Customer Reviews

The Importance of Being Barbra: The Brilliant, Tumultuous Career of Barbra Streisand

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Santopietro should be lauded for his approach to this much-written-about subject. Using engaging prose, he casts a critical eye on each piece of the Streisand oeuvre, while always setting the critical examinations within the historical contexts of both society and the entertainment industry. It's refreshing to be able to read about the woman's work without being subjected to hear-say or apocryphal comments that only the lady herself could validate. This critical analysis is the missing link (a long time missing) between Stresiand's interviews about her work, her co-workers' opinions and the press. Hats off to you, Tom. This is a terrific book that I keep thinking about even after having read it some weeks ago. Thank you for setting the record straight on the fine line between celebrities' public lives and their professional personas.

I too guess I'm the wrong person to review this book, having been a Barbra Streisand fan for 43 of my 53 years. But, finally, it's exciting to read a well written book that delves into what matters the most - the creative work of Ms. Streisand. She has always said that the public knows the truth when they hear or see it, and this book does well in focusing on the considerable talents of Barbra; that's the truth. She is the most talented artist/entertainer of our generation. Heck, of just about any generation. The author knows his subject well; so well in fact that he can appreciate the nunances of her recordings, films, television and concert works. How wonderful to read a book by someone who knows her work so intimately (as do we die-hard fans) to be able to note the vocal and phrasing differences in the 9 recorded versions of "People" over the years on various albums. That's what I call a connoisseur! The author's breathe and depth are exceptional, and I for one am glad that after so many books which dish her fingernails, hairstyles, clothes, dating history, or whatever, this author focuses on what matters the most. And what matters the most is the outstanding quality of work this "actress who sings" has given the world. A must read for the long-term fan who has been with her from "My Name is Barbra" to the Fall 2006 Concert tour, and equally valuable for the newer fan, or anyone who wonders why Barbra Streisand is The Greatest Star. Thank you Barbra for your incredible work, and thank you Tom for an excellent, credible book.

This IS a must-read for every Barbra fan. The author is clearly a huge Barbra fan, who acknowledges & praises the work of our 'greatest star' - but can be fairly critical of Barbra's more head-scratching & disappointing career choices (fans KNOW which ones they are). This book is not some sour grapes score-settling hatchet job (like, ahem, another recent Barbra book), but a funny, clear-eyed, breezily written critique of Barbra's work - and the motiviation behind it. I've read all (okay, most) of the books written about Barbra and this one is the most enjoyable & satisying to date. One wonders how Barbra's 'product' would be different if she were surrounded less by sychophantic colleagues and more by others with good taste & objectivity who desire to preserve her much-deserved legacy.

There have been countless books rehashing the loves and life of Barbra Streisand. Finally, there's one that provides a clear-eyed, entertaining look at her legendary career. Every album, every television special, every movie (good and bad) is objectively anaylzed and thoroughly detailed. The author's take on each project is humorous, fun, and insightful -- a real treat to read. If you're a Streisand fan...even if you're just a movie or music buff, this is a book you'll enjoy from beginning to end.

This book is NOT a biography; it is strictly a book reviewing & critiquing Barbra's work in theater, television, film, recordings, concerts, & politics.

The author makes some good observations and is generally fair in his assessments. I didn't agree with his views 100% of the time but it was fun to see what he did & did not like. It's easy to see what failed in hindsight however, Stantopietro does not gloat but rather laments what might have been with perhaps a little more thought or planning on Barbra's part.

Fun; a definite "must have" for true Barbra fans!

With Barbra Streisand embarking on a pricey concert tour this fall, the time seems ripe to look back on her illustrious career. I thought I would get that from Christopher Andersen's biography, "Barbra: The Way She Is" released this past April. Instead, I was sideswiped by a gossipy tell-all that basically converted the legendary entertainer into a raging perfection-seeking lunatic and insatiable power-mongering nymphomaniac. Fortunately, theater manager and obvious Barbra-phile Tom Santopietro takes the higher road in providing a comprehensive and thoughtfully organized overview of her professional career and foregoes details of her personal life almost entirely.

The result can be rather dry for any non-Streisand fan, but even they can appreciate the author's encyclopedic approach to a truly remarkable career. Santopietro divides the book chronologically into the categories of recordings, films, television specials, major concerts, theater roles and politics. Each Streisand release is given his meticulous appraisal, and more times than not, I tend to agree with his critiques. For instance, he understandably applauds her milestone work like "The Broadway Album", slaps her on the hand for her ego-driven decisions on "The Prince of Tides" (which I agree compromises the integrity of the film) and lambasts her for dreck like "All Night Long", her forgotten 1981 character comedy with Gene Hackman. He even has the temerity to given her 1984 pop album, "Emotion", an "F" for its generic, radio-friendly music, even though I think the Maurice White songs are still damnably catchy.

Almost like an ROI table in a business textbook, a career scorecard is included as an appendix with a letter grade for everything Streisand has done professionally. It's clear that Santopietro prefers Broadway Barbra to any other identity she has offered, and it's true there is probably no song stylist living to match her. The point is that Streisand has been in that rarefied position to do whatever she wants, whether it's exploring German lieder or recreating a vaudeville revue or conducting a public therapy session. In achieving that level of discretion over her career, she gets an "A". For admiring Streisand in all his passionate criticality, Santopietro gets a "B".

I am really the wrong person to review anything Barbra. There isn't much that I don't love about her, whether it be a movie or a new album or a book. All of which this book is about. One of the reasons this is a great book is because it is about all those things, her music especially. So many books talk about "Barbra" and not her accomplishments. There is no picking on her nails, her nose, her attitude and most of all her politics. This is about what her fans love most, her music and movies, basically her work. Love her or dislike her, this book is not about HER, it's about what she does and nobody does it better!

After being a Barbra fan for over 30 years I didn't know what this book could teach me or what new things could I learn. But I couldn't resist the title and was happy to find a refreshing look at Streisand's career in a way I had never seen. It is more of an essay of her work that I found to be very interesting.

This is a non-gossip analysis of Barbra's career in it's various facets. You may disagree with some of the author's opinions (as I did with his evaluation of "What About Today," but you'll appreciate how this book examine's her work in social and psychological contexts. The perfect companion for Barry Dennen's book, "My Life With Barbra: A Love Story," a highly personal observation of her early life and career.

Definitely not a book you can't put down. It is a polite and seemingly accurate description of Barbra's music recordings, films and television appearances. Author is very kind and considerate in writing of Barbra. Not a lot of personal accounts of Ms. Streisand as you might like to know but a good account of her career.