My Name is Barbra: The exhilarating and startlingly honest autobiography of the living legend

Hot Toasty RagReview of 'My Name Is Barbra'“It’s only the best fruit the birds pick at.”Although not said by Barbra Streisand, the above quote from Bette Davis (written to Ms. Streisand after she received harsh words from others) sums up the unwarranted criticism of this immensely talented lady. I was probably a unique reader (unfortunately) and hadn’t heard any bad rumors about Ms. Streisand. I’d seen most of her films, listened to her Christmas album every year since its release, and her warmth and sensitivity immediately made an impression. I never thought she was unreasonable, difficult, egotistical, or didn’t know her place. My heart aches for her that she’s been criticized for decades and that untrue stories were circulated. A good portion of her memoir is dedicated to correcting those stories and telling the truth. Truth is very important to the authoress, and when we read how lies and betrayals were commonplace in her both her professional and personal lives, it’s quite painful. As I wrote in my fan letter, the honesty in her writing makes it easy to hope when she struggles, beam when she triumphs, appreciate her dedication, pain when she sorrows, and rejoice when she finally finds the love of her life.Ms. Streisand is an incredibly sensitive and deep-feeling woman. She’s intelligent and naturally gifted. It was surprising to me to learn that she’s never had a voice lesson in her life – especially since my mom had told me the story of a woman who claimed to be Ms. Streisand’s voice teacher! Yet another example of people taking advantage of Ms. Streisand and lying for personal gain. In addition to detailing the life events that most readers already know about (her Oscar wins and snubs, relationships with Elliot Gould and Jon Peters, and political involvement), she also takes us through private struggles and intimate sorrows. She’s quick to explain her remarks that were either taken out of context or misinterpreted. From walking out on Celine Dion’s performance due to a medical emergency to deliberately editing interview footage to twist her words against her, it’s incredible how many people attacked her because they had issues within themselves and didn’t care what damage would be done to an innocent woman.On a positive note, everything Ms. Streisand develops an interest in becomes a passion and success. Had she not become an actress (or singer or director or producer or writer or activist), she would have excelled in any number of other fields. Her love of food will leave you hungry; her respect for history will leave you thirsty for knowledge. She dabbles in the stock market, she knows how to mix sound tracks and edit video footage, and she even does her own makeup in every single film. And to top it off, everything she does, she does passionately and impeccably well. As a film production major (with an emphasis in editing), I appreciated her dedication to her films, and her ingenious method of taping a copy of the dailies on her camcorder so she could review the footage at home without adding to the budget or lab time. She’s the kind of person who’s constantly learning – and constantly loving. Reading about her love of little English tea sandwiches brought such a smile to my face. Although she has great moments of insecurity and can be her own worst critic, she still finds joy in all the little things.And what a memory! She remembers what she ate, what she wore, who said what, the order of her songs in her first nightclub act, making My Name Is Barbra a truly personal memoir. This isn’t a dish-the-dirt book, nor is it an I-like-everybody “tell all”. It’s a woman’s life. She has terrible tragedies and beautiful successes. She gives people their privacy, but tells us what she feels we need to know. She’s had friendships with Marlon Brando, Stephen Sondheim, and President Clinton, but she also writes about private moments with her doggies. She discusses pre-, post-, and mid-production of her films (which you’d better watch beforehand, because she reveals all the plots), the conceptions of her albums, and dreams that were never realized. (In case you were wondering why she never played Mama Rose, you’ll find your heartbreaking answer.) As an avid biography reader, I was so impressed by her collection of photos: dozens and dozens, including a full page of her favorite album covers and another dedicated to her husband.Don’t be daunted by the length; it will fly by and you’ll long for more once you’ve turned the final page. My mom and I read My Name Is Barbra together every day for a month. She was an integral part of our days, and we already miss her. Although, buying McConnell’s coffee ice cream at the store and re-watching her movies makes us feel closer to her.

Lo estoy leyendo ,muy recomendable

Returned and reimbursed with 2hrs

Como gran fan esperaba este libro. Lástima que aún no esté en castellano. Lo disfrutaré además de practicar mi inglés.

best bio ever