Customer Reviews

Elvis and Me

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I'm no "Elvis-Priscilla" expert, but I think some people aren't cognizant of something: In 1981, "Elvis", a bio of Presley written by Albert Goldman, was released. I've read the book, and its sequel and, say what we will, Goldman was a briliant writer, but he totally despised Elvis, and boy- did it show! ANYway, Priscilla also read the book, and was deeply upset. If you've not read it, it calls Elvis a child molester, a pervert, a junkie, a coward, a racist, a lousy husband,father, and singer, basically, a terrible human being. Priscilla said, "I just CAN'T let this be a book my daughter reads about her father." So, "Elvis and Me" was a REACTION to Goldman's acid account. Did Priscilla gloss over her own misconduct? I don't think so- because she even admits to an affair that no one, including Elvis, knew about, with her dance instructor, Steve Peck. As for Mike Stone, the karate instructor, EVERYone knew about that one, again, including Elvis- and no one, not even the "Memphis Mafia" confronted her about it. In fact, they ALL, even Priscilla's detractors within the group, say that they did not blame her for cheating on Elvis, a few of them even covering for her whenever her husband couldn't find her. That should tell us something, if nothing else will.
One of the people who reviewed this tome was outraged that Priscilla wrote about her indecision regarding giving birth to Lisa Marie- please don't get me wrong- I am pro-life, totally against abortion, so, it bothered me,too. But you have to look at Priscilla's mind-set at the time. Elvis forbade her to use any form of birth control, and Lisa Marie was conceived on their wedding night. Priscilla was afraid that if she had a child, Elvis would not allow her to travel with him, would have affairs with slender women, and would lose interest in her sexually, as he'd told her beforehand that he had a serious "Madonna complex"- that is, he'd never been able to make love to any woman who'd given birth. These were Priscilla's fears, and, as any Elvis fan knows, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM CAME TRUE! Elvis even asked her for a separation when she was seven months along... She's recently said (in the book "Elvis by the Presleys") that it was never the same after that.
People also speak of Priscilla's "coolness", and lack of emotion. Well, look at her background. She was a military child, moving from base to base and even country to country. She'd form attachments, only to never see the person, place or thing again. I DO agree, she is very guarded in interviews, and she doesn't often show emotion- which is precisely why Elvis was so crazy about her! He was a man that was met with screams just for walking into the room, and was mobbed and clawed at every time he stepped out the door- naturally, he chose women who were the polar opposite of that behavior (think Ginger Alden). Re: the lack of emotion, he said he had enough problems of his own without dealing with someone else's. So, she learned to internalize her true feelings, which resulted in an ulcer while she was a teen-ager- not that it's Elvis' fault.
Alot of the reviews are contradictory, as well. People chastise Priscilla for sanitizing her image, yet they criticize her for revealing too much dirt. Well, which is it?
After all is said and done, Priscilla Presley had to be a special person in my mind, if for no other reason that Elvis picked her. There's a reason we're intrigued by Michelle Obama, Jackie O., Coretta Scott King, et al. We subconciously know that great men usually marry great women. He was the King, she was once upon a time his Queen, and Suzanne Finstad (author of "Child Bride") and other people who are bitter over Priscilla landing Elvis need to just get over it! It's history, and history cannot be changed.
Priscilla once said that she and Elvis were just two people, and two very young people at that. They were not trying to be icons or live up to some mystical "Camelot" , and I think she was right on the money (no pun intended, folks!) We, the reader, the students of history, often forget that we have an advantage the people we're studying did not have. We KNOW the way the story will end, and WHEN it will end. Priscilla had no idea that Elvis would die within five years of their divorce, and that he would never re-marry- for all she knew, he might have gone on to have 6 more wives and 8 more children. She didn't have to maintain a caring relationship with him after the divorce. She didn't cite adultery, or drug abuse in her divorce petition; in fact, she let Elvis be the petitioner.She really could have blown his world sideways, before the "Bodyguard" book happened, yet she didn't.
I am grateful to anyone who shares their story of life with Elvis, because it gives me a picture of the man himself, piece by piece. We should solicit the stories of his intimates now more than ever, as time is robbing us of first-hand witnesses to his life.
FYI: did you know that, aside from Jerry Schilling's recent book, "Me and a Guy Named Elvis" (which I've already read, of course!)that the only book Lisa Marie has ever read about her famous father IS her mother's book? She has said that she doesn't want anyone else's opinions about her father to contaminate her own memories of him- I think that would make Elvis happy, don't you? His biggest fear surrounding the release of "Elvis- What Happened?" was "What will my daughter think when she grows up and reads this?" Rest in Peace, dear Elvis. She never did.

