Rating: 
Summary: Trash
Review: A beautifully written biography from a proud mother that reads more like a tribute. Most people will unfortunately always remember Divine as the obnoxious drag queen who's work in John Waters' early movies shocked people all over the world. This book show's the real man, Glenn Milstead, behind the makeup. The shy, loving, giving person that preferred to be known as an actor rather than a drag queen. Full of rich stories & anecdotes from Glenn's mother, friends, associates and other Dreamlanders, we see a jolly man who loved buying things for people he loved even when it went beyond his means. There are plenty of rare photos of Divine from his childhood up until his untimely death in 1988. John Waters said it best when he said that Divine was a wonderful character actor who started off playing a psychopathic woman and ended playing a loving mother...which is a good stretch, especially when you're a 300lb. man.
Rating: 
Summary: My Son Divine
Review: A beautifully written biography from a proud mother that reads more like a tribute. Most people will unfortunately always remember Divine as the obnoxious drag queen who's work in John Waters' early movies shocked people all over the world. This book show's the real man, Glenn Milstead, behind the makeup. The shy, loving, giving person that preferred to be known as an actor rather than a drag queen. Full of rich stories & anecdotes from Glenn's mother, friends, associates and other Dreamlanders, we see a jolly man who loved buying things for people he loved even when it went beyond his means. There are plenty of rare photos of Divine from his childhood up until his untimely death in 1988. John Waters said it best when he said that Divine was a wonderful character actor who started off playing a psychopathic woman and ended playing a loving mother...which is a good stretch, especially when you're a 300lb. man.
Rating:
Summary: Still, they loved him
Review: Do not presuppose that this is the story of Divine -- although it is certainly part of the story. Written by Divine's -- Glenn Milstead's -- mother, it is truly her story to tell.What does it mean to be a mother? What dreams and hopes do we have for our children? More importantly and to the point, what is it that we learn from our children? If we are open to loving them unconditionally, we can learn a great deal. And there is much to learn from Glenn Milstead's mother's love, and from her own learning experience. It's an odd relationship, to be sure, with years of estrangement and healing. In the fifties, children did not just "come out" in some youth group and attend regular summer Pride festivals. Mothers of the fifties did not have those kind of expectations -- and the sixties were a wake-up call all around. But Frances loved her son, and struggled with her confusion. In spite of everything and anything he did that would cause more timid souls to faint dead away, Frances and Harris continued to lend Glenn money they would never see again, absorb credit card bills for exhorbitant expenses they had never approved, and support the lavish habits of a man they didn't understand. Still, they loved him. As he unfolded into that love, the most extraordinary creature emerged. Who was Divine? No drag queen, for sure, for drag queens seek to soar to great heights as fabulous beauties. No beauty was Divine -- and yet, no more beautiful creature could have emerged from that soul. Without Divine, there would have been no RuPaul. Still, Divine made us think about the nature of femininity, beauty, and love. He exuded it all in a place one would not expect to find it. We live in a world full of miracles, and we all too often close the door on them because they are beyond our comprehension. Take the time. This is one human being who is truly a Divine miracle. ...geminiwalker
Rating:
Summary: Trash
Review: Having read "Not Simply Divine" - the original book on Divine's story, I feel that this book is just trying to deny the real truth behind the star we all loved. I wanted to find out something new and exciting about my hero, but this book just went on about nothing at all and was most dissapointing in every respect of the word. A TOTAL WASTE OF TIME !!!
Rating: 
Summary: A loving tribute to Divine from his mum.
Review: I first saw Divine in the film, "Pink Flamingos" in the mid 80s, and I thought he had the most amazing screen presence I had ever seen. I immediately became a fan, and I followed Divine's career until his sudden death in 1988. Divine is a cult figure--probably best known for his bizarre roles in the films directed by renegade film director, John Waters. Divine's film roles include: Lady Divine (Multiple Maniacs), Babs Johnson (Pink Flamingos), Dawn Davenport (Female Trouble), Francine Fishpaw (Polyester), and Edna Turnblad/Arvin Hodgepile (Hairspray). Divine was actually a persona created by John Waters, and the Divine character was so successful, that the persona stuck to Glenn Milstead (the actor who played Divine) for the rest of his life. "My Son Divine" is the biography of Glenn Milstead, and this book is a loving tribute written by his mother, Frances Milstead. Frances Milstead makes no excuses or apologies for her son, and admits that she did not know all the intimate details of Glenn's life. But at the same time, those details do not concern her, and she stands firm in her belief in Glenn's talent. Milstead contends that Glenn was first and foremost an actor--very talented and very committed--and that Glenn--in real life was quiet, modest, and a good friend--all in all, the complete opposite of Divine, the persona which led to fame. This book--unlike many biographies written by non-professionals who were on the scene--is well-written. Francis Milstead briefly touches on problems Glenn had in school, teenage friends, Glenn's brief career as a hairdressr, how Glenn became estranged, etc, but the bulk of the book includes interviews with those who knew Glenn best--director and friend, John Waters, roommate Jay Bennett, designer Zandra Rhodes, and many, many others. It is through these interviews that the reader is able to piece together a composite of the real man behind the drag queen identity that most people remember. The book also covers Divine's singing career as he hit the nightclub circuit in Europe, and there are lots of photographs--a 5 year-old Glenn, Glenn's first appearance in drag, Glenn as Divine, and Glenn as himself. The strongest point that Glenn's mother makes is that Glenn had a very professional attitude towards his work. Interviews detail long days on the set, grueling make-up sessions, and Glenn mastering his moves on the trampoline for the film 'Female Trouble.' In spite of the fact that Glenn was very aware of the physical dangers, he perfected his trampoline somersault (and he weighed over 300lbs and jumped in drag). The book also includes a handy-dandy reference of all of Glenn's film roles, CDs and even includes a list of tribute CDs. The eulogy given by the Reverend Higgenbotham (he'd know Glenn since his childhood) at the funeral is even included, and after reading it, I can see why. It's truly a wonderful tribute. Reading this book, helped me to get a better picture of the man behind the make-up. The Divine character is larger than life, bold, daring--a complete individual. Glenn Milstead overcame a great deal of personal problems and finally succeeded in his career and in his life. He died just as he tasted fame. He loved to shop, loved to eat, and loved to make people laugh. I tend to shy away from biographies--mainly because I don't want to get the end of the book and think "this was a hideous person. I don't think I'll ever feel the same when I watch his/her films again." But after finishing this book, I can easily say that I'm very glad I did read this delighful biography. I was not a bit disappointed--either by the quality of the book or by the information I found within its covers. For the Divine fan (me), it was nothing less than a pleasure to discover that there was a great deal more to the man behind Divine--displacedhuman--Amazon Reviewer.
