Carla P. reviewed on + 59 more book reviews
I know that most people buy this book to read the nitty-gritty, salacious details of Mia's tragic relationship with Woody Allen, but that is not the reason this book seemed to call out to me. I was curious about Maureen O'Sullivan, one of my favorite old actresses (and the best Jane to grace the silver screen), and Mia's mother, as well as Mia's time with Frank Sinatra.
Quite before it got to the Woody section that completed the book, I learned many facts I was surprised to find out. I had assumed Maureen quit the Tarzan pictures to work closer to home and be with her children (and SEVEN of them at that!), but, as it turned out, she merely didn't enjoy her time, which is a bit disappointing, but understandable. I find it hilarious that the monkeys felt territorial over Johnny Weissmuller and felt her an encroacher, so she called them "jealous homosexuals", and referred to Cheetah himself as "that little bastard". The "marriage" she shared with John Farrow, however, seemed to be deeply rooted in 1950s Irish Catholicism-- i.e., they weren't happy, but allowing him an "extra door to his room for his hussies" was preferable to divorce, apparently.
I was unaware that Mia had grown up so religiously, including the bulk of her education in Catholic boarding schools, which made her at one time desire to become a nun-- that part was not quite so surprising, actually, knowing her great humanitarian desire to help others, especially children in need.
Her marriage to Frank Sinatra-- I enjoyed reading of this. While their love affair was brief, they sustained a cordial friendship that lasted the rest of their lives (he threatened to break Woody Allen's legs for her-- she should've let him!), and gained her very close friend, Nancy Sinatra, through the relationship. However, the Ava Gardner connection... Ohhhh... Walking in on your father with a woman, then ten years later marrying her ex-husband? Awk-ward... Not to mention that she once drunkenly came to Mia and said, "Isn't she CUTE?? She's like the baby Frankie and I never had!" (Beyond awkward.) And, though she adored Frank, too many differences seemed to get in the way-- she liked the quiet life, it just wasn't him.
It seems that her happiest love was with Andre` Previn, actually, with whom she shared her first six children, Matthew and Sasha (twins, biological), Lark (adopted), Fletcher (biological), Daisy (adopted) and Soon-Yi (adopted). However, too much time apart can ruin even a real, great love, and the small amount of time they spent together it seems that they were more together to have babies...
And, then, she was alone with her babes and her mother... she should probably have stayed that way, but hindsight is always 20-20. She allowed Woody Allen into her life, and, surprisingly, though he took over great chunks of it, and was omnipresent, he never actually LIVED with her at all. There seemed to be red flags all over the place, but perhaps fear, or loneliness, or both made her allow him to remain in her life, despite his cold indifference to her dearly loved (now seven) children.
And, when they decided to adopt a child together, this is when the REAL trouble began... from the moment of BIRTH she could see his behavior as "wildly inappropriate" towards little Dylan, but merely tried to coax him out of it. When she became pregnant with a child of their own, more red flags appeared, as he had no interest the second he found out the child was a boy, and no desire to have anything to do with him in following years, including threatening (and once attempting, only to be thwarted by Mia) to break his legs and referring to him constantly as "that superfluous little bastard". Still, apparently all the red flags in the world weren't enough, and she surprisingly was shocked when his sociopathic, pedophiliac, unethical, devious and without-conscience behavior came to true light, slapping her in the face.
She won the right to keep him from her precious, innocent and scarred children, but lost a daughter (Soon-Yi) in the process. She is regretful of bringing him into their lives, and admits her own shortcomings in doing so. However, this strong woman was able to move forward with her family, though it doesn't sound as if she'd want to risk her heart again.
I found this a beautifully written, detailed memior; one of the best I've actually read. I literally COULD NOT put it down.
Quite before it got to the Woody section that completed the book, I learned many facts I was surprised to find out. I had assumed Maureen quit the Tarzan pictures to work closer to home and be with her children (and SEVEN of them at that!), but, as it turned out, she merely didn't enjoy her time, which is a bit disappointing, but understandable. I find it hilarious that the monkeys felt territorial over Johnny Weissmuller and felt her an encroacher, so she called them "jealous homosexuals", and referred to Cheetah himself as "that little bastard". The "marriage" she shared with John Farrow, however, seemed to be deeply rooted in 1950s Irish Catholicism-- i.e., they weren't happy, but allowing him an "extra door to his room for his hussies" was preferable to divorce, apparently.
I was unaware that Mia had grown up so religiously, including the bulk of her education in Catholic boarding schools, which made her at one time desire to become a nun-- that part was not quite so surprising, actually, knowing her great humanitarian desire to help others, especially children in need.
Her marriage to Frank Sinatra-- I enjoyed reading of this. While their love affair was brief, they sustained a cordial friendship that lasted the rest of their lives (he threatened to break Woody Allen's legs for her-- she should've let him!), and gained her very close friend, Nancy Sinatra, through the relationship. However, the Ava Gardner connection... Ohhhh... Walking in on your father with a woman, then ten years later marrying her ex-husband? Awk-ward... Not to mention that she once drunkenly came to Mia and said, "Isn't she CUTE?? She's like the baby Frankie and I never had!" (Beyond awkward.) And, though she adored Frank, too many differences seemed to get in the way-- she liked the quiet life, it just wasn't him.
It seems that her happiest love was with Andre` Previn, actually, with whom she shared her first six children, Matthew and Sasha (twins, biological), Lark (adopted), Fletcher (biological), Daisy (adopted) and Soon-Yi (adopted). However, too much time apart can ruin even a real, great love, and the small amount of time they spent together it seems that they were more together to have babies...
And, then, she was alone with her babes and her mother... she should probably have stayed that way, but hindsight is always 20-20. She allowed Woody Allen into her life, and, surprisingly, though he took over great chunks of it, and was omnipresent, he never actually LIVED with her at all. There seemed to be red flags all over the place, but perhaps fear, or loneliness, or both made her allow him to remain in her life, despite his cold indifference to her dearly loved (now seven) children.
And, when they decided to adopt a child together, this is when the REAL trouble began... from the moment of BIRTH she could see his behavior as "wildly inappropriate" towards little Dylan, but merely tried to coax him out of it. When she became pregnant with a child of their own, more red flags appeared, as he had no interest the second he found out the child was a boy, and no desire to have anything to do with him in following years, including threatening (and once attempting, only to be thwarted by Mia) to break his legs and referring to him constantly as "that superfluous little bastard". Still, apparently all the red flags in the world weren't enough, and she surprisingly was shocked when his sociopathic, pedophiliac, unethical, devious and without-conscience behavior came to true light, slapping her in the face.
She won the right to keep him from her precious, innocent and scarred children, but lost a daughter (Soon-Yi) in the process. She is regretful of bringing him into their lives, and admits her own shortcomings in doing so. However, this strong woman was able to move forward with her family, though it doesn't sound as if she'd want to risk her heart again.
I found this a beautifully written, detailed memior; one of the best I've actually read. I literally COULD NOT put it down.
