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158 of 163 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
100% Class, Cannot Rate This Book Highly Enough, April 6, 2010
About a week ago, I read an article in the New York Times about a new book coming out this week penned by the incomparable Carol Burnett. Needless to say, being quite intrigued (having read One More Time at least twice), I decided to take the plunge on this one blind (which I do not recommend you do unless you're a fan like me). Am I ever glad I did!
Carol Burnett is 100% class. Most people, when given the opportunity to write an anecdotal book like this, would have a mean word to say about someone. However, in this case, Carol Burnett does not seem to have a mean word to say about anyone in this book. We can all learn from her example.
Carol Burnett has the kind of class that eclipses 99.9% of Hollywood these days. In the era of 24-hour news, TMZ, and negativity of all sorts, Carol Burnett is the breath of fresh air that we desperately needed, at a time that we needed it the most.
Some of the stories in here are very sad, especially the times that Carol talks about the events leading up to the premiere of Hollywood Arms a few years back.
However, most of the stories (a lot of which I've never heard or seen before) have the signature razor-sharp wit that Carol and company were (and are) well-known for. Two particular items of note are the stories she shares about Lucille Ball (which were laugh-out-loud funny) and the story about how she snagged Harvey Korman to be on The Carol Burnett Show.
In summary, if you want negativity, meanness, and other such things that are oh so common these days, this book isn't going to satisfy that in the least. However, if you want something that is all too rare these days, such as class, sweetness, humor when it's necessary, and something 100% genuine, then this book is for you.
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41 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
We're So Glad We Had Those Times Together!, April 7, 2010
If they ever do a poll on 'Best Loved Entertainer,' odds are Carol Burnett would top the list or be in the top five. Ditto for 'Funniest Comedienne.' For decades, this intelligent, witty and endlessly appealing funny lady has brought laughter and joy to people around the world. In her equally appealing book THIS TIME TOGETHER, Burnett shares some of the most meaningful - and usually hilarious - moments in her long career. I haven't enjoyed a book this much in years!
For many of us baby boomers, our first exposure to Burnett's talent was on the 'Garry Moore Show' or 'Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall.' She certainly made us laugh with that limber body and rubbery face not to mention a fine singing voice. Yet what impressed most was her sweetness and naturalness. What you saw was what you got: a talented singer-comedienne who didn't take herself seriously. That impression was only reinforced when she hosted her own show, which I think was the finest, funniest variety show ever.
Those same qualities are everywhere evident in THIS TIME TOGETHER. In short chapters she takes the reader through her life and the many people she met along the way. She recalls friends and colleagues with obvious delight and affection. She gives unstinting credit to so many people who helped her personally or professionally over the years. And there's scarcely an unkind word or trace of self-pity in sight. THIS TIME TOGETHER has to be one of the 'nicest' show biz books written. It's just a pleasure to read.
Some of the most revealing stories are the ones Burnett tells on herself. For instance, the first time Burnett met Cary Grant, she was so petrified, so in awe of him that she tried to bolt from the party. As a young girl she had stared up at Grant on movie screens. Even though she was a bonafide TV star, she felt so inadequate she tried to run. Turns out he was a big fan of hers! Some time later, on a flight to New York, she was dismayed when the movie being shown turned out to be 'The Front Page,' one of Burnett's lesser acting performances. When the movie was done, she asked the stewardess for the P.A. microphone and apologized to the other passengers for her bad acting!
THIS TIME TOGETHER will certainly please all Carol Burnett fans. The book just confirms what many of us thought all along - she's funny, bright, down-to-earth, honest and a sweetheart. If you want to share some memorable moments with a real class act, pick up a copy. You won't regret it!
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53 of 64 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Contrarian, April 17, 2010
I'm going to disagree with the previous reviewers. I loved Burnett's first memoir, but this one is just OK. If you liked and remember the Carol Burnett Show and other TV performances of the author, you will likely find this book mildly entertaining. It recalls anecdotes and gentle stories of Burnett's professional and public life, but includes virtually nothing of her personal or inner life.
In a way it shows us how times have changed in the past decade or two. Where superficial stories were once all that was asked of a celebrity autobiography, now we want everything, the viscera. I have wondered in the past how she found motherhood, with her unconventional upbringing, or why she lived in Hawaii for so many years. For example, she mentions a two weeks Christmas trip to Honolulu -- I wanted to know why, not the usual destination unless special friends or family live there. She must have an interesting approach to comedy as well as drama in her professional life. But we hear nothing of any of that. This is a charming, warm recounting of the types of stories one might tell a new friend over a long weekend in casual conversation. That's fine, but -- and this is a big but -- if the author wanted to include us in her life, we would have gotten more. So, this volume is for fans only.
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