Customer Reviews

Stories from Candyland

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(65)

 

 

Where to start? I bought this book and read it as an objective reader. I wasn't on Camp Tori nor Camp Candy. But it is impossible to remain non-empathetic to Tori after reading this book. The author is narcissistic, lacks insight and judgment, and puts to rest why a daughter cannot bond with a mother. The author, in finding her voice, according to her 20/20 interview, has no clue as to what people want to hear from her voice. Sorry to say, but her mom and husband were wise in suggesting she remain silent. Her long, rambling stories about the most mundane subjects would not pique anyone's interest even if offered by actual important people. Her air of superficiality seeps out everywhere. Imagine the horror when a staffer mentioned that one of her powder rooms might be the size of a normal bathroom. (She was suprised this did not make the tabloids, although the reader is left wondering why anyone would vocalize such a thought). Her attitude about life and her daughter, while she thinks she is defending herself, tells a sad tale of what Tori must have faced when trying to break through to this woman (who speaks more highly of her candy collection, spare gifts, and good manners, than her daughter. I can actually envision Tori trying to explain the problem to her mother only to be met with the most infuriating lack of understanding mixed with inappropriate explanations. She doesn't say she made mistakes as a mother. Rather, she says she was juggling a world of luxury while trying "to be the best mother in the history of motherhood." (P. 98). I'm sure such comments would drive any daugter back into distance. The author mocked her daughter for saying she "only" inherited $800,000 while describing, in agonizing detail, more than that much in the incidentals around her Manor. None of this would be our business, except that the Spellings have elected to make it our business. As a sincere note to mom, you have to find a different approach. Your putative kind words about Tori are buried beneath your sarcasm, passive aggressiveness, and victim mentality. Tori, we get it now.

Chapter 3 or 4, I don't know but I am done with it.

I admit I never gave Tori much thought until her show.. I figured she was a Spelling living in the Spelling world.. rich girl.. etc.. then I watched her very cute, adorable show and the day she stood in that doorway of a trailer they had to live in while the Inn was being painted.. HUGELY Pregnant and made the best of it. I thought.. WOW I have this girl all wrong. I don't even think that would be in my thought process.

I realize it is TV but to see her heartbreak over her mother ,then to read this drivel..UGH.. Tori's book was fun and amusing and real.. The point is Tori comes off as approachable and relevant, her mother does not..she is stuck in her own head.. No wonder Tori could not relate to her.. There is no room for that girl in her mother's life. Too much ego.

Glad to see Tori however seems to be doing well with her little family.. Maybe Candy will get lost in the mansion somewhere... I mean really I loved her comment.. "I don't know how many rooms I have and I refuse to count".. it's pathetic.. don't waste your time or your money.. wait for Tori's new book to come out... if it is anything like her last one it would be a great read.

I am not a fan of Tori's but was interested in learning about the family that lived in one of the largest homes in the US. I finished Tori's book, sTori Telling, in 2 days and was completely delighted! What a fun read! I was hoping for more of the same with her mother's book and quite frankly, after 4 chapters I am bored into unconsciousness!! This book seems like Candy is reverting back into her childhood of make believe! Who CARES what she dreams the designs on her fan collection might mean or of her fantasy of being married to Rock Hudson??!??! ho-hum!! And she can't seem to stop taking pot shots at Tori! (but hugs and kisses to brother Randy! smooch, smooch!) The photos are nice and there is some stuff about REAL life in Spelling Manor, however, I am doubtful I will waste anymore time trying to swallow this stuff! I'd rather rearrange my sock drawer!
Sorry Mom, Tori wins this one by a long shot! Looking forward to the release of Babywood!! Keep up the great work, Tori!!

I don't know why I even thought I would enjoy this book. I should have known it was going to be awful (it's written by Candy Spelling, after all). The book makes it abundantly clear that Candy is nothing more than an old women who's only "accomplishments" in life were marrying an incredibly rich man, spending his money, getting lots of plastic surgery, and alienating her daughter (oh, and writing this book, which is inevitably headed for the discount bin at the Dollar Tree). I found this book to be incredibly boring, poorly written, utterly pointless, and a bit narcissistic. Don't be fooled by the title -- STORIES FROM CANDYLAND. There is absolutely nothing sweet about this read.

