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Sumptuous though the book is I feel that Flair is resting in its reputation. To my mind, having worked as a publication art director, the photos, typography and layouts are very conservative and do not show any particular innovative design. Other magazines and designers were much more creative in the fifties, 'Fortune' with Will Burtin, 'Glamour' with Cipe Pineless, 'Harper's Bazaar' with Alexey Brodovitch and 'Vogue' with Alexander Liberman. Certainly the covers with their die-cut holes (sadly only six of the twelve are included) and the bound in booklets were unique to consumer magazines at the time but I think that Flair should be remembered as a magazine concept rather than a magazine full of creativity.
Fleur Cowles writes a short piece about the origins of Flair (handwritten in gold on dark blue paper) but does not give enough detail (I believe each issue involved several printers and binders) and as there were only twelve issues a list of all the articles should have been included. Another reviewer has commented that the high price (reassuringly expensive?) and the cloth covered box the book comes in reflects snob appeal, I agree but I'm still pleased to have a copy.
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In addition to her gowns and dress up clothes, there's a chapter on the behind the scenes Jackie, in jeans, Pucci prints and cotton sundresses....even dressed down she was spectacular. The stories that go along with the photographs are alternately funny, bitchy in a nice way and illuminating about some of Jackie's real achievements - saving historic buildings, restoring and redecorating the White House, etc.
It's a great book, and at a price that's so affordable, it will make a great gift to those special people on my list...
Read this book, you'll enjoy it!
Plus, there are a lot of interesting stories about the clothes, where they came from, why she chose them and what was happening when she wore them. It's like you are transported back to those magic days and given an insider's pass to all the backstage stories.
It's a beautiful book, one I am proud to own, and one affordable enough for me to give as a gift too (my mother, a real Jackie fan, will LOVE it!).
I've read all three of the books that have recently come out on this subject and, while they all are good, this one is the BEST BY FAR. Jacqueline Kennedy the White House Years, the official catalogue, is just that, a catalogue, and not a book and it doesn't include MOST of the clothes that Jackie wore during her time in the White House. What's even more confusing is that the book doesn't include all of the interesting documentation about her work in the White House that is included in the exhibit at the Met. Why is that I wonder? And Jackie Style is a stylish book, but a little to flip for my taste and it barely skims the surface of Jackie's extraordinary life and has a sparse set of photographs, although some of them are rarely seen, it's because they frankly aren't that good...
But this book is wonderful...dozens and dozens of wonderful photographs, with vivid color and including her entire White House years, a look at her early years and the fashion influences that helped shape her style. It also includes a section on her post-Camelot years where we can see Jackie age so gracefully...
Then there are the stories of her life, and her remarkable contributions to American culture and history. These stories are so interesting, written with wit, insight and a lot of inside information.
This book is a WINNER!
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The story is, for the most part, narrated in the first person by Harrison Burns, in 1972 and 1993, although there is a middle section called "1989 New York," which is pointedly written in the third person. Harrison is a poor school chum of Constant Bradley the rich, spoiled son of Gerald Bradley a ruthless moneymaker and partriach of a large ostentatiously Catholic family, mothered by Grace, an ostenstatiously devout religious maniac obsessed with appearances and determined to become a papal countess (in fact, she is Dunne's most engaging character, along with Bridey the cook). It's all obviously based on Kennedy mythology and takes a tabloid-level view of their legendary behaviour. The murder of the high school girl is dutifully enunciated to resemble the Martha Moxley case with a smidgeon of red herring thrown in to make it fiction.
There is nothing demanding about this book, nor is there anything surprising. It's an entertaining read in the lightest sense, like watching a made-for-TV movie after a hard day's work. Reading this was both relaxing and tedious. The main interest was in spotting where Dunne shamelessly imitates life such as when the defense attorney, based directly on the Menendez Brothers trial, faces the TV cameras with her raised middle-finger shouting, "This what you want?" or in weaving into the plot a case similar to that of Wayne Lonergan the devastatingly handsome (how easily one falls into this flat and florid style) bisexual social climber who murdered his socialite wife. (Both stories are reported in JUSTICE so that's how I know they're lifted and proves that Mr. Dunne is obsessed with the proceedings of justice, an admirable quality in itself.) That friendly and confidential voice of Mr. Dunne's gets there in the end and I was moved by the story of the victim's mother and that the murder of her daughter was never revenged. There's no denying that Mr. Dunne has his heart and intentions in the right place.
