Life with My Sister Madonna by Christopher Ciccone, Wendy Leigh
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Book Reviews of Life with My Sister Madonna
Book Review: Well written
Summary: 4 Stars
This book was riveting and I could not put it down.. It is clear what an insensitive, self centered bitch Madonna is.Book Review: Madonna & Christoper
Summary: 3 Stars
Madonna & Christoper, December 22, 2009
I enjoyed learning about the childhood of Madonna and Christopher Ciccone. Christopher, along with his co-author, is able to write colorful and detail stories, particularly about their childhood. Madonna was five years old when her mother died. Madonna's father married Joan, who according to Christopher tried to raise the kids properly. Madonna's parents instilled a foundation in childhood that encouraged hard work, discipline and honesty. This contributes to Madonna and Christopher's success.
Madonna and Christopher's relationship is like a roller coaster and they are moths drawn to each other's flame. Since Madonna has a bigger flame Christopher gets third degree burns. They give each other warnings and limits, but they ignore their boundaries with each other. In one instance, Madonna's tells Christopher, who is works for her at different times as an interior decorator, producer, and dresser for her, that he needs to be available to her 24 hours a day. In the next paragraph, he sends his assistant to Madonna instead of coming himself.
Christopher feels humiliated being Madonna's dresser and since he is the producer he wants her to hire someone else to dress her. However, Madonna does not want to hire someone else, so Christopher does two jobs at the same time for Madonna.
When they were children, they encouraged each other and brought the best out in each other, as they grow and mature, they started to bring out the worst in each other. They both are talented and intelligent, but they became jealous and petty towards each other.
Christopher develops a drug problem while Madonna's fame makes her unwilling to comprise. Their relationship falls apart out of jealously and spitefulness; instead of helping each other, they become competitors and suspicious with each other.
The book became repetitious and did not give a basic overview of the Kabbalah, although he writes about it in the book. If they were able to use the Kabbalah with each other, they would have been able to forgive each other. The teachings of the Kabbalah can help to balance emotions with intellect, and to balance judgment with mercy. The Kabbalah could have helped them resolve their differences by encouraging different states of consciousness and by building on wisdom and understanding.
I enjoyed the book, but unfortunately, this book may have ended their relationship for good.
In spite of the trauma caused by the death of their mother, Madonna and Christopher are able to overcome their grief though hard work, and because of the support of their parents, who encouraged success. I wish them lots of success in their future endeavors, and am certain that their mother would be proud of them.
Book Review: Another narcissistic personality disorder horror story
Summary: 3 Stars
I have a sibling with NPD so I can relate to the searingly hurtful and mind-boggling betrayal expressed in Christopher's story. Madonna is a very cruel woman and her spirituality is as fake as the English accent she faked while married to Guy Ritchie. Her lack of empathy for her own brother is awful. I went to see Truth or Dare with a boyfriend back in the early nineties and after it was over, he remarked how cold and mean she was to her brother Marty. That's what I thought too. In the book, when she pushes Christopher into rehab and is acting like she knows more than the therapist, I wished Christopher would tell her she is the one who needs therapy! She was trying to make him seem like the one with the problem so she could skate. Narcissiists require scapegoats. And people with personality disorders don't change behavior because the very disorder is all about their being perfect and maintaining their childish defense mechanisms. I hope Christopher makes a lot of money, finds peace and confidence within himself and stays away from her. Narcissists are poison. They seduce and control others, use them, drain them, blame them, drive them crazy and then systematically devalue and ultimately discard them.
Seems to me, Christopher is the authentic artist and spiritual person. She's a fake. Very wooden actress. I like some of her music, though. But knowing how she exposed and inflicted upon her own sensitive, helpful and caring brother so much psychological pain without caring about the impact on him makes me never want to hear her voice again. She's harsh, exploitive and lacks nobility of spirit. Christopher seems like an emotionally generous, good human being.
Book Review: Thankless and Desperate
Summary: 3 Stars
Let's see..
Madonna introduced Christopher to dance
Madonna created his career in interior design
Madonna had him perform in her video
Madonna made him a director of her shows
Madonna got him an art show at Jean Paul Gautier's gallery
Madonna included him in her jet-set star-studded lifestyle
Madonna paid for his medical treatments
Madonna dedicated a song to him during her tour
Madonna introduced him to Kaballah
Yet he is angry when he perceives that he is being underpaid for his services and that he lives in her shadow...hmmmm
This book is an interesting read (although not that well written); however, it gave me no insight into Madonna. I wanted to understand her creativity, hard work, inspiration, thoughts on family, etc....yet there is none of this here. She appears as a one dimensional person.
This book is a testament to how family and friends view you when you are rich and famous. Everyone wants a piece and resents you when they do not get it.
Even after he and Madonna have broken up for good, this book proves that he is desperate and thankless; the only way he can (still) make money is off his sister.
Book Review: Not good, not bad
Summary: 3 Stars
The reviews here are divided for good reason - this book one-sided, comes across as bitter and creates no sense of character. On the other side, it's un-put-downable and a revealing insight into the dynamic world of Madonna's life and her early career formation.
Sadly, the story of Chris gets lost somewhere in the middle as the book instead tries to sell itself to readers that the authors think only want to know what Madonna said or did. As a result, this is not a good biography of Madonna or a good autobiography. By hedging it's bets, the book can't deliver on either front. I finished this book wishing that Chris had written a proper autobiography instead. A more clear focus on his own life story would have produced a more satisfying read.
That said, I couldn't put this book down and in that sense, it's worth the time and effort. Don't expect autobiographical literary greatness, or an insightful book into the perils of fame and personal relations, but instead expect a light read and you won't be disappointed.