Performing Arts Books

One of the most famous - and infamous - letters in all of literature, De Profundis is a strange little piece of work: either much more than it appears on the surface, or much less. It is something I think everyone should read, if only for its insight into the human character, particularly that of one under great personal suffering. Wilde wrote this extraordinarily long letter from prison to Lord Alfred Douglas, his friend, lover, and the man who - by all accounts - was the reason Wilde was in jail in the first place. Despite repeated assertions in the first few pages alone to the contrary, Wilde seems reluctant to blame himself. He clearly blames Douglas to the hilt, and harbors a certain bitter resentment towards him. And yet... he clearly still hold much dear affection toward - and even loves - Douglas. He still seems to be asking for forgiveness - despite the fact that, by all accounts hardly excluding his own, he was the man wronged. It is quite clear from reading this letter that, desite the view history holds of him, Wilde was clearly a man of very high moral character. Certainly, one would not put Wilde atop a pedastal as the zenith of ethics - he himself says that morals contain "absolutely nothing" for him, and clearly admits - and is proud of - his having lived the high life to the hilt during his youth - but Wilde was a man of principles, and he stuck to those principles to the tragic, bitter end. Perhaps you might say he carried them too far. One gets the sense in reading this letter - or a biography of Wilde - that, not only could he have stopped his immiment imprisonment, but could have severed his ties with Douglas completely - had he wanted to. Apparently, he had his own utterly compelling reasons for not doing so. Whatever the case, Oscar Wilde is one of the most fundamentally and perpetually interesting characters in the whole of history. A self-described man of paradoxes - Wilde was subsequently the true essence of his time, while also being far ahead of his time - De Profundis makes for required reading by one of the most endlessly fascinating individuals you'll ever read about, and also provides a startling - indeed, perhaps too much so - insight into human nature.

De Profundis, though long for a letter, is not a long work in the conventional sense. Consequently, as many editions of Wilde's collected works are available, buying this on its own may be deemed questionable. I highly reccommend purchasing a Collected Works of Oscar if you have not done so already - it's well worth the price - but, should you desire to have more compact editions of specific works, an edition such as this will be privy to your needs.

This is a very moving account of a heartbroken man who was betrayed by a person he loved dearly. The pain, the trauma, the love, the anger, the frustration is evident in every single well-written sentence. This book is not only a window into the mind of one of the best British writers of the late 19th century. It is also a timeless lesson on what can happen when one falls in love with someone who doesn't truly appreciate what they have before them. Of course there are other lessons to be learned in this book but rather than point them out here, I'd much prefer you pick up a copy of "De Profundis" as soon as you can.

Not actually a "letter," though it had to be originally presented as such for him to be allowed to write it while in prison, *De Profundis* is Wilde's masterpiece--one has to have really lived and really, really suffered to have written it and it's amazing that he achieved it.

I only very recently read it--and "got" it. It rings true to me, and is very, very moving and "profound." It ain't summer beach reading.

Wilde is still and will probably always be best known as a "Personality"--that and the author of a couple of decent period plays, a short novel, a few stories, and lots of forgettable poems and such. But THIS--THIS is IT.

He really WAS a great writer, it turns out, after all.

So many people concentrate on De Profundis' accusations cast towards Alfred Douglas. Yes, it's true that the letter was written to him and that Wilde is ruthless in letting Douglas know exactly what he thinks of him but that's not why De Profundis is a great piece of work. It is great for three reasons. Number one - It contains the best account of the life of Christ. Christ as the romantic artist is the only account that has moved me to tears and the only account I can personally embrace. Number two - it is chock full of the Oscar Wilde voice and wit and as a result it reverbates as a true work of art and number three - It is ultimately a work that celebrates the things in life worth feeling - failure, love, injustice, strength and forgiveness.

Don't waste your time with the accusations towards Douglas. He is unimportant. Oscar Wilde is what's important and De Profundis is Oscar Wilde bare.

