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Ava: My Story
vBulletin Book Store > vBulletin books beginning with A
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Book Details
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Ava: My Story |
Author: Ava Gardner
Published: 1990-10-01 |
List price: $17.00
Our price: $14.00
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As of: November 20th, 2008 01:08:28 PM
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Customer comments on this selection.
 A peek inside old Hollywood
I thoroughly enjoyed this auto-biography by Ave Gardner. She really said what she thought. Her writing style seemed to be her true personality, since she was from rural N. Carolina. She was the definition of a "broad". She was a great beauty, but she seemed to definitely dwell on her looks. She may have thought she didn't have much else going for her. Having recently read Gene Tierney's autobiography, I noticed that difference between the two. Tierney was fabulously beautiful, but didn't mention her looks but a few times,(possibly because it was so obvious). Ava Gardner also drank heavily. I'm amazed she was able to keep her looks for being such a heavy drinker. But in her films, around the age of 40, when she should have still been gorgeous, not having had children, she began to have a droopy face. That had to be the result of all that alchohol. It saddened me that she felt the need to abort the child she concieved with Frank Sinatra, even though they were married! It's no wonder she died a lonely woman.
a DAMN good book!!!
If you can imagine what Ava Gardner was like, then this book is a must. It reads just like you'd imagine it would. This is absolutely the best-of-the-best autobiography I have read to date. I have read Marilyn Monroe's and Maureen O'Hara's, and they weren't nearly as captivating. When I think of Ava Gardner, I use to think of sexuality and booze. Now after having read this book, I still think that. She has quite the sense of humor and makes numerous witty retorts in regards to her life and the studio system that she fervently disliked. This is most evident in her words on husbands Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw, and Frank Sinatra, and how they were in bed. Also, not to be ignored is her unique relationship with "the Aviator" himself, Howard Hughes. Ava is the only woman who could have turned him down, and gotten away with giving him a scar to remember her by. She also discusses her love of Spain, which made me want to visit the place instantly, even though I have yet to do so do to limited means (I don't have a job and still live with my parents - get the picture?). This is probably the best book I have ever read.
Good story
I also was initially distracted by the country girl narrative ("and honey, let me tell you...") but settled into it. It's a good story and to me writing style is secondary when reading an autobiography.
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br /I have always had the impression that Ava was a man-eating femme fatale but this book cast her in a much more human and humble light. I did get the impression that she softened some stories or left some out entirely. I was touched by what she did reveal - her humble beginnings, painful shyness, lack of self esteem, and her deep love for Frank Sinatra. All in all, this story contained all the elations and tragedies you'd find in anyone's lifetime.
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br /It's a great read and I'd recommend it to anyone who would like to learn more about this beautiful star.
 if you are a fan of Ava's, please read this book
This is an enjoyable, engaging memoir and while entertaining is also surprisingly sad. I knew, before reading the book, who Ava had married but had no idea how tumultuous were these relationships. As I've not read any other books about Ava Gardner, I can not tell whether this book's contents closely resemble truth but, frankly, I don't really care. I read autobiographies so I get a better sense of the author and in this case, Ava's wit, intelligence and humanity shine through. I certainly don't agree with the reviewer who says Ava painted herself as a goody-goody - that is the last thing she seems to do. This is a woman who, to me, has struggled with relationships, insecurities and addictions and still managed to enjoy and relish life - like many of us. If anything, I felt positive and connected to Ava for her candour! And, if, factually speaking, Ms. Gardner was not completely accurate in her own story, so what? I would rather read her story in her own words. The saddest thing to me was that she passed away at such a young age. I think "Impertinent" gives an excellent and articulate review and all I can say is read this book if you'd like to know about one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood.
cant help lovin...
In addition to demonstrating a self-deprecating wit and a candor that is often surprising, even in an autobiography, in this memoir Ava Gardner conveys a warmth and genuineness that makes her (in my opinion) an instantly likable narrator. Then, the fact that the events of her life would have given enough material to make a great story even if she herself wasn't such an engaging storyteller. brThis book is tempered with irony. Ava's reflections on some of her greatest times are presented through a veil of bittersweet nostalgia. That her life was a sad one is evident; she details three failed marriages to some of the era's more notable celebrities/womanizers and her constant sense that her career path was accidental, and her eventual phase as recluse and expatriate. These events told from the perspective of an aging woman - one who seems to have been truly convinced that her fading (?) beauty is her only marketable asset create an exquisitely tragic heroine. Consistently smart and irreverent, Ava balances this obvious sadness and feeling of being misplaced with a stoic insistence that she's had "a hell of a good time." In all, her willingness to poke fun at herself and her open examinions of her personal weaknesses provide a refreshing counterpoint to the usual self-aggrandizement of the Hollywood auto-biography. I strongly recommend the book, if not for pure entertainment, for a compelling portrait devoid of literary pretensions.
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