Customer Reviews

Diana's Dogs: Diana Ross and the Definition of a Diva

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I was at the Central Park concert in 1983. So I naturally gravitated toward Ifkovic's version of the events. He must have been in a different part of the lawn. I was on the fringe, and got out when things got messy. So I enjoyed what he had to say. For me, too, it was a memorable night. I didn't go back the second night either. I'm sorry I didn't.
This is not a biography in any traditional sense. Rather, it's labeled a commentary on music, specifically the musical career of ex-Supreme Diana Ross. Oddly, the lingering effect of reading the book, well after the last page is turned, is that of somehow coming to understand the life of this international superstar. What I mean is that, through the wide-ranging chapters--from actual history to analyses of music and fashion and even hairdos--the author captures the essence of the woman. I suppose that makes it the equivalent of a biography. Sort of. What I'm saying is that when I finished the book I felt I knew Diana Ross in ways I'd never considered before--and I've read the various biographies out there, from the scandalous to the benign. This book falls somewhere in the middle, truth to say.
The structure of the book--that is, three acts and an intermission--serves the book well. We meet the Supremes in Act One, then Diana solo in Act Two. The intermission deals with the world around her, like her relationships with Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jackson, even Jackie Onassis, and the final Act takes us into her later years--her growing old, the aging fan base, a valedictory of a great career. Ironically, he ends on childhood--a look back at the child "Diane," that embryonic star before she was "Diana." It's a clever way to conceive of a book.
I have the feeling lots of fans will not like it. But they should read it.
The small, spitfire chapters propel the reader along, if only to see what he has to say about the very public career. I thought he was too harsh on Mary Wilson, but what do I know? His chapter on Berry Gordy, however, rang true.
Now I want to re-listen to my Diana CDs. I think I'll hear something I never heard before. Something even better than I expected!

This is the most realistic book on Diana Ross I have read to date. So much about this woman that is written is either slanted too far against her or in favor of her. This book is balanced and explores Diana Ross in both positive and negative ways.

I agreed wholeheartedly with the author when he critiqued the Return to Love Tour where Diana Ross partnered with two former Supremes with whom she had never performed with in the past. It was a poor choice for her career and that certainly showed the years that followed. She should have either made the real reunion happen and do all she could to get Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong on that tour or not do it at all.

Still I have to say I went because I am a diehard fan! And it was great!

Even so, I love this DIVA and have since the day I heard her on the radio and watched her perform. I appreciated the author talking about how embarrassed he was to admit he was a fan of Diana Ross. I have felt that way throughout my life thinking that people would see my celebrity worship as less than and inferior to others who worship sport celebrities or classic writers or even the Beatles or the Stones.

I no longer feel this way. I am a proud fan of Diana Ross and the Supremes.

Thank you for this realistic view of this wonderful woman!

I have always been able to see the good side of this star and her "dark" side which we all have.

I was given a copy of this book by a fan who bought it, read it over night, disliked it, and said it was too negative. He knows of my love for Diana's music, so he thought I'd join him in not liking it. To the contrary, I think he misread the book's intent. Yes, there's a lot of dark stuff about the great diva, but that's what makes a diva, no? The great divas of history are bigger-than-life, impetuous, over-the-top, furious, willful, wonderful. What's also there is a lot of the great, wonderful, compelling stuff--Diana as the singular singer of our time.

But what makes me write these comments is the fact hat the book seems to be to tell a large, comprehensive story. There is so much ground covered here, there is so much information packed into the smallish chapters. It's a comprehensive look at the singer. I learned stuff I've never known before, and I've read all the bios and the magazine articles (I own them all!). I've been a fan for over 30 years, and thought I know what needed to be known about her. But the author seems to pull gossip and facts and observation together into a seamless package that somehow tells me some things I didn't know. And that takes some doing.

Oh yeah: there are no pictures inside, like in the biographies. That's why my friend handed it over (aside for the belief that it's a negative screed intended to smear the reputation of the untouchable lady). No pictures. Just commentary. Lots of it. A thousand words are sometimes better than one picture. Believe me.

I've only seen Diana Ross in concert once, and I remember it as a lively, memorable experience. I had seat in the front row, and I marveled at her stage presence, her dynamic voice, and her powers of entertainment. I picked up this book because I'd read some fiction by the author, and I was intrigued with what he was trying to do with the story of Diana Ross. I didn't expect what I found.
I enjoyed every word of it, I must say. His take on her life and career is a little eccentric--unlike any other commentary I've ever read on a musical figure----but what came off the page was one man's personal story, fleshed out against the career of an international performer. I felt I was learning as much about the author as I was about the singer--and I mean this as a good thing. It's like understanding what makes a fan tick--as well as the diva herself. But his take on Diana is lively, spirited, and full of good-natured fun. He's not afraid to make fun of her, but under it all is an abiding love of the woman, an intoxication with her music, and a belief that she is the premier entertainer of our time--and a woman who deserves a place in social history.
I never grasped the notion of "diva," especially these days when you hear it all the time. This book helped me understand something of its meaning, or, at least, one author's perspective on it.
A fascinating read, let me tell you.

A new book on Diana Ross, the Supremes, and Motown. And, frankly, a book totally different from what's been published before.