Ah, me...one doesn't know which to be more irritated
and exasperated with: whether it be Walt Whitman doing
his dissembling shuck-and-shuffle about the children
he had sired (to throw off a probing, serious John
Addington Symonds) -- or Oscar, in this "j'accuse," which
he should have spoken while looking in a mirror, rather
than writing it on paper to Lord Alfred.
This is without doubt a fascinating, horrifying,
and yet in places humorous, "piece de Miserere mei"
(to combine a bit of French with Latin).
If one chooses to believe Oscar, his only fault
was weakness in "giving in" to Lord Alfred. Oh,
come now. Blinded by Eros, reason flies out the
door...if ever reason was in control. There are
some sentences which are devastatingly revealing,
but Oscar doesn't seem to see it. "The trivial in
thought and action is charming. I had made it
the keystone of a very brilliant philosophy expressed
in plays and paradoxes." Ye gods, and little fishes!

And this man dared to call himself a "Classicist?!"
Yikes!!!
The best exercise for the reader is to just take
many of the things which Oscar accuses Lord Alfred
of, and turn them toward the self-blind, self-
justifying Oscar, to see their devastating hitting
of the mark. Never having met the young man, but
only having the "benefit" of hearsay (mostly from
Oscar's literary defenders) Lord Alfred seems to have
been calculating, temperamental (using anger to get
his way), manipulative, etc., etc., etc. The best
description of him may be Wilde's referring to him
with the lines from Aeschylus' play AGAMEMNON,
about the lion cub being raised in a house and
being let loose to wreak havoc and ruin.
But Oscar bears his share of blame -- more than just
that of the "sin" of weakness which he constantly falls
back upon in his own justification. Even in the midst
of what purports to be some sort of penitent cry from
the depths of hell...Oscar still is ever the poseur:
"And I remember that afternoon, as I was in the railway
carriage whirling up to Paris, thinking what an impossible,
terrible, utterly wrong state my life had got into, when
I, a man of world-wide reputation, was actually forced
to run away from England, in order to try and get rid
of a friendship that was entirely destructive of everything
fine in me either from the intellectual or ethical point
of view...." Er, when was the last time that the
"everything fine" had last seen the light of day?
Was Oscar an "Artist," as he consistently claims?
Was he the wronged, harmed Artist? Perhaps only the
reader can decide that for himself. Without doubt
he was witty, acerbic, funny, cute, clever, perhaps
even charming (to some -- sort of like a Pillsbury
Dough Boy with flair and a clever tongue), perhaps
stylish (in a frumpy, velveteen sort of way). Was
he wronged by a predatory clinger and manipulator,
and a hypocritical social prudery and class power
play (Oscar is no Socrates--that's for sure!)? He
hardly seems worthy, in some ways, of being a poster-boy
for Gay Pride parades. More likely, he is a better
warning poster boy for the self-excusing, and never
take-responsibility-for-your-own-actions crowd.
But this is an incredible piece to read and think
about. There is some of it that is mordantly hilarious.

My daughter and I really like this colorful and thorough guide.
It has lots of information and feels like a Field Guide we can take anywhere.

My 4 years old son is a dino lover, and enjoyed the book very much. Especially, he favored the attached mini poster with small images of many dino species.

My 5 & 6 year olds who have been obsessed with dinosaurs for the last 3 years, love this book. They sit and read for HOURS and have learned all the specs on their favorite dinosaurs. As a parent, I think this book has a lot of great information and is simple enough for my 5 year old to read. Hope this helps!

I have a 5 and 7 year old. We all think this book is great! It's colorful and informative and Up-To-Date! One feature I enjoy pointing out to my kids is the little images which compare the dinosaurs size to a human child's size. That way we get an even better idea how big the creatures were.

Promising high interest and educational quality alike is this dinosaur 'field guide' for all ages, which packs in museum-quality dinosaur illustrations, expertise by two paleontologist authors, and details on dinosaur digs and places to see fossils in the field. Web sites, museums, and bibliographies are also included in this highly visual, appealing guide.

