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Gypsy Rose Lee
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Gypsy: A Memoir Paperback – July 15, 1999

by Gypsy Rose Lee (Author), Erik Preminger (Afterword)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 175 ratings
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Gypsy A Memoir by Gypsy Rose Lee
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Gypsy Rose Lee’s memoir became a New York Times bestseller in 1957, inspiring the 1959 hit musical, two movies, and three revivals. Now a fourth, directed by Arthur Laurents and starring Patti LuPone, is lighting up New York, winning top Broadway theatre awards, including three 2008 Tony Awards, as well as raves from critics and audiences:

 

“No matter how long you live, you’ll never see a more
exciting production.” —Terry Teachout, The Wall Street Journal

 

“Watch out, New York! This GYPSY is a wallop-packing show of raw power.” —Ben Brantley, The New York Times

 

“Not your ordinary theater experience. This is the best production
of the best damn musical ever.” —Liz Smith, Syndicated Columnist

 

The memoir, which Gypsy began as a series of pieces for The New Yorker, contains photographs and newspaper clippings from her personal scrapbooks and an afterword by her son, Erik Lee Preminger. At turns touching and hilarious, Gypsy describes her childhood trouping across 1920s America through her rise to stardom as TheQueen of Burlesquein 1930s New York—where gin came in bathtubs, gangsters were celebrities, and Walter Winchell was king.

 

Gypsy’s story features outrageous characters—among them Broadway’s funny girl, Fanny Brice, who schooled Gypsy in how to be a star; gangster Waxy Gordon, who fixed her teeth; and her indomitable mother, Rose, who lived by her own version of the Golden Rule: “Do unto others … before they do you.”

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  1. Print length
    408 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    North Atlantic Books
  4. Publication date
    July 15, 1999
  5. Dimensions
    5.73 x 0.98 x 8.61 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1883319951
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1883319953
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"... will delight anyone who has a love for the annals of the American stage."- Newsweek"This is show business, this America... this is Gypsy Rose Lee!"- Tennessee Williams"I found it irresistable. It's quite a performance. I bet some of it is even true, and if it wasn't, it is now."- John Steinbeck

About the Author

Gypsy Rose Lee (1911–1970) was an infamous vaudeville entertainer best known for her burlesque performances. Her memoir was adapted into the renowned musical Gypsy. She also appeared in several films and television programs including The Trouble with Angels and The Over-the-Hill Gang. In addition to her memoir, Lee wrote the novels The G-String Murders and Mother Finds a Body, as well as the play The Naked Genius.

Erik Preminger is the son of burlesque performer Gypsy Rose Lee and film director Otto Preminger. An actor, writer, and producer, Preminger’s published works include Gypsy & Me: At Home and on the Road with Gypsy Rose Lee and My G-String Mother: At Home and Backstage with Gypsy Rose Lee.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ North Atlantic Books; 2ND edition (July 15, 1999)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 408 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1883319951
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1883319953
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.45 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.73 x 0.98 x 8.61 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 175 ratings

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Gypsy Rose Lee

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
175 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book a great read with highly fascinating content. They also praise the writing quality as well-written and humorous. Readers also appreciate the vivid picture of life in the Vaudeville era.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

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Reading experienceContentWriting qualityVisual elementsHumorProtagonist
11 customers mention "Reading experience"11 positive0 negative

Customers find the book a great read, a real page turner, and an excellent autobiography.

"A memoir of Gypsey Rose Lee. Good read." Read more

"...I encourage any avid reader to read this excellent book." Read more

"Great read. No wonder it was turned into a musical. Truth really is stranger than fiction...." Read more

"If you know the musical GYPSY or love show business history, this book is a fun read...." Read more

9 customers mention "Content"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the content fascinating, great, and intriguing. They also say it's interesting to compare the differences between the author's account and the historical record.

"...It was also intriguing to compare differences between her account and the highly fictionalized musical’s book...." Read more

"...Rose who was a force to be reckoned with in her own right are entertaining and at times sobering. A very worthwhile read!" Read more

"...But, entirely accurate or not, it's highly fascinating and an excellent look at the theatre of the time...." Read more

"This book is a great insight to life back then (20's, 30's, etc.)." Read more

9 customers mention "Writing quality"8 positive1 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book well-written, enjoyable to read, and clear. They also say it clearly and decisively shows an intelligent, warm, and enchanted woman.

