Rating: Summary: Now what I had expected Review: I'd heard the name Traci Lords many times in the past, but I didn't know anything about her other than she'd been an underage porn queen. When I saw her auto-biography on a bookstore shelf I figured it was time to read more about her. As a biography it's and interesting read. She doesn't leave much out, it details how she got into nude modeling at 15 and later starred in porn films, and why. She doesn't sugar coat anything, including an expensive drug addition and her first few porn films. She details her life during the FBI case, and after, and how she'd been worked to gain recognition as a legitimate film actress. She spends numerous chapters discussing the set of Cry-Baby, one of the first big films she made after all the publicity. As a biography it's interesting, as the story of a girl who went into nude modeling and porn as a means of escape it's fascinating. If you've ever wondered what possessed her to turn to porn films, this is a must read.
Rating: Summary: Bravo Review: I've always been a fan of Tracie Lords, and now I know why. In her bare all autobiography, I can see how she was driven by her confusion to become a porn star. I've seen a couple of movies and TV spots where she was a legitimate actress, and her sexuality enhanced her performance. Make no mistake, this is a sad story, but her ability to rise above it, and to use pornography as a stepping stone is compelling.
Rating: Summary: Out of the Depths Review: If you are looking for a sexually graphic depiction of Traci's life or sexually graphic details of the porn industry this book is not for you. While Traci inadvertantly propelled the porn industry into mainstream bringing the industry a financial windfall, she did not prosper. A product of rape and child molestation Traci Lords finds herself in an adult world of porn, sex, drugs, and manipulation. While this heartbreaking book goes into great detail about this aspect of her life, it is only the beginning. She is able to excape the porn industry and drugs and eventually marries and becomes a successful TV actress, movie actress, singer, model and now author. While the porn industry has no love for her and many porn fans only have lust for her, I think anyone who reads this book will get to know a very intimate side of this person and see a great strength in someone who has been able to over come a great adversity when the odds were against her. As I read this book, I found myself drawn into her world and was left wanting to reach in and pull this poor girl from an awful fate. Fortunately she was able to do this for herself but only after just about everyone she came into contact with her, used her and tossed her aside. Today she is a child advocate and works to save those like herself. This is a great book and would recommend this to anyone.
Rating: Summary: "POOR LITTLE ME!" Review: If you want to read about Traci's experiences in the porn business, this book is not for you. She claims that she doesn't remember a single thing from those days because she was taking so much drugs and alcohol to mask her pain and indignity. If you read what her contemporaries have to say about her claims (Ron Jeremy, for one), I think you'll find yourself more inclined to believe them instead of her. The true surprise, however, is that Traci Lords is smart as a whip. She is insightful, astute and appears to be a keen judge of character. Of course the reader wants to believe what she's written here because she does come across as lovable and sweet, but somewhere within the pages of her book, I smelled a rat.
Rating: Summary: What did I just read? Review: Interesting little book and a very easy read. If determined you can read it in one sitting. I picked this up because I wanted to learn how she overcame so many personal and career problems but Traci dodges serious subjects and doesn't give you real insight into her. It leaves me wondering why write your autobiography then if you aren't going to get real? You are left feeling you just missed something--it doesn't make sense and that's because she leaves out so much. I just can't believe she innocently falls into this career and that maybe just maybe her "stepfather" (mom's exboyfriend) may be secretly turned on at her photo shoots. Please Traci, get real. I did gain a tiny bit of insight (which is why I love reading biographies) and it was entertaining. 3 stars is all I can give it.
