Greta Garbo Books

As a Garbo fan or really a Ms. G. fan. As she would say there is all the difference. With the thousands of pictures available this selection was o.k., not great. Good quality. Seems they could have been more creative, personal. Got the impression of a clever quick buck. The so called writing? Disappointing. Fluff, lacking detail, personal depth. Makes an attractive decorative addition to book collection.

What a beautiful book this is, when I realised that they were releasing yet another 2 coffeee table books on Greta Garbo (GG.), I was a little apprehensive about buying them as I already own most of the published books on her and most have been rather overall a let down, full of the same quotes and background stuff, I thought that her life story before, during, and after her acting career was over had been fully explored. But I ordered them anyway, and I have to say this is a keeper.Its not too heavy on the bio side but has been published by the Reisfields ( her family) so it is the nearest to the real GG were ever going to find. And the rest of the book is simply STUNNING is full off quality photos of GG throughout her life, nearly all never released before, and some are quite breathtaking, I have been collecting GG stuff for years and have to say that this is the best book I have ever seen on her.BUY THIS BOOK YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED, its massive and very heavy ( God, I love super-saver as would have cost a fortune for this to be delivered from U.S.)and is now the gem of my collection.I am away to buy a spare as, no doubt this will be out of print soon, and will have to remorgage to buy it again, trust me its that good.

I gave this book as a gift to a good friend. She enjoyed the book's pictures and information very much. The pictures are from one of Garbo's relatives, so these pics are not common. I was looking for a good informative piece with accurate Garbo memories, and I found them in this book. I would suggest this book if you're looking for something for a Garbo fan.

Garbo - Portraits from her Private Collection

Anatomy is the operative theme in Garbo's story. It has been said she had the ideal facial structure. To me, the most important thing to know about her is her will to excel. And her will to resist being dominated by the male chauvinist pigs who ran the studios of her era. Her story, then, is the anatomy of a woman who left her mark on a generation. Show business chews up those who aren't strong, then spits them out after sucking out their lifeblood. Women get terrible roles in films. Stereotypes. Vamps. Dumb. Home wreckers. Greta Garbo had, within the first few years of starting her career in America, effectively taken control of her films, getting the leading men she wanted, the cinematographers, directors, still photographers, costume designers.

Her films grossed two to three times as much revenue as the average film of her day. She represented about fifteen percent of MGM's revenue at one point. She was unique. She projected a sultry sexuality, an hauteur, a weltschmerz, an intelligence, an ability to resist love - then give in to all its pain. She represented everything men thought they wanted in a women, and represented for women everything they wished they were.

Some of the early still photos from the late 1920's are striking in their revelation of how captivating a woman's face can be. And for years after her film career effectively ended in 1941, the public was occasionally treated to photos which revealed how gracefully she aged from 1950 onward to her death in 1990 at age eighty-five in New York. She is buried in Stockholm, her home. A credit to two nations, she helped British intelligence during world war two by identifying NAZI sympathizers in Sweden.

Her grand-nephew knew her as Kata. The world knew her as Mata Hari, or Queen Christina. It was said she had no enemies in Hollywood. A bold statement about that venomous town. She was professional, dependable. Mayer, the head of MGM, said her word was better than any contract. The last forty years of her life she llived in the anonymity of New York, respected and liked by neighbors, shopkeepers, and her circle of friends.

She was frugal. She invested her money wisely. A good idea for a woman who, around 1935, had the highest salary of anyone in America. She lived her retirement years in comfort. She traveled, hobnobbed with Aristotle Onassis, Jackie Kennedy, John F. Kennedy - who gave her a piece of scrimshaw from his collection as a spontaneous act of appreciation of her. Within ten days, he was dead in Dallas. It was November, 1963, don't you know.

Frankly, most of the photos in the book don't do her justice. But then, she was a living woman. Only cinema could begin to show to advantage the characters she played. Only those who knew her personally could know what a fine, principled, truly lovely individual she was - that's true beauty. That's the real anatomy of a successful life. To be an inspiration to those who love you. Rest in peace, Kata.

Bottom line: I was disappointed.

I am a huge Garbo fan and looked forward to owning this book as soon as the public announcements came out - over 4000 photographs that Garbo personally kept. What pictures did she think enough to keep for herself?

One publicity blurb touting the book was accompanied by a candid photo of Garbo on the set of 'Two-Faced Woman' peering into a hand mirror while patting her hair into place - if that was an example of what the book had to offer, I DEFINITELY wanted it. That photo is not in the book.

