Average customer rating:
- Independent My Foot
- Sadly, I did not find this a realistic or deep story
- Not just for mothers and daughters
- Spiritual woman
- I loved this book
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A Woman of Independent Means
Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0140274367 |
Book Description
A bestselling sensation when it was first published by Viking in 1978, A Woman of Independent Means has delighted millions of readers and was the inspiration for the television miniseries starring Sally Field. At the turn of the century, a time when women had few choices, Bess Steed Garner inherits a legacy--not only of wealth but of determination and desire, making her truly a woman of independent means. From the early 1900s through the 1960s, we accompany Bess as she endures life's trials and triumphs with unfailing courage and indomitable spirit: the sacrifices love sometimes requires of the heart, the flaws and rewards of marriage, the often-tested bond between mother and child, and the will to defy a society that demands conformity. Now, with this beautiful trade paperback edition, Penguin will introduce a new generation of readers to this richly woven story. . .and to Bess Steed Garner, a woman for all ages.
Customer Reviews:
Independent My Foot.......2007-06-07
The first time I read Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey's A Woman of Independent Means I was a sophomore in high school and read it with other members of our book club. At the time I greatly enjoyed the book. Trying to relax my brain from school work I picked it up again the other afternoon but found the book a bit more problematic on the second reading. Hailey wanted to write a book about a woman finding her independence and as her husband assured her that a woman going out to find her independence was a dried up story line he encouraged her to write a book about a woman finding her independence within a domestic setting. The book is largely based off of her grandmother, in epistolary format, and takes place from 1899 to 1968.
If A Woman of Independent Means is meant to achieve an understanding of a woman in a domestic setting and her independence I fear it fails greatly. The main character Elizabeth has two marriages, which both are largely unhappy and the only money she has is a result of her mother's death and the fact that another man made financial decisions for her even though they were against her wishes. She does travel abroad a lot, which seems to imply that a woman cannot find independence within a domestic setting. She has three children who in later life reject her for smothering them (though amends are made before she dies) and she never really seems to do anything. An interesting read but quite the damming story of the domestic experience.
Sadly, I did not find this a realistic or deep story.......2007-04-27
I agree with what Elain, another reviewer, writes below. Told through a series of letters, the novel spans Bess' life. I found this tedious and the writing unnatural, written for the readers of the novel and not for the readers of the actual letters. Bess meanders through her life, a goody-two-shoes, writing smarmy virtuous thoughts while manipulating those around her- the only element of the story that was interesting. elain wrote:
Despite rave reviews, I thought Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey's A Woman of Independent Means was a weak story. For one thing, the life of the protagonist Bess was only explored through her correspondence over the years. It is impossible to reveal a whole life through letters only. There are other nuances to a character that cannot possibly be revealed through letters; those are only what Bess chooses to write about. It's true that a life through letters gives the novel character, but also it does not expose as much as an omnicient narrator would. Also, it seems that Hailey adds dimension to her novel by introducing a string of tragedies. It is very uncommon that Bess's husband and son die within her lifetime, her house burns down, her daughter is struck by a car and later befriends a count, etc. Such events were constantly inserted into the story until it became unrealistic and maudlin. It may be true that Bess lives a life scarred by tragic events, but these happenings are so plentiful it is almost fantastical.
To sum it all up, if you're interested in exploring the life of a very colorful lady, read this. But if you're looking for a novel that will leave you awed, you'd better head back to the bookshelf.
Not just for mothers and daughters.......2007-02-20
This is an outstanding study of an unusual (for the time) woman who, through her letters, conveys a strong spirit, a sense of love of family, and a series of lessons on life ranging from child rearing to finance to business strategy to the honor of doing the right thing. Her letters take one from childish glee to love's happiness to tragic sorrow and occasionally to the discomfort of her well-intended but blatant pushiness. They introduce the reader to the circumstance and the event but leave enough out for brevity which allows the readers' imaginations to picture for themselves the pictures portrayed by the author's imagery.
An excellent read for women and men alike. It is a keepsake in my library
Spiritual woman.......2007-02-10
Greetings,
It is extremely difficult to remain anchored in your spirit especially if you are a woman. This book will encourage you and invoke something in your soul that will confirm to you that you are on the right path.