It's fairly well written and the author you can tell has done a lot of research and field work. What throws you off at first is her dying love to Michael Moore to my opinion which is a fact that he doesn't make documentaries. The guy makes blockbuster films. I don't know, anyway, good for the entry level documentary filmaker.

In short, this book is a profoundly useful tool to help you develop your film's narrative structure (even if you don't think you need help in that department, you might be surprised by the useful tips and strategies offered here); it is worth it for that alone. The fact that it also offers in-depth advice on writing effective scripts, proposals, treatments, etc. make it impossible to resist. Clear, concise, and intelligent writing offering real-world examples from wildly diverse filmmaking approaches.

In response to the reader who says the author loves Michael Moore - I disagree. Moore is used a few times as an example but I'm guessing that's because she's guessing most people are familiar with his work. She uses him as a negative example, as well, describing how Roger & Me manipulated the chronology of events it "documented" in a way that was misleading and disingenuous.

This book was great for me as I am very new to documentary filmmaking. It was methodical but without being boring and Ms. Bernard has a very clear and deep understanding of what makes documentaries work and not work. Her experience shows throughout and having actual documentaries as reference points was tremendously helpful. I recommend this book.

This book should be in every screenwriting curriculum in America. Sheila Curran Bernard knows what she's talking about, and, unlike others in this field, she is eminently capable of conveying that knowledge in a clear, unassuming, generous manner. Five BIG stars for this excellent guidebook.

Bernard's professional expertise shines through in this unique book. The book is balanced, insightful, and thorough. Bernard examines a wide range of filmmakers, bringing a critical and perceptive eye to their work. A must read for anyone interested in learning more about storytelling, structure and other essential aspects of documentary filmmaking. A practical and readable guide that is also the perfect text for upper-level college courses. Highly recommended!

Being a student of Barry Gilmore's english course, i can honestly tell you that "G" is an astoundigly talented teacher and writer. In the class room Gilmore instills his lessons in an attractive and interesting manner, and his book is no different. This mass of pages will undoubtedly assist writers of any age to become more talented. Gilmore is where it's at, and if you can't dig it, then doom on you!

This book opened my eyes to the world of writing. I loved it and I want to marry Barry Gilmore, the hottest author in the universe. Marry me, Barry. Love, your secret admirer

Never before have I been able to learn so much by simply reading a book. Barry Gilmore's book with its stunning insights into the world of creative writing has taken my own writing to new heights. I would strongly advise all aspiring young writers to read this book. Even veteran writers would do well to read this book and learn a few new tricks.

Barry Gilmore is so Flush!!!! This is a super book, written by someone who had I Love Barry written on a trash can for him. If that doesn't show devotion, I don't know what does.

Barry's oxymoronic view of the aesthetic atmosphere drives liberally in a radical world of writing. His poignant and precise touch on the nebulous line that divides and encompasses the writing and visual arts and poetry, is a phenomenal explication on the spirit and presence that can strike us all dumbfounded when gawking and drooling at colorful oprah. He takes a painting and expounds on it thoroughly enough to encapsulate even the ignorant, and even his tone and rhythm musically provide a contextual creation. His work, in itself, is a piece of art.

I purchased this as a gift for my husband, but he has remarked at what a good collection of stories have been put together about John Wayne. This is coming from someone who has a pretty substantial collection of his movies.

Almost like a brief history of the era and new insights into how those movies were made. Enjoyed the ancedotes of fellow artists.

One of the reasons Wayne was so popular was that he symbolized everything America wanted to be; strong ,brave,loyal,savvy and honest.His character was a fighter who never backed down when he knew he was right. He was a role model to millions, his screen actions were a roadmap to manhood. That was John Wayne,Icon.
But there was another side to Wayne. He was a real man,flesh and blood, and he had real thoughts and feelings,strengths and weaknesses. He was as brave as his larger-than-life screen persona in his real life,such as in the way he faced up to cancer, and very very human.This is John Wayne,the Man.
This book does an excellent job of showing both sides of the John Wayne coin,Man and Icon. It does it with stories told by people who really knew him. After reading this book you actually feel like you've had a bull session with Duke's friends and co-workers. It's got a very amiable feel to it.
The book also reminds me of Studs Terkel's books. Studs would just turn on a tape recorder and let his subjects pour their hearts out. The author here uses a similar approach. Each story is like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle and at the end of the book you can put all the pieces together to get a clear picture of the Duke.
After I finished reading, I wished I had known him too.