There are over 200 photographs, and all of them except two I have seen before and are in print in other Garbo books I own. All of the photos have been 'antiqued' in burnished duo-tone, that I personally did not care for - I would have preferred the sharp black and white contrast of her MGM films.

Because all but two of the photos are unknown to me (and most likely you) and because they were printed in duo-tone I did not give the book five stars - only because it was Garbo did it get three. As a fan I am glad I own the book; as a general photography book of a classic Hollywood star, I own superior books, with superior photos of Garbo.

Swenson conveys an understanding of and respect for her subject as few biographers have. Not that anyone can know too much about Garbo, Swenson dug deep and this bio is full of pictures and information to make any Garbo fan's heart flutter into cardiac arrest! The Best!

Garbo: A Life Apart is a modern biographical masterpiece. I got started and could barely put it down. It was filled with great information. I have been following the life of Greta Garbo for about 7 years and have a collection of memorabillia to show for it! I have to say this is a MUST for any fan or collector of Garbo material!!! BRAVO Karen Swenson!!

Although the book is interesting taking into consideration its factographic side, it is written in a very pretentious manner trying unnecessarily to colorize the biography and therefore making it trivial and sometimes even pathetic. Just to mention: usage of such expression like "Turkey's great metropolis" in order not to call it Istanbul or Canstantinople seems to be quoted from an essay composed by some sixth-grade pupil.
I still consider "Garbo" by Barry Paris the best Garbo's biography.

Karen Swenson is to be commended for a fine biography of Greta Garbo. Garbo is an enigmatic star more closely resembling a lonely sphinx camping out in the Sahara than a glitzy glamorous star in Hollywood's Golden Era.
Swenson delineates the Garbo career from the Swede's girlhood in a poverty stricken home in Stockholm to the extremely wealthy recluse she became in New York following her 1942 retiriement from the silver screen. (Her last flick was a bomb called "Two Faced Woman." Garbo had at least two faces in real life. The athletic outdoor woman she was could be kind and cruel as her moods were quicksilver in the soul of this Viking child of the North.
Barry Paris's book on Garbo contains more pictures and is, on the whole, better written. I did, however, enjoy Swenson's work
on the screen legend devouring the biography in huge portions of time.
Garbo was a great talent who lit up the screen with her peerless beauty and style. Costumes by Adrian and the magic of MGM camermen aided her in the climb to the top but she was herself unique for her aura of lonely beauty.
I appreciate the work of Karen Swenson. I hope you the reader do as well. If you read only one book on Greta Garbo you could do worse than selecting this excellent biography to fill you in on the Swedish queen of film.

This wonderful story, about a wonderful woman, combines a selection of rare photos with startling new information about her childhood, her career, tumultuous relationships with lovers and friends, and her life after Hollywood.

affron's text is insightful; the frame enlargements are helpful and supportive of the text.

the most interesting aspect of this book could be its only failing. by choosing to study gish's silent work, davis and bridging the two with garbo, who acted in both silent and sound film, there is not a clear reason why affron selected these three. nor is there a clear connection between the three. not to mention, davis' filmography was the most accessible, as well as the most diverse (yes, that can be argued but how many of gish's films actually survive to disprove what i'm saying?) and davis could warrant a book all her own.

so, if it is of interest, read closely and draw your own conclusion. i will be doing it again very soon.

Written before the age of video and DVD, where images can be frozen or the real time of movement altered, this book features over 750 frame enlargements from the films in which Lillian Gish, Greta Garbo and Bette Davis appeared. These enlargements dissect the craft of each star's acting style, by reproducing moments, often close-ups, in a frame by frame study, and also documents the evolution and refinement of technique. The chapters on Gish are less interesting to me (a matter of personal taste), but the ones on Garbo and Davis are priceless. The films Garbo made were notoriously inferior to what she brought to them. Nowhere is this more evident than in her silent period, though Affron gives us images from films lost or unavailable to us. An example is A Woman of Affairs and the sequence where she embraces a bouquet of flowers from her lover. Affron's images convey the series of expressions that range from relief, panic at the thought of losing the bouquet again, and hysteria. The enlargements capture the transitions, and the "organic and spontaneous nature of her epiphany". The text which accompanies the frames is often hyperbolic and unnecessary. Garbo's sound era is best represented and finalised by the enlargements from Camille, since Affron does not cover Conquest, Ninotchka or Two-Faced Woman. Affron's chapters on Davis cover her apprenticeship with Warner Bros, highlights the three films she made with William Wyler - Jezebel, The Letter and The Little Foxes - as exercises in control and focus, and culminates in her triumph in All About Eve. There is an argument that reducing film performance, particulary ones from a talkie, is diminishing the accomplishment of the performer. While this book could be used as an alternative to the films the frames are taken from, I prefer to use it as a supplement to the films, and an opportunity to appreciate the beauty and talent of these extraordinary actors

Ok, so I read palimsest nearly..yes it could be a decade ago as a student. I bought Point when I wa scasually shopping last year. Vidal amazes in his clarity and liberal views. A true independent in all spheres!

