5 comments about Are You Hungry, Dear?: Life, Laughs, and Lasagna.

1. Doris Roberts seems to be a very hearty, generally happy woman at least that's what the book conveys. A fabulous collection of her very personal memoirs and stories and advice, it's almost like having a conversation with the archetypical grandmother. But far from old-fashioned and foppish, Miss Doris is downright hilarious at times and speaks with the energy and zeal of somebody less than half her age (in fact, she puts most young people to shame when it comes to fully embracing and enjoying life). Her stories, taking place everywhere from New York theatre to Los Angeles tv to her bedroom, are all colorful and more entertaining than fiction ever could be. You can't make this stuff up! She opens herself up admirably, sharing her personal struggles and her darkest times as well as her triumphs and good days. Throughout, the conversational style of her and Danelle Morton's writing makes you feel more like you are spending time with a friend than reading a book. If you want advice from somebody who has been there before, or colorful tales from the world of entertainment, or a touching autobiography, or an endless source of laughter, or just some fabulous recipes (which the book is peppered with) then this book is for you!



2. In this gritty crime novel, author Doris Roberts tries to conjour the ghosts of the pulp greats of the past. Unfortunately her characters are wooden cliches and the action turns gruesomely violent quickly. Roberts attempts at stylish atmospheric flourishes are, frankly, laughable, and the whole thing smacks of the amateurishish ramblings of a freshman creative writing student. A for effort, D- for result.



3. Are You Hungry Dear is an easy read. Doris shares an inside peek of theatre, her early life as well as some recipes she recommends. I enjoyed reading about her childhood, complete with cold grandparents and a busy, absent mother. Her grit and determination to make a life for herself is truly inspiring.
   
   She also shows just how very self-centered actors are, with no apologies. They crave the attention of everyone and always want the limelight. I would have loved to have read a little more about her son. I found there was not an over abundance of details about her personal life, more on the show business side of things.



4. I've never watched an episode of EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, but I nevertheless found it easy to recognize Marie Barone as actress Doris Roberts describes her character. Marie Barone is someone she loves, understands, and appreciates; but she's also who the real-life Doris Roberts flatly refused to become. Although she married at 18, desperately wanted a child and eventually had one, made homes for two husbands, and raised her son, she never once let go of her dream. She became not just an actress, but a Broadway actress. And then, when television called her name, an international star. That's the role in which I learned to appreciate her work: Mildred Krebs, secretary to Remington Steele.
   
   What makes this actress, and her autobiography, so different from those of most other stars who decide to share their life stories? I'd say it's quite simply that this woman never lost her true, genuine self to the make-believe world of her career. She's lived a full and wonderful life as Doris, and that makes her book infinitely more interesting than others in the same genre. Its final segment, in which she takes on the myths that both show business and American culture in general perpetuate about aging, is one of the funniest and yet most telling discussions of this subject that I've ever read.



5. Doris Roberts writes about her childhood in New York City. She didn't have a smothering mother like Marie but probably wishes she had. She writes about her father's abandonment and the estrangement relationship with her mother at times. She writes lovingly about her Uncle Willey who came to live with her mother and stepfather. She writes about her friendship and relationship with actors like James Coco, Roddy McDowall, and Ruth White. It was Ruth's death in 1969 when she decided to compliment her peers in the business. She writes about her two marriages including her second marriage to writer William Goyen who died. She writes about growing old in America where roles are scarce to find for women her age even now. Doris reminds me a lot of my own mother who is 70 years old and still cuts the grass. We should treat our elders better.

No comments about And June Whitfield, the Autobiography.

No comments about An American Story: The Odyssey of Solomon Northup (Kente Classic).

No comments about Ebdon's Odyssey.

5 comments about The Tennis Partner: A Doctor's Story of Friendship and Loss.

1. Dr. Vergesse has great powers of observation and uses them in a powerful way to record the demise of his young friend through cocaine addiction.

   For persons (especially medical Doctors) without intimate knowledge of the power of addiction this should be very informative. For those with personal knowledge (especially medical Doctors) it should also be helpful.




2. My doctor is an amazing person - not just a great doctor. We spend quite a bit of time talking about life, not just doing the clinical stuff. He recommended "The Tennis Partner" to me and I put it off for about a year before I dove into it. It's absolutely amazing. The depth of the writing is superb and the story captivates you from beginning to end.



