-stars, Julia Roberts and Kim Basinger. Thank you Ms. Loren.

Must-read for anyone, who wants to feel a touch of humanity
Numerous books have been published about Sophia Loren, since this one came out in late 70's. Many of them are very good, but this particular book is still the best for couple of reasons. First of all, it is a 100%autobiography, written by one of the most amazing, and not just mostbeautiful, women in the world. Loren's character is reflected on everypage, as she narrates her life, starting with her family background all theway to talking about her own children. Secondly, she writes with candorthat would surely shock a reader, who is used to reading polished and oftenpretentious autobiographies of Hollywood stars.Loren, the writer, doesnot shy away from admitting to being the uggliest girl in town, whilegrowing up; to feeling such human emotions as rage, fear, jealousy, hate atvarious stages of her life...Yet, after you finish reading this book, youwill be amazed at the fact that Loren's greatest emotions have invariablybeen that of a compassionate, forgiving, and loving woman. ... Read more

Product Description
One of the world's most beloved actresses presents 100 of her favorite family recipes, gathered from regions across Italy. From the bean soups of Tuscany to risottos from Venice to Neapolitan pizzas, each recipe is complete and all are accompanied by personal anecdotes. 125 photos.Amazon.com Review
Sophia Loren is more than a beloved movie star--she's acook. The author of two personal cookbooks, she's been recognized bythe Italian government for her culinary prowess. In Sophia Loren'sRecipes & Memories, she offers a hundred or so recipes arranged bycourse--antipasti through desserts. With a like number of photos, mostin color, and all sorts of Sophia memorabilia--a shot of the16-year-old Sophia shows us just how early Sophia was Sophia--thelarge-format book is also filled with reminiscences of family, home,and work. Cooks shouldn't be disappointed, though. Sophia's recipes,taken from all over Italy as well as her table, include pizzas andrisottos, hearty soups, savory fish dishes, and simple but satisfyingsweets. The repertoire is basic but tempting; Sophia's Saltimbocca,for example, is the familiar dish yet again, but there are a feworiginal and "undiscovered" dishes, such as Eggplant Cooked in theManner of Mushrooms. Standout dishes include a lovely herb-perfumedlamb stew from Naples and a sweet-savory rice dish made with turkey,chestnuts, and dried fruit. The recipes are models of clarity, andSophia's introductory notes and other asides leave no doubt that theauthor is a serious, passionate cook. Reading her book and trying herrecipes, we come to applaud the star in her apron as well as on thescreen. --Arthur Boehm ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Acceptable turned out to be a great bargain!
I got a $28.00 cookbook for .87 cents plus shipping.It was listed as "acceptable", so at first I was a bit nervous.But, when the book arrived, I was pleasantly surprised that the only thing wrong with it was the paper cover for the book had a few tears near the edges....the hardcover and book itself were in perfect condition.That was literally the best deal I've ever had on Amazon...I'll be purchasing more cookbooks again soon =)

Wonderful simple Italian recipes!
When I was in my early twenties I enjoyed cooking Italian dishes with my grandmother every Tuesday. My grandmother is a true Italian woman, raised in New York and believes a family should eat a homemade meal every night. She gave me this book as she thought it was a suberb Italian cookbook. I couldn't agree more. As a young person, this is a great book because the receipes are not too comlicated, as common Italian dishes and taste delicious! Almost every recipe has a color photo too. My favorite recipes in the book are: Bucatini alla Carbonara, Spaghetti al Limone and the lentil soup.

A Delicious, Heart-warming Book!
"Sophia Loren's Recipes & Memories" is a book to be treasured, read and re-read, for its charming insight into the life and times of one of the world's great actresses, and for its wonderful, traditional Italian recipes, laced with more than a little spice-of-life.

Buy two of them! One for you to savor, one for a special gift for a favorite person in your life. I read this photo-filled book cover-to-cover the minute it arrived, and then enthusiastically ordered a second copy for my favorite cook, my son, the pastry chef.The first sentence in this memoir is "According to an old adage, the best condiment for any food is hunger." This book will make you passionately hungry for the best of Italian cooking, and it will inform you in the lovliest way possible, about old-world Italian kitchen traditions, not to mentiona fascinating vision of Ms. Loren's life in film.