A poignant, if somewhat rambling, stroll through the latter half of Gore Vidal's extrodinary life.

D. In listening to Gore Vidal's second memoir, POINT TO POINT
NAVIGATION, I was immediately struck by how much
name-dropping seems to be taking place . . . his list of friends
and acquaintances reads like a Who's Who of important people
in the 20th century . . . it includes such notables as Tennessee Williams,
Johnny Carson, Rudolph Nuryev, Eleanor Roosevelt,
Paul Newman, Orson Welles, JFK, Princess Grace, Amelia Earhart,
and Gretta Garbo, just to name a few.

Many of these individuals he liked . . . in listening to this book, which he
also narrated, you get to know them better . . . if he didn't like
you (think Truman Capote), watch out . . . he wrote about him and even
his own mother in quite unpleasant terms.

I generally tend to prefer a book that follows a more linear
fashion . . . POINT TO POINT skipped around a bit too much
to my liking, though Vidal explains his reasoning for doing so
by mentioning the fact that he was forced to utilize this means
of navigation whenever compasses failed when he was in the
navy during World War II.

Vidal has written some 46 books, as well as numerous
essays . . . you'll get a better feel for his life by reading
this memoir, though it was actually his moving account
of his companion-for more than half a century--Howard Auster--that
I found most interesting.

They met on Labor Day in 1950 . . . years later, Auster told
Vidal "that he thought he was just passing through my life and was
surprised as the decades began to stack up and we were still together.
But then it is easy to sustain a relationship when sex plays no part and
impossible, I have observed, when it does. Each had a sex life apart from
the other: all else including our sovereign, time, was shared."

It sounds funny to say this about a writer who has had as long and successful a career as Gore Vidal, but there are times I suspect that he is the most under/rated of our writers: He is quite simply a master novelist and the finest writer of essays of the last half century. Point To Point Navigation is a lovely, understated summing up of a long and varied life. If one cares about effortless prose- and a clear-eyed overview of the last few deacdes, you owe it to yourself to read P To P Navigation.

Yes there's the charm, the wit, the astonishing offhand stories about his friendships with a diverse crowd of 20th century legends, but in a nutshell: read Palimpsest instead! He actually repeats a couple stories from that book here. A few good new stories, but not many. If you have already read Palimpsest, this is something of an addendum.

As an adolescent, I must have spent hours studying my mom's copy of this book. On page after page of photos (from films, promotional shoots and other sources) I noted and compared the curve of eyebrows and shape of lips, the placement of beauty marks, the lines of hairstyles and figures, etc. Those images have stayed with me -- the very definition of womanly class and style. This book is full of beautifully done photographs of four strong, sexy women from a time when glamour was glamour. I highly recommend it.

Cahill's book is a feast for the eyes. The collection of pictures of Garbo are crystal clear and prove why she was "The Face of the Century". A must have for fans or a great introduction to the Golden Age of Garbo!

I haven't read the book, but caveat emptor! The book is smallish and only 134 pages, not the 192 listed above. And while it's very beautifully designed and produced, the type is fairly spaced out so that you could read it easily in an hour and half. So, despite the cover designation "A Novel" it's really a novella.

Although I found the subject matter and the ideas explored in this novel to be intriguing, oftentimes I found them to have been presented somewhat unevenly. The accounts of Mauritz Stiller and Greta Garbo are written fluidly and recounted with a certain grace and attention to detail. At times, the language is very beautiful- Gustaf Sobin is a poet, and it is very often apparent in his writing. However, most markedly during Philip Nilson's narration, the tone seems somewhat contrived, forced- the conclusions and analyses drawn by the narrator come out in a stilted manner. Perhaps this is because he seems so self-aware that I got the impression that he believed that what he had to say was exceedingly significant. The tendency of the narrator to appear so self satisfied in his pursuit for what he seems to see as being so *very* profound, exploring ideas that "[touch] upon the very meaning of existence" (from the blurb on the back of the book) was slightly irritating for me while I was reading this book. Nevertheless, I felt that this could have been easily improved upon: especially because this is such a slim novel, and loosely written at that (134 pages, spaced more widely than most books), I can't help but feel that since there were so many wonderful ideas and language in parts of this book, Sobin could have expanded on many aspects of the novel. I believe that the most significant parts of this novel exist in the scenes recounting parts of Garbo's life, when Sobin examines the crucial moment when she makes the transformation from an innocent child into a star.

