Louise Brooks: A Biography by Barry Paris
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Book Reviews of Louise Brooks: A Biography
Book Review: An exemplary biography worthy of its subject
Summary: 5 Stars
This is what a biography should be: insightful, understanding, offering a measured & complex view of its beloved subject. And what a subject Barry Paris has in Louise Brooks! Her beauty, her intelligence, her compelling charisma all shine in these pages, giving us a multi-faceted view of this ravishing star. For someone who had never heard of Louise Brooks, this biography will send him or her in eager pursuit of her all-too-few films & her own writing -- and both are of the very highest standard.
It's clear that Brooks never did anything without wanting to give her all, to make true art out of it, a work of beauty & meaning that would stand the test of time. And the same could be said of this superb biography. While Paris clearly adores Brooks (and with good reason), he never succumbs to blind hagiography. Nor does he stumble in the opposite direction of pathography. His purpose is to explore the life of a fascinating woman, and to present it to the reader as thoroughly & lucidly as possible. He succeeds on every level. Louise Brooks emerges from these pages as both a flesh & blood woman, and as the dazzling, mysterious icon she became to countless admirers.
In short, the best book on Louise Brooks you'll ever find, most highly recommended!
Book Review: Sad story, beautifully told.
Summary: 5 Stars
Extremely detailed and slow biography of one of the most sexually attractive actresses of the silent movie, based on her diaries.Her life can be summarized by 'sex and gin'.
Abused child; having an orgy of two months with Charles Chaplin; kicked out of Hollywood because of her unrestrained life style; her successes in Europe as Lulu; her life as an escort girl. Even this career was not to last, because she was unable to feign sexual pleasure. Her later days on the brink of suicide.
The author relates it with compassion and love.
He also gives an incisive picture of Hollywood in the twenties and thirties: amoral and corrupt.
A bright actress, but what a sad life behind the curtain.
A model biography.
Book Review: A jam-packed book about Louise Brooks
Summary: 5 Stars
Several books have been written about Louise Brooks, but this book is probably the most concise and most thorough of them all. The book starts off with Louise's birth and it describes all the people that helped to make Louise so interesting and famous. There are many black-and-white photos of Louise, from the time she started in show-biz (at age 4) to Louise in her later years, just before her death.
Since Louise Brooks had such a fascinating life, it is not a surprise that this book is so long. Each Chapter basically covers a chunk of her life, and each Chapter describes (in detail) the characters that encountered & shaped Louise, and also all the Theatre and Movie productions that Louise was involved in.
Book Review: Fascinating
Summary: 5 Stars
I am not a fan of silent films, and had never heard of Louise Brooks until I saw one of her photo's associated with a story about the Zeigfield Follies. Most of the other "Follies girls" pictured may have been considered attractive for their era, but Brook's photo was (to me) transcendant. Her life story is strangely addictive, as the author uses comments from her friends, family and contemporaries to flesh out this frustrating, pyschologically scarred little dynamo. As Barry Paris describes her self destructive approach to life, the many images of this beautiful sexually charged waif highlights the dichotomy between her physical beauty and her tortured soul. I enjoyed the book immensely and highly recommend it.Book Review: Singhandedly brought the Cult of Brooks afront
Summary: 5 Stars
Barry Paris's bio is a wonderful read and in my opinion did more for the recent increase of interest in Brooks than anything other book.
At the time of it's publishing in the mid 90's the internet was a mere flicker of info, photos bios and trivia about obscure stars like Louise Brooks were very hard to come by. After this book was published, I was one of several people who started fledgling web sites in Brooks' honour. While I gave up, one of those websites carried on to become the Louise Brooks Society, the definitive website on her life. Paris' book is essential reading for anyone who is facinated by this beautiful starlet.