"...So very glad I did. It clearly and decisively shows an intelligent, warm, and enchanted woman who was much more than a strip tease artist...." Read more

"...A very worthwhile read!" Read more

"Gypsy was a beautiful polished writer ... I also enjoyed what her son wrote ... I look forward to reading anything Erik may write in the future,..." Read more

"...Rose Lee (subject of the Broadway and Hollywood musicals) is very enjoyable to read and it's surprising how well it jibes with the fictionalized..." Read more

6 customers mention "Visual elements"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book vivid, colorful, and interesting. They also say the author paints a touching and funny memoir.

"...entirely accurate or not, it's highly fascinating and an excellent look at the theatre of the time...." Read more

"...Rose Lee turns out to be quite a good writer, for she paints a vivid picture of life in the Vaudeville era as well as the Burlesque Theater where..." Read more

"...She was a colorful and interesting woman and a true survivor." Read more

"...It's raw and full of pictures to compliment the book. If you have seen the musical it's a must read" Read more

3 customers mention "Humor"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-written and humorous.

"...the whole truth - especially about her mother - she sure tells a story with style and humor." Read more

"This book is fabulous! Well-written. Funny at times. Heartbreaking at times." Read more

"...Her memoir is both touching and funny." Read more

3 customers mention "Protagonist"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the protagonist fascinating and enchanted. They also say the life of the iconic personality is fascinating.

"...Re-reading about the life of the iconic personality was fascinating...." Read more

"...It clearly and decisively shows an intelligent, warm, and enchanted woman who was much more than a strip tease artist...." Read more

"Gypsy Rose Lee was a beautiful and spirited woman and her memoir provides the reader with a fascinating glimpse into the rough and tumble glory days..." Read more

Better than Fiction
5 out of 5 stars
Better than Fiction
Great read. No wonder it was turned into a musical. Truth really is stranger than fiction. Highly recommended for any fans of the musical, fans of burlesque, or anyone just looking for a good story.
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Top reviews from the United States

jdh
5.0 out of 5 stars A really nice book.
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2023
Verified Purchase
A memoir of Gypsey Rose Lee. Good read.
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Jim Provenzano
5.0 out of 5 stars Ya gotta get a gimmick!
Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2022
Verified Purchase
It's not only because of Stephen Sondheim's contribution that a young gay teenager like me would have a special fascination for a musical based on the life of a stripper. But I'm certainly not alone in that category. The fascinating life of Gypsy Rose Lee, aka Louise Hovick, deserved another reading years after I'd first read it.

I bought a used beat-up copy with the pages almost falling out, but I didn't mind. Re-reading about the life of the iconic personality was fascinating. It was also intriguing to compare differences between her account and the highly fictionalized musical’s book.

Growing up, the film adaptation was regularly broadcast on the Sunday movie of the week, so I pretty much had the score memorized before I performed as a young newsboy in my small Ohio college town’s community theater production (along with a herd of other kids for the Uncle Jocko scene). I can pretty much find a proper ‘Gypsy’ quote for any situation. And the musical also weaves its way into my seventh novel, “Finding Tulsa.”

Lee’s memoir is of course quite different. The themes of show business desperation and success paint broader themes with more detail. In her memoir, Lee is quite open about her unlikely success, and how her desperate original “stage mother” pushed her into performing only to end up (after the death of Vaudeville) as the successful Queen of Burlesque by just “giving them a glove.”

Hers is a story of an unusual show business success and one about an enterprising woman who took control of her life, certainly made a few mistakes along the way, but owns up to them and looks back with very little regret.
5 people found this helpful
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Kathleen, Kat
5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2024
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I have been enthralled with Gypsy for years when finally deciding to read her memoir. So very glad I did. It clearly and decisively shows an intelligent, warm, and enchanted woman who was much more than a strip tease artist. U had read June's memoir and madame Rose's biography before, and am still struck by the difference between them. Which was? Gypsys shows us the in depth warm hearted woman she truly was and for that I am am grateful.
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Tammy
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Read About Another Era
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2021
Verified Purchase
Gypsy Rose Lee's Memoir about her life in vaudeville and burlesque brings to life another era where a variety of travelling acts provided entertainment for people around the country. Gypsy was a natural storyteller. Her stories of growing up with her mother Rose who was a force to be reckoned with in her own right are entertaining and at times sobering. A very worthwhile read!
2 people found this helpful
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Jerold L. Wulf
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book !
Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2024
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Gypsy was a beautiful polished writer ... I also enjoyed what her son wrote ... I look forward to reading anything Erik may write in the future, should he choose to do so ! I now feel Like I know Gypsy Rose Lee very well, as well as Fanny Brice! Shame we lost Gypsy so young. I encourage any avid reader to read this excellent book.
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Emily K. Stuart
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2007
Verified Purchase
If you're a fan of the musical Gypsy, like me, you'll read this book. I've read from various websites, that the book is not entirely factual and that you need to read Gypsy's sister June's book, early Havoc, to get a clearer picture of what life on the road was like. But, entirely accurate or not, it's highly fascinating and an excellent look at the theatre of the time.