While I do agree that this novel was "large in scope if not in words," I think that as a whole, it could have been presented in a more effective manner if the character of Philip Nilson was elaborated on in a more fluid manner. Also, the author had a propensity to explain things to the reader, when it generally was not necessary. But all in all, I feel that this book was worth reading- I'm just not sure if it was worth *buying*.

This short novel is a gem -- large in scope if not in words. A script writer is dying of cancer. His double, a producer and second husband of the writer's ex-wife, offers him a project -- a gift to keep his mind on things other than dying. The book narrates the film script he is writing - a film on Greta Garbo centered on the event that turned her from another good actress to the film goddess. As he researches and writes the script, the writer comes to terms with his own elusive (illusive) love for a half-sister, to terms with living as a passive canvas versus living with self-understanding.

The book is exquisite - well researched and perceptive of people and their idols, the effect of time on changing idols. If you read for action, this is probably not to your liking. If you read to expand your understanding of humanity, this belongs on your "must read" list.

This is not a biography of Garbo, but it is a "study" of Garbo and the way she embodied the most perfect form of beauty in the 20's and early 30's. It is interesting to note how much society's notion of beauty has changed in 80 years. This book discusses this and if you are interested in this era, in particular, Hollywood and it's ideals, this is an interesting piece of non-fiction for your shelf.

There are many pictures and references of Garbo and her unique physical attributes. It is mentioned that no celebrity has ever been able to emulate her unique beauty, since many celebrities like to take from the past for their inspiration. This is case point in Monroe's emulation of Harlow. If you are fascinated with Garbo, this book is a must-have. She was truly one-of-a-kind.

A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY ON THE MAKING OF A LEGEND. ALTHOUGH MAKE-UP ARTISTS, COSTUME DESIGNER ADRIAN, PHOTOGRAPHERS, & CAMERAMAN WILLIAM DANIELS DID CONTRIBUTE TO THE MAKING OF GARBO, LIKE WITH MARILYN MONROE, THERE'S SOMETHING THAT SET GARBO APART FROM ALL OTHERS THAT IS BEYOND ARTIFICE & ILLUSION-- AN INNER GIFT THAT CANNOT BE TAUGHT, LEARNED, OR BOUGHT. I BELIEVE GARBO WAS OBLIVIOUS TO THIS GIFT & HER STARDOM WAS INEVITABLE. OVERALL A GOOD BOOK ON A GREAT PERSONALITY.

It's not often that I venture forth to offer a review on Amazon, but I was so upset with this book that I had to speak up. I checked this book out of my University library to help with research for a film exhibit I am working on. I was hoping to find an at most academic and at least intelligent, or reliably informative retelling of the lives of these famous actresses within, how they were perceived by the viewing public, and the effect they had on the film industry during their tenures as stars. What I got was a sensationalist account concerned only with detailing every sexual encounter these women ever had, and taking delight in citing most of them as gay or bisexual, something that is not offensive to me but seems particularly overemphasized in this book.

Why is it important to know that several of these women didn't wear underwear on the set? This book is full of lascivious quotes from male film stars about the sexual appetites of all of these women, and time and time again I found myself questioning the legitimacy of these sources, not to mention the bias of what these men were saying considering attitudes about women at the time. Perhaps even more offensive, in Wayne's account none of these women are allowed to succeed on their own without men. Instead Wayne depicts their careers as driven primarily by sex, and there is no real examination of how these women succeeded based on their own talents or business savvy. They need men to land roles in films, they need men to fulfill whatever emotional void is in their life, and don't forget they prey on men like the vamps many portrayed on screen to fulfill their rampant sexual appetites. But I kept asking, over and over, so what? The dreaded question that every historian or biographer should strive to answer to justify the time and money spent into publishing any paper or book. The drivel presented here doesn't even attempt to answer this question.

There's no denying that none of these film stars were saints, but what does this book honestly add to any serious or intelligent discussion of film? Whether or not these actresses were as oversexualized as Wayne takes delight in portraying them, they are fascinating subjects who captured the imaginations of millions through their revolutionary presence on screen, whether through sheer talent, manipulation of their images, or both. They were acting during one of the most fruitful times for women in Hollywood in many cases, when women were allowed to be sexual and independent creatures who strove for what they wanted in their roles on screen. But instead of even attempting to point this out, Wayne is almost offensively interested in cataloging everything that supposedly went on in their bedrooms.