With John Wayne's 100th birth date coming up I started looking for books on him that I have not read. This book is very enjoyable reading. You learn alot about the man from his fellow co-workers and friends. I would recommend this one to any one.

I am a huge fan and relative of Herb's writings. He has a true gift for the written word and I have enjoyed all of his books. Herb, my prayers and thoughts are with you during these very trying times. I am thinking of you incessantly and the entire family prays for you daily. Godspeed.

This book is great for ages 3-7. Dumpy wants to be a dancer but no one thinks he should be because he is a pig. This book has very good illustrations and is very easy to read. At the end EVERYBODY starts to dance! That is why we gave it five stars.

I have given this book several times to children in the 6-8 year range and all have enjoyed it thoroughly (especially children who like to dance). The verse is delightful, the animals charming, and the message is very positive. If you want to give a gift but are afraid that the child has many of the older classic picture books, this one is a great choice.

This is a great book for kids, adults and music lovers. The story is a good lesson in believing in your dreams and trying to achieve them! Despite who you are or what you are, you can do most anything. This story has become one of our family favorite read-aloud books! Buy one for your favorite music teacher, too!

Dumpy La Rue is a fun book. I read it to a group of third graders and they loved the rhyming words and thought of more that would rhyme with them. The loved the pictures as well as the story. They wanted me to read it to them again and again!

Let me explain to you the process that I follow when I review picture books. First, I read tons of professional reviews of the newest books coming out. Then I systematically make a list and work my way through it, often including old standbys and books from my own youth that I'd like to reexamine. THEN I finally check out a book or two and review it for fun. I almost never deviate from this pattern except on special occasions. Such an occasion arose just the other day when I was pawing through my local library. I was in a new library attempting to find some of the books on my list when the title, "Dumpy La Rue" caught my eye. I'd never heard of "Dumpy La Rue". I was familiar with the illustrator Betsy Lewin (of "Click Clack Moo" and "Duck For President" fame) but not author Elizabeth Winthrop. But one glance on the cover of a delightful pig in a spotlight and I was sold. I mean, with a title like "Dumpy La Rue" and a fun frolicsome pig, how could I resist? Out the window goes my careful selection process. Into my home comes "Dumpy La Rue".

The first sentence of the book sums it up. "Dumpy La Rue wanted to dance". Of course, Dumpy has a couple facts not in his favor. First of all he's a pig. As his father is quick to inform him, "Pigs don't dance". Second, he's a boy. His sister points out that "They fight, they march, they sport, and they snort. And they're never ever supposed to cavort". None of this discourages Dumpy one little bit. Soon he's dancing in full view of the entire barnyard (much to the embarrassment of his family members). Before you know it the sheep want to join in. Then everyone wants to. Instructing them to listen to the music inside everyone closes their eyes and does so. Before you know it everyone's in on the act, even Dumpy's ma, pa, and sister. Says the last sentence in the book, "The Barnyard Ballet of Dumpy La Rue. The pig who knew what he wanted to do".