I loved this book.......2006-10-18
What a great book. If you loved "The Secret Life of Bees" you will also love this book. It is well written. The author gives you the feeling that you know and care about the characters. A real page turner that is hard to put down. Highly recommended.
Product Description
In a form reminiscent of her best-selling novel A Woman of Independent Means, the author reveals the inner workings of a marriage from both points of view, the husband's and the wife's, uniquely captured in freeze-frames from the pages of a diary.
Average customer rating:
- Loved it!
- Tall, Dark, and Hungry for an Editor
- exxcellent reaDing
- Hot little vampy story!
- VAMPIRES IN LOVE.....
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Tall, Dark & Hungry (Argeneau Vampires, Book 4)
Lynsay Sands
Manufacturer: Love Spell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0505525836 |
Book Description
It bites: New York hotels cost an arm and a leg, and Terri has flown from England to help plan her cousin's wedding. The new in-laws offered lodging. But they're a weird bunch -- and it isn't just that they're Canadian! There is the sometimes-chipper-sometimes-silent Lucern, and the wacky stage-actor Vincent: she can't imagine Broadway casting a hungrier singing-and-dancing Dracula. And then there is Bastien. Just looking into his eyes, Terri has to admit she's falling for someone even taller, darker, and hungrier. She's feeling a mite peckish herself. And if she stays with him, those bloodsucking hotel owners won't get her!
Customer Reviews:
Loved it!.......2007-09-20
I've tried reading several books from different series recently that just didn't live up to the first books. This one did. I read a couple of the other Argeneau books and loved them so I was looking forward to this one. It didn't disappoint! These books are what got me hooked on Vampire/Paranormal fiction.
Lynsay Sands does a great job keeping the action going and the reader entertained as she weaves a real romance. The love scenes were just right, hot and passionate, without being over-done. The friendship between the main characters was great. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from Lynsay Sands.
Tall, Dark, and Hungry for an Editor.......2007-07-02
Tall, Dark, and Hungry by Lynsay Sands is one of her fantasy romances about the Argeneau vampire family. These books are the literary equivalent of a chick flick. They are fast paced and fun. This one featured a romance that begins between the best man and maid of honor at an NYC wedding. The girl is a sweet natured human and the guy is a very sexy vampire. The girl has already been through a lot in her life, and she is not sure she can go through more.
While I enjoyed the story, the book was unfortunately marred by some pretty serious editing errors. And they have to be serious for me to notice them, as I myself am an awful speller, typist, and editor! While there were no obvious spelling errors, a lot of words were substituted for words that would have made a lot more sense (such as though for thou). And at one point, the names of two of the characters are mixed up!
Perhaps these were fixed in a later printing of the book (I got a beat up used copy), but it really pulls me out of a story to see something like a mix up of character names...(for those interested, it happens at the wedding reception after Teri leaves and suddenly they are looking for Kate, who is still right there).
exxcellent reaDing.......2007-05-26
this book was one of a series of vampire books by lynsay sands and I must say that it was fantastic.
Hot little vampy story!.......2007-01-18
My introduction to the vampire series, it got me hooked and I had to buy the rest of the series to see what happened to the rest of the family. Fabulous story with a new twist on the old vamp standard, loved it!
VAMPIRES IN LOVE............2006-08-18
WHY NOT? THIS IS A FUN SERIES OF BOOKS, GOOD LIGHT READING, ROMANCE, SEXY VAMPIRES THAT WERE MADE TO ORDER, COME ON REALLY ALL YOU NEED IS A BOX OF CHOCOLATES TO GO WITH THE BOOK...SMILING....
Average customer rating:
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Tall Dark & Hungry
Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 1417664150 |
Book Description
The official novels of the award-winning Xbox game! This set contains
The Fall of Reach,
First Strike, and
The Flood -- the complete chronicles of the bloody Human-Covenant War on Halo.
The Fall of Reach
As the bloody Human-Covenant War rages on Halo, the fate of humankind may rest with one warrior, the lone SPARTAN survivor of another legendary battle . . . the desperate, take-no-prisoners struggle that led humanity to Halo--the fall of the planet Reach. Now, brought to life for the first time, here is the full story of that glorious, doomed conflict.
