Life Is a Banquet [Hardcover]

Rosalind Russell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1977

Life Is a Banquet. ASIN: 0394421345.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 260 pages
• Publisher: Random House Inc (T); 1st edition (October 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394421345
• ISBN-13: 978-0394421346
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #413,790 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The life of the legendary Roz, March 20, 2001

By 

Paul A. Tassone "Music Lover" (Glenwood, NSW , Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Life Is A Banquet (Paperback)

There are two things I love when it comes to entertainment; reading a good biography and watching my favourite actress Rosalind Russell. With this fabulous autobiography I get the best of both worlds as the legendary Roz tells her story. This book remains one of the most entertaining books I've ever read, one to which I return time and time again.

Why do I enjoy reading a true life story? I think it's because it's fascinating to learn how a person came from obscurity and became someone influential and beloved by millions of people the world over, to learn about the good times, the struggles and the triumphs.

Why do I love Rosalind Russell? Well, that's harder to put into words. But I'll try. I think it's because she was such a versatile actress who was adept at comedy ("The Women", "His Girl Friday", "This Thing Called Love", "My Sister Eileen", "A Woman Of Distinction" and "Auntie Mame"), powerful in drama ("Sister Kenny", "Mourning Becomes Electra" and "A Majority Of One") and expert in musicals ("The Girl Rush" and "Gypsy"). How many actresses could do all that? Whatever she did on screen she did as a true professional. But, in real life she was also a tireless worker for charity and a devoted wife and mother. Rosalind Russell was a greatly respected woman among her peers.

In telling her story, Miss Russell brings her delightful sense of fun to the fore. From the opening anecdote about winning a prize in a horse riding contest, to the way she got out of her first movie contract when a better offer came her way, to her ploy to get over the title billing in "The Women", Miss Russell spices her life story with wonderful humour that makes this book irresistible. She also includes some of the more tragic events of her life without remorse or self pity but with the strength of character that saw her battle breast cancer and crippling arthritis. It's all presented here in an endearing portrait of a true Hollywood survivor.

What is also fascinating is the foreword by her husband Frederick Brisson. What Miss Russell does not include in the book is presented by her husband, rounding out this multifaceted portrait of a great lady. For example, her breast cancer and mastectomy are not discussed by Miss Russell but by her husband. Miss Russell lived in an era where revealing such a health crisis would have effectively killed her career. But, she lived through this traumatic time and continued to give the powerhouse performances she was famous for. Also recounted are her nervous breakdown, the heartbreak at only having one child and the deaths of those close to her.

This is a wonderful book, one that I can not recommend highly enough. Although currently out of print, hopefully it will be back in print where it belongs in the not too distant future. My advice: do yourself a favour and pick up a copy of this fabulous book, even in a used copy. It will certainly provide you with a banquet of wonderful stories from a wonderful actress and woman, Rosalind Russell.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A banquet room full of Russell Roses, January 22, 2002

By 

Julie A. Saffrin (Excelsior, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Life Is a Banquet (Hardcover)

From the forward written by her husband, Frederick Brisson, the reader is drawn into the dynamic life of Rosalind Russell. This book is full of delightful escapades of her childhood and shows an honest glimpse of a movie star (the best man at her wedding was Cary Grant) and the consummate professional she was. Gifted as an actress, no doubt, but Russell, shows the reader that it's the age old Thomas Edison adage - Genius is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration. Talk about a persistent, creative marketeer of promoting herself, this book is a must-read for anyone needing to be shown a road of how it's done. She once told her only son, Lance, "Flops are part of life's menu and I'm never a girl to miss out on any of the courses." And several times flop she does, always pulling herself up from the boot strings and trying again. Also, the glimpse into Hollywood legends lives - Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra, even Coco Chanel, are a satisfying bonus to reading this book.

Funny, poignant (her sister, whom Roz calls "The Duchess" and whom she based the character of Auntie Mame, dies early in the book) and thought-provoking, Russell indeed proves that life is a banquet to be feasted on and enjoyed each and every day. A delectable read, you'll come away from this book with a brighter take on life.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Honest., May 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Life Is a Banquet (Hardcover)

This book is about Rosalind Russell's career. She is funny, and as I stated above, honest. She speaks of rheumatoid arthritis, with which she was afflicted, and her childhood. The book also features a foreword by Frederick Brisson, who was her husband until her death, and he speaks of her truthfully. This is a wonderful book!!!