Overlong and breathlessly written, this dual biography of a German novelist and a Hollywood star wilts well before their late- life romance finally blooms. Gilbert (Ferber: The Biography of Edna Ferber and Her Circle, 1978) sets herself an ambitious, intriguing program. Alternating chapters narrate two converging stories. One concerns novelist Erich Maria Remarque, who made his reputation by penning the famous account of the horrors of WW I All Quiet on the Western Front. Hitler's ascension to power found the dashing Remarque expatriated to Switzerland and the United States, where he would become a cosmopolitan playboy. Remarque's later novels included some big sellers, but the true dramas unfolded in his affairs with the world's leading ladies, chief among them Marlene Dietrich. Gilbert's other story here concerns the actress Paulette Goddard. Rising from humble beginnings, she took the roaring '20s by storm. Paulette married rich—inspiring, some claim, How to Marry a Millionaire—divorced, made her way to Hollywood, and was cast by Charlie Chaplin in his classic Modern Times. Chaplin, for a time Goddard's husband, introduced her to powerful circles, where she captivated famous personages from George Gershwin to Anthony Eden. By the late 1940s, however, Goddard's star was in eclipse. Happily, she met Remarque, who was comfortable enough writing his more or less successful novels and screenplays, enjoying more or less masochistic relationships, and amassing a spectacular art collection. Relying heavily on transcriptions from diaries and letters, Gilbert details how the couple met, fell in love, and subsequently fell into decline together. Her account of their marriage, while complete, fails to provide satisfying resolutions to their two stories. Despite their moments of glamour, Goddard and Remarque emerge here neither as fascinating individuals nor as a uniquely interesting couple. This book's index will provide a veritable dictionary of 20th century celebrity. Too bad that the Goddard and Remarque don't stand out from this crowd. (b&w illustrations, not seen)
Pub Date: June 26, 1995
ISBN: 0-679-41535-1
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Pantheon
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1995
BOOK REVIEW
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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