Books › My story
My story
First published 1974 · 208 pages
An intimate, haunting glimpse behind the most famous smile in the world, revealing a sharp mind and a deeply bruised heart.
What it feels like
Reading this memoir feels like sitting in a quiet, dimly lit dressing room with a legend who has finally decided to drop the act. The pace is brisk and conversational, yet a profound melancholy lingers beneath every glamorous anecdote. It is an incredibly intimate experience, steeped in the sun-drenched but shadow-filled atmosphere of mid-century Hollywood. The prose is surprisingly poetic and sharp, capturing the stark contrast between the adoration of millions and the aching loneliness of an orphaned girl searching for a home. It will deeply move readers who are drawn to stories of complex, misunderstood women and the toxic allure of fame. You leave the book feeling a protective kinship with a woman the world consumed.
- Mood
- intimate
- melancholic
- haunting
- glamorous
- Tone
- candid
- vulnerable
- wistful
- self-aware
- sharp
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the facade of fame · childhood trauma · search for belonging · duality of self · Hollywood exploitation
- The writing
- Conversational and deceptively simple, with flashes of poetic insight and raw honesty.
- The arc
- Moves from the profound loneliness of an orphaned childhood to the dizzying, isolating heights of stardom, ending on a note of unresolved yearning.
- Who it's for
- Readers fascinated by the psychology of fame, Old Hollywood, and the complex reality behind iconic women.
Content notes
- child abuse
- sexual assault
- depression
- exploitation
- foster care trauma
About the book
Originally published: New York: Stein and Day, 1974. With new photographs and new introd. by Andrea Dworkin.
Description from Open Library.
Books like My story
See why they match
BlondeJoyce Carol OatesA feverish, hallucinatory descent into the crushing machinery of American fame and the fractured soul of its greatest icon.
AvaAva GardnerA smoky, late-night conversation with a screen legend who has nothing left to hide and a lifetime of stories to tell.
FridaHayden HerreraAn immersive, deeply empathetic portrait of a life lived at the bleeding edge of physical pain and artistic brilliance.
Love, LucyLucille BallAn intimate, bittersweet backstage pass to the life of a comedy legend, told with the warmth and grit of a woman who built her own empire.
PornographyAndrea DworkinA relentless, fiery polemic that forces the reader to confront the brutal mechanics of patriarchal power and sexual subjugation.
Valley of the dollsJacqueline SusannA glittering, pill-popping descent into the glamorous and ruthless underbelly of mid-century show business.