Customer Reviews

The Secret Lives of Hyapatia Lee

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While this book is interesting it is ultimately disappointing. The disappointment comes in two areas. The first and simplist is that the book needs extensive editing. Simple proofreading should have removed numerous spelling errors and other problems with basic English. While these things do not prevent the understanding of the text they are distracting and reduce the effectiveness of any piece. A good editor would also have improved the consistency of the book. Characters are introduced with little explanation and names are adjusted in a confusing manner. Many areas cry out for more background. There are almost never any dates mentioned in the book so it becomes very hard to keep track of how long it is between events. One simple example of lack of details is the one sentence mentioning that it was a good thing the author had decided to home-school her children. There was never any background about how this decision was reached, who did the teaching, or what the results seem to have been. There is just so much in the story that received too little attention.

The second problem is that the book purports to be a look behind the x-rated business and while it touches this the main point of the book is to complain about what had been done to the author by everyone she had ever met and to justify her actions based on this. If her first husband ever offered even as much as emotional support after their marriage it isn't mentioned. Even concerning her present husband there is nothing about what he has done to help her or how they love each other. He is introduced and married in a paragraph which is summed up by saying they dated for a year and then got married. The book sounds like a catharsis and that can be a good thing for the author but for the rest of us a more balanced story would fill out the portrait of the author. The book is not a bad idea but an extensive rewrite under the direction of a good editor would lengthen the book and make it a much better document.

I found this book to be very enlightening about the adult movie business, as well as the strip clubs and mens magazine empires. The book focuses more on the businesses than it does the author, although there is extensive personal information given. It seems that the information given is just enough to explain the actions the author took. It moves fast, so you must give it undivided attention to catch the details. I particularly appreciated the ending and the sumarization of the author's opinions. The review of the book before this one, I feel, does not understand the author's desire to keep her more personal life private. I can understand why she would feel this way, and I read it for the information on the businesses afore mentioned, not necessarily for an interest in the author herself.

Hyapatia gives a fascinating view into the adult entertainment business from a woman's perspective, as an insider who saw many changes in the industry over a period of about 15 years. You will learn of her struggle to overcome a painful childhood of neglect and outright abuse while keeping the strong spirit inside her alive. In fact, one of the strengths of this book is that it is inspiring - - Hyapatia survived to tell about her life, and in doing so, attempts to raise awareness to improve the lives of others who experienced similar treatment.

Hyapatia reveals the truth regarding many myths and misunderstandings about adult film actresses - - their motivations, backgrounds, and a realistic account of how much money they earn. Much of it is surprising. Before you judge anyone for making the choice to become an adult film performer, you should understand some of the reasons that can lead a person to this way of earning a living.

This book gives an honest assessment of the emotional and financial pros and cons of performing as an adult entertainer. It's a must-read for women who would consider going into this business. Hyapatia rightfully defends our freedom to watch and enjoy sexually oriented material, while lobbying for better treatment and respect for the industry's performers. After all, there should be mutual respect between audience and performers, since they cannot exist without each other.