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A review by andyourstruly
Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones by Dolly Parton
3.5
This book does what it is trying to do superbly: it walks the reader (or listener, in the case of the audiobook) through Dolly Parton's life and career from a fashion perspective, and it makes Dolly look EXCELLENT. Her legacy, once again, has been secured, and Dolly's business sense proves one of her most overlooked attributes. The physical book is loaded with photos, and the audiobook features actual recorded interviews with a lot of the people from Dolly's life (included Dolly herself), and if Dolly Parton's fashion legacy is of interest to you, then this book delivers in SPADES.
The reason for the lower score from me has nothing to do with the execution and everything to do with that, well, it's part of a propaganda campaign. Don't get me wrong: Dolly Parton seems like an incredible woman who has undoubtedly done a lot of good in the world and positively touched many peoples' lives. However, I couldn't help but notice the contradictions like "Dolly loves herself the way she is and encourages everyone else to do the same" and "Dolly goes to bed with a full face if makeup every night so no one ever has to see her without." The interviews all talk very flatteringly of Dolly, but of course Dolly will only include flattering interviews in her book about herself.
I read this as a book club book and went in without any real hopes or expectations for what I'd get out of it. This book is a great collector item for Dolly Parton fans who want a compendium on this aspect of her life; however, if one is looking for an unbiased history of Dolly, this is not a great starting point.
The reason for the lower score from me has nothing to do with the execution and everything to do with that, well, it's part of a propaganda campaign. Don't get me wrong: Dolly Parton seems like an incredible woman who has undoubtedly done a lot of good in the world and positively touched many peoples' lives. However, I couldn't help but notice the contradictions like "Dolly loves herself the way she is and encourages everyone else to do the same" and "Dolly goes to bed with a full face if makeup every night so no one ever has to see her without." The interviews all talk very flatteringly of Dolly, but of course Dolly will only include flattering interviews in her book about herself.
I read this as a book club book and went in without any real hopes or expectations for what I'd get out of it. This book is a great collector item for Dolly Parton fans who want a compendium on this aspect of her life; however, if one is looking for an unbiased history of Dolly, this is not a great starting point.