James Dean: Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Interesting book on a screen icon.

Good

The title has always intrigued me. Entertaining read with no great surprises but like all Hollywood bio's, is it really the truth? How much is fabricated?

I bought this book as i've always been facinated by the myth and cult status surrounding James Dean. As an overview of James Dean's life this is superb and dealing with the aftermath of his death. I was only disappointed in the fact it didn't really say too much about his relationships with his co-stairs, directors and the studio as a whole and maybe his sexuality was covered in a bit too much detail but still a great read. As an introduction to James Dean this is a superb book. Recommended

This has to be one of the best books i've read in a while... i picked it up just for something to read on the train.. and i couldn't put it down. I wouldn't really have called myself a James Dean fan before this.... but his short and tragic life was filled with some very interesting reads.The style of writing however really shocked me in places... Paul Alexander writes it like it is... he doesn't change his use of language to make it politically correct... he tells the story like you'd tell it to a friend. excellent. A must for anyone... not just JD fans.

This book is a fascinating account of the iconic James Dean.The book starts from the very beginning, from his childhood, teen years, struggling to make it as an actor, making it as an actor and his tragic death and finally the aftermath of his death.The book features interviews with former friends and lovers which help give an insight into his personality and also his passion for acting and being the best he could be.A lot of reviewers seem perturbed by the biographys revelations of Dean's sexuality but I found those details refreshingly honest compared to the marketed 'stud' image of Dean. The author presents what believes to be facts and also notes when he has just an opinion on somthing, such as Deans relationship with Pier Angeli, which was an arranged relationship but appeared to blossom into something much more substanial. I think people have a problem accepting their icon could be gay or a predominantly homosexual bisexual man.I recommend this book as a must read for any James Dean fan.

As another reviewer said above, A good read but cuts his sexuality to the bone. This author has written this book as if to say JD was gay, and all his girlfriends were publicity stunts. Personally i think this is untrue. And for that reason only i was disappointed. He couldn't have read many biographies written by people who knew Jimmy personally. Apart from this its reasonably accurate. He was even lucky enough to have a very brief talk to Winton Dean just before he died. However, I wouldn't recommend it if its your first purchase of a Dean book either.

I had my doubts about this book even before buying it and they were certainly proved right. There are paragraphs which read more as fanfiction than a reliable biography. There is too much emphasis on Dean's sex life but what makes it worse is the way these parts are written. There are whole passages of hugely detailed, explicit tales of sexual encounters that read as if the writer is just getting carried away with his imagination.I have given it two stars as there are parts, mostly at the beginning, that were interesting. Overall though, I wish I hadn't wasted my money. I only bought this book as I couldn't find any other James Dean biography in Southampton, and now wish I hadn't wasted the money and had gone online instead.