Marlon Brando

Rating:
Summary: Bravo Brando!
Review: A vivid portrait of the man and his acting genius. Bosworth does a bang up job depicting his life and the development of his enormous talent. He is one of the world's greatest artists and we get a clear unencumbered picture of the man and his life in clear, practical, prose. Really fascinating.

Rating:
Summary: Yet Another Brando Bio
Review: Hey, I like Brando tremendously as an actor and have read his biographies for years. I particularly like his autobiography SONGS MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME. There is certainly nothing wrong with Ms. Bosworth as a writer. The book is an interesting, easy read. My objection is not to Ms. Bosworth but to the constraints of the format of Penguin LIVES. It appears to me that a writer cannot do an in-depth examination of someone's life in such a short book-- assuming that anyone will ever get much into the inner recesses of Mr. Brando's mind. Perhaps his private life should remain private. For instance, do I need to know that he has taken the drug librium for years? I think not. Additionally I would have liked to see footnotes. Ms. Bosworth makes a lot of statements about Brando with not the slightest hint of where shes got such information. Granted, she does list other biographies she consulted as well as the people she interviewed for writing this bio. I assume that extensive footnotes would have make the book too long. Having said all that, I am now in need of a Brando film festival, having finished the book. Ms. Bosworth made me want to revisit the Brando movies I've seen and see others for the first time.

Rating:
Summary: Read both Brando's autobiography and Peter Manso's biography
Review: I like to read biographies in general, but I have a special interest in Marlon Brando and collect books and things about him. If you want a pleasant overview of the life of Marlon Brando, pleasant meaning perhaps you are a teenage girl and want to reaffirm your crush on him, then Bosworth's book is okay. But you might as well read his autobiography, because most of the anecdotes and quotes are from that. Plus, his autobiography is also a pleasant overview at times, omitting some of the darker details. But if you really want to know what the life of Marlon Brando was like, read Peter Manso's Brando biography. It's a long read, but damn interesting. This new biography by Bosworth, with the pretty cover, is a mere book in my collection, but something I have skimmed through since it's not very well written nor does it contain new information. Also, I think a book that concentrates on the acting genius of Brando is a ridiculous subject unless one were to really delve into the psyche of the man and figure out why someone was so talented yet often detested the occupation. Which Manso does extremely well at times.

Rating:
Summary: Read both Brando's autobiography and Peter Manso's biography
Review: I like to read biographies in general, but I have a special interest in Marlon Brando and collect books and things about him. If you want a pleasant overview of the life of Marlon Brando, pleasant meaning perhaps you are a teenage girl and want to reaffirm your crush on him, then Bosworth's book is okay. But you might as well read his autobiography, because most of the anecdotes and quotes are from that. Plus, his autobiography is also a pleasant overview at times, omitting some of the darker details. But if you really want to know what the life of Marlon Brando was like, read Peter Manso's Brando biography. It's a long read, but damn interesting. This new biography by Bosworth, with the pretty cover, is a mere book in my collection, but something I have skimmed through since it's not very well written nor does it contain new information. Also, I think a book that concentrates on the acting genius of Brando is a ridiculous subject unless one were to really delve into the psyche of the man and figure out why someone was so talented yet often detested the occupation. Which Manso does extremely well at times.

Rating:
Summary: brando revealed
Review: it pierces the heart of the man. a genius who was very uneducated. always probing to find out who he was. when he finally did his view in the rear view mirror glimpsed too much reckage and too much pain. oh if only he had been guided by true mentors with his true interest at heart .. if he reads this himself he will surely ache and see himself.

Rating:
Summary: brando revealed
Review: it pierces the heart of the man. a genius who was very uneducated. always probing to find out who he was. when he finally did his view in the rear view mirror glimpsed too much reckage and too much pain. oh if only he had been guided by true mentors with his true interest at heart .. if he reads this himself he will surely ache and see himself.

Rating:
Summary: A glimpse into Brando's Career
Review: Marlon Brando, whom is best known for his roles as the motorcycle rebel who epitomized restless youth in The Wild Ones, the loser/boxer in On the Waterfront and as the powerful Don Corleone in The Godfather, has captured audiences for the last 50 years. Eventhough many biographies have been written on Brando this book in question, i.e., Marlon Brando (Penguin Lives) by Patricia Bosworth offers a fascinating look into his charismatic and misunderstood genius. Though she gives a glimpse into the personal conflicts that influenced his work, Bosworth focuses her attention on Brando's professional achievements/career and does not delve into his excentric charachter as much as previous writers. She creates a sensitive portrait of a man so uncomfortable with his celebrity status that he decided to embark on a course of self-destruction (which shows that he is probably suffering from neurosis at times). Highly Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Really helped me understand a creative genius better...
Review: This was a revelation - a wonderful, wonderful biography
for which I am extremely grateful. It's touching, deft, and
I liked the fact that she focused on Brando the artist. I'm
sure he would like this book - I would, if I were him. It is
not at all condescending nor overly fawning.

I really felt for the man and the brilliant communicator of emotions, whose movies have always taught me about being an artist myself. Now I want to go and see all his films again. especially Mutiny on the Bounty. And my heart goes out to Marlon Brando, the neglected child of alcoholics, the big-hearted giver, the best friend of some very special people, including Wally Cox and Stella Adler,
the co-dependent son and father, the compulsive overeater who really should join O.A.

The book zips along, thanks to Bosworth's fine writing. And I'd like to say that it's a lesson in the efficacy of the brief biography. I'm so sick of trying to wade through tomes that tell you about everything from the kindergarten teacher who inspired the star to his toenail clipping habits. This little
book synthesized a complex life in a very dignified way.
Hats off to Patricia Bosworth.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent short biography
Review: This was a very quick and engrossing read. If, like myself, you know very little about Brando's life, this book will be a revelation. Brando is one of the most fascinating personalities of our time. This book does a good job of shedding light on the forces that helped shape his personality. His alcoholic mother and philandering and bullying father created a depressing family environment. It seems that he could never quite break free from their destructive influence despite years of psychotherapy. A sad story.