Roman Candle: The Life of Bobby Darin (Hardcover)

by David Evanier (Author) "BOBBY'S GRANDMOTHER, VIVIAN FERN WALDEN, who called herself Polly, was a thrush..." (more)
Key Phrases: folk period, scrawny thing, Steve Blauner, Bobby Darin, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Like Michael Starr's Bobby Darin, Evanier's sturdy bio quickly notes how the specter of early death spurred Bobby Darin to early fame. When, at 13, Darin overheard his doctor giving him about three more years to live (rheumatic fever had weakened his heart), the teenager decided he'd better not waste any time in becoming a star. Former senior Paris Review editor Evanier (Making the Wise Guys Weep) follows Darin's career from his early days in the New York music scene through the commercial success of "Splish Splash" and "Mack the Knife" to his later, much-maligned attempt to be a folk singer (Frankie Avalon: "I said to him, 'Bobby, what the fuck are you doing?' "). He also details Darin's attempts to launch a music publishing company (first by encouraging Wayne Newton, then an aspiring young singer, to record "Danke Schoen," a song Darin could have recorded himself) and to begin an acting career. Evanier also takes a hard look at Darin's personal relationships, particularly his troubled marriage to "America's Sweetheart," Sandra Dee. Informed by scores of interviews with Darin's friends and associates and written in no-nonsense, just-the-facts prose, Evanier's book paints a picture of a ruthlessly ambitious musician with a compelling, if not entirely sympathetic, reason for so much of his behavior. Sinatra may have had the bragging rights to "My Way," but Darin (1936-1973) lived out the lyrics.
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Review

"In order to truly understand who Bobby Darin was you have to understand
where he came from. David Evanier's new book, ROMAN CANDLE, tells the story
of the young Walden Robert Cassotto--who grew up to become Bobby Darin--in
a compelling and revealing way. His examination of Darin's impulses and
influences give the reader a chance to go behind the persona and learn what
it must have been like to grow up knowing that time was not on your side.
Darin's drive and ambition was fueled by childhood illness and a
determination to live as many lives as he could. As Darin himself used to
say, 'It's not true you only live once--you can live a lot of times--if you
know how.' ROMAN CANDLE gives us the many lives of one of the great
entertainers of all time, whose flame was extinguished way too soon. It was
a pleasure to read." --Kevin Spacey, actor/director, BEYOND THE SEA

"This biography percolates with cool. . . . [Evanier has] written a book so charged with intimacy, so heartbreakingly ebullient with life, that you feel that any moment the pages are about to snap their fingers and break into song."--Caroline Leavitt, The Boston Globe

"Darin has been the subject of several books; most notable is this new examination of the singer's life and work by David Evanier, a former senior editor of The Paris Review. . . . Evanier's portrait, true to its title, is one of a bright talent that soared quickly and erupted in a flash of glory."--David Hajdu, The Atlantic Monthly

"Music fans are liable to be surprised by the Bobby Darin mania sparked by Kevin Spacey's sunny new film biography. For the slightly darker look at Darin, hole up for the holidays with ROMAN CANDLE, the latest book about Darin's rollercoaster life."--Top Ten list of Books for Gifts by Janet Maslin of the New York Times (12/19/04)

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books; illustrated edition edition (October 21, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594860106
• ISBN-13: 978-1594860102
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #266,077 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Candle Burns At Both Ends, July 8, 2006

By	Gypsy "muir maiden" (Canada) - See all my reviews

David Evanier's biography of Bobby Darin has many interesting sequences, telling of the singer/actor's struggle from the sidewalks of the Bronx to the big time in Hollywood. The heart condition that threatened to take his life before he reached thirty, propelled him to set out and achieve as much as he could in the limited time he had on earth, as well as the tortured, volatile relationship with his family, which is enough to move one to tears. Glowing reminices from friends elevates this biography. Despite his success, he never felt it was enough - he was constantly searching for other outlets through music, acting and politics.