BookIdeas.com Book Reviewer Marie Jones says:
More than just a collection of family recipes, "Sophia Loren's Recipes and Memories" is a sumptuous and often intimate journey into the life of one of the world's classiest and most admired and loved movie stars. The 100 traditional and improvised recipes are accompanied by insightful anecdotes about the movie business, acting, family life, the art of cooking, and growing up in her home country of Italy, with gorgeous photographs that bring Ms. Loren's passion for her past, and her present, to glorious life.

With such a legendary acting career to her credit, Ms. Loren has met and worked with many of the greats in the business, and she talks about her behind-the-scenes experiences, peppered throughout the book in between the real highlights, the recipes themselves. Many come from long-standing family traditions passed down from generation to generation, but many are also more modern, improvised takes on Italian dishes that Ms. Loren discovered on various locations of her many movies, or created herself from her vast knowledge of the culinary arts (this is not her first cookbook!).

The photographs by Alison Harris chronicle the evolution of both Ms. Loren's long and illustrious career, and her home life in Italy and abroad, with lush and colorful glimpses into a life centered around the pleasures of home and the family kitchen, as well as behind the camera. That Ms. Loren loves food is obvious in this beautiful, coffee-table style cookbook. That she loves life is even more so.

simple recipes emotional depth
I love cooking the recipes in this book because they require few ingredients and cook with little preparation.The rustic simplicity of these recipes resonates very well with her childhood and adolescent memories.You get the feeling that the poverty that she endured in her youth has now tempered to only warm memories with time, but you can still read the hunger and deprivation between the lines.She is so gracious!You really feel as if she is handing you her family recipes.I was never a big fan of hers(too young to enjoy her movies) but I appreciate her so much more--she reveals so much if you read between the lines.One of my favorite recipes is spaghetti with lemon.I didn't have any cream so I used butter instead.Came out great.Took absolutely no time to prepare. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

pix of the goddess
Nothing heavy or biographically, historically intellectual about this. Just a beautiful volume of pix of a goddess - orat least my goddess. Sophia is the love of my life in image; nothing, in that regard, changing in 50 years. Now in my dotage, she in old age, Ponti dead, I can write of my love, ha! Here we have this legacy of lovely, touching, gentle photos of her in a range from high celeb contexts through quiet peaceful home life. ... Read more

Product Description
Born Sofia Scicolone, an illegitimate child in Fascist Italy, Sophia Loren grew up a sickly and undernourished girl who blossomed into one of the world's great beauties. Skillfully blending first-rate research and the light, deft touch that distinguished his earlier celebrity biographies, Warren Harris gives a multidimensional portrait of this legendary actress of photos Author publicity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Very satisfied
Product was in great shape and great price, received without a problem.Very satisfied

Very informative
I am only a sophomore in High School but I did read this book for a biography project I had to do and it was very informative for a biography paper. It had its moments of boredom but overall i dont consider it a "Bad" book like some have in the past. There are not that many things written on Sophia that can be compared. So overall I think it was a pretty good book and packed full of in formation. Its a biography what more do you want and wild crazy fantasy romance story?

A tragedy!
This bio is a tragedy. Poor written, no history, just jive, gossips. An insult to Sophia Loren and to all her fans as well.
This horrible book, maybe the worst biography ever written, is a bad collage of information, a lack of journalistic bearing.
Mr. Harris' personality takes center stage even if the book is about Sophia. Barbed comments abound which instead of shedding light on the book's subject matter, seem to be included to ridicule its subject. Urgh...!!!

The essentials
There aren't many Sophia Loren biographies out there, and so fans often can't afford to be picky. So Warren G. Harris's "Sophia Loren" is an interesting read, if a somewhat plain vanilla one. Good photos, some amusing anecdotes and a basic summary of Sophia's life are what readers will find.

It traces her life from a scrawny illegitimate baby (whom a wet nurse described as looking like a rat, and who was later nicknamed "Toothpick"), whose mother was abandoned by her father, leaving her alone with two children. But Sophia Scicolone (later Sophia Lazzaro, and then Sophia Loren) rapidly bloomed into a beautiful woman, becoming a beauty contest champ and then an actress. Despite a string of flops and a controversial relationship with a divorced man, Sophia became one of the most beautiful and women in the world, and the first Oscar winner of a performance in a foreign-language film.