First Strike
The Human-Covenant war rages on as the alien juggernaut sweeps inexorably toward its final goal: destruction of all human life!
The Flood
The Human-Covenant War, a desperate struggle for humankind’s very survival, has reached its boiling point on the mysterious, ring world called Halo. But the fierce Covenant warriors, the mightiest alien military force known, are not the only peril lying in wait.
Bungie, Halo, Xbox, and the Xbox Logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Used under license. (c) 2001-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved
Customer Reviews:
Great Halo Books.......2007-10-02
These books are great for any Halo fan fan and are very much informative about things like the spartan program. This is a must buy set for any true Halo fan, or just a reader who wants a great set of books to read. Halo, Books 1-3 (The Flood; First Strike; The Fall of Reach)
Awesome...That's all I can say right now........2007-09-26
These books were truely great. William C. Deitz rewened Halo: the Flood which is the only one that has parts from the game. But that book was still good. I'll admit, the parts about Captin Keyes in Halo: Fall of Reach (him alone) doing his little thing got really boring but nothing important was in that part so I skipped it. But the whole rest of the book was kick-a$$. Halo: Firt Strike was great, along side Halo: Fall of reach, maybe even a little beter than Fall of Reach. I have read all of these books 3 or 4 times. Unfortunately I got a little water on one of the books....
Halo ruined my life.......2007-09-16
Fall of Reach was such a good addition to the Halo story line. It details all of the events that lead up to the first Halo game, and how the SPARTAN program came to be.
The Flood was, well, essentially a written version of the game. It's good in the sense that you get to see the story from the Covenants perspective, but it just drags on for some time as it details every shot and grenade that the chief fires.
First Strike was, by far, my favorite of the three. It details the events that happen on Reach while the Covenant are glassing the planet. Something is on Reach that the Covenant want really bad.
Watch out for the spelling errors in First Strike and Fall of Reach though, lawl.
Great Set.......2007-09-03
this is actually my second set i bought; i think i lent my first set to a friend who i no longer remember and therefore cannot get back from. obviously i liked these books enough to buy them again despite the fact that i might find my old ones later.
Very nice series.......2007-08-25
Provides a broadened view of the game series. Going back to playing the game knowing all this backstory makes it feel that much more epic.
As for the books themselves, they are well-written, and the story is top-notch.
Product Description
Companion Books for the XBox
Product Description
FitKid7 is guaranteed to help children lose weight and/or get fit! The bonus is that children who live healthily tend to sleep better, have fewer behavior problems, experience less illness and are able to concentrate better in school! The FitKid7 book contains- 7 Simple Steps for a Fit & Healthy Child. Looks into reasons of why kids are unfit &/or overweight. How to get our kids on board to make the positive changes. Harmful Food Additives List. Shopping List. Great Ideas for Meals & Snacks. Recipes. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.
Customer Reviews:
6 stars.......2007-08-22
Fitkid7 is a great book on childhood fitness & health. It covers the issues of exercising, healthy eating and much much more.
I found it was easy to read (unlike a few others I've tried).
I love all the sections on Recipies, Shopping lists, meal ideas etc.
I would recommend FitKid7 to anyone looking for a book on kid's health. Your kids would love to read it just as I have.
Sirkka Wolke has done a great job on this one.****** 6 stars from me!
Product Description
Pray through the mystery of salvation with our new pope, Benedict XVI! Experience for yourself the Way of the Cross that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger-now Pope Benedict XV-wrote for this time-honored devotion held on Good Friday at Rome's Colosseum. Curiosity regarding Benedict's spiritual writings has sparked worldwide interest in these meditations and prayers that highlight the new pope's personal prayer life, as well as his vision for the future of the Church.
Customer Reviews:
Benedict XVI Stations of the Cross.......2007-08-09
Scrturally devotional and very inspiring to pray the Stations in a contemporay way in union with the Holy Father and the univesal Church
Lent will never be the same.......2006-03-14
This is a new one for me, with amazing artwork and deep meditations. As a new read on an old topic this one really shook things up for me. It drew me in to the meditations and prayers in a new and intriguing ways.
