judyward's review
3.0
This biography of four women writers, Edna Ferber, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Dorothy Parker, and Zelda Fitzgerald, in the years from 1920 to 1930, weaves together their lives and personalities. These women had four different experiences, lived in four different worlds, and enjoyed four different levels of commercial success, but each of them carved out literary careers that would benefit generations of female authors who would follow them. Written as a series of vignettes, this book is engaging and interesting, but, unfortunately, it tends to focus on the darker side of each woman's experience. Many of the anecdotes highlights failed relationships, illnesses, alcoholism, suicide attempts, and mental illnesses. The book would have benefitted from tighter editing, but it is an introduction to four women whose lives are detailed more fully in other biographies.
ms_aprilvincent's review
4.0
The author arranged the information by year, rather than by topic, and I think that detracts from the book's effectiveness. It's a weird style choice that an editor should have talked her out of.
That being said, I liked learning more about these women. I suppose this book serves as a sort of intro to the writers, kind of like an appetizer that makes me want a main course? Whatever, I'm bad at figurative language. What I mean to say is this: now I want to read proper biographies and/or the works of the women discussed here.
The author assumes the reader already has a basic knowledge of Dorothy Parker, Edna Ferber, Zelda Fitzgerald, and Edna St. Vincent Millay, which is a bit of a leap, if you ask me. She references their work with generic descriptions, and I guess I'm supposed to know what she's talking about; I don't. I didn't know Ferber wrote Showboat, and her novel sounds way better than the musical, so I want to check that out. Also, Millay co-wrote an opera, The King's Henchman; I need to find that!
In other news, F. Scott Fitzgerald was an a--hole, the end.
That being said, I liked learning more about these women. I suppose this book serves as a sort of intro to the writers, kind of like an appetizer that makes me want a main course? Whatever, I'm bad at figurative language. What I mean to say is this: now I want to read proper biographies and/or the works of the women discussed here.
The author assumes the reader already has a basic knowledge of Dorothy Parker, Edna Ferber, Zelda Fitzgerald, and Edna St. Vincent Millay, which is a bit of a leap, if you ask me. She references their work with generic descriptions, and I guess I'm supposed to know what she's talking about; I don't. I didn't know Ferber wrote Showboat, and her novel sounds way better than the musical, so I want to check that out. Also, Millay co-wrote an opera, The King's Henchman; I need to find that!
In other news, F. Scott Fitzgerald was an a--hole, the end.
angeliqueazul's review
5.0
Marion Meade called her book, Bobbed Hair and Bathtub Gin, a chronologically organized collection of vignettes. This structure saves the reader from boring passages where nothing interesting happens as only remarkable moments and scenes are painted out. It takes some time to get used to the quite fast change from one writer and her life to another and keeping all the names (and nicknames) straight can be challenge (one that I have not completely accomplished until the end I have to admit).
Bobbed Hair and Bathtub Gin has surprised me with its detailed account of the lives of Edna St. Vincent Millay, Dorothy Parker, Zelda Fitzgerald, and Edna Ferber - as well as a number of people surrounding them. Marion Meade's research is excellent; she does not only give us the 'hard facts' but also very personal information like Dorothy Parker's fear of heights or Zelda's resistance to complain or even acknowledge the pain her ballet training inflicted on her. The intimacy of the scenes in the lives of the four title writers is what makes this book special and worth reading. The choice to include Edna Ferber strikes me as a means to find a balance to Edna St. Vincent Millay (especially in the first couple of chapters), only in later chapters do Edna Ferber's scenes becomes more demanding of the attention and interest of the reader. Nevertheless, I think it was a good idea to include her.
I definitely recommend reading Bobbed Hair and Bathtub Gin to anyone interested in the 1920s and the four incredibly talented writers portrayed.
Bobbed Hair and Bathtub Gin has surprised me with its detailed account of the lives of Edna St. Vincent Millay, Dorothy Parker, Zelda Fitzgerald, and Edna Ferber - as well as a number of people surrounding them. Marion Meade's research is excellent; she does not only give us the 'hard facts' but also very personal information like Dorothy Parker's fear of heights or Zelda's resistance to complain or even acknowledge the pain her ballet training inflicted on her. The intimacy of the scenes in the lives of the four title writers is what makes this book special and worth reading. The choice to include Edna Ferber strikes me as a means to find a balance to Edna St. Vincent Millay (especially in the first couple of chapters), only in later chapters do Edna Ferber's scenes becomes more demanding of the attention and interest of the reader. Nevertheless, I think it was a good idea to include her.
I definitely recommend reading Bobbed Hair and Bathtub Gin to anyone interested in the 1920s and the four incredibly talented writers portrayed.
sarahelem's review
informative
slow-paced
3.5
This book was heavily informative- shedding light on the chaos that was the 1920s. I enjoyed the story from the POV of notable women. While the book was under 400 pages, it did seem to go on and on. Despite the sometimes tedious pace, I'm glad to have read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness
libkatem's review
3.0
Terribly interesting, though it made me hate F. Scott Fitzgerald a little bit more than I already did.
wayward's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
lynnebolduc's review against another edition
2.0
I tried twice but gave up reading this book about four female writers in the 20's. The biographies were not presented sequentially but interspersed with each other, back and forth. I could barely keep up with the four main characters and what they were working on and where they were in the world, never mind all of their husbands/boyfriends, friends, co-workers, critics, agents, etc. It was a bit fun but the never-ending, constantly changing cast of characters, took the fun out of it for me.