Lorelie L. (artgal36) reviewed Grace of Monaco: An Interpretive Biography on + 471 more book reviews
When Steven Englund approached Princess Grace about writing her autobiography with him, the usually reticent and private Grace found his letters so appealing that she agreed to talk with him.
"Your life," he had written, "is important...because you've lived according to the values you professed. Many affirm traditional values (love, marriage, family, etc.) but rather fewer determine their lives by them, particularly when difficult choices must be made and large temptations or successes must be bypassed for a greater good. You were an actress of beauty, talent, and accomplishment who chose to forgo an enormously promising career for a vastly different set of roles..."
Princess Grace's tragic death put an end to the possibility of such a collaboration, but the author's Grace of Monaco presents the princess with intelligence and depth of perception. This book illuminates for the first time, the private Princess Grace: her motivations, her conflicts, her inner thoughts, and her feelings about trading the glitter of Hollywood and her demanding career as an actress for the responsibilities of Princess of Monaco-and a demanding career of another sort. The author has had lengthy conversations with many of Princess Grace's closest friends from Hollywood as well as from the Monaco years, as well as the many directors and stars with whom Grace worked, including Cary Grant, and Fred Zinnemann. Englund has also interviewed Prince Rainier for this book. This book provides a rare and insightful look at Princess Grace's entire life, within the broad spectrum of places, traditions, institutions, people, and ideas in which she lived.
This book has some highlighting as it was used for reference material.
"Your life," he had written, "is important...because you've lived according to the values you professed. Many affirm traditional values (love, marriage, family, etc.) but rather fewer determine their lives by them, particularly when difficult choices must be made and large temptations or successes must be bypassed for a greater good. You were an actress of beauty, talent, and accomplishment who chose to forgo an enormously promising career for a vastly different set of roles..."
Princess Grace's tragic death put an end to the possibility of such a collaboration, but the author's Grace of Monaco presents the princess with intelligence and depth of perception. This book illuminates for the first time, the private Princess Grace: her motivations, her conflicts, her inner thoughts, and her feelings about trading the glitter of Hollywood and her demanding career as an actress for the responsibilities of Princess of Monaco-and a demanding career of another sort. The author has had lengthy conversations with many of Princess Grace's closest friends from Hollywood as well as from the Monaco years, as well as the many directors and stars with whom Grace worked, including Cary Grant, and Fred Zinnemann. Englund has also interviewed Prince Rainier for this book. This book provides a rare and insightful look at Princess Grace's entire life, within the broad spectrum of places, traditions, institutions, people, and ideas in which she lived.
This book has some highlighting as it was used for reference material.
