Lost in Hollywood: The Fast Times and Short Life of River Phoenix (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

If the deluge of tabloid stories about River Phoenix's death from a drug overdose only whetted your appetite for dirty details about the actor's life, you'll find plenty of juice in Lost in Hollywood. Yet Glatt, the author of Rage and Roll: Bill Graham and the Selling of Rock, also tries to give this book a serious facade; it's replete with (amateur) psychoanalysis, references to Rimbaud, and a bibliography. He traces Phoenix's problems to his childhood (natch), which he spent in a Christian cult. Besides sending children out to beg, the group encouraged spouse swapping and preschool sex, Glatt reports. Disenchanted, the family finally left in 1978. Soon, however, River's mother came up with an unusual new plan to save the world: She would push her children into show business and use their visibility to preach the family's message. His mission determined, Phoenix quickly advanced from parts in commercials to film roles. But noble ulterior motives and his wholesome vegan image notwithstanding, Phoenix wasn't able to just say no. Although Glatt tries to pin the blame on rapacious hangers-on and the pressures of Hollywood, the case he makes is tenuous. If you, like, have a huge crush on River Phoenix, this is indeed titillating stuff, but ultimately the book doesn't rise far enough above its schlock-bio brethren.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Whenever a young media star dies, familiar observations are made and the usual demons--drugs, fame, sexual confusion, and parental abuse, misuse, or disuse--are exposed. In the case of River Phoenix, all such are rooted in reality. Raised in a religious cult, Phoenix had a childhood far from normal. According to Glatt, he was introduced to sex at age four and withheld from formal schooling, both apparently in accordance with cult beliefs. After a spell in South America, his parents hatched a plot to promulgate their religious views by having River become a Hollywood star. Soon the boy was the family breadwinner. Raised to believe he was on a holy mission to save the world, he grew up to be a serious, committed vegan who preached against drug and alcohol abuse. That he was also a dedicated partyer was remarked, but hey, that's the Hollywood lifestyle. Based on interviews covering every turn in Phoenix's curlicue lifepath, Glatt's book affords more revelation than is usually forthcoming after what unfortunately must be called a typical celebrity death-by-misadventure. Mike Tribby --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: St Martins Mass Market Paper; Reprint edition (April 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312957823
• ISBN-13: 978-0312957827
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #603,977 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From Birth to Death everything you need to know about River, February 2, 1999

By A Customer

Any River Phoenix fan would be amazed at the River you didnt see when reading this book. It tells all the "what the media didnt tell you". From before being born tohisdeath,learn about friends, family, and the unfortunate life of River that brought it to end. As a River Phoenix fan still, I enjoyed every word. I highly recommend reading it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A complete reckoning of River's brief life., May 6, 1997

By A Customer

As a description of the chonology of River Phoenix's life and work, Glatt's work excels. So many of the questions which plagued those of us who followed Phoenix's work with interest are answered here, plainly and with little glitz. River's birth, life, and sad death are conveyed journalistically through summaries of interviews with those in the Phoenix "inner-circle," summaries of articles by other authors, and through Glatt's unadorned narrative. As a River Phoenix fan I suppose I expected a little more passion from this book, possibly something mirroring the actor's own passion and zest for sensation. Ultimately, it gave me the information I sought, and it did cause the memories and emotions following the actor's death to resurface. I wept, though I would not expect any but the most devoted fans to react similarly. I am grateful to Glatt for passing on this story with an objective and truthful spirit. The media's shredding of River's legacy was unfair and unjust. Glatt has removed some of the tarnish from River's name and through this biography reminds us all what a prodigious talent this young actor shared through his films. This book has made me once again mourn the passing of this human being for whom stardom led not to the answer of dreams and wishes but to the reality of his greatest fears

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's ok, but not as good as some other books, July 10, 1998

By	Amy ([e-mail]) (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lost in Hollywood: The Fast Times and Short Life of River Phoenix (Hardcover)

Let's talk about the good stuff first. The book is in depth about River's life. The author did alot of research and wrote a pretty good book. The titles of the chapters kept me going, eventhough I already knew most of the information. The pictures inside were rare and candid, sortta. I found out some new info about River that I didn't know before, but I still have to find out if the book has the facts correct. Now the bad parts. There were huge basic mistakes in the book. First they kept spelling Joaquin Phoenix's name wrong. In the beginning it was Yoaquin, then Toaquin. Second, they left out River's 2nd sister Liberty, she was born July 5, 1976. The do mention her later, but many times they leave her out. There are more mistakes throughout the book, but I'm not going to bother with them....Enjoy the reading P.S. Since this book is out of print, you might want to look for another edition titled: River Phoenix The Biography, it's the same book (by the same author), but with a different title.