Sophia Living and Loving: Her Own Story [Hardcover]

A. E. Hotchner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1979

Highly acclaimed biography of Sophia Loren. The complete story of her life from "slum urchin" to "reigning queen of the cinema world". The story of the famous actress, told in her own words. Illustrated with four sections of photographs.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; 1ST edition (February 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688034284
• ISBN-13: 978-0688034283
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #316,063 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must-read for anyone, who wants to feel a touch of humanity, March 25, 2000

By 

"zara_azari" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sophia Living and Loving: Her Own Story (Hardcover)

Numerous books have been published about Sophia Loren, since this one came out in late 70's. Many of them are very good, but this particular book is still the best for couple of reasons. First of all, it is a 100% autobiography, written by one of the most amazing, and not just most beautiful, women in the world. Loren's character is reflected on every page, as she narrates her life, starting with her family background all the way to talking about her own children. Secondly, she writes with candor that would surely shock a reader, who is used to reading polished and often pretentious autobiographies of Hollywood stars. Loren, the writer, does not shy away from admitting to being the uggliest girl in town, while growing up; to feeling such human emotions as rage, fear, jealousy, hate at various stages of her life...Yet, after you finish reading this book, you will be amazed at the fact that Loren's greatest emotions have invariably been that of a compassionate, forgiving, and loving woman.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Grit, Italian Style, September 3, 2006

By 

Stephanie DePue (Carolina Beach, NC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sophia Living and Loving: Her Own Story (Hardcover)

Not very many movie stars, I think, have ever sold tickets to male and female alike: but Sophia Loren did, and probably still could. Even fewer female movie stars who first came to public notice for the "abundanza" of their chests, have, I think, managed to turn into real actresses right in front of our eyes. And only one, I think, has managed to win an Academy Award for a film in a foreign language, following on a career of films in that foreign language, Italian, while never tasting a great English language success. That one, "certo," is Sophia Loren, still very much on the scene for one thing and another. Quite a few years ago, she collaborated with A.E. Hotchner on this book, and it's still one of the best.

Her Oscar, of course, came for her powerhouse performance in "Two Women," a role that well-illustrated how she could move from sexpot to actress. How many glamorous leading ladies-- who happened to be married to their producers, no less-- would take the role of a mother older than themselves, in a film in which they had originally intended to play the daughter? And play it without makeup, in a wardrobe Gina Lollobrigida wouldn't use for rags?

This is only the half of it, for, in order to be able to give that performance, Loren had to dig back to her hungry childhood during World War II. Few of us would want to.

But one of the interesting things about this book is Loren's honesty. She was, as many people know, born illegitimate and very poor in Naples; during the war, her entire village slept in a single rat-infested railway tunnel and scavenged for food. She gives us a good look here at the grit and stamina that got her out of Pozzuoli and into pictures.

In fact, she seems to be a woman of awesome grit, capable of hanging on for years until she got that slippery producer, Carlo Ponti to the altar. Then, she was capable of spending her two pregnancies isolated in her bed: it's what she had to do to have her children.

There's more in the book, of course, such as her affair with Cary Grant and the choice she had to make between him and Carlo Ponti. Many sources agree that she was one of the great loves of Grant's life, and he never quite got over her loss.

For many years, Rome's cinema elite rebuffed her. The Catholic Church preached against her. And she actually faced criminal prosecutions for adultery and public sinning.

But let's not forget that the same woman who gave us "Two Women," also gave us a series of sparkling sex comedies, and the scintillating "Houseboat" with Cary Grant. Her striptease in "Yesterday Today and Tomorrow," for which she prepped with the exotic dancers from Paris's famous Crazy Horse Saloon, absolutely sizzled, yet still had an undercurrent of humor in it,from Mastroianni's command to "do a striptease, with just the refrigerator light on." That unbuttoned Neopolitan humor continued through "Marriage Italian Style," and "A Special Day," and could continue still, should Loren ever decide to go back to film. An actress with as little vanity as Loren could work forever.

How many stars, after all, would quote this remark of Cary Grant's on their first meeting? "How do you do, Miss Lolloloren, or is it Lorenigida? Ah, you Italian actress, I can never get your names straight?

But I think the rest of the world has long since managed to.

This book is a fine piece of work from Hotchner. The woman who said of herself," my mouth is too large, my nose is too long, and my chin and lips are too broad," couldn't have been an easy subject.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book, February 10, 2009

By 

Tanya S. (Antwerp, Belgium) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Sophia Living and Loving: Her Own Story (Hardcover)

"I was born wise," says Sophia, and this is true. She is also a very sincere person, and it makes this book even more wonderful to read.

This book is based on numerous interviews with Sophia Loren and her family. It almost like you hear her telling her own story of her life and success.

Anyway this is more than just a biography, this is a source of wisdom.