quinndm's review against another edition
4.0
A well-researched biography on one of my favorite people in the industry. The insights into her personal life, especially surrounding motherhood, were, at times, a little shocking but fascinating nonetheless. The industry breaks millions of people, but Lucille Ball was one of the few that dominated for decades and became a beloved icon. A well-deserving title and honor.
maureenlikethetango's review
4.0
This was a heavily researched, well written biography and it doesn't pull any punches with its subject--it never tries to skirt the truth to paint Lucy in a better light. It is dense but that's a sign of how well researched it is and full of detail. It's truthfully a bit sad (and disappointing) to learn the truth of how sad much of Lucy's life was given how much joy she always brought onscreen.
kristinasshelves's review against another edition
4.0
I've seen episodes of I Love Lucy throughout the years, but am finally watching the entire series and have become interested in the real lives of all of the stars. This was an excellent biography spanning Lucille Ball's entire life and does not shy away from the struggles she faced in her marriage to Desi Arnaz. I enjoyed that the author did not attempt to take a solely positive spin on Ball and represented her accurately based on other things I've read/seen. I had no idea about Ball's rise to stardom and was impressed with her tenacity and commitment to achieve her dreams.
librarylapin's review against another edition
3.0
This was a good book to know more about the actress's life. It was a bit surfacey and didn't have much reflection in it but not terribly written. There was so much about contracts and the way deals worked for Desilu that didn't interest me very much. I will be interested to read her autobiography and see a different perspective.
kelseymarie's review
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
I enjoyed this book but I found it to be slow at times. I did find few small errors
spinnerdriver's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
llynn66's review against another edition
Lucille Ball has become a fixture in our home of late. My daughter has become, arguably, Lucy's youngest super fan. She was home sick one day last year and didn't feel up to doing much besides the time honored tradition of lying on the couch all day in front of television. She asked my husband what he used to watch when he was a kid and several vintage programs were mentioned. I Love Lucy (which was always running in syndicated re-runs in the seventies) was one of them. He thought that Youtube might be an easy way to show our then ten-year-old who Lucy was. So he found an episode and they started watching.
I was soon drawn out of the kitchen by the howls of laughter coming from my daughter...all stomach bug angst seemingly vanished, if only temporarily. This particular episode had Lucy, at the height of her ballsy snooping, creeping into the apartment of some new neighbors whom Lucy believed to be murderous criminals. (In reality, they were an acting couple, rehearsing lines for a play.) Lucy was almost busted when the couple came back unexpectedly and she was forced to disguise herself as an easy chair. This scene displayed Lucy at the height of her physical comedy prowess and, even 60 some years later, she totally kills. I started to laugh, too. And my daughter has subsequently watched every single episode of I Love Lucy, and is working her way through the longer 'Lucy and Desi Comedy Hour' specials. She is equally amused by Lucy's later adventures as whacky widow, Lucy Carmichael in The Lucy Show. Lucille Ball has provided hours of entertainment in our 21st century life.
Our daughter is so hard core about Lucy that we are planning a trip to Jamestown, NY for our summer vacation this year. Fortunately, Ms Ball's home town is not much more than a 2-3 hour drive from our neighborhood. All this Lucy Mania got me interested in the real life story of this iconic 20th century star. (The fact that I am a goof ball by nature, enjoy a long term relationship with my hair colorist, and am married to a musical man from a Latin background may also enhance my affection for the Ricardos and the people who created them.)
It was not easy to decide which Lucy biography to read. Some reviews warned me off of this one because it was not considered to be a reverent enough treatment. Others declared that this book was THE last word on the life of Lucille. Lucy wrote an autobiography (as did Desi Arnaz). I may end up reading her book some day. However, I tend to select biographies rather than auto-biographies because I know that we would all put a fairly dramatic slant on the story of our own life. I am interested in what other people who knew and worked with a subject have to say about the person and their legacy.
In Lucy's case, the usual imperfections are revealed. She was hard driven and ambitious. She knew what she wanted. She was not afraid to fight for it. She could be a real bitch. Many of her co stars could not stand her. Others revered her. She had a tough childhood (who didn't, it seemed, back in the first part of the 20th century?) Yet she had a strong sense of family and was supportive of and devoted to her family from the very beginning of her career through her years of super stardom.
In Lucille, Kathleen Brady gives us a solid back ground about Lucy's young days prior to her life in the public eye. Much attention is also paid to the workings of the Desilu Studio. Some reviewers felt that the narrative was bogged down in detail about the behind-the-scenes story of Desilu. Contrarily, I felt that this aspect of Lucy's life was integral to who she was -- one the first superstars that came from television, rather than the silver screen. (Lucy's movie career never really got off the ground.) My interest in retro/mid twentieth century television perhaps gives me more tolerance for detail in this area. However, I found this section of the book interesting. And the Desilu days were very much a metaphor for the Ball-Arnaz marriage. They were brilliant together but, in the end, unworkable.