The story's got a catchy rhyming beat that difficult to resist. Winthrop also knows exactly which dance terms to include. For those with a basic background in ballet, note the phrase, "He did a glissade and pas de bourree. From slop heap to bucket, he jeted his way". I advise you to help kids learning to read with that part (and to learn the pronunciation of the French yourself if you've a mind to). As catchy as the words are, however, they're nothing compared to Lewin's illustrations. You know, I liked "Click Clack Moo", but I always felt that Lewin's accompanying pictures were the weak point of that tale. They lacked a kind of verve and technical accomplishment. Had I but known that she was capable of the kind of fabulous energy and bounce found in "Dumpy La Rue" I would have definitely taken her to task. In this book Lewin has gone all out. From the sheep chorus line on the endpapers to the lengthening shadows on the dancing animals throughout the day, Lewin's got it going on. She uses watercolors to give the night sky behind the barnyard dance a kind of blue/purple distinctness. I've never seen her give such great movement and character to her drawings before. Heck, if you can look at the adorable title page containing a smiling Dumpy La Rue perched on a sign and NOT want to read this book then you're a hard hard case.

The message I can take or leave. Stories about "being yourself" abound and this one's hardly any different. Far better (and worth the price of the book alone) are Betsy Lewin's illustrations. I kid you not, they're the best dancing animal illustrations I've ever seen. I know that Steven Kellogg wrote a fairly similar story to this one recently about a dancing cow ("Clorinda") so you might consider pairing the two together. Both have their charms, but "Dumpy La Rue" includes an entire barnyard conglomeration of dancing animals. Few books can boast as much. Few books are as good as this.

This is a brilliant book, beautifully written by a very knowledgeable and passionate dancer and instructor. It draws us in with its exquisite photographs and descriptions of belly dancing. For those who don't belly dance, it will bring depth of appreciation to this art form and may encourage them to give it a try. For those who belly dance, there is insightful information on how to progress to that next level. Other dancers will also enjoy this book for the parallels it draws between belly dancing and their genres.

There is something in here for everyone. A truly enjoyable read!

I am a stickler for quality and professionalism. This book is exquisite. Beautiful full-color photography, depth of perspective on technique and choreography, extremely well-written and laid out in a manner to captivate and hold your attention. This is a great text for a master class or university dance course, a tool for dance teachers and students, and a beautiful gift as a coffee table book for anyone valuing classic beauty - all in one. It is exceptional to be able for one book to serve well in all of these diverse areas. Quite a feat!

Ramona has done an excellent job at breaking down how to figure out choreography. The book is clear, well-written and has lots of photos and diagrams to supplement. I would recommend this book to bellydancers of all levels - from beginners tackling their first performance to seasoned dancers with hundreds of choreographies under their belt. There is something in here for everyone - it is a pleasure to read!

This is a book that I think is the first in its kind in the realm of belly dance and one that certainly delivers its point of giving you what you really need to go from beginner to real dance-making. It is also gratifying to know that the author is a really accomplished lady that not only is a belly dancer but has scientific and academic training. That made my wife very happy, as she struggles herself into choosing his career (she studied forestry) and belly dance performing and teaching. Now she knows that doing both, and doing them well, is possible.

This is a great book for any level of belly dancer who wants to create their own improvised and/or choroegraphed dances. Whatever style of Middle Eastern or bellydance you do, you will find that the advice, theory and practical exercises can help you develop your own dance and enhance your performance. The author touches on musical interpretation, presentation, considering the audience, design concepts, individual expression as well as different ways to organize a dance performance. There is so many ideas and excercizes in this 157 page book that it would take me several months, maybe years of practice and experimentation, to exhaust all the concepts.

The writing is clear, friendly and easy to read and the book is peppered with photographs and diagrams. I foundthe book very well organized. The author is very generous in sharing her personal perspective on the subject, and she includes a list of numerous resources the reader can use to further explore the material.

My wish for future material from this author would be a dvd companion to demonstrate some of the concepts and lead me through some of the exercises and a book has certain limitations. In the meantime, IAMED's dvd "Star Power!" with Amaya offers content on a similar subject from a slightly different perspective. I personally find that the two together have really helped increase my confidence and awareness of the performance aspects of this dance.

If you like giant monster movies, and want to know more about how they were made, this book is for you. Not many photos of the monsters (there are other books out there for that) but there are behind the scenes photos. Learn the biographies of the men who made films you still love after all these years. Not much has been published in the West about them, but here it is! Well written and laid out. 2 page essays about certain film makers by noted Western Kaiju lovers. Worth the price, and thankful that it was printed.

