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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In 1977, the 18-year-old Thorson became "lover, friend and confidant" of the 57-year-old Liberace, a relationship that would continue until 1982. Here, with Thorleifson (coauthor of John Wayne) he relates the sorry, seamy tale of his "callous" eviction from the performer's Las Vegas penthouse in favor of a teenager and the public brouhaha that followed when he filed a palimony suit. The book is uncomfortably candid with revelations about "Lee"who was driven to experience sexual variety with younger males, even as he continued to publicly deny his homosexualityand Thorson's protestations that he was unfairly branded a street hustler by the tabloid press. Although the acrimonious suit was ultimately settled (the provisions were kept secret), Thorson notes that he has written this memoir because "I need the money." His bitterness at Liberace, who died of AIDS in 1987, lessens at the end of the book, and with back-handed gratitude he concludes: "Leaving Lee . . . may have saved my life." Photos.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Candid View of Liberace from a Former Lover's Standpoint,
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This review is from: Behind the Candelabra: My Life With Liberace (Paperback)
This book is a great read--full of dish and gossip. Yet it provides readers with a view of Liberace's personal life as seen through the eyes of former lover Scott Thorson, only 18 years old when he met the famous entertainer. Liberace went to outrageous lengths to protect his public image as that of a confirmed heterosexual bachelor entertainer, yet ironically Thorson and the gay community watching one of Lee's Vegas shows knew the truth right off the bat. I believe Thorson's book is the first one that spoke of Lee's lifestyle, dispelling all the carefully constructed myths by Lee's PR people and by the entertainer himself. Thorson writes about how Liberace's circle of friends and employees always jostled for position with the entertainer; how these cronies resented Scott's position with the famous star. You can see that Thorson developed a great affection and love for Liberace; however, Liberace, ever the Svengali, goes to extremes to remake Scott in his own image with fancy clothes, jewelry, and plastic surgery, which proves to be Thorson's undoing. A life of excitement, mega-shopping sprees, expensive gifts and largesse, turns into one of isolation, betrayal and drug addiction. Thorson was responsible for exposing Lee's true lifestyle to the public and was entangled in a 4-year lawsuit which he settled, upon learning that Lee had HIV. It would be easy to look upon this book as a celebrity trashing by a bitter lover, but fortunately Thorson never stoops that low. He still maintains great affection for Lee, even when he details the bitterness and battles of their relationship.
5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Bitter Pill For Fans Of Liberace To Swallow,
By
This review is from: Behind the Candelabra: My Life With Liberace (Hardcover)
This review refers to "Behind The Candelabra: My Life With Liberace" by Scott Thorson with Alex Thorleifson...
Reading this book was like reading the journal of some jilted lover who could not move on with their life. Liberace died in 1987. This book was first published in 1988. Scott Thorson, Liberace's young lover for five years, did not waste much time in selling his "story" to publishers. And as he said in this book, he did it for the money. Thorson starts off with some good biographical info on the life of Liberace. His family and background quite interesting. He then tells about how he met and spent 5 years living with Liberace, often making himself out to be a martyr for putting up with the great and beloved entertainer. He tells of the good years, when all was fresh and new. How he took the place of Liberace's former "friend", how he was lavished with gifts from the man, became part of the act, and even had plastic surgery so he would be the image of Liberace(this according to Thorson at the request Liberace). He goes into quite some detail on the lifestyle and what it was like to be the lover of a man so adored by millions. He also manages to make it read as if he were complimenting Liberace, and then in the very next sentence would throw in some snipe, all the time saying, that he really loved the man and still does as of the writing of the book.He talks of intimate details of Liberace's life that should have remained private. This occurred quite often. He tells of his own fall into drug abuse towards the end of the relationship, and seems to make it sound like it wasn't his fault that he became an addict, or that he couldn't get a job on his own because of it. He blames everyone around him and gives the impression that that is what had become of him after living with the star for almost 5 years. The breakup was tough and messy.He was strong-armed out of the penthouse apartment of Liberace's where he was holed up. Thorson claiming Liberace was holding his things ransom in order to get him to sign legal documents that he would then leave the entertainer alone. This may be true, but one also has to remember that he had nothing when he met Liberace in the first place. A slew of Legal battles went on for 5 years, with more suits then I can remember being filed by anyone and everyone involved, even as Liberace was dyeing of AIDS. An undisclosed settlement finally reached. If You are a fan of Liberace, you will be quite put off by this book. If you are looking for an Enquirer type vengeful and gossipy story(Thorsen also mentions other entertainers and their private affairs as well) you will certainly find that here. A bitter tell-all,and frankly one that may be a little hard to swallow. Not recommended for Liberace fans....Laurie
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A GREAT LOOK INSIDE THE LEGENDARY LIFE'',
By kibby lee savannah (Lake Louise, AB,Canada) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Behind the Candelabra: My Life With Liberace (Paperback)
Liberace's books have always been a source of joy-as he invited you into his life and work as one of the most loving and greatest showmen in the industry. I've always loved reading about the entertainment world and Lees books were a wonderful source of joy. His great enthusiasm for life and his showbiz world were a delight to read about as well as the great joy Lee gave to his audiences during his performances which I have been fortunate to attend. His story about recovering from illness early in his career and his continued rise in the entertainment world is a great read. Scott Thornson opens up this world through his book. Scott tells his story both candidly and with great feeling. His love and respect come through. It was a fascinating look 'behind the candelabra'...and I enjoyed reading the book immensely. I felt the book was written in a most professional and human way...and I read his story with an open mind. What Lee, or Scott for that matter, did is now in the past and doesnt take away from the great legacy Lee left. I very much enjoyed reading Scotts book for a peak into a world where 'too much of a good thing..is wonderful'' As Scott says in the final pages...there is a lesson here to learn...and Scott tells how he learned some serious lessons himself. Yes, Lee should have never ended on such a 'sour note'...not for one as giving as he....not for one with such a zest for life and a great talent to give....and Scott shared those few years with us telling us both the good, bad and sometimes shocking elements.
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