3. Whether or not you have a background in medicine, this book will draw you in and keep you interested. The only parts that may seem a bit tedious to run through are some of the tennis sequences. This may seem odd coming from a tennis player, but reading about tennis is like watching grass grow. However, the sequences do bring other parts of the book together, and they are tolerable.
   My only other issue is Verghese's constant romanticizing of El Paso, neighboring Juarez, and their inhabitants. Having lived here for almost three years (*and* having worked as a physician in the hospital he mentions in his novel), I can promise you that the innocence, the bluster, and the graciousness of his side characters is almost completely fictional.
   I don't think it would have detracted from the book to portray the city and the people more realistically.



4. My first up-close experience with drug addiction occurred several years ago at the hospital where I work. The scenario was remarkably similar to that described by Dr. Verghese. A bright, warm, wonderful nurse anesthetist succumbed to addiction despite having attended a rehabilitation program.
   In recent weeks a family member has shared with me the frustration of living with an addicted spouse: the lies, the denial, the missing money, the worry about finding a lifeless body in one's bed.
   The Tennis Partner is not an optimistic portrayal of addiction, but it is an accurate one. I recommended it to my sibling, and to anyone else struggling to understand the addicted person.



5. The story started with a great suspense. I wanted to know what he (the Intern David) had done, who was he and what was about to happen when his pager beeped. I really like the author's style, the way he told his story. I just borrowed this book from the library but I ended up buying one for my collection. Its that good! I will be recommending it to our bookclub. Lots of emotion in the story.
   
   The ending was sad and I kept thinking what went wrong with David. Was it parenting? Or was it David himself. The story, the way it was told, left a lasting impression in my mind.Cold Eyes

5 comments about Gloria! I Just Kept Hoping.

1. I found Gloria's biography to be a pleasant way to spend a few hours.Not great,but fairly interesting look at a forgotten movie star of the 1930's.Frankly,I was hoping she would provide more detail about two classic horror films she made in the 30's,"The old Dark House"&"The Invisible Man",but then again,it 's probably hard to come up with amusing anecdotes about movies she made nearly 70 years ago!I wasn't bothered at all by details of her sex life.Some people are probably just shocked to learn that people actually had sex in the 1930's!



2. Gloria Stuart's name was known only to cinema afficiandos-mostly for her appearances in The Old Dark House, The Invisible Man & two John Ford 1930s films-until she was cast as the older Rose in the 1997 film, Titanic. This provided an opportunity for her to join the ever-growing ranks of Hollywood memoir-writers. Her book is one of the weakest of its kind in many years. Much of the reaction to the book has focused on her passing mention that she enjoys masturbating, as if that were either startling or egregiously evil. More pertinent to most prospective readers is the fact that the book contains little of substance. It is padded with such details as menus for dinner parties & the names of celebrities in the same night club (not necessarily the same table) as Ms. Stuart. There is almost nothing about the details of any of her films or their making; an alleged filmography provides dubious classifications of many of them. There are also factual errors-for example, George Stevens did not win an academy award for directing Alice Adams & the statement that Hollywood was not affected by the Great Depression is one of the all-time howlers. The book, in many ways seems to be one long whine-poor Gloria never got roles that would have made her famous until Titanic. This reader was left with the impression that the roles were not there for her because more talented people got them. It is generally gratifying to see success come to a veteran player. Unfortunately, this book does nothing to make one believe that it was particularly justified in this case.



3. This has got to be just about THE WORST biography I've ever read. 'I just kept hoping' it would get better, but no such luck. Sheeesh...apparently all this woman did during her lifetime was practice 'free love', get drunk, give silly dinner parties, spend money like she had some, half-assed took care of her kid, and complained about not getting great roles as an 'actress.' Well, maybe she never got the plum parts because she presented herself as a self-indulgent, egocentric, vain, petty, talentless ... Broads like her were a dime a dozen. I would hope that if I were fortunate to live such a long life as Ms. Stuart, I would be able to talk about SOMETHING worthwhile that I had done for someone other than myself. When I didn't know anything about her, I wished she had won that oscar. Now that I have read this piece of trash I praise Kim Basinger for beating out the old hag on oscar night. To me, Ms. Stuart came off as an extremely superficial, frivolous, none too bright, diva-wannabe from her beginning to the present day.