This is a wonderful coffee-table size book that contains beautiful photos and interesting commentary. If you are a fan of Godzilla and/or Eiji Tsuburaya this is the book to get!

This book is a meticulous, thoughtful, well-written, and beautifully laid-out tribute to a true master of special effects. It is a fascinating look, not only into Tsuburaya's life and career, but also the way the film industry works in Japan. An interesting read for non-fans; a must-have for fans of the genre.

Phenomenal book. Great quality, design, and content. If you have any remote appreciation for this kind of film making and monster design, this book is an absolute love letter... A must have!

Tsuburaya Eiji was the Japanese special effects director who was behind so many monster movies that came out from Japan during the 1950s and 1960s. This is a pictorial biography of Tsuburaya Eiji that proves to be very well written and informative. I found the book to be rather insightful as the author included inserts written by men who worked with or worked under Tsuburaya Eiji during his career. The book also comes well illustrated with photographs and movie posters on almost every page as it traces the life and time of Tsuburaya Eiji's career. It was interesting to note that during World War II, he made a movie made from miniatures that showed the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was so realistic that during the initial post war period, Americans thought it was the real thing. Tsuburaya Eiji was also the man who made Godzilla what he was and creator of the Ultraman series that is still going on to this day.

Overall, this book is definitely worth your time and money to read over and treasure. Tsuburaya Eiji is one of the great pioneers of motion picture industry regarding special effects and his influence help shape this industry to this day. His influence in the science fiction genre will remains pretty strong as monster movies like Cloverfield still hit our theaters and on DVD to this day. The book strongly reflects the heydays of Japanese monster movie era history and it will remind many of us, the fun and wonder these movies brought us during our younger days. And it will inform otherwise misinformed that there is more to these movies then just a "guy in the monster suit" concept.

(And yes, I am writing the subject's name in Japanese style...sur name first always...Tsuburaya Eiji is the way you would address him if he was still alive today...as you would with any Japanese national.)

I grew up poor (though not as poor as the Presleys). There were 6 people living in a 2-bedroom home. That Elvis slept with his parents (it gets cold in northern Mississippi and Tennessee) doesn't really shock or surprise me.

What does surprise me is that someone like Dee Stanley, who put her own sons in foster care so she could pursue Vernon Presley, would condemn them.

I am also not surprised that Elvis was never able to form a long-lasting relationship with a woman. Most of the women I have read about seemed only interested in what they could get from him. not what they could give to him; a total contrast to his Mother.

I thought Elaine Dundy did a masterful research job. Too bad the history books kids use in school don't usually match this level of research and dedication to facts.

This book is not just about Elvis, it is about poverty and how it shapes people and stays with them throughout their lives.

Buy this book, you will treasure it.

Just loved this book it was fascinating about Gladys and Vernons background. How poor they were and the sadness of the birth of Jesse Garon and Elvis it's to much to tell every Elvis fan needs this book. You will be amazed on how much understanding of the Presley family you will have after reading this book. This is why Elvis had such a kind and gentle way about him and a giving heart it hurts me to know that the people he loved the most used him for there own fame and fortune. All i can say is buy this book you will not be disappointed and you will come to know Elvis a lot better than before it's a must for every Elvis fan.

I've read quite a few books about Elvis and this one is excellent. The author spent a lot of time with people who knew Elvis back then and uncovered some very interesting and heart-warming stories. I learned a lot about his childhood and school days that I hadn't heard before. I'd recommend it for any Elvis fan.

What impressed me most was the account of Elvis' intense, enduring interest in performing beginning at an early age. She cites his participation in school shows, contests and courthouse jamborees, his involvement with entertainer Mississippi Slim, and his 240 mile hitch hike to compete at the Jimmie Rogers Festival. Elvis's association with Bill Black, his first bass player, occurred long before that famous Sun session that produced his first hit. Those who think that Elvis was just a truck driver that lucked up on a record hit are sadly mistaken. Elvis was into the music scene from the get go. He may have been lucky, but like they say, you make your own breaks. He was there, prepared, looking for the opportunity and taking the initiative.