Fans who grew up, as I did, watching the reruns in black and white and fantasizing about how much fun adult life would be...married to a dashing and endlessly patient man like Ricky Ricardo...spending my days cutting capers and getting into improbably hysterical situations with a devoted best friend and side kick like Ethel Mertz...may not want to hear about how much Desi drank and whored around...or how Lucy and Desi would literally come to blows when they were fighting. They might want to see Lucy as the loveable ditz and Desi and the practical and level headed straight man.
But readers who are interested in the real personalities behind the characters...not only Lucy and Desi, but the writers, producers, directors, co-stars and guests who made the show the comedy masterpiece that it was, would probably do well to start with this biography and then move on to Lucy and Desi's respective autobiographies.
Although their personal lives were no more perfect than the rest of us (and, certainly, more tarnished than some)-- Lucy and Desi were talented TV performers and very adept business people. Drink and ill health broke Desi down and Lucy also suffered the usual ravages of aging. But nothing can detract from the hours of laughs they have provided so many of us for decades. And, if my daughter is evidence, will continue to provide to a new generation into the future.
I was soon drawn out of the kitchen by the howls of laughter coming from my daughter...all stomach bug angst seemingly vanished, if only temporarily. This particular episode had Lucy, at the height of her ballsy snooping, creeping into the apartment of some new neighbors whom Lucy believed to be murderous criminals. (In reality, they were an acting couple, rehearsing lines for a play.) Lucy was almost busted when the couple came back unexpectedly and she was forced to disguise herself as an easy chair. This scene displayed Lucy at the height of her physical comedy prowess and, even 60 some years later, she totally kills. I started to laugh, too. And my daughter has subsequently watched every single episode of I Love Lucy, and is working her way through the longer 'Lucy and Desi Comedy Hour' specials. She is equally amused by Lucy's later adventures as whacky widow, Lucy Carmichael in The Lucy Show. Lucille Ball has provided hours of entertainment in our 21st century life.
Our daughter is so hard core about Lucy that we are planning a trip to Jamestown, NY for our summer vacation this year. Fortunately, Ms Ball's home town is not much more than a 2-3 hour drive from our neighborhood. All this Lucy Mania got me interested in the real life story of this iconic 20th century star. (The fact that I am a goof ball by nature, enjoy a long term relationship with my hair colorist, and am married to a musical man from a Latin background may also enhance my affection for the Ricardos and the people who created them.)
It was not easy to decide which Lucy biography to read. Some reviews warned me off of this one because it was not considered to be a reverent enough treatment. Others declared that this book was THE last word on the life of Lucille. Lucy wrote an autobiography (as did Desi Arnaz). I may end up reading her book some day. However, I tend to select biographies rather than auto-biographies because I know that we would all put a fairly dramatic slant on the story of our own life. I am interested in what other people who knew and worked with a subject have to say about the person and their legacy.
In Lucy's case, the usual imperfections are revealed. She was hard driven and ambitious. She knew what she wanted. She was not afraid to fight for it. She could be a real bitch. Many of her co stars could not stand her. Others revered her. She had a tough childhood (who didn't, it seemed, back in the first part of the 20th century?) Yet she had a strong sense of family and was supportive of and devoted to her family from the very beginning of her career through her years of super stardom.
In Lucille, Kathleen Brady gives us a solid back ground about Lucy's young days prior to her life in the public eye. Much attention is also paid to the workings of the Desilu Studio. Some reviewers felt that the narrative was bogged down in detail about the behind-the-scenes story of Desilu. Contrarily, I felt that this aspect of Lucy's life was integral to who she was -- one the first superstars that came from television, rather than the silver screen. (Lucy's movie career never really got off the ground.) My interest in retro/mid twentieth century television perhaps gives me more tolerance for detail in this area. However, I found this section of the book interesting. And the Desilu days were very much a metaphor for the Ball-Arnaz marriage. They were brilliant together but, in the end, unworkable.
Fans who grew up, as I did, watching the reruns in black and white and fantasizing about how much fun adult life would be...married to a dashing and endlessly patient man like Ricky Ricardo...spending my days cutting capers and getting into improbably hysterical situations with a devoted best friend and side kick like Ethel Mertz...may not want to hear about how much Desi drank and whored around...or how Lucy and Desi would literally come to blows when they were fighting. They might want to see Lucy as the loveable ditz and Desi and the practical and level headed straight man.
But readers who are interested in the real personalities behind the characters...not only Lucy and Desi, but the writers, producers, directors, co-stars and guests who made the show the comedy masterpiece that it was, would probably do well to start with this biography and then move on to Lucy and Desi's respective autobiographies.
Although their personal lives were no more perfect than the rest of us (and, certainly, more tarnished than some)-- Lucy and Desi were talented TV performers and very adept business people. Drink and ill health broke Desi down and Lucy also suffered the usual ravages of aging. But nothing can detract from the hours of laughs they have provided so many of us for decades. And, if my daughter is evidence, will continue to provide to a new generation into the future.
sallysimply's review against another edition
4.0
That ending was quite abrupt. Still, this was a great read. I loved learning more about one of my favorite women, flaws and all. I did find that there were things the author assumed the reader would know, which made me feel like I was missing some inside joke or something given how far removed we are from when this was published.
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