But there are some negative aspects - namely, the writer's
description of Sandra Dee. He seems to paint her in a less that flattering light as a mentally disturbed, alcoholic starlet without any redeeming virtues or talent. As she was sexually abused as a child and prevented from having a normal childhood thanks to her controlling stage mother, she could hardly be expected to live a carefree, ideal life, much less while married to Darin. Evanier also downplays the intense love they shared, and doesn't seem to make any connection of the disentagration of the marriage to Darin's infedelities, grueling schedules that took him away from home from long periods of time, and Bobby's own demons, causing him to be restless and sometimes cruel. The blame falls on Dee, since she was suffering from alcoholism, anorexia, as well as a series of miscarriages, and as she was in very poor health in her last years, it seemed to have made her an ideal scapegoat. Very few people speak favorably about her, with the exception of the one person whom some would have thought would have slammed her - Bobby's close friend Steve Blauner. Although an arguement between Steve and Sandra is described, he rarely puts her down and shows some compassionate understanding. Dee sadly died not long after the book was published (she and son Dodd Darin did not particpate in it), and Blauner again spoke of her in very glowing terms. Also, the book erronously states her second film, "The Restless Years" as her debut, and of course, there is the annoying mistake of the reference to Bridget, rather than "Gidget" (attention, editing!). And there is a debate over Sandra's actual birthdate - was she 16 or 18 when she married Bobby?

Andrea Yeager, who would become Darin's second wife for a few brief months in 1973, is made out to be some kind of a flawless saint, when in fact, as soon as they got married, their relationship, which had been almost ideal, began to deteriorate. It also omits the fact that Bobby was in fact, unfaithful to her as well, getting Sandra pregnant again (resulting in her final miscarriage).

Bobby Darin wasn't perfect. Because of his medical condition, the painful revelation that the woman that he thought was his sister was actually his mother, and his own ruthless ambition, he could seem to be cold and cruel to those close to him - his family was often at the receiving end of that. But his touching love for his son Dodd, his passionate support of the Civil Rights movement, his devotion to his friends and the women that he loved and lost, not just his wives but also Connie Francis, and his unstoppable drive and talent endears him to our hearts. His indelible spirit and contributions to the world of music and film will never die, and will endure forever.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Portait of an enigma, March 16, 2005

By	Paul Tognetti "The real world is so much more... (Cranston, RI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I cannot imagine what it must be like to learn when you are very young that you are not expected to live beyond the age of 30. This was the reality of Bobby Darin's life. And it was this knowledge that drove him all of his adult life. Bobby Darin wanted it all. And for a time, one way or another, whatever Bobby wanted, Bobby got. "Roman Candle" is the biography of a talented performer and a tortured soul. He was a man full of contradictions. Aside from his grave medical problems, which he kept largely to himself, Bobby Darin was also constantly at odds with his family. I think it would be fair to say that for most of his adult life Bobby's private life was a mess.
But happily, author David Evanier spends equal amounts of time focusing on Bobby Darin--legendary performer. Darin really was the last of a breed of all around entertainers. He was an accomplished musician and songwriter, a highly regarded actor and of course, a legendary singer and nightclub performer. But it seems it simply was not in his nature to stop and smell the roses. He was ever restless and always looking to explore new horizons. As a result, many of his fans and friends in show business would turn away from him. It was really quite sad. There was so much that I did not know about Bobby Darin. "Roman Candle" certainly helped to fill that void in a very entertaining way. I would recommend it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stellar Book Shines Light on Stellar Talent, December 16, 2004

By	Laurel Blossom (Edgefield SC USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

David Evanier's new biography of Bobby Darin tells the sensational story of Darin's meteoric rise to stardom and the price he paid foir it. Unlike most celebrity biographies, however, this is not hagiography: Evanier tells the Darin story sympathetically but objectively; he doesn't fall for Bobby's line. He has interviewed everybody and done all the primary source research; he knows the facts and he tells them straight. The death sentence that made Bobby live so fast; the family secret that destroyed him; the rich talent; the burning intensity; the cruelty; it's all there, the whole fascinating spectrum, captured with musical appreciation, and without human judgment..