Perhaps my three-star opinion is based on my own moodiness since recently my dog had to be put to sleep and I finished this book while it was snowing outside. In this circumspect mood, I sprawled on the couch and read this while watching the television summary of the Australian tennis tournament at the same time, and with the same lack of personal interest since I don't much care for tennis. The book has a nice cover, showing a summery house with a tennis court. Enough said.
Based "loosely" (read obviously) on the Martha Moxley murders, the book is about a friend of the Bradley family, Harrison Burns, who helps the family's favorite son, Constant Bradley, move the body of Winifred Utley, whom he's murdered. Gerald Bradley, who bears a striking resemblance to Joseph Kennedy, buys Harrison's silence, but the book is less about Harrison's struggle with his secret and more about how he got involved with the Bradleys and then later disentangled himself.
The book was written before Michael Skakel went to trial, and I read the trial portion of the book hoping that the book would mirror the real life outcome, justice for all, etc. Ultimately, this book is an indictment of people in power who hush up unsavory incidents to help themselves. Take it with you if you need to stay awake.... you won't want to put it down.
This story is told from the point of veiw of Harrison Burns. When Harrison was a teenager he saw his friend Constant Bradley murder the girl next door. Constant's family buys Harrison's silence through the years by paying his college tution and sending him abroad.
However as the years go on Harrison finds it harder to live with what he has seen. These feelings cause the demise of his marriage and general self loathing. Harrison is forced to face off with the Bradley's when they invite him to their home to ask Harrison to write a book about Constant's life.
Along with Harrison's dilema Dunne tells the story of the demise of a family. The skill with which Dunne tells both stories make this book well worth reading. The other to reason to read it is of course, affairs, family battles, and good gossip.
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I suggest that everyone go out and read this book. It is honestly one of the best that I have ever read. The story moves on quickly, and there is a surprise around every corner. It really is a true page-turner.
He took the basic plot from a real-life story of great notoriety, the shooting of New York socialite William Woodward. Did William's wife kill him? And, if she did, was that shooting accidental? Why would she want him dead? These are questions which have been asked in New York for almost fifty years and, here, Dunne posits some fictionalized answers to them.
The title is a reference to William's mother, one of society's "grande dames," and to his wife, who had been a member of the lower classes. Their marriage had shocked society.
Dunne explores their saga in his usual lively fashion, providing the kind of detail about the lives of the rich and famous that only an insider could know. As with all of his novels, THE TWO MRS. GRENVILLES makes for marvelous reading.
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I don't consider myself a literary expert, just a go to work, come home type of person, so I don't like books that take 10 years of english classes to understand. This one hits the mark. The book was easy to follow, not so many characters that you loose track of the scene or have to back track to remember who one was.
The story is about a very wealthy man, his wife, his mistress, and a murder. Sounds common, but each chapter leaves you wanting to start the next immediately. Dunne added excitement where I thought it needed it without alot of bad language and detailed sex sceens.
This book has it all - love & romance, mystery, happiness, saddness, etc. READ IT
Like all of Dunne's books, AN INCONVENIENT WOMAN tells the tale of the rich and famous from the point of view of an observant insider; therefore, it is chock full of juicy details. This is a book which stays with its readers long after it has been read.
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been to turn the tinsel used to depict those dreams into glamor. This
book is very much in keeping with the magazine's slant and Hollywood's
most inflated view of itself. The book faithfully reproduces a
cross-section of Vanity Fair's 86 year history.
Before you read
further, let me caution you that this book teems with suggestiveness.
If that sort of thing isn't your cup of tea, skip this book.
The
photographs are the best part of thebook. There are large numbers of
outstanding examples of work by Edward Steichen and Annie Leibovitz.
The pages are oversized, and many images are done as double
spreads. This makes for seeing very large features of the stars
portrayed, and this has high impact effects on the viewer -- evoking a
sense of the wide screen. The editing was wisely done to select many
images that can be reasonably faithfully reproduced that way.
Unfortunately, many fine photographs were reproduced with the
middle fold through an important part of the image. Some of the
images that were not so spoiled also were overinked in a way that make
the details hard to discern. Inexplicably, there were no credits
listed for many photographs. I graded the book down one star for
being insufficiently well designed, credited and printed to portray
all of the photographs to their best advantage.
Except for this
very regrettable and significant set of flaws on the photography side,
the book is very well done. The selection of photographs was
brilliantly done to not only highlight great ones, but to create
interplay among them . . . and among themes . . . and among
generations of Hollywood performers. I found it all quite exciting
and entertaining.