Wow. Has anyone else noticed that the 5-star reviews of this book are quite obviously posted by Candy Spelling's friends ? PATHETIC.

Candy Spelling has yet to write anything significant or remotely interesting, and you certainly won't find it here. She is the epitome of selfishness and delusion, having lived an undeservedly privileged life because of Aaron Spelling.

Come on - a doll collection ? Those dolls were originally "gifts" to Tori at every birthday, only to end up in Candy's collection. Does anyone see the irony of her having four gift wrapping rooms and not understanding the first thing about truly GIVING a damn from her heart ? That's because she doesn't have one !

This reads as a very heavy-handed counterattack to her daughter's book and fails miserably. No new revelations about life at the Manor. We've all heard about the snow at Christmas and the designer Halloween costumes. Find something original to tell us, Candy. On top of that, what editor allows an author to drone on and on while listing all of her collections ? What a waste of paper !

Don't waste your time or your money on this book. Spend it on Tori's.

Poor Candy. Delusional, overstuffed opinion of herself. This book is full of Beverly Hills bull.

If you want to see the dreamworld the super-rich live in, dive in. But if you want truth, you won't find it here. I can imagine this book was only written to "get back" at Tori, as all she does is bash her and worship the son Randy.

It's boring, it's tired and Candy, no one really cares about you. You happened to marry an interesting man with lots of money. He's the only one who cared.

Candy: It's nutritionally worthless, a brief blast of sugars before fading away from the GI tract as if it had never existed.

The same could be said about Candy Spelling's ephemeral creampuff of a biography, "Stories from Candyland." It's not a very thick book, but almost every page of it is pure fluff: scattered reminiscences in no particular order, clumsy attempts to prove that she's just an ordinary rich trophy wife, and a lot of flat rambling. It's the written equivalent of being trapped in a limo with a rich idiot who won't shut up.

Known for being the wife of late uberproducer Aaron Spelling and the mother of "actress" Tori Spelling, Candy Spelling started out as another star-dazzled girl who wanted to marry Rock Hudson and spent loads of money on fan magazines. But when she met Aaron, she was whisked into a world of endless wealth, glamorous film stars and one hit TV show after another.

You know the rest: they married and permanently entered the world of showbiz and celebrity, they had a pair of rather unattractive children, and lived pleasant and frankly rather uneventful life for many years, until Tori suddenly got her panties in a bunch and some sort of secondhand feud began between mother and daughter.

Briefer summary: Blah blah Rock Hudson blah blah dogs jabber jabber Tori is an ungrateful runt yap yap dogs blah blah hair yammer yammer everyone's so mean to me blah blah showbiz jabber jabber I'm just a sweet ordinary person blah blah did I mention Tori is such a nasty little ingrate?

"Stories From Candyland" does live up to its title -- it's not a real biography, but a cluster of rambling stories that ricochet randomly and confusingly all over the place. Not only does it scramble your brain with the bizarre format, but at the end you end up wondering why Spelling bothered to write a book if she can't manage to actually put something into it. It literally has no content whatsoever -- no love, loss, major life events, or whatever.

Instead we have Spelling rambling on for pages about the most banal topics imaginable -- "Dick and Jane" books, her gift-wrapping rooms (yes, plural), her dogs, her mother's cleaning habits, her Rock Hudson crush (he was gay! Get over it!), her collections (listed over three whole pages), and lasting legacy in the weekly soap "Dynasty" (it involves a piece of jewelry).

And the whole book is written in a flat, unengaging style that rarely has many details, or a you-are-there feeling -- the greatest detail is reserved for her ornamental fan collection. There are a few amusing moments near the start -- such as Spelling locking herself in Hudson's bathroom -- but it soon dissolves into self-indulgent navel gazing and an endless list of all the mean rumors people say about her.