The life of Gladys and her influence on Elvis are well documented. I've read several Elvis books, and none provides a better description. Gladys had her own dreams of stardom which filtered through to Elvis.

The author does a thorough, excellent job of researching and developing her own independent conclusions. For the most part, her logic rings true. In a very few instances, she may infer too much.

The author, Elaine Dundy, not only tells the story of Elvis and his mother, she traces back several generations into the history and psyche of Elvis' ancestors: the Scotch and Irish who settled the Southeast and tamed the Mississippi Delta. Although she is British, her extensive research and comments about post-Civil War Southern society, customs, lifestyle, and mindsets are dead-on. I grew up in the rural Deep South and many of the influences peculiar to the South that Dundy sites in this book were still a part of my mid-20th century experiences.

The reader closes the book with one thought about Gladys (and Vernon) and that is that these two parents loved their son more than life itself and that they simply did the best they could. They were handicapped from the beginning by poverty, ignorance, and also quite possibly genetic pre-dispositions towards depression, obsessive/compulsive disorders, and addictions. It was not uncommon throughout the 19th century and into the 20th that first cousins would marry and have children. The inter-marriages within the Smith and Presley families were pervasive and no doubt exacerbated genetic tendencies.

Gladys' relationship to Elvis was very close in that she put his needs above everything else in her life. She was the only person who could have ever "saved" Elvis from his excesses. But unfortunately, she succumbed to her own drinking habits early on. Once she was gone, his life spiraled out of control.

Elaine Dundy leaves the question unanswered: If Elvis had such a close relationship with Gladys, why wasn't he ever able to form an equally enduring and intimate relationship with a lover? The answer comes from the reader's personal conclusion that the mother-son relationship was close to the point of crippling to Elvis. Just as he reached young adulthood his fabulous success story began. He was stretching out for independence and Gladys figuartively and literally abandoned him -- through death. Elvis was always able to keep the "enduring" part of a relationship going (i.e. he could never let Priscilla go) but his love affairs seemed to mirror his relationship with Gladys in bizarreness, obsessions, and misery.

THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFULLY COLLECTED PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN OF MISS MONROE AT HER VERY EARLY CAREER. A TIME WHERE IT WAS PRIOR TO HER "HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE" AND "GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES" SUCCESS, WHICH LAUNCHED HER TO ETERNAL STARDOM. THIS IS A "MUST" FOR ALL MARILYN MONROE AFFICIONADOS. IT IS TRULY A BEAUTIFUL BOOK THAT I ENJOY READING AND REVIEWING MANY TIMES OVER.

'Niagra' is known for the movie that made Marilyn Monroe a star, and this book shows every moment of her life during the filming. As a true Monroe fan, I'm more interested in the casual candid photos of her more so than the made-up studio photography. My favorite photos of her in the book are the pictures taken of her while she was learning how to smoke a cigarette for the film. She had never smoked before and had to look like a natural within a few hours. These are photos you wouldn't see on a billboard or in a magazine. They show her true nature. They show her being a real person, vulnerable and timid.

Wonderful, oversized hardcover book with lots of black and white images of Marilyn while at Niagara Falls, shooting her first mayor movie "Niagara" in '52. I enjoy all the photographs, my favorites are where Marilyn practices smoking. There are also pictures of her with Joe Dimaggio before they were married, pictures of Marilyn without her make-up on and her face covered with vaseline as she liked to do. Reading her script while relaxing in bed. These are priceless photographs, showing Marilyn at the very brink of superstardom.

At 26, Marilyn Monroe was on the brink of stardom as she filmed her first leading role in Niagara. Canadian photojournalist Jock Carroll spent weeks with her at Niagara Falls during the on location shooting, and took almost 400 photographs. He also interviewed her throughout these weeks, and captured a lot of her activities on and off the set. He was preparing for an article called "Marilyn's Not So Menacing" that appeared in an August 1952 issue of Weekend Magazine, Canada's largest periodical at the time. You will see more candid photographs in this book than in any other source. Mr. Carroll died in 1995, and these photographs were located then. The photographs are well reproduced in this book, and bring her to life in both her glamorous and nonglamorous roles.