The book bears small resemblances to the show: There really was a monkey named Gigalo, Louise was given farm animals as pets for her birthday, there is a man that Rose links up with for several years who manages the troup, they did eat Chinese food constantly, make coats out of blankets, and a cow really talked to Rose in a dream.

There are major differences between the show and the book: The switch from Vaudeville to Burlesque was less dramatic in the book than the show -almost natural. "Herbie", Rose's companion and manager, left long before the act went Burlesque. And one very 'big' difference: you'll notice in the show that Grandpa calls Louise "Plug" but we dont' really know why. The little girl playing Louise was too adorable for words and grew up to be the stunning Natalie Wood. But, Gypsy got the name plug because she was a large child. And she grew up large. It wasn't until a couple years in Burlesque that she became more svelte. This is also a major point in the books, detailing the diets she was on and how it destroyed her self-esteem as a child.

Gypsy, the movie, is a fun-filled version of life on the road for a vaudeville troupe. Yes, there are hard times, but nothing so bad. Gypsy the memoir describes eviction, near starvation, nights of sleeping in the cars, almost frozen, con artists - real life struggle.

It's a quick read that is terribly fascinating. I highly recommend it.
14 people found this helpful
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G Anthony Luhs
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous read!1
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2023
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I have been looking for this book for a while! Thanks for stocking it. Great service. Great price. Great delivery! Thanks!!
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Pamela D. Brida
5.0 out of 5 stars A Gypsy Bares Her Soul
Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2009
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Gypsy Rose Lee was a beautiful and spirited woman and her memoir provides the reader with a fascinating glimpse into the rough and tumble glory days of American vaudeville. The reader is literally taken on the road with Gypsy, or Louise Hovick, her demanding, neurotic stage mother, Mama Rose, and precocious younger sister, Baby June,(who later became actress June Havoc) as they crisscross America with a troupe of young boys in a quest for stardom on the stages of the vaudeville theater circuit. Louise, the older, more neglected sister, "an ugly duckling" compared to her more popular sister, becomes the focus of her domineering mother's attention after the much put upon Baby June elopes with a boy from the show troupe at the tender age of thirteen. It is not the dream of Mama Rose for Louise to become a stripper, but the age of vaudeville has ended abruptly with the coming of talking motion pictures and live burlesque shows are all the rage. Mama Rose realizes for the first time that taken out of her sister's shadow, Louise is a natural performer. Thus, the ugly duckling emerges as a truly beautiful swan and the legend of Gypsy Rose Lee was born. Personally, I found this book hard to put down. Gypsy's life story could easily be described as "Aunt Mame In A G-String." She would make an interesting next door neighbor.
9 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Issy Fitz
5.0 out of 5 stars So amusing!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 9, 2016
Verified Purchase
I know you can't take every word as truth, but who cares. I giggled all the way through it. That gal could sure write a tall tale.
One person found this helpful
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candycakes
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 22, 2012
Verified Purchase
This book will surprise you. It goes much further than the film or play, and the pictures and cartoons are a great addition. Great in fact if you are involved with a production of Gypsy especially for costumes.
2 people found this helpful
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J. D. Willmott
5.0 out of 5 stars After seeing Imelda Staunton on stage in Gypsy it made ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 31, 2016
Verified Purchase
After seeing Imelda Staunton on stage in Gypsy it made we want to read the auto biography of the real person !
3 people found this helpful
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Fancydress-girl
5.0 out of 5 stars There is no business like show business!!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 17, 2016
Verified Purchase
Loved this book. really hope Streisand makes the film.
A journey back into the good old days of Boarder Ville.
One person found this helpful
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J. McDonald 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
4.0 out of 5 stars Gypsy: A Memoir.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 1, 2021
Verified Purchase
Gypsy Rose Lee`s most famous book is an autobiography published in 1957 that is largely constructed around her life on the road with her sister and her domineering and ferociously opportunistic mother – it became the basis of the musical “Gypsy” and a number of other dramas, TV and Film; it rather glosses over the truth a good deal - her mother was very likely a psychopath with no scruples, but Lee slants her stories with wit, humour and characters from vaudeville, burlesque and the underworld figures she encountered during the 20s and 30s.
It`s an absorbing and fairly evocative read, well worth picking up even if the veracity is a little suspect.
One person found this helpful
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