And periodically, Spelling writes a chapter chronicling in great detail how her daughter is totally ungrateful and nasty and petty, but her mum forgives her anyway even though she's a lying ingrate. You can almost smell the simmering resentment.

Spelling herself doesn't come across as a great prize either. She comes across as distant and rather emotionless toward anyone in her life, with only a faint fondness at best. Despite her attempts to portray herself as a loving, down-to-earth, adorably inept trophy wife and mother, she comes across as quite icy and almost constantly self-absorbed -- her husband's death is barely addressed at all, except for the harassment she suffers due to his will.

"Stories from Candyland" is indeed like being trapped in a candyland -- surrounded by fluffy, substance free sugar that may make you ill if you take in too much. Give this a miss, and keep it that way.

This boring, rambling book had me face down in my pasta after several chapters. This woman seems to have to contact WHATSOEVER with reality. I'm not that interested in hearing details of your staggering wealth.

Now onto the kids. Lady, you chose to have two children. You did. It sounds as if you were too busy picking out jewelry and designing your house to work on building a relationship with your daughter.

I had a mom sort of like you; we disagreed on EVERYTHING, but she was always there for me, my biggest supporter, a rock when I needed her, unfailingly loving and generous. She always tried to see my point of view (before concluding that hers was right, but propz to trying). Most importantly, she loved me. I don't think you love Tori; I think you wanted a Candy clone, and when Tori turned out to have a mind of her own you decided to simply resign from motherhood.

I don't think it's in you to love and accept your daughter. Tori, just be glad you have your great husband and darling children. Candy, for gawd's sake, can you at least TRY to love Tori and her family and include them in your life? For let me tell you, when you get older and your friends start dropping off, you'll be sorry. Oh yes, you will.

Poor Candy Spelling. Tori won't answer her calls and she sits alone at home. I saw the 60 minutes interview with this self absorbed woman. I thought that I would buy her book and get the other side of the story. I kept asking myself if this woman is for real? She has to be one of the most selfish women I have ever heard about in my life. Here she is living in this 50,000 square foot house with hundred's of stupid collections that she has spent millions and millions of dollars collecting. Did you see her doll collection? Her doll collection alone could send 50 kids to college. My parents are more giving than this lady and they have only moderate savings. It is a blessing to be able to give to your children but Candy doesn't know anything about giving. She is all about herself. Just check out her face. It is pulled tighter than a fat ladies girdle. I enjoy giving to my children as well. It is one of lives great internal rewards. It's not all about the money. It's about the selflessness of loving the other person enough to share with them the blessings that you have received. Can you imagine not even meeting your grandchild? I would do whatever it took to be near my grandchild. My husband and I have about one millionth of what Candy Spelling has but we have one thing that she will NEVER have, we have the deep love and respect of our children. Candy's book was one of the most boring and indulgent books I have ever read. I stuck to it and finished it despite the fact that I was falling asleep. I went away from the book with no sympathy for the author but pity for such a shallow and selfish woman. Candy is truly a pitiful woman. How Tori turned into the sweet woman she is is a miracle. Don't waste your money on this awful book. Check it out from the library if you feel you must read it. Don't give this selfish woman one more penny.

Well, she is...and she wrote an entire book to tell you about it. She has more luggage, wrapping paper, lightbulbs and batteries, cooking utensils, antique collectibles, and rooms in her 'manor' than you could shake a stick at...and she wants to tell YOU all about it. I think the editor of this book should be embarrassed. This 'literary work' is chock-full of random thoughts and completely irrelevant information. Instead of talking about the things people might find interesting or endearing--like humble moments, her marriage at 17 and divorce at 19, her supposed working-class upbringing--she mentions COUNTLESS times that her husband created shows in the 1980s and 90s. Oh, and how her daughter doesn't appreciate her. Hard to imagine--a daughter not appreciating her cold, self-absorbed, snobby mother?! Color me impressed...and keep riding the coat-tails of your much-more-talented husband and daughter, Candy.