Ball of Fire : The Tumultuous Life and Comic Art of Lucille Ball

Rating:
Summary: Nothing new here
Review: While eagerly anticipating this book, it was very disappointing to discover there was no new here. While the author does a commendable job of presenting an interesting look at the life of America's favorite redhead, much of this book simply reads too much like others that came before. For example, the "I Love Lucy" years read very much like Bart Andrews' "The 'I Love Lucy' Book." The post-Desi era reads much the same as "Desilu," which remains the definitive book about this subject. In many cases, the exact same stories are repeated: Lucy collecting pencils after the stockholders meetings, Young Lucille Ball eating leftover donuts and buying coffee with someone else's tips at a diner, etc. Sadly, if you've read other books about Lucille Ball or "I Love Lucy," you won't need to read this book, because it's pretty much a rehash of everything you've read before.
What's more, the author starts with a good premise, trying to examine what it is about Lucille Ball that made her less than a rousing success in film, yet when presented in the brilliant weekly sitcom "I Love Lucy," she was able to become the most beloved figure in entertainment. Yet you have to wait until the final chapter for that. This would have made an interesting and well-written magazine article, but as a book, it simply presents too much of what has already been told.
In the end, reading the book is like watching an "I Love Lucy" rerun that you've already seen several times before. It may be enjoyable, but in the end, you know what's coming before it happens.