Vivien: The Life of Vivien Leigh

Rating:
Summary: More than just Scarlett O'Hara!
Review: To the best of my knowledge, this is the most recent biography of Vivien Leigh, famed star of Gone With The Wind. It is probably the most comprehensive, as well, and is much kinder to her memory than any of the other biographies I have read. Walker makes a point of showing that Vivien had a mental illness and was not "insane" and, probably due to the fact that it was written so recently, it examines the lasting effects of Vivien's marriage to Olivier and includes various quotes from his autobiography. This book made me appreciate Viven Leigh's talent more than her beauty and realize what a profound impact she had on the theatre and motion picture industry. Vivien Leigh was more than just Scarlett O'Hara, she was a brave, fascinating, and extremely talented (I believe the most talented actress ever) woman. Definitely worth reading!!!

Rating:
Summary: Tell-All Tale of a Wonderful Woman
Review: Try to keep "pretty" and "beautiful" out of your descriptions of Vivien Leigh. She couldn't stand those words. "Too limiting," she told someone. Alexander Walker captured this and many other oddities and about Vivien Leigh in his vivid biography of the woman who stunned the nation by going from virtually unknown to loved by all after starring in the movie "Gone With the Wind." Little did anyone suspect the star of this movie battled with bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depression. Walker describes her battle and how the mentally-unstable character Blanche Dubois in the stage and, later, movie productions of "Streetcar Named Desire" pretty adequately reflected Vivien's real state of mind.

When an actor or actress can become as great as Vivien Leigh and still fight with an illness like mental affliction, it makes readers care even more for the person behind the role. This book made me feel protective of Vivien Leigh, as Walker mentions her supporting actors and actresses did, despite Vivien's occasional manic rages.

Walker's book sheds light on Vivien's psyche, her movies and plays, her relationship with Sir Laurence Olivier, and her affairs both during this relationship and during her first, to Leigh Holman, the man whose first name became her last.

Rating:
Summary: Tell-All Tale of a Wonderful Woman
Review: Try to keep "pretty" and "beautiful" out of your descriptions of Vivien Leigh. She couldn't stand those words. "Too limiting," she told someone. Alexander Walker captured this and many other oddities and about Vivien Leigh in his vivid biography of the woman who stunned the nation by going from virtually unknown to loved by all after starring in the movie "Gone With the Wind." Little did anyone suspect the star of this movie battled with bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depression. Walker describes her battle and how the mentally-unstable character Blanche Dubois in the stage and, later, movie productions of "Streetcar Named Desire" pretty adequately reflected Vivien's real state of mind.

When an actor or actress can become as great as Vivien Leigh and still fight with an illness like mental affliction, it makes readers care even more for the person behind the role. This book made me feel protective of Vivien Leigh, as Walker mentions her supporting actors and actresses did, despite Vivien's occasional manic rages.

Walker's book sheds light on Vivien's psyche, her movies and plays, her relationship with Sir Laurence Olivier, and her affairs both during this relationship and during her first, to Leigh Holman, the man whose first name became her last.

Rating:
Summary: Tell-All Tale of a Wonderful Woman
Review: Try to keep "pretty" and "beautiful" out of your descriptions of Vivien Leigh. She couldn't stand those words. "Too limiting," she told someone. Alexander Walker captured this and many other oddities and about Vivien Leigh in his vivid biography of the woman who stunned the nation by going from virtually unknown to loved by all after starring in the movie "Gone With the Wind." Little did anyone suspect the star of this movie battled with bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depression. Walker describes her battle and how the mentally-unstable character Blanche Dubois in the stage and, later, movie productions of "Streetcar Named Desire" pretty adequately reflected Vivien's real state of mind.

When an actor or actress can become as great as Vivien Leigh and still fight with an illness like mental affliction, it makes readers care even more for the person behind the role. This book made me feel protective of Vivien Leigh, as Walker mentions her supporting actors and actresses did, despite Vivien's occasional manic rages.

Walker's book sheds light on Vivien's psyche, her movies and plays, her relationship with Sir Laurence Olivier, and her affairs both during this relationship and during her first, to Leigh Holman, the man whose first name became her last.