The best description of this book is "adequate." It's not amazingly written, researched or presented. Rather it presents the basics of Sophia's life up the 1990s, which seems to have been a fairly straightforward, open one. There isn't really much that is new in this, but what is there is usually presented in an entertaining manner. Between the "battle of the bosoms" and Frank Sinatra teaching Sophia some obscene questions in English, we hear some funny events as well as a few bittersweet ones. And unlike many biographies, this one gives detailed summaries of her various movies.

Sophia herself is presented as a warm and sweet person, who cabled flowers to Clark Gable's widow and befriended nearly every costar (entrancing a few as well). The pictures are not well-chosen, as there aren't as many as there could have been, and quite a few seem to focus on Sophia in various stages of undress (ranging from her see-through prostitute gown to her merry widow to her topless dance number in "It's Him -- Yes Yes!"). Carlos Ponti, her husband, is a nebulous figure -- we don't learn much about him. Sophia's family and friends are better defined, such as her never-say-die mother Romilda, her commitmentphobe father, and the extremely emotional Cary Grant.

It's not outstanding, but it's a big plus for fans of the amazing Sophia Loren. For the basics on her life, this is a good place to start.

fleshy with filmography
If you are looking for an in depth expose of a magnificent film legend - you'vecome to the wrong place.This book is really spare with the good jive but incredibly detailed in the film jive. ... Read more

Product Description
Sophia Loren is more than a beloved movie star, she's a cook. In this volume she offers a hundred or so Italian recipes arranged by course - antipasti through desserts. Stunning photos and all sorts of Sophia memorabilia accompany this book filled with reminiscences of family, home, and work. Sophia's repertoire is tempting and Sophia's introductory notes and other asides leave no doubt that the author is a serious, passionate cook. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Sophia Loren cookbook
Wonderful book---great recipes and photos of her family with a bit of her family stories included...I love it.Also in great condition from seller as advertised. ... Read more

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Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Nothing New but Lovely Because Sophia is Number one
I am Sophia Loren's number one fan (she has many "number one" fans!), I have grown up with her and have read ever virtually book available and this was a bit of a let down. I personally think Miss Donahue would have been better for a book on Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly because she does obviously not posses a knowledge regarding the tall hourglass figure to her subject. Nowhere in the book does she seem to demonstrate a knowledge of how rare it is for a woman of such incredible proportions to be have such an elegant wardrobe and awesome style. Those of us who are tall and hourglassy have no real place to look for clothing inspiration as everything these days is low rise and cut for stick straight, small busted figures with no waist to hip ratio like Gisele or madonna. Secondly, seeing as she is a costume archivist, she have done extensive research on Sophia's more decorative films (Heller, Breath of Scandal, Madame, More than a Miracle etc tc) to give us an in-depth account of these EXQUISITE unrivalled creations, how the garments were created and perhaps photos of the costumes now as many have been preserved. THAT SAID the book is still VERY good, I just had hoped for new info but Deirdre Donahue does write well and did provide many unseen photos.

Bella Bella Bella!!!
Now around 70, Sophia Loren is still the world's most beautiful woman. Her exquisite poised classic charm is the one of a kind that only comes every few centuries. This book celebrates the distinctive beauty and style that has stayed alluring for half a century. Loren is a stand out still. In a world that only sees beauty as a physical expression ... Loren and her contemporaries (Catherine Deneuve, Sophie Marceau, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, etc)tell us that it is much much more. There is a priceless asset in poise, character, dignity, class, that no amount of plastic surgery can compensate for. Beauty is not about not making mistakes but it is about having the kind of self-respect to come out of it a stronger, better person. For all her childhood ostracism of being illigetimate in Catholic Italy during its facist phase, Loren has blossomed and risen above her early roots. One has to admire that despite an international sophisticated glamorous acting career ... Loren has managed to stay married for close to 50 years to her one and only spouse, and took her role as a mother seriously to her two sons. Rather than delegate motherhood to nannies and assistants, Loren made her family, in particular her children, a top priority. You have to respect that and see that beauty truly is what beauty does.