Rating:
Summary: Maximum Impact
Review: This biography beats any other book on Divine by a long shot. "NOT SIMPLY DIVINE" is nothing compaired to this title. Who else could write a better book that Glens own mother. Even if shes not a author and has chopy sentences and bad grammer, she still and will always know Glen better than anybody. Sad, funny, serious, angry, and confusing are all the emotions that this book holds. The short life of Divine is very well told in this book along with great never before seen picture of Divine. Frances Vukovich Milstead did a excelent job on this project; and lets not forget the co author Steve Yeager who has been following John Waters and Divine scence Pink Flamingos.
Rating:
Summary: Maximum Impact
Review: This biography beats any other book on Divine by a long shot. "NOT SIMPLY DIVINE" is nothing compaired to this title. Who else could write a better book that Glens own mother. Even if shes not a author and has chopy sentences and bad grammer, she still and will always know Glen better than anybody. Sad, funny, serious, angry, and confusing are all the emotions that this book holds. The short life of Divine is very well told in this book along with great never before seen picture of Divine. Frances Vukovich Milstead did a excelent job on this project; and lets not forget the co author Steve Yeager who has been following John Waters and Divine scence Pink Flamingos.
Rating:
Summary: The big picture
Review: This is a refreshing look at a wonderful entertainer and person. Ms. Milstead manages to provide a straight-forward account of Divine's life. She readily includes the good and not so perfect aspects of her son. She provides an insider perspective on Divine that we have not seen. Ms. Milstead's inclusion of quotes from those closest to her son truly fleshes out who Glenn Milstead really was. This book is highly recommended for fans of Divine as well as others who don't know much about this incredible person. Thanks to his mom, we know more about Divine.
Rating:
Summary: The big picture
Review: This is a refreshing look at a wonderful entertainer and person. Ms. Milstead manages to provide a straight-forward account of Divine's life. She readily includes the good and not so perfect aspects of her son. She provides an insider perspective on Divine that we have not seen. Ms. Milstead's inclusion of quotes from those closest to her son truly fleshes out who Glenn Milstead really was. This book is highly recommended for fans of Divine as well as others who don't know much about this incredible person. Thanks to his mom, we know more about Divine.
Rating:
Summary: WHAT MAKES A STAR?
Review: WHAT TRULY MAKES A PERFORMER A STAR? IS IT LEGIONS OF FANS? MILLIONS IN THE BANK? EMMYS AND OSCARS ON DISPLAY IN THEIR MANSIONS? NO. IN MY OPINION, WHAT TRULY MAKES A PERFORMER AS STAR IS A PERSON WITH THE ABILITIES TO INDELIBLY IMPRINT THEMSELVES/THEIR WORK INTO THE MINDS' OF THEIR AUDIENCE - AND THAT IT WHAT DIVINE DID BEST. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT BOOK WRITTEN BY HIS MOTHER, ETC., THAT GIVES YOU THE TRUE STORY OF ONE OF HOLLYWOOD'S MOST INFAMOUS OF STARS. FRANCES MILSTEAD DOESN'T SUGARCOAT ANYTHING HERE. SHE PUTS THE GOOD TIMES, AND THE BAD TIMES (AND EVERYTHING IN-BETWEEN), HERE IN PRINT FOR ALL TO SEE. THERE REALLY IS NO NEED FOR ANY OTHER DIVINE BIOGRAPHY TO BE WRITTEN IN THE FUTURE, FOR EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT DIVINE (BUT WERE ALWAYS AFRAID TO ASK), IS RIGHT HERE IN THIS BOOKS' PAGES. AND, AS AN ADDED TREAT, THERE ARE MANY, MANY RARE PICTURES OF DIVINE (IN FULL GLOSSY COLOR) IN ALL OF HIS WONDERFUL GLORY HERE TO BE SEEN. A MUST HAVE FOR ANY DIVINE FAN. WE LOVE YOU DIVINE!!!
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