Customer Reviews

Second Act

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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!!!

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)

Joan Collins has been a symbol of beauty and glamour for decades. Whether a 1950s movie starlet, a 1970s scream queen, a 1980s television soap bitch or a 1990s novelist, Collins has made a career out of looks, gusto and good humour.

This is an update of her earlier, raunchier autobiography Past Imperfect. Whilst the earlier book contained more sexy revelations, I preferred this account - a witty, chatty reflection on her career and life which recounts many amusing and interesting vignettes.

Collins glosses over much of the more unpleasant aspects of her life (read the earlier book for more grit), but I found the book well-written and compelling. She describes her battle with Random House or her determination to fight for her daughter's life as calmly as she describes the filming of her pictures. Her glimpes into life on the Dynasty set or the 20th Century Fox backlot are fascinating and amusing.

Collins' most appealing feature is her wit - she doesn't take herself too seriously. She's a long term survivor and a class act too. Lots of fun.

In her first autobiography, Past Imperfect (1978), Ms. Collins chronicled her many loves. And they were many, from Warren Beatty, whose child she aborted to Ryan O'Neal, a birthday present to herself, Joan chronicled Hollywood's twisty love lives. But in this new installment, Joan Collins chronicles the many famous faces she has met. From Marilyn to Madonna, from Sir John Gieuglod to Billy Wilder. Having first arrived in Hollywood as a contract starlet at 20th Century Fox back in the 1950s Joan Collins was always a headlinder, not for her many forgetfull films, but for scandlous lifestyle which could rival any Dynasty plotline, the TV show that finally made certified star. Through four marriages, many love affairs, numerous films and TV roles, a battle to save her daughters life, Joan Collins remains funny, witty, and a true Hollywood surviour.

when i started to read the book i immediately became involved with miss collins life and it was like she was actually speaking to me although some of the information was incorrect(she stated that when she brought out her signature perfume every woman wanted to be like alexis or krystle. however if one was to look in the photos of joan with donald trump and ivana trump it says it was in 1990. dynasty had finished a year earlier due to falling ratings)it was neverthe less a brilliant read.

Joan Collins is really the last of the Hollywood glamour girls from the 1950's along with Liz Taylor and Raquel Welch. Mostly known for her soaring portrayal of Alexis in "Dynasty" back in the eighties, Joan has proven herself an exceptional writer both in fiction and non-fiction works. This, her sequel to her first memoir "Past Imperfect", is interesting, well-written, funny, and involving as Collins takes us on a Hollywood tour of some of the greats she met on the way upon her arrival in California from England. Collins actually met the biggest stars in Hollywood, everyone from Rock Hudson, James Dean, Mae West, Joan Crawford and more, and she is not afraid to tell us all the neat tidbits when she met these superstars. Another great part of the book are her pages on "Dynasty" and her conflicts with certain co-stars like Linda Evans and John Forsythe, and she documents the rise and fall of this once mighty primetime soap. She discusses all her marriages and affairs, and there's a great chapter on one of the most difficult times in her life when a book publisher sued her for not writing a novel to their best expectations. She also discusses what that trial did to her emotionally and financially and how it almost destroyed her. What is evident in this book is the fact that Collins has great humor and faith, two of the factors that has gotten her though some of the toughest times that would have ruined the most strongest of people.

Joan's life has been a roller-coaster but she's managed it with grace. In this book she talks about her loves, children, career and friends with deep emotion and tongue-in-cheek humor all at the same time. It's full of beautiful pictures and is a treat for her fans.

I REMEMBER PICKING UP THIS BOOK IN A RESELL BOOK STORE IN "1999". I WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT FINDING THIS BOOK BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL THEN THAT JOAN HAD EVEN WRITTEN THIS BOOK. I'M SORT OF DISAPPOINTED THAT JOAN REPEATED MUCH OF WHAT READERS READ IN "PAST IMPERFECT". MUCH OF IT WAS VERY MUCH THE SAME. SHE DID ADD MORE DETAILS AS THE BOOK WENT ON. WHAT I THOUGHT SHE HAD DONE WAS PICKED UP WHERE SHE HAD LEFT OFF IN "PAST IMPERFECT", WHICH WAS WHY I BOUGHT THIS BOOK IN THE FIRST PLACE. THAT WAS WHY I WAS DISAPPOINTED. THOUGH THIS IS A GOOD READ, I DON'T PREFER AUTOBIOGRAPHIES THAT ARE LITTLE MORE THAN REWRITTEN BOOKS WITH JUST A LITTLE MORE ADDED IN. THERE HAD TO HAVE BEEN NEARLY TWENTY YEARS BETWEEN THE TIME JOAN WROTE "PAST IMPERFECT" AND "SECOND ACT". AN AWFUL LOT HAPPENS IN THAT TIME. CERTAINLY ENOUGH SO THAT SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO REITERATE HER EARLIER BOOK. ONCE IN A WHILE I PULL OUT ALL THE BOOKS I HAVE THAT SHE HAS WRITTEN AND READ THEM OVER. EXCEPT INSTEAD OF STARTING WITH "PAST IMPERFECT" I START WITH "SECOND ACT". I GAVE THIS BOOK FOUR STARS FOR THE PARTS OF THE BOOK THAT DID NOT APPEAR IN "PAST IMPERFECT". LETS SEE, IT'S BEEN ABOUT FIFTEEN YEARS SINCE SHE WROTE "SECOND ACT". MAYBE SHE CAN PLEASE HER FANS BY WRITING ANOTHER BOOK DETAILING HER LIFE SINCE SHE WROTE THIS ONE, PICKING IT UP FROM THE ENDING. SHE CAN GIVE US SOME JUICY SCANDALOUS DETAILS, LIKE WHY AFTER SAYING SHE DIDN'T WANT TO MARRY AGAIN, SHE DUMPED HER LONG TIME BOYFRIEND ROBIN AND MARRIED PERCY. I'M WONDERING WHY DID SHE STAY WITH ROBIN SO LONG IF HE WASN'T HONEST. SHE SPECIFICALLY SAID THAT SHE MARRIED PERCY BECAUSE HE'S HONEST. HMMMMMM! BUT I'M A DIE HARD, DYED IN THE WOOL "JOAN COLLINS" FAN.

Very good, juicey and fun. Thanks Ms. Collins for writing this really provocative and warm book about many vast experiences, and for putting a little extra spring in my step!