Classic Beauty is something one is born with...
...Grace, Dignity and Humility is what separates one from everyone else.My own words after meeting and
observing the Legendary Icon through the years."Sophia Style" captures many wonderful, minute flashes of her
incredible life experiences, along with the many era's that have made her who she is today."Sophia Style" quite
adequately displays her Grace, Dignity, Humility, Class and Awesome Exotic Beauty.Beauty that exudes
deep from within, through the awesome one of a kind exotic Mediterranean bone structure.And beyond the
ageless olive complection and voluptuous features, casting a bright aura far ahead of her.She may be, for the
most part, reserved and to herself, but rises to the occasion of most gracious hospitality without hesitation.She
has no enemies and lives outside the hullabaloo of Hollywood amidst horse ranches in a tree shrouded Garden of
Eden she calls "La Concordia."

In just observing her relationship and interaction with her son Edoardo, I have learned what it is like to not only
truly be a parent, but a spiritual partner who actively participates in my children's lives.

I received "Sophia Style" a couple of years ago, after first meeting her some decades ago.In dealing with a
devastation within my own life, it was her words, wisdom and character that got me through when my own family
failed me. Sometimes I kept her book near me to remind me to keep rising above it all.It was acting with Grace,
Dignity and Humility that was inspired by her, that kept me from making incredibly horrible rash decisions.

At her Lifetime Achievement Awards in 1994, I insisted that she work again.She grasped me with both
hands in an incredible, yet most gracious way.And worked again she has, with five films since, including one
written and directed by Edoardo.And of course this book by Deirdre Donahue. Hopefully, there'll be many
more films, books and other treasures
to follow.Viva La Bella Donna!!

Affezionatissimo,
Guiseppe (Peppi) Turco

Beautiful Sophia Through The Years!
Sophia Loren is so incredibly beautiful that Deirdre Donohue almost had to create this book in order to celebrate it!From her humble Italian beginnings to her mature beauty of today, there are photographs of her through it all, plus text to tell about her colorful life.My favorite photos are: Diva (p. 70) intersection of image (p. 88), at the Oscars (p. 96) and 1964 color photo (p. 109).If you love Sophia, do not miss "Sophia Style"!

Style + content
Wow!Stylish photography and unseen glimpses of an exceptional beauty with a thesis that holds it all together.Recommended as a gift, a read, an adornment...it will propel the uninitiated into the video store for a reassessment of the great Loren! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

Full of great beauty tips!
This book was not only full of great litle beauty tips but was also a good read, very entertaining!

Sophia
Wife really enjoyed it.It is a bit out of date but enjoyable reading she said.

Realistic, Charming and Beautiful!
Looking for some seriously useful beauty advice from a time before Botox?
I know it's hard to believe, especially as this book was published before I was born!
This is it... some fantastic skin advice as to makeup, moisturizers, even making your own exfoliators and masks!

I found Sophia's perspective to be warm, refreshing, charming and above all, practical. You will too!

Excellent !
While reading the book, i was under the impression I was chatting with my good friend Sophia! I found her advises very helpfull( even though the book was published in the eighties). Great scence of humor. I want to read another book by Sophia!

Sophia Loren - Classic Elegance!
Although this book on women and beauty was written over 20 years ago I found it both relevant and refreshing.The author Sophia Loren gives her opinions gently but firmly and she makes reading about her life both entertaining and informative.Here are some of the chapters:

Some Thoughts on Beauty

The Pursuit of Beauty (in which she covers discipline, hair, skin, make-up, fashion and style, healthy diet, and exercise.)

The Mystery of Beauty (in which she covers charm, men and love, pregnancy and motherhood, tranquility, and coming to terms with age.

I certainly think any woman interested in beauty, especially women over 30 years of age would find much useful information in this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Sophia!
This is not only a cook book but a glimpse into the life of one of the great actresses.Sophia Loren is truly one of a kind and her cookbook reflects it as clearly as her film presence.If you like her and provincial Italian cooking-you will love this book! ... Read more

Product Description
Hugh Hefner's Playboy Enterprises launched this ill fated Show Business magazine... ... Read more