That would of been a more appropriate title. I could not believe how fixated Priscilla is on her and Elvis's clothes. Grant it they were show-biz people and Elvis certainly liked clothes and obviously dressing Priscilla, but it seems every event she recalls is tied into their clothing apparel. Still it is quite enjoyable to see a side of Elvis form his one true love. The Elvis insights are great but the remembrances about herself are very weak, even though she was very young through the story she comes across as a very shallow person or maybe she just doesn't want to tell.

Who among us would want to have our image and empire run by our cheating ex spouse? Elvis was no saint, and I don't blame Priscilla for getting out or straying when he wouldn't make love to her. The reasons why he shut her out is what she leaves out of the book. CHILD BRIDE tells a far more accurate version of how Elvis' little experiment with her backfired and he was forced into marriage by Priscilla's step father, who threatened to go public with the nature of their relationship if he didn't seal the deal with the marriage he promised. Elvis was still going to back out until the Colonel put his foot down and made Elvis get on one knee. Some guy that step father is; who would let their 15 year old daughter move in with a movie star? It's like those parents that send their kids to Neverland Ranch hoping for a big pay day. The Bealieu family's exploitation of Elvis has been a sin that continues, and she has seemingly passed her hard feelings along to Lisa Marie.

I've read this book and have seen the movie. Believe me, if you get a chance, read "Child Bride" a fantastic book that will clear up all the pretentiousness of this writing, for it appears that Priscilla has written what she wants everyone to believe. Perhaps she believes her made up stories herself by now. Don't bother wasting your money.

I originally read Elvis and Me about 10 years ago and it left me with many questions concerning Priscilla's intentions. Was this book really intended to tell the whole raw honest truth of the king and his bride OR to gloss Priscilla's image and leave her with a whiter than white reputation ? I decided for myself that the second reason was probably the truth. I could not help but feel that Priscilla used this book to boost her image and to provoke pity onto herself. This , in my opinion, was a PR motivated move by Priscilla Presley. I could not help but feel that she still has some resentment inside her for the years that she spent in Elvis' shadow and this clearly comes across in the pages. She has stated in interviews that she needed to "tell the truth" for the sake of her daughter, however in reference to the so called "rape" section (at the end of their marriage), what effect would this have on your child..and to tell the whole world ??, I am sorry but I feel that nobodys best interests were at heart except Priscilla's. I felt that most of the "story" in this book was what Priscilla wanted you to believe and I did come away with many many questions and doubts. I have recently read Child Bride and these very questions and doubts that I had were unbelievably covered in this book. I really am sorry to say, that Child Bride, with its much researched evidence and reliable scources, seems to be the accurate version (in my opinion) of events and the truth, surrounding Elvis and Priscilla's relationship.

Priscilla portrays herself as a victim; a poor waif that was manipulated into a lifestyle not of her choosing. Elvis forced her to use drugs, dabble in bisexuality, and finally drove her into the arms of her dance instructor, her karate instructor and others. Then why long after Elvis passed away, was she still using recreational drugs, dabbling in bisexuality and engaging in rampant promiscuity? Her cheating ways continued when she was with Mike Stone, then Mike Edwards and her current man servant Marco Garabaldi. She took Elvis to task about being a terrible father and even filed suit to take Lisa Marie away from him until he gave her more money and jewelery, yet exposed her to her footloose lifestyle of partying with gigolos. Mike Edwards even wrote a book detailing his lust for the pre-pubescent Lisa Msarie while they were living under the same roof. I don't deny what she says about Elvis, it is the intent that bothers me. She leaves out how she drove him away with her constant braying about his life and career and how she thought that she was his boss. She thought nothing of degrading Elvis to her friends and his, she brazenly talked about her sexual dissatisfaction and carried on her affairs openly daring his Memphis Mafia guys to tell The Boss. Today she runs the enterprise without consideration for the fans. She rents out the land around the mansion to low rent businesses and has remade Graceland in her image, by doing away with Elvis' renovations in favor of her own questionable taste. Today Graceland is one of the worst tourist traps on the planet and that would make Elvis very sad, because his love and care for the fans that put him on that hill was as exemplary as his career. The telling moment in this book/movie, is where she depicts herself at the airport in Germany, weeping hysterically and crying out his name . . . however newsreels show her frosty countenance with no more than a momentary pout. Elvis called her the coldest woman he had ever known . . . that is her epitaph . . .

