Second Act [Hardcover]

Joan Collins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 18, 1996

Joan Collins chronicles the times, the places and the people she has known and worked with, from Brando to Branagh.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Dynasty's femme fatale tells of a life in Hollywood.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Having had a rough time as a fiction writer lately, Collins has decided to mine her own life for publishable material. Of course, she did that once, in her first auotbiography, Past Imperfect (1984), which does overlap this "second act." The book gets off to an unsettling start with Collins in the courtroom defending her writing prowess against Random House. Unfortunately, this chapter is so choppily written that readers may sympathize with Random's case. After that, the book flows more smoothly, though it never does more than skim the surface of a life that, one hopes, has had more depth than Collins gives it here. Throughout, even when the author is talking about her daughter's life-threatening accident or one of her own divorces, the tone is chatty, arch, and at times, bitchily funny. Collins is a name-dropper extraordinaire, and the book is at its best when she is dishing the likes of Warren Beatty (boyfriend), Elizabeth Taylor (friendly competitor), and Charleton Heston (costar and toupee wearer). As with so many other aspects of Collins' career, good or bad doesn't seem to matter much when it comes to Joan Collins' writing. As always, she'll be laughing all the way to the bank. Ilene Cooper --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd; 1St Edition edition (October 18, 1996)
• ISBN-10: 0732257581
• ISBN-13: 978-0732257583
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Her Second Act Brought Down The House, January 31, 2001

By 

HughGoBoy (Hollywood, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Second Act (Hardcover)

At first i thought this memoir was a rehash of her Past Imperfect (which i enjoyed immensely), but from the beginning, it was clear that JC had plenty more to say. This is an amusing, bright woman, with keen insight. Her discriptions of her meetings with Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Mae West are priceless, PRICELESS i tell you. One must fully realize that the phenomenon known as Celebrity happens to so few people, that its fascinating when one of "them" actually talks about it. Its also hysterical when she discusses how people treated her as if she were Alexis, the conniving b#@%h, when in fact she is a nice mother of 3 and step mother of 3. Doesnt it scare you when you hear that people actually believe that the characters she performed were real. Or that she was asked to give advice (as Alexis)? The revelation here isnt that she can write (she can), its that she continues to be a interesting woman, a beauty, and is gifted with an amazing memory.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delicious chatty book about Ms. Collins' life, August 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Second Act: Ultimate-24dp (Mass Market Paperback)

Just finished this book and enjoyed it immensely! I felt as if we were chatting over tea! Ms. Collins is very open and honest about all of her life's adventures and all who she encountered. I especially liked her insiders view on all the Hollywood parties. A great read, fun, gossipy, truly pleasureable!!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Sparkling Prelude To The Third Act, May 12, 1999

By 

Judy Moose ([e-mail]) (Las Vegas, Nevada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Second Act: Ultimate-24dp (Mass Market Paperback)

There is an old saying in the theatre that "There are no good third acts". If Joan's first two are any indication, the third is going to bring down the house. As the follow-up to the best selling Past Imperfect Joan has once again captivated audiences worldwide with Second Act. As a change from other biographies, Second Act is a humorous look at the more amusing side of Joan people don't often see. One such moment is when Harrison Ford is brought to her home in the 1970's and not having seen Star Wars asks him if The Empire Strikes Back is about the Royal Family! She takes the time to dish about the who's who of Hollywood and not just the trivial tidbits. For any person who has followed her career whether it be from Land of the Pharaohs to Dynasty to the new Flintstones movie, this is a book that cannot be missed! (And I'm not just saying that because I own three different versions of this book)