Prayerful and Powerful.......2006-03-03
This is a beautiful book in which Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) sets forth the Stations which he gave for Lent 2004 at the request of the late Pope John Paul the Great before the latter's death. Like all of Pope Benedict's writings, his message is clear and concrete and it is very easy to read and understand by everyone. Each station is accompanied by a thoughtful and prayerful meditation, as well as a beautiful picture depicting the particular Station of the Cross upon which to dwell as you pray the stations with the help of this book. The meditations are a true masterpiece of love by Il Papa, Il Grande Innamorato - Pope Benedict XVI.
A sublimely beautiful book.......2006-02-01
This book is a feast for both body and soul. It is a book that has been carefully crafted,(from the feel of its pages to the extraordinary Stations of the Cross by Jan Toorop), to draw the reader to another place. The Stations are compelling, insistent on being looked at and thought about. There is a restrained lushness about the stations, the occasion of the passion is somber but there is an overriding sense that beauty walks with Jesus. One can almost say the Stations are modern icons. Within the meditations and prayers there are details of the larger station which are presented in thumbnail size.
Pope Benedict writes with simplicity and clarity. The entire book is an orchestrated prayer. What comes through is his deep love of God and mankind. In an achingly gentle style, he asks the reader to walk with the suffering Jesus. He encourages all to draw near Jesus no matter how broken and demoralized they are.
This book allows the reader, whether devout Christian or searcher for God, to have an experience of the transcendent.
I have already given two people this book as a gift. My hope is that Pauline Books and Media decides to publish a book devoted entirely to The Stations of Jan Toorop
Book Description
How did Chardonnay become the most popular white grape variety in the world? Award-winning author Dave Broom—honored as the Glenfiddich Drinks Writer of the Year—charts its evolution, covering where the grape grows and why; who the top winemakers are; how to buy, serve, and store the wine; and what food goes well with it. He provides an international perspective, looking not only at the traditional producing countries in Europe (France, Italy, and Spain), but also at Australia, New Zealand, North and South America, South Africa, and wherever else in the world the wine is found.
Book Description
An indispensable guide for collectors and dealers who want to compare and evaluate early American antiques. When Albert Sack's
Fine Points of Furniture: Early American--Good, Better, Best was published in 1950, it established a new standard for evaluating American antiques. In his new book, Sack applies this standard to furniture pieces that have appeared on the market in more recent years.
Full color and black-and-white photographs.
Customer Reviews:
Dean of Early American Furniture.......2005-04-09
If you have any interest at all in Early American Furniture, buy this book! Mr. Sack is one of the most knowledgable experts on this subject. This book shows you the subtle differences in what makes a piece good and what makes a piece great. Having his experise on this subject is invaluable if you have any interest in searching for early American antique furniture. He learned from his father, who had an amazing eye, and Mr. Sack shows you what he has learned. He is reknowned as an expert in the field of Early American Furniture. It is a shame that this book is out of print and that one must spend a great deal for a used copy, but this book is worth every penny. Maybe we will get lucky and he will revise it again, but I would not hold my breath.
Best of the best.......2003-07-14
Not a lot can be said here. If you want to see the best and have comparasions to look at as well. Or if you just want drool over real furniture this is the book. A must have for anyone who aspires to knowing what is truly art in furniture design.
One of the Best on Antique Furniture.......2002-12-31
If you want to truly study and develope an "eye" for the finer points of antique furniture this is a must have book.
The next step up from basic identification books.......1999-06-01
A great book for any furniture collector. If you want to see why similar pieces of furniture vary so much in value, this is the book for you. Education for the eyes. I'm beginning to feel like an expert!
Customer Reviews:
The inventive ideas explode in this book........1999-03-28
This is a must have book, for those of you having a hard time being inventive, like I am. I like to sit down and get going on a project, without having to think of something new on my own. I picked this book up at the library and now I need to own it. It gets the creative juices flowing and makes you want to stop everything to make time for sewing that original outfit. It's well written with shortcut ideas and encourages those of us who find so little time to actually sew these days. The week is outlined with steps for each project so after the weekend ends your project is done. I'm only hoping that Ms. Mathews continues with this line of books and ideas.