I originally saw the movie a few years ago and came across this book and had to get it. While it is not the "whole story" of their lives together, its a good look at it. The book is only just over 300 pages and that just cannot cover 14 years or whatever.
There are such mixed reviews and this book is compared to so many other stories that I have not read. But I still liked this book. No way does it tell everything, who would write a book that gave away all their memories and left nothing sacred for you to look back on?
One thing, after reading the reviews for this book I have to say that alot of people are sad. Elvis was with Pricillia for years. She was his only wife. Come on, there was no way he hated her or was pushed into anything. Give it up. Actions speak louder then words and all that. I do not think she bashed Elvis with this book. I think she told her story, and maybe she did embelish it a little. Who is to say? Who else was there but them to know what happened? She showed that she loved him enough to live how he wanted her to. How she tried to be everything he wanted. It also shows how Elvis brought her into his life and how her transformation happened.
Pricilla's writing is easy to follow and identify with. Obisouly it is going to be a one sided story, as Elvis is dead. Common sence, why would a superstar be with and marry a woman who he supposedly did not want to be with when he could have had anybody? Why did he not marry Ann Margret if she was his great love? Why did he keep going back to Pricilla if what he really wanted to do was let her go? Be real and let go of jealously.
I think that this shows a side of Elvis that no one would have known about if Pricilla did not share it. I fell in love with that side of him. Even if he was a little weird. Which he was.
I think that this is a good story and gives you a peak into Elvis's life from a point of view that no one else has. It is a good book and makes you want everything to work out. Only you know that it wont. I think that Pricilla was a lucky woman who had one hell of a life with Elvis. A life that many others wished for themselves.

Wow! Written after his death--before Elvis became the billion dollar "Cash Cow" that he is today--the author had no idea that the King would go on and become even bigger after death! The ex-wife obviously thought "Elvis was over" and that it was the beginning of her career.The book has got to be the coldest and cruelest rip off of the world's greatest entertainer. Her anger is so great that even after Elvis' death,the book was like she was trying to saw his coffin in two! How do true Elvis fans stand it that she is profiting so greatly from someone she so blantantly profaned to the world? The rape accusation--was that really necessary? She pictured Elvis as a blundering, drug crazed, frigid, psycho, sexual predator. I'm offended and the dead can't defend themselves.Obviously, the greatest tragedy in his life was his marriage to her. Shocking and very sad.

A highly anticipated book of its time. Will Priscilla finally divulge the truth about her time with Elvis? Well, sadly, the answer is no. There are alot of stories in here that are possibly true, and some that are verifiably true. And then, there are many that are recreated to secure Priscilla's place in the Elvis legacy as the grieving widow ( of which she is not. She left in 1972) There is also not much talk of her affairs, except a little about Mike Stone. The entire novel is slanted to give the impression that Priscilla was this sweet innocent girl the entire time and was taken advantage of, used and then tossed aside. This is not the case. Sure Elvis did some unsavory things but if you want to know the real truth read "Child Bride". That writer has evidence to back it up. Priscilla, to this day, is still contradicting her stories in this book and has , on a couple of occasions, when presented with irrefutable evidence,had to recant. A sign of a truth teller? This book was written for one reason only, to rewrite and secure Priscilla's place in the immemorial legacy of Elvis Presley.

Priscilla's account of her years with Elvis from the time they met in Germany up until the divorce is gappy, and full of self-pity. This reader would like to know, for one, more about her true feelings. I got the impression from reading this book that Priscilla was writing about the reactions around her instead of delving into herself and providing the insight that only the wife of the King of Rock'n'Roll could tell. She is good when it comes to funny stories about her life with Elvis, but spare when it comes to the deep feelings of rejection and sadness that she must have felt. It is for this reason, and this reason alone, that I did not feel justified in rating this book with more than two stars.