At last, here is a definitive biography that does justice to the excess that was Sarah Bernhardt, the grand theatrical diva of all time. Lively and gossipy even as it draws on a mass of rare archival materials, The Divine Sarah gives us a charismatic superstar, the avid self-promoter, and the indefatig able femme fatale. 48 pages of photos.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
A troublemaker in convent school, Sarah Berhardt (1844-1923) from an early age exhibited an insatiable hunger for attention, reckless gaiety and near-hysterical rages. Channeling her energies into the stage, the tempestuous beauty, daughter of a Jewish Parisian courtesan from Amsterdam and an unknown father, became a living legend and, as actress/manager, formed a theater in her own image. Written with great verve and style, this buoyant, affecting biography by the coauthors of Misia: The Life of Misia Sert sparkles with intimate details of Bernhardt's triumphs and tragedies, her political passions (she supported Dreyfus and America's entry into WW I), her countless love affairs and frustrating quest for sexual fulfillment, her paradoxical neglect of the illegitimate son she adored. A marvelous portrait enlivened by excerpts from letters, journals and comments by her contemporaries, this biography never quite pins down the elusive chameleon, yet Gold (who died in 1990) and Fizdale succeed better than anyone before in bringing this larger-than-life figure down to earth. Photos.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
The distinguished duo pianists, Gold and Fizdale, are also distinguished examiners of late-19th-century French culture. As their previous book, Misia: The Life of Misia Sert ( LJ 1/15/80), explored its art world, this biography explores its theater world. With access to previously unavailable letters and through extensive research, they present a more complete picture of the most famous actress of her age than earlier studies (e.g., John Stokes's Duse: The Actress in Her Time , Cambridge Univ. Pr., 1988; Cornelia O. Skinner's Madame Sarah , Paragon House Pubs., 1988). Since much of Bernhardt's life was self-publicity, it may be impossible to get at the core of the woman. Yet this well-written and lavishly illustrated biography clearly shows the self-dramatizing ego at the center of the myth. Recommended.
- David M. Turkalo, Social Law Lib., Boston
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- David M. Turkalo, Social Law Lib., Boston
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
ONE OF MANY BOOKS ABOUT SARAH,
By ALAIN ROBERT (ST-HUBERT,QUÉBEC) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Divine Sarah: A Life of Sarah Bernhardt (Paperback)
When one ones to know the degry of celebrity an artist has earned over the years following her death,just check out the numerous biographies published about the person.SARAH BERNHARDT is the most famous actress of her time;she played many roles of the repertoire ,and she also created many like ROSTAND's L'AIGLON and DUMAS's LA DAME AUX CAMÉLIAS.Like many actresses,she had an eccentric life and she actually made her name with her talent,not her beauty.This book allows you to encounter many important figures like VICTOR HUGO,ALEXANDRE DUMAS,EDMOND ROSTAND and OSCAR WILDE who were part of her life.The book is filled with pictures of the different decades of her life.If you want to read one book about her,this one can satisfy you.Beware of SARAH's memoirs,because it is a well known fact that she enjoyed the art of lying.After reading this,i had this thought.Would SARAH have managed to make the career she had in today's world?My answer is yes,even if in the process,she probably would have cut a few throats of repulsive columnists.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
excellent and divine,
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This review is from: THE DIVINE SARAH, A LIFE OF SARAH BERNHARDT (Hardcover)
I saw a book at the library about the subect I'm resarching:Sarah Bernhardt. You know how you know when you WANT something? I wanted that book. I didn't just want to borrow it, I wanted to OWN it. Well, I went on to Amazon.Com and there it was for less than I would have paid in late fees at the library. Beautiful condition. It came quickly and it's ALL MINE.
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