A wealth of inspiration and instruction!.......1998-10-14
The photographs alone will send you to your sewing room. Kate Mathews offers over 200 photos of finished products plus the how-to instructions to produce them. The gist of her message is that you can take a dress pattern (she doesn't specify brand or number) and, with some planning and creativity, make it truly your own one-of-a-kind designer original. Her techniques are fun and trendy and she provides something for almost every sort of taste.
The book offers something to dressmakers of all levels of expertise. To be sure, the more experienced will have less difficulty in mastering and adapting the suggestions. But the novice can be equally entranced by many of the techniques.
This book is a joyful addition to a sewing library!
Customer Reviews:
The best country living style consulting book.......2007-01-12
Everything what you want to know about the country style decoration, collectibles, cooking, and gardening is included in this book. It's perfect !
Great Inspiration!.......2005-08-22
This is a great book with tons of wonderful pictures. There are many antiques and vintage items in the pictures, (which I LOVE), and the ideas are very short and simple. A great book to just open, get some ideas easily, and be inspired. If you like collecting, or like Vintage style decor, this book would be a great addition to your collection.
447 Pages of Visual Decorating Candy.......2003-10-25
Large formate hardback with full page photos color each page, minimal captions, how to sections for creating your own unique interpretations of what you see. Compilation of photos from previous issues of Country Living Magazine condensed and available in one book. Abundant creative stimulation for moments when I just want to relax and allow myself some visual candy, snuggled comfortably listening to Miles Davis. Jazz and country? you bet!
Product Description
Reviewer: "sakuteiki" (Grants Pass, OR United States) Large format hardback with full page photos color each page, minimal captions, how to sections for creating your own unique interpretations of what you see. Compilation of photos from previous issues of Country Living Magazine condensed and available in one book. Abundant creative stimulation for moments when I just want to relax and allow myself some visual candy, snuggled comfortably listening to Miles Davis. Jazz and country? you bet!
Book Description
This book gathers some of the world's best direct response programs from a range of media to give designers and clients a comprehensive, strategic understanding of why and how successful campaigns work. Includes detailed case studies followed by print, three-dimensional, and electronic examples.
Reveals the strategy and creativity behind seven highly successful, highly inventive projects.
Includes retail, restaurant, corporate, nonprofit, events, and self-promotional pieces.
Customer Reviews:
Best book on direct marketing!.......2001-05-10
Loved this book. I bought this book after seeing David Katz lecture... His writing style is just as good as seeing him in person! Informative, great examples, persuaded me to create even better direct mail...
This book earned money for me, WOW!.......2000-01-13
It was directly based upon an inspiration generated from this book, Design for Response, that I sold my latest design project. There are many great examples in this book that have kept me thinking of new projects.
useful book, filled with applications for all DM'ers.......1999-03-02
I liked this book for its gallery sections, over 200 photographs of great DM examples that spark new ideas and methods of execution. The chapters and discussions are well described and give many references and referals I found useful. I particularly liked the discussion of The new Census 2000 Form and the very clever Otis Elevator campaign based upon a Frank Lloyd Wright letter.
Wow, a new idea in direct marketing literature!.......1999-02-16
Finally a book on direct marketing that is NOT just a biography, a self-promotion, or "Mail Order for Dummies." This book actually uses several interesting examples of direct mail to illustrate the psychology of persuasion vis-a-vis design and marketing tactics. Thank you Sherr & Katz.
Great book for anyone that is involved with direct mail!.......1998-12-31
This book has some great examples of direct marketing that I had never encountered anywhere else, and I have been in the industry for over 20 years...
What I found particularly interesting were the author's comments on each piece, and the detailed case-studies that are the foundation for each chapter.
The case-studies discuss the psychological basis for the responses generated as well as an in-depth illustration of the design elements.
I highly recommend this book.
Average customer rating:
- Show Business
- Forgotten star poorly remembered
- Cantor's greatness lost in book
- I Feel Like I Know Eddie Personally
- This book is on a par with the greatest books ever written.