Rating: Summary: Memoirs of a porn star. Review: Intersting stuff. One of the frankest biographies I've ever read especially as most 'stars' have their autobiog.s written for them. It's clear that at the age of 18 she has been surround by crafty personalities from porn merchants to devious FBI agents (it's clearly true the FBI only busted her once she turned 18 and so couldn't then receive the protection afforded a minor). Also the tragic ranting of other porn stars that Traci was responsible for their problems is absurd. What they are jealous of is that she has made something of her life and avoided getting HIV. What a bunch of losers. The best think to come across in this book is that Miss Lord is intelligent and creative woman who decide to turn her back on porn for a better life by becoming a capable actress (see First Wave). Pity those who snipe at her, porn is all they ever were or had. I'm a broad minded person but she can't be our 'underaged porn goddess' forever, she has moved on and so should her critics....
Rating: Summary: A cautionary tale Review: It's a compelling story of how you can mess up your daughters with divorced parents, indiscreet mommas and their leering boyfriends. Probably many women have had their first sexual experiences too young with a boy that didn't ask permission. I know I did. But many of us were also spared having the boyfriends of our mom come in the room at night and feel us up. By the time Traci gets through another bad teen romance, abortion and rejection and another domestic upheaval from mom, she's ready to take care of herself the only way she can figure to make money. If the discount store she applied to first had hired her, we'd have a whole different story here. They said no, but the modeling agency said yes. She employed lots of alcohol to get through the modeling, then moved on to drugs, which made the porno seem like it almost wasn't happening to her. When you are incredibly beautiful at an early age, it opens a lot of options, not all of them good. If she had been ugly, we'd also have a different story here. By the time she's 20, she wants out and gets out, and the rest of her saga is acting in third-rate productions and dating and marrying the usual crowd of Hollywood losers. What is she going to do when she's 40? Don't read this expecting erotic details about making porno movies. She does not go into specifics much. And she has an annoying tendency to waste a lot of ink recording her banal internal monologues as her life progresses. A better editor would have taken that stuff out, but then you'd have a really small book. It's a cautionary tale for any single mom who is raising daughters and bringing boyfriends into the house for sleepovers at the same time.
Rating: Summary: Abuse takes many forms Review: Lillian Garcia, A reviewer, In Tracy Lords book: Underneath it all, you find as you turn the pages that 'sexual abuse' comes in all forms, and the fact of that abuse causes the child/teen to do so many things that a child of normal upbringing would not consider doing. As a society we judge Traci Lords and her decisions. But, after reading her book you will come away with an entirely different understanding as to WHY??. 'Underneath it all' is a compelling look at child sexual abuse very similar to that of 'Nightmares Echo'...both books make you stop,look,listen and realize why a child of abuse does what he/she does. The book is poignant,honest and sincere like that of 'Goat:A Memoir'. Ms. Lord speaks to your heart, making you to come to realize that it is more societies fault than hers...why?? because the society she lived in did nothing to stop the abuse she lived with, and because of that...the only admiration she found was by inflicting the same pain on herself over and over, namely sexual. While 'Nightmares Echo' shows a child that repeats abuse with Domestic Violence in adulthood, Ms. Lord speaks of creating the same sexual abuse she was use to in 'Underneath it all'. This is a highly rated, poignant book that I believe the masses should read and understand. I can see this book move up the charts quickly.
Rating: Summary: Abuse takes many forms Review: Lillian Garcia,reader: In Tracy Lords book: Underneath it all, you find as you turn the pages that 'sexual abuse' comes in all forms, and the fact of that abuse causes the child/teen to do so many things that a child of normal upbringing would not consider doing. As a society we judged Traci Lords and her decisions. But, after reading her book you will come away with an entirely different understanding as to WHY??. 'Underneath it all' is a compelling look at child sexual abuse very similar to that of 'Nightmares Echo'...both books make you stop,look,listen and realize why a child of abuse does what he/she does. The book is poignant,honest and sincere like that of 'Goat:A Memoir'. (...) While 'Nightmares Echo' shows a child that repeats abuse with Domestic Violence in adulthood, (...). This is a highly rated, poignant book that I believe the masses should read and understand. I can see this book move up the charts quickly.
Rating: Summary: get back into porn Review: she needs to go back to what made her.....PORN thats where she really shines like a star!
|