I was attracted to this book when I realized that it contained extensive interviews of Marilyn Monroe when she was 26, just before she reportedly drafted My Story. That autobiographical book has come in for many challenges concerning its authenticity and the strong stories contained in it. Reading the interviews in Falling for Marilyn provides a useful contrast in terms of what she says about herself and how she says it.

I was surprised to see that the stories she tells are almost identical in both books. That similarity argues for either for her being the author of My Story, or Mr. Carroll being the author. Interestingly, she tells a story here of having been recognized in school for her fiction as a child, and wanting to become an author. The most significant difference between the books was that here she claims to have needed the $50 she got for shooting the famous nude photographs to pay rent while in My Story, the money is used to retrieve her repossessed car. A minor discrepency comes in her asking Mr. Carroll a lot about Korea because she was thinking about doing a USO tour there. In My Story, she claims that this came up for the first time after she and Joe DiMaggio were in Japan on their honeymoon. There could be truth in both versions of these two stories.

There is a Zsa Zsa Gabor story here that is almost word-for-word the same as in My Story. This is true, as well, for one about being molested as a little girl by a boarder who paid her a nickel to keep quiet.

To me, the most telling comparison was in what Mr. Carroll observed about her. Even though she was making a fine salary at this point, she was always short of clothes while he was with her. This is something that she talks about a lot as being a function of her poverty in My Story. She also was always studying scripts or reading intellectual books, which is consistent with My Story also. She also made self-destructive comments about sleeping pills to Mr. Carroll as she does in My Story.

What was a pleasant surprise for me was Mr. Carroll's descriptions of his reactions to her. Those are missing from most books about Ms. Monroe. He had just come back from his own honeymoon a month before. He found himself strongly attracted to her, despite this. "The effect on me was cataclysmic." " . . . [W]hen she looked directly at you, it made you feel as though . . . you were sharing some naughty secret."

The photographs themselves are certainly sexy, but not revealing in the sense that we think of revealing today. They were daring, however, for 1952 in showing a little cleavage, a loose blouse, and sometimes erect nipples through her clothes.

She consciously worked on achieving this effect for these photographs. During a tour of a silverware factory, "Marilyn brightened [these] . . . photos by loosening the straps of her blouse, leaning over . . . to give . . . a good view of her breasts . . . ."

On the other hand, she was very protective of her relationship with Joe DiMaggio who did not want any publicity. She refused an interview where the interviewer was trying to worm in questions about the Yankee slugger.

My favorite photographs in the book include:

Reading script in bed (two page spread), located in the book's very beginning

Posing in front of the falls, p. 19

Visiting the silverware factory, p. 33

Combing her hair, p. 48

Arranging her hair, pp. 52-53

Laughing, pp. 84-85

Looking at Jean Peters' suit, p. 87

Smiling, p. 102

Seeing the vibrancy of this woman makes the sadness of her life all the more poignant. Be sure to read My Story to pick up on that contrast. Regardless of who wrote it, that is how Ms. Monroe saw herself and her life.

Consider how you can lift someone's spirits every day. Look for the hurting heart behind the naughty or haughty eyes . . . or any other strongly affecting mannerisms you notice. They are just part of the cover up.

THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFULLY COLLECTED PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN OF MISS MONROE AT HER VERY EARLY CAREER. A TIME WHERE IT WAS PRIOR TO HER "HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE" AND "GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES" SUCCESS, WHICH LAUNCHED HER TO ETERNAL STARDOM. THIS IS A "MUST" FOR ALL MARILYN MONROE AFFICIONADOS. IT IS TRULY A BEAUTIFUL BOOK THAT I ENJOY READING AND REVIEWING MANY TIMES OVER.