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Summary: The Judy Garland Book
Review: The problem with this book is that many people will indeedconsider it the truth, however, it is not. Each time before his mostwild .....or inflammatory statments, the author himself writes something like, "It is impossible to know if this is actually true but..." or "There is no actual evidence that.... but....." or "According to so and so...." That is not the truth! That is irresponsible writing! The notes only tell from where the author obtained the info. It doesn't necessarily mean that they are accurate. Thanks to this author, even more rumors, gossip and falsehoods will now be considered fact about Judy Garland.
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Summary: What's the problem with the truth?
Review: After reading this bio and sifting through some of thecomments, it seems to me that perhaps some incensed Judy fans can'tface the truth that she was an extremely mixed-up, insecure person. I thought this was a decent attempt at making some sense of a gifted but troubled woman. She may have been a legend, but she wasn't a saint. Why is that so troubling to her idolizers?
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Summary: Look here...
Review: If anyone thinks that this is a good bio on Judy Garland, they should check out The New York Post of April 17, 2000 which reports of made up stories in the book.
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Summary: Garland is lost in this bio
Review: Amid the usual sources of anecdotes, half-truths and over-embroidered stories, Clarke completely loses Judy Garland in this. Many of his sources lack credibility, they are qualified by far too many words such as, "suggests", "speculated", "perhaps," "possibly" and on and on. He couldn't care less about Garland - he even said he was no admirer in an interview - and completely fails to find her beauty and true persona amidst the litany of "the tragedy" which greatly appeals to many.
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Summary: Nick Mantapolous
Review: This book is a perfect example of how poorly most people read. They take whatever the author says as fact when, after careful analysis of the author's phrasing, his statements are revealed as basically that man's opinion. Take out all of the unsubstantiated claims and you have a very small book.
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Summary: This book is amazing!
Review: As an avid reader of biographies, this book seemed tempting and fulfilled its promise. Not only did I devour it in two sittings, I found Clarke's telling of Judy Garland's life compelling, rich in detail, and extremely fair. I found myself following along in the notes to see who Clarke had interviewed, and was amazed at the roster of people he talked to. I have read other Garland biographies, and felt that this book captured her life in all its ups and downs most eloquently. The book was engrossing from the get-go, and Mr. Clarke has done an admirable job capturing the greatest entertainer of our time.
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Summary: an engrossing and poignant book
Review: Unlike many of the people here -- who seem to have taken Clarke's portrayal of Judy Garland as a personal affront to both themselves and the star they rightfully hold in high esteem -- I simply loved this book. GET HAPPY is as much a celebration of The Legend that is Judy Garland as it is a revelatory trip down the road she took to reach that status. And although the figure Clarke reveals in the book is a tragic one, he does so in a story that is rich with compassion and taut with eloquence. Far from tabloid, it is grounded in research (as 50+ pages of notes can attest), beautifully written, and one of the most compelling books I've read in a long time.
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Summary: Unfair negative comments
Review: I dont get people's negative comments to this book. It is well -written and sensitive -not exploitative or sensational. It is a disturbing tale but this seems to have been the reality of Garland's life. I think Clarke is bring treated poorly by these negative reviews from readers. Would they prefer a sanitized version of her life or are they just in denial about this talented woman's sad tale?
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Summary: Gerald Clarke Breathes New Life into Garland
Review: I am one who has always been a huge fan of Judy Garland. Not even thinking twice at times about her personal triumphs and tragedies, but just reveling in her stunning and emotional capabilities as a singer. Gerald Clarke has impressed me with his extensive research and more importantly with his perspective on Judy Garland. Even if as a reader of Garland biographies, there is the same information, he manages to make it a little more real to her and to the reader. He makes you think more so on how it must of been for her, and the people she loved and worked with in her life. She is real, and not a legend, you want the legend, you listen to her voice, if you want a realistic, personal and touching portrait of Frances Gumm, that is what Gerald Clarke has attempted and done with his biography of Judy Garland.
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Summary: Here we go again...
Review: Endlessly fascinated, and rarely satisfied, by previous accounts of the life and career of one of the twentieth century's greatest popular entertainers, I must admit that Clarke's long-aborning work doesn't offer any new insights into Judy Garland. What it does offer is much seemingly off-hand information about her sexual peccadilloes and her utter lack of self-awareness with regard to her psychological problems. In short, it is another genuinely depressing look at the spoiled, manipulated, yet undeniably talented performer. However, in the author's defense, he didn't set out to paint a portrait of the successes she attained in show business, but rather an examination of why and how she went so astray in her personal (and eventually in her professional) life. It's clear from this biography, as well as from others on the same subject, that Judy Garland was set on a course of self-destruction by her mother, abetted by MGM, and a variety of the wrong men. Her early years locked her into a behavioral pattern that was supported by a plethora of people until she was eventually so besotted by her own warped memories of her life that she couldn't have found her way clear even if she had wanted to. So, what do we come away with after reading this sad story once again? Personally, I don't want to read another Garland life story, it's too depressing and it can't turn out any other way, and it seems obvious that this book should be considered the last word on her frenetic life. Those of us who admire her should rejoice in the fact that her lustre on screen will always be intact. We can thank the movies and records for this gift, and so we should lay to rest the sadness and waste, and enjoy the triumph that is a Judy Garland performance, for one thing that we learn from Clarke is that Judy indeed (as Esther Blodgett says in "A Star is Born") did feel most alive when performing.
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