4. I enjoyed this autobiography of one of the Classic Stars of Hollywood mainly because, although she didn't spend too much time discussing the Hollywood years in depth, she did tell a very interesting story of world travels and personal interests and hobbies that I found worth reading. Also, it seems that just when life seemed to be at a low ebb for her, along came a new experience that booted her back up again and that is called survival. In her own words, she refers to her youthful self as a Dish and I certainly agree. However, I think she still makes quite a striking Dish today. This is a fun read that all can enjoy.



5. I felt kind of disappointed that Gloria Stuart did not go into detail. I thought she handled her Oscar loss with a class but an Oscar nomination at 87 is a grand achievement regardless of the loss. Kim Basinger's performance was impressive and Oscar worthy. She had the momentum but Gloria's loss was not entirely her fault. Like the Oscars this year, they prefer people who have not given up the business. Most of Gloria's friends in this business were deceased by the time that she was nominated. She writes but not candidly about her long-term marriage which was not all that great to Arthur Sheekman. She had lived on the same street where the Bundy Murders happened. She co-wrote this book with her beloved daughter and author, Sylvia Vaughn Sheekman. She writes vaguely about her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She opens up but not enough along the way. I felt that the book has a lot of holes that needed to be rectified. Regardless, she should be grateful to have a second chance at playing Rose in Titanic. If didn't happen, this book wouldn't have happened and her popularity would not have gained so much attention. Gloria should count her blessings! She has four grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. She has outlived most of her co-stars, directors, and peers in this field. She now has a star on the HOllywood Walk of Fame. She has received more attention than ever before. I thought she could have explained her abortion at an early age and her star rising. I was surprised to learn that she didn't like her stepfather.

1 comments about Lessons at the Halfway Point.

1. This is the PERFECT birthday gift for any of your friends, who are approaching the 40th birthday crisis, and are not sure whether they should be publicly partying this year or not! The funniest page of the book though is headed 'About the Author', a must read page - beautifully succinct.

No comments about Audrey Hepburn by Barry Paris Complete Unabridged 14 Tape Set.

No comments about Hancock a Comedy Genius (BBC Radio Collection).

5 comments about Two-Part Invention: The Story of a Marriage.

1. (Two Part Invention) I was touched by the way this woman thought as she entered marriage; how she considered the marriage before any other factor in life. As someone born in the last 40 years, I have honestly never heard a woman talk about her marriage in those terms. I was humbled and thought what a shame...we have lost something very special and gentle: honoring marriage. I never did, never knew anyone who did, marriage for myself and those in my circle was more of a nuisance. After two painful divorces I could finally hear Madeline's voice and everything she said made such beautiful and perfect sense. I long for that type of life and marriage and never realized all along it had to come from me. I also cried after putting the book down and a tear often comes when the book comes to mind. I always remember her thought about moving into the city - where she didn't particularly want to live - so that she could be the wife "hosting the slumber party" when they were snowed in, rather than being the wife getting the call when the husband wouldn't be coming home to the suburbs. And how she adjusted her whole sleep schedule to accomodate her husbands' late work nights. Sigh. Thank you Madeline, thank you for a voice that is not often heard.



2. A great read on the complexities of marriage, life and facing death. Two of my favorite quotes of all time are in this book.



3. I have finished Predlude, the first 70 pages. I'm done. This is a step-by-step and quote-by-quote retelling of her love-life, courtship, etc. There are too many great books out there waiting to be read for me to waste my time waiting for this to get better. I don't really care how many times some suitor proposed to her and what her response was, nor how many dog biscuits she ate after taking a bath. The sentences are boring and so is the story. Farandolae are much more interesting.



4. I enjoyed this book - it was an insightful look into L'Engle's life. I never knew that she had been an actress. I especially liked her stories about her theatre life. The fact that she was married to the actor that eventually played "Dr. Tyler" on All My Children was interesting too. She shares her views on things that matter to her, and tries to impart some wisdom upon the reader about living with an actor husband, doing what is best for her family, and ultimately doing what is best for her husband in his time of illness. I would recommend this book for anyone going through a difficult time with a gravely ill spouse, and anyone looking to find out more about L'Engle's life.



5. This is a poignant tale of L'Engle's relationship with her husband. It shows what true, mature love is. If, however, you have read her "A Circle of Quiet" you will find some of the same vignettes here, albeit with a different perspective.