What caught my attention were the later chapters of the book--the ones dealing with aspects of Diana Ross's careers I'd never considered. Long a fan, if not a constant one, I nevertheless had read the Taraborrelli and Wilson tomes, and so I knew the story of the Supremes and of Ross herself. I admit that their viewpoints may have colored my way of looking at her, taking something away from my appreciation of her music. But this book makes me look at her in a new light. This is because of the chapters in the "Act 3" part of the book. Ifkovic has these fascinating chapters on the way the tabloid headlines depict her, how reviewers employ poetic similes to describe her, and, even more bizarre, the titles of movies she never made--but was "supposed" to make. What was "not" filmed tells us about her career. There's even a chapter on the academic papers delivered around the globe at various esoteric conferences. As well, there is material on the use of Diana (or the Supremes) as inspiration for writers, from Stephen King to Ann Beattie. I can't think of another such book on a celebrity--and I've read a bunch on celebs from British punk rockers to Hollywood luminaries-that tackles such offbeat and utterly unexpected topics.

A good read, this slight book. I also appreciate his plays on language, his delight in the pun, and his cynical disregard of the proprieties of good taste in his depictions of such Motown stalwarts as Mary Wilson. This book won't make some people happy, but its story needs to be out there.

In what at first appears to be another paean to an egotistical celebrity, Ifkovic delivers, almost unwittingly, a powerful history of Motown that rightly recognizes its importance as a crossover agent in a changing America. Gossipy and self-indulgent as it is, his take on Diana Ross as a cultural icon is on target and makes for a fascinating read that even a non-fan can enjoy.

I have read the 5 star reviews listed here and agree with them. I want to add however, that what makes this book even more special is to see the picture of the author. He is a white guy in his 60's who has simply adored Diana Ross for over 45 years. It is the vignettes he tells about his Ross sightings and meetings that add depth and warmth to this book. He also tells the reader "everything you wanted to know but didn't realize would interest you" which separates this from all other biographies on Diana Ross (for example, the films Diana was going to star in but the projects never happened.) I have read J Randy Taraborelli's 2007 biograhy Diana Ross Diana Ross: A Biography and actually suggest it be read PRIOR to Diana's Dogs, because it provides more detail in a chronological order about Diana's amazing life and career. Diana's Dogs is like finding a pearl in an oyster for a Ross fan, though. The one criticism I have is simply the title--I love the cover artwork, but I would have chose a different name, perhaps DIVA--the definition of Diana Ross. And as I stated prior, the author's personal stories were so essential that I could have read more of those as well. As a big fan, I completely identified with him, and am so grateful that he wrote and published this treasure of a book!

What I most enjoyed was the tone or attitude the author established about Diana Ross and her musical history. Maybe I mean "attitude." I'm very much interested in the cult of celebrity and how it plays out in the media, so this book seemed a natural to acquire. I'm not a big fan of Ross, but I am intrigued by "Motown" and its importance. Most of all, the author seems to relish the offbeat observation, the humorous aside, and more importantly, the jaundiced, slightly tempered satirical focus. Done lovingly (I assume), the author explores the evolution of the word "diva" as epitomized in the career of Supreme Diana Ross--an exploration that takes him into a variety of places, some not so laudatory, to be sure. Nevertheless, what he has managed to do is to encapsulate something of the shifting, evolving currents of contemporary pop media, as evidenced by the rise of black crossover music, best exampled by Diana Ross and her early days as a Supreme and later as a solo performer.

What I really enjoyed were the throwaway asides, the glib observations, the shoot-off-the-hip comments. Somehow, as the book moved along, I felt I was reading not only a personal commentary on the author's favorite singer but, as well, a sardonic, bemused speculation on the bizarre contemporary culture we now live in.

To tell you the truth, this book was captivating.

Love this book although am slighted I was not mentioned by name along with others in Rossnation whom he selects. If he felt he was taking a stab at me or he would be sued, he need not worry.

The online chatters thrive on gathering storms. What makes the
exchanges riveting is the idiosyncratic - dare I say maddened? - spiel
of some exchanges. ONE MAN opined that the January 9, 2004 arraignment
of Michael Jackson was also the day that Diana Ross was her own day in
court. "This cannot be mere coincidence. This must have to do with
Michael's desire to feel closer to what Miss Ross is experiencing on
the same day. Even in these tragic times, Michael still feels he can
gain strength and comfort from his association with miss Ross:. This
same poster, among other rantings, somewhat accused Diana of being
repsonsible for June Pointer'd drug problems and even Bill Clinton's
heart problems. He constantly posts bizarre messages to "Rossnation" -
a mythical kingdom he assumes to be of one maniacal mind about Diana.
Harmless, surely, if bizarre, he is entertainment of sorts. Shen
Diana's name surfaced on "Jeopardy", he wrote: "It had to be a very
important moment for Rossnation", Mostly, he is ignored. Or told
off: "Your medication is running out once again". And the coda: Did
they drop you on your sick little head after....you were hatched"?



Ed, can your write me personally please? Thanks for this wonderful book although why didn't you mention me by name?

it's like nothing i have ever read before. the title is self explanatory. very much like a documentary. enjoy