This book read like the worst of gossip columns with no analysis that even the more disappointing biographies I have read for this project made sure to offer. Further, the endless catalog of love affairs reads like a laundry list, making the writing bland and boring no matter how tantalizing the questionable subject matter attempts to be.

i have read the book and i keep wondering if any of this really true. it is just pure specualtion. idle gossip. but it was fun reading it. why was so much attention given to grace kelly when she only made a couple pictures with MGM. katharine hepburn was a much bigger star and the author gave her a couple of pages. just not enough.

Miss Wayne clearly did not investigate the rumors that fills this book. Many of her facts are not validated and that many more are known to be just rumor. The typographical errors abound, i.e. Wiltshire Boulevard in Los Angeles - it is Wilshire Boulevard. Her dates are deplorable - i.e. Esther Williams and Fernando Lamas were married for 22 years from 1969 until his death in 1982 - that's 13 years, Miss Wayne!

As an avid collector of classic movies and the literature of the Golden Age of Hollywood, this book has no value to this or any other collector!

While we all know that these celebrity histories relate many falacies, some shocking tid-bits are true. For instance, it has been well known that Mickey Rooney, as baby-faced and non-sexual as he may seem, was quite the ladies' man. As a 16 year old he had an affair with a much older Norma Shearer (quickly broken up by Louis B. Mayer to avoid scandal). As for Hedy Lamarr, read about the admitted bi-sexuality and orgies in her own words... "Ecstacy and Me," her autobiography, does not hide that she acutally is an arrogant nymphomaniac, and she seems to be rather quite proud of it! We all agree that there are false rumors that are attributed to these actors and actresses, but let's not forget that a lot of them brought sensationalism and scandal on their own. That is what makes their stories so fascinating, and that is why we read them.

Jane Ellen Wayne's book "The Golden Girls of M-G-M" will not be everyone's cup of tea. The author seems to take serious advantage of the fact that most of these women are no longer around to protect their reputations, and thus this book is full of vulgar details more at home in the National Enquirer than a deceptively-stylish biography tribute book (which this purports to be). Though to be fair, Ms Wayne is somewhat sympathetic to each of the ladies she features here, but the book is riddled with typographical errors, misspelled names and wrong information. This book will probably never help Miss Wayne ascend the upper-echelon of biographers.

Covering as much dirt as possible, each actress gets a chapter (Jeanette MacDonald, Norma Shearer, Greta Garbo, Jean Harlow, Joan Crawford, Lana Turner, Judy Garland, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor). There is also a `Naughty-But-Nice' section in the back, comprising of mini-chapters devoted to Hedy Lamarr, Katharine Hepburn, Esther Williams, Debbie Reynolds and June Allyson.

There are so many wonderful biographies available on these ladies, but I'm afraid this isn't one of them.

THIS HAS TO BE THE MOST AWFUL "BOOK" ON MS. GARBO I HAVE EVER READ. THERE ARE SO MANY BLATANT LIES, ERRORS, MISTAKES, MIS-CAPTIONED PHOTOS, ETC. THAT I WOULD NOT KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN TO STATE THEM. I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER SEEN SUCH POOR RESEARCH!
I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN - NEVER DID THIS AUTHOR WRITE ANYTHING CREDIBLE. HE NEVER WROTE ANYTHING OF MERIT IN HIS LIFE.
TRUE ADMIRERS OF MS. GARBO--PLEASE--READ KAREN SWENSON'S EXCELLENT BIOGRAPHY "GARBO - A LIFE APART". THIS IS SUPERB IN EVERY WAY - TRUTH, RESEARCH, INSIGHT, LIFE STORY, LOVE FOR JOHN GILBERT, SCANDANAVIAN ANGLE, ETC., ETC.
PLEASE - READ THIS EXCELLENT BIOGRAPHY OF THIS EXQUISITE, UNIQUE ACTRESS - ONE WE WILL NEVER SEE THE LIKES OF AGAIN!

Researched and written by historian and biographer Robert Payne, The Great Garbo is a thoughtfully presented and informative biography of the great film actress Greta Garbo (1905-1990), a woman who mesmerized the movie-goers of the 1920's and 1930's. It was Garbo's silver screen stories helped America cope during the depths of the Great Depression and left a lasting impression on American popular culture that continues to this very day. The 120 black-and-white photographs add a superb visual touch to this very highly recommended tribute to the life, work and legacy of a truly glamorous woman.