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Banjo Eyes: Eddie Cantor and the Birth of Modern Stardom
Herbert G. Goldman
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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Binding: Hardcover
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My Life Is In Your Hands & Take My Life
ASIN: 0195074025 |
Book Description
W.C. Fields, Will Rogers, Bert Williams, and Fanny Brice were delighted to share the stage with him. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Al Smith, and other eminent politicians admired him and sought his support. He founded the March of Dimes, raised millions for the new state of Israel, and remains the only American entertainer ever to reign successively as the biggest star on Broadway, in the movies, and on radio. But while his name still brings a smile to those old enough to remember his antic energy and big, rolling eyes, few appreciate the far-reaching influence of Eddie Cantor. Banjo Eyes returns the spotlight to the small, unlikely figure who reigned as the clown prince of American musical theatre during a glorious era when New York was the center of the world, and Broadway was the center of New York. Written by acclaimed biographer Herbert G. Goldman, it vividly recreates Cantor's extraordinary journey. Here are the overcrowded tenements and sidewalk scuffles of New York's teeming Lower East Side, where Cantor was born Israel Iskowitz, the only child of penniless Jewish immigrants, in 1892. Here is the dreaded "hook," the cat calls, and the spontaneous ovations of the old burlesque houses in which the teenaged Eddie first made his mark. And here, in riveting detail, is the Broadway of Florenz Ziegfeld and the Shubert brothers, brimming with backstage romances, double dealings, fierce camaraderie and even fiercer rivalries. We follow Cantor west to Hollywood, where he became the first Broadway musical star to sustain a successful film career, then return east for the golden age of radio and, later, the early days of television. It was in radio, Goldman argues, that Cantor achieved lasting influence. Before Eddie, a "star" was merely an actor in the top rung of what was widely regarded as a rather curious profession. Through his repeated on-air references to his wife, Ida, and their five daughters, Cantor made himself a "member of the family" to millions of Americans in a way that no performer had been or had ever sought to be. And through his deep involvement with political and social causes, especially those involving FDR and his own philanthropies, he emerged as a public figure only slightly less revered than Roosevelt himself. Goldman shows that while the notion of the entertainer as role model and the blurring of the line between an actor's public and private life may be staples of today's celebrity culture, it was Eddie Cantor who first made them so, redefining what it meant to be a star in the process. Anyone intrigued by our current cult of celebrity or hungering for an unforgettable look behind the show business curtains of yesteryear will not want to miss this vibrant portrait of a beloved comedian determined to do more than make 'em laugh.
Customer Reviews:
Show Business.......2006-09-04
Some of the complaints made against this book by other reviewers have a certain amount of validity. It is way too long, indulgss a passion for research that knows no bounds, so you feel that you know what Eddie Cantor had for breakfast every day, and some of the photographs are oddly captioned--one shows a picture of Eddie with Gary Cooper, only the caption says, "Cary Grant."
And yet in the long run Goldman really unveils layers and layers of a great star's numerous personae, in a way that seems to bring the subject up this-close. You feel you know how he would react if he walked into your own home today and took a dismissive glance around. Cantor's basic act, of the virginal yet eager young man caught in a world of Gentile femininity, served him well for fifteen years or so, and he had a nervous energy that made people think of him as a superb dancer even though he couldn't dance a lick. That febrile energy (press agents called him the "Apostle of Pep" stood him in good stead during the Depression, and a determined activism on behalf of Jewish, labor, race and pro-Israel causes gave him some street cred, I guess.
He cultivated a reputation (which Goldman firmly disputes) as a star-maker, and among his discoveries were Deanne Durbin, Dinah Shore, Eddie Fisher, Billy Gray ("Bud" on the longrunning sitcom FATHER KNOWS BEST), Joel Grey (from CABARET) and the bizarrely talented boy soprano Bobby Breen. His radio audience loved him as the little common man with the devoted wife, Ida, and five unmarried daughters who he begged men in the audience to marry. As Goldman reveals, this constant harping on the expense of raising a family led to unexpected schisms within the family, and several of the girls, at least, grew to be believe they were as homely, fat, and unattractive as their dad made them seem.