Some of my favorite photographs in the book
are:
Jack Nicholson; Annie Leibovitz, 1992
Robin Williams, Eddie
Murphy, and Jim Carrey; Annie Leibovitz, 1997
Doris Day; John
Florea, 1953
Spencer Tracy and Katherine Kapburn; n.c., 1949
Nancy and Ronald Reagan; Harry Benson, 1985
Pee-Wee Herman; Annie
Leibovitz, 1984
Walt Disney; Edward Steichen, 1933
Dustin
Hoffman; Herb Ritts, 1996
Rita Hayworth; n.c., 1946
Robert
Redford; George Gorman, 1984
Meryl Streep; Annie Leibovitz,
1982
Gloria Swanson; Edward Steichen, 1928
I also liked the
caricature of Greta Garbo by Miguel Covarrubias from 1932.
The
essays were more of a mixed lot. My favoite was D.H. Lawrence on sex
appeal. "Sex appeal is only a dirty name for a bit of life
flame." Other essays looked at Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo (by
Walter Winchell), the queens of gossip columnists, and agent Sue
Mengers.
After you have finished enjoying this close-up look at
Hollywood, ask yourself where your dreams come from. Then consider
where they should come from. Should Hollywood be the source of your
dreams, the reinforcement of your dreams, or simply be a source of
entertainment? You'll have to decide. But do so explicitly. Your
dreams are too important to turn over to others to create and
manipulate.
As the Everly Brothers used to sing: "Dream, Dream,
Dream . . ."
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In my mind, his research and excellent presentation in this book fully redeem him as a person who knows police work!
In light of the events of the last few days, I think that more people will start to realize what really happened in this case...another rich person getting away with murder. I sincerely hope that this excellent novel played the part of a catalyst in bringing Martha's killer to justice!
I have searched the internet to send a fan letter to Mark Fuhrman. Hopefully, this review will reach him.
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Perhaps what makes Dunne's diaries most interesting is not just that they offer a glimpse into the lives of the very famous, or those whose wealth is almost beyond the average person's imagining, but that the glimpse offered is often a "warts and all" portrait that shows not just the fabulous wealth that many of these people enjoy, but also their faliure, bad decisions and unhappy love lives. While Dunne provides satisfaction to our voyeuristic tendencies (and in a manner that is perhaps a bit classier than any of the "reality shows" that pollute the airwaves and that more people watch than might be willing to admit it) he also serves to humanize people who are otherwise larger than life figures, whose lives have taken on such mythological proportions that we forget that they are people who eat, sleep, go to the bathroom, get sick, get old, fall in love, stuggle with mental and emotional problems (as well as alcoholism and drug addition) and experience faliure just like the rest of us.
The final portrait is one of the rich as like us and at the same time not like us. After all, they may suffer many of the same misfortunes as mere mortals and make the same bad decisions, but wealth often cushions the consuences, and sometimes cancels them altogether - even in the case of murder. After all, a DuPont whose a crack addict is, at the end of the day, still a DuPont, with a trust fund that will give him access to treatment that may elude not-so-wealthy addicts. And a murderer who has enough money to afford the best defense, and enough celebrity to generate some public sympathy, can get away with a murder that would inevitably send a poorer person to prison for a long, long time.
I admit to having dreaded the chapters on the OJ case because of its notoriety and injustice of the final verdict. However, given the incomprehensible mess created during the trial, Mr. Dunne actually make some sense out of the senseless and propounds a level of social morality which made me feel outraged for the victims and their families, but also satisfied that the case has been regarded as clearly unjust and unquestionably misjudged. This is Mr. Dunne's greatest achievement, that he keeps reason at the fore and dismisses the madness for what it is. This clarity continues through all the cases. There is no boredom factor here: every story is both peculiar and bizarrely entertaining or, taking it one step further by paraphasing Miss Jean Brodie (or Murial Spark if you must), "for those of us who like that sort of thing, this is the sort of thing we like."
Mr. Dunne writes in a style which lends irony, bitterness and clarity to cases full of red herring and slander among the so-called rich and famous. I can think of no other crime reporter quite like him. He reflects a sense of social interaction and high-minded justice with an intensely alluring and entertaining voice.
Not to be missed is Prince's comments on some of the sittings. My favorite being his sitting with "Miss Piggy," which includes the incident with the "buffet" and how he had to sustain himself through the afternoon shooting on a single grape.
The book introduction is by writer Dominick Dunne and is alone worth the price of the volume. In presenting Prince's work he recounts a time long gone when style was in vogue and Hollywood was the home of STARS.