1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE STORY OF ONE TOUGH LADY. QUITE REMARKABLE., March 9, 2009
This review is from: Surviving High Society - Lots of Love Trumps Lots of Money (Paperback)
Like most people, even if I do not like to admit it to myself, I have a bit of a fascination for OPLs (other people's lives). I do feel this is a rather universal trait and is shared by many, even though, like me, many do not want to admit it.
This is a true story of one woman's life; Elizabeth Marvin Mulholland, and I must say, it is a rather fascinating read. It helps that Mrs. Mulholland seems to be a natural story teller and does have the ability so articulate her stories through the written word. Many people have lead interesting, happy, tragic and fascinating lives, but they fail to have either the ability or motivation to tell us their story. Fortunately for us, this author has both.
Mrs. Mulholland started life with a mother, and father that really did not want her and at a very young age was adopted, along with another young child, a boy, by a wealthy and influential family in Connecticut. She entered into a world of money, privilege and indeed, entitlement, real or imagined. Being beautiful, bright, athletic and rich, she had, so to speak, it made. Or did she?
To be brief (you really need to read this one), life for this young lady was not a bed of roses from the beginning and certainly went down hill from there. From an extremely controlling and alcoholic mother who probably had some sever mental problems, to years of forced periodic admissions to a psychiatric hospital (The Snake Pit), to a truly abused and troubled step brother; the death of her beloved stepfather and finally complete disinheritance by her rather sinister and controlling step mother, we have an underlying story of a truly strong woman; a survivor by any definition of the word.
The reader will be reminded of the conversation between Fitzgerald and Hemingway (a conversation which actually probably never took place, per se, but never-the-less is imbedded in our collective literary minds), where Fitzgerald states that "the rich are not like you and me," and Hemingway replies in agreement, "yes, they have more money." As we read the story of Mrs. Mulholland, we find that both men were right in so many ways. The rich are different but their only distinguishing difference is the money. Of course we find that having the money does indeed have an effect on their actions and how the perceive the world around them and solve problems far differently, but to the same ends, as the less wealth. All else is the same; there is the good, the bad and the ugly. People are people wherever you find them and they all share the same traits; rich, poor, powerful or weak. This work brings the stark reality of these statements directly to the reader.
This is a rather well written biography and is quite readable. The author does follow a rough chronology, but at times drifts from one period to other, but she does this quite effectively and enhances her story by doing so. We are allowed glimpses into the lives of some of the people she associated with. I particularly enjoyed the sections dealing with Katherine Hepburn and her family.
Now this is a strange sort of story. At first you cannot help feel sorry for the young Elizabeth. This transitions into a feeling of "what is this woman thinking" sort of feeling, and ends with a great amount of admiration for the older Elizabeth. This was and is one tough lady and you have to admire her and her ability to overcome adversity that many would find daunting, if not impossible.
This is a good, well written and well crafted read. To be honest, once I started it, I had trouble putting it down and more or less went from cover to cover with few breaks. This is certainly one you will want to add to your reading list.
Don Blankenship
The Ozarks
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Look Behind A Facade, February 27, 2009
This review is from: Surviving High Society - Lots of Love Trumps Lots of Money (Paperback)
Elizabeth Marvin Mulholland, in the opinions of most people, was an extraordinarily lucky girl. An illegitimate child born to two fairly prominent but highly self-absorbed people, she was adopted by a wealthy couple and raised in the lap of luxury with neighbors like the Hepburns, long vacations that allowed her to mix with royalty on occasion, and seemingly everything she could desire at her disposal. Unfortunately, behind the comfortable facade lay a lot of misery. Her adopted mother was devious and controlling, her adopted father (the source of the only real love and comfort young Elizabeth received) died suddenly when she was in her twenties, and her younger adopted brother was so unstable he was institutionalized after trying to kill their mother.
Elizabeth spent years in and out of mental hospitals, committed by her mother whenever she failed to please or tried to assert her independence. She was heavily medicated, endangering her physical health, and purposely kept as some sort of permanent child to satisfy her mother's demands. It sounds too horrifying to be true, but wealthy people have always been able to bend the rules and suborn others to satisfy their own proclivities. When Elizabeth did finally break free from her mother's control, she was punished by being disinherited. After a tumultuous romantic life, Elizabeth at last found happiness, security, and love and lives a fulfilled and pleasant life today.
This book is written in a series of short chapters or vignettes, arranged roughly chronologically. It does a good job of portraying the life of a strong woman who survived years of chronic misery. Its rare that such books have happy endings, and its nice to know that Elizabeth, whom I grew to admire and like a lot, was able to write one.
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Not a Bad read, December 8, 2009
This review is from: Surviving High Society - Lots of Love Trumps Lots of Money (Paperback)
I do not usually read memoirs; it's not a genre I dabble in very often. But when I saw this book come across my review choices it got my interest so I requested it. And I have to say I was not disappointed. The book is a fast read, and an interesting look into a young woman's life.
How she finds herself to be under the thumb of a vengeful parent, and has to climb her way out. Giving up the so called silver spoon that has been hers for her life to find her own way. That is something that not a lot of us would do I suppose. But Elizabeth found a way, and while her life was forever altered it can't be said that it was a bad way.
I feel the only thing missing from this book was a level of anger that must have been felt. If my mother treated me the way Elizabeth's treated her I would have been bubbling over with anger. Perhaps it just show that she is a bigger woman than myself. But over the entire book is a good one, and if you enjoy memoirs you will enjoy it.
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