Not a pretty picture! I think Goldman errs in describing Cantor's movie work, in general underrating it considerably (except for the silent KID BOOTS, and a wee bit of the MGM wartime weeper FORTY LITTLE MOTHERS, both of which he overrates). Certainly the seven Goldwyn features of the early 30s, and the amazing ALI BABA GOES TO TOWN, which Cantor made for Fox ater a dispute with Goldwyn, are among the greatest movies ever made. And the two Joan Davis features are also fine. However, they are not to everybody's taste and, personal opinion aside, Goldman is often very insightful about Cantor's films, particularly about his work in two roles in THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS, the Warners all-star musical.
What to say about a man who cheated constantly, and who made passes everywhere, but turned down Ziegfeld beauties for the likes of Jacqueline Susann, and then, Joan Davis? He must have very complicated sexually, and Goldman has the sense to work through intuition towards probing an age-old mystery.
PS, I didn't mean to say that Susann and Davis weren't sexually attractive, far from it, only that they didn't fit the mold of the day in which Cantor ruled the world.
Forgotten star poorly remembered.......2001-07-12
Herbert G. Goldman, author of biographies on Eddie Cantor's contemporaries Al Jolson and Fannie Brice, can only be commended for reviving the memory of a great star, now sadly and unfairly forgotten. "Banjo Eyes" remembers Cantor, but fails almost completely at presenting a portrait of the life and career of this star of stage, screen, radio and television. Instead, Goldman offers a mundane laundry list of performance dates and far too much of his own armchair psychology. The book is poorly researched, badly written and atrociously edited (factual errors, typographical errors and misspellings abound). Goldman repeatedly takes a step down biographical roads, only to detour. For example: near the end of the book, he refers to Cantor as a serial philanderer. Yet, previously he has written about only one possible but unconfirmed affair (with comedian Joan Davis). Since Cantor's public image was that of a devoted husband and father, a proper biographer would have devoted considerable time to the topic of the star's fidelity, or lack thereof. But Goldman seems more interested in endless lists of Cantor's public appearances. When he does offer some intriguing nugget, Goldman's poor scholarship doesn't properly back it up with sources(Footnotes, Mr. Goldman. Footnotes). It's impossible to believe much of anything the author has to say. For instance, a reference to poor ratings for Cantor's radio show, will be followed up a couple pages later with a statement about how popular the show is. Did something happen in between? Goldman doesn't say. He meticulously records the large sums of money Cantor makes from various enterprises, but says he left only a modest estate after his death in 1964. Goldman half-heartedly guesses at where the money went, but offers no facts. This book is important only because Cantor was important and this is the only serious (!) biography of him to date. Hopefully, something better will come along.
Cantor's greatness lost in book.......1999-05-29
There is little doubt that Eddie Cantor was among the towering giants of the 20th-century entertainment industry. It is difficult to imagine a book about Cantor being boring, but Goldman has done it. Goldman likes to engage in armchair psychology and seeks to apply it to Cantor, with little success. Although Goldman's thesis -- that Cantor created modern stardom by cross-selling himself in different media -- is interesting, Goldman fails to articulate or support what is undoubtedly a very defensible thesis. Instead, he becomes mired in largely meaningless details of Cantor's life and does not capture the enormous impact Cantor had on American society.
The pictures in the book are poorly chosen, sometimes inaccurately described and abominably reproduced. Cantor's later life is given short shrift, and we get little sense of the poignancy of Cantor's final years.
I Feel Like I Know Eddie Personally.......1998-07-06
For years I've been looking for a good book on the great Eddie Cantor. Finally there is one! This book does a fine job of introducing us to Eddie Cantor the man. After reading this book, I feel like I know who he was. The books only fault is that it seems to be lacking details in some parts and has an excess of them in others. But that's to be expected when writing a book about a man who has been dead for over 30 years. It's a great book about a great man.
This book is on a par with the greatest books ever written........1998-06-25
Goldman wrote a book on Jolson years ago, which received great reviews, and that book is dry exposition compared to this book. His writing has improved. This book is well researched like his Jolson book, but it goes way beyond that. Eddie Cantor literally stepped out of the pages somewhere in the middle and stood before me!
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