Rumored-filled; Gay Bar Gossip instead of Facts
I question some of the author's claims. Many things he stated was not backed up by additional proof or facts, and I have yet to find these statements in other biographies I've read of some of these women he mentioned. He claims Betty Asher introduced Judy Garland to drugs and drink, which was wrong. Judy was already into drugs well before Asher was assigned her publicist. It was true Asher did encourage Garland to drink booze and possibly Saphhic love, but nothing has been solidly substantiated about that in other books, only speculations. He also claims Garland married the homosexual Minelli so she could continue her liasions with women on the side. With what women? Whom? The other Garland biographies state Judy did experiment, but it was not a consistent or permanent thing in her life. The author also claims Garland enjoyed watching two gay men go at it. WTF??!!! Where on earth did he get that information? Sounds like gossipy bragging from people desperate to have some connection with Garland. No other Garland biographer EVER brought up this predilection of Judy's, so I can't believe it is true. Who is his source?
In addition to the outrageous fabrications, there was sloppy editing and typos in this book. Basically this book is about Mercedes de Acosta with the other Hollywood Lesbians thrown in. De Acosta deserves a much better, more accurate biography. What might have been an interesting historical look at Hollywood's prominent lesbians turned into nothing but sensationalistic, tabloid trash.
Entertaining and Thorough
This book did a good job of capturing a time when the film and the art world hadn't completely disconnected, the biggest stars were women, and to be a movie star was still considered a little shady. The studios covered up drug addiction and homosexuality and other scandals and arranged marriages for their stars so they could appear normal to the public.
This book focuses a lot on Greta Garbo and her girlfriend Mercedes de Acosta, (a woman who really got around, female movie star-wise), but it also devotes chapters to familiar names like Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, Tallulah Bankhead, Barbara Stanwick, and Joan Crawford. During the 20s and 30s, most of them were able to carry out discreet affairs much like many male homosexuals as at that time Hollywood was such a different place, full of artists and forward-thinking people. "The Sewing Circle" focuses on a fascinating era in film hustory that existed before the forced conformity and communist wicth-hunting of the 1950's.
Not bad
This book was pretty good. I think that Mr. Madsen is a good author and he should be commended. I believe there is a fair amount of information given about the characters in this survey, although the book "The Girls" is much better at covering Hollywood's lesbianism. It is a good read anyway, and I would recommend it. Oh, and I LOVE the cover photo! Too-shay!
So much promise . . . ah, well.
When I first came across this book, I was very excited, because I am interested in all aspects of how the various entertainment media manipulate the world and present only a selected vision of what it's really like. I looked forward to reading a detailed account of life in Hollywood and how hard it was to deal with oppression and prejudice and have to live a secret life. Instead of an inspiring, enlightening read, I got a scatter-brained, typo-laden gossip column. I can't believe, as was stated in another review, that the typos were the fault of the printer. The amount of effort put into researching and writing this book is reflected in the quality of the copy editing.It could have been worth my money. Oh well. I'm glad I bought it from the Quality Paperback Book Club and not at retail price.
Fascinating subject, sloppy book
The subject of famous Hollywood starlets who were, in fact, deep in the closet is certainly a fascinating one--imagine the harsh, paranoid life one would have to lead, hiding one's true feelings and lying to protect one's careers while still seeking love. And I'd really love to read a well-executed, thoughtful study of this subject.This isn't it, kids.
Axel Madsen's "The Sewing Circle" is, at best, a sloppy book, with plenty of rumor & opinion presented as fact & more typos than I've ever seen in any other "professionally published" book. For crying out loud, they misspelled Greta Garbo's name--at the head of the chapter dealing with her childhood!
There are some interesting tidbits here--the speculation as to why Garbo ended her career when she did, the behind-the-scenes gays & lesbians who drove the creative engines of Hollywood, the sad, ultimately lonely endings that many of these women met--but the presentation is so haphazard that it's difficult to get anything useful out of it. And if every mention of Mercedes de Costa were deleted, this wouldn't be a book--it would be a pamphlet.
This book sorely needed an editor, a fact-checker, a proofreader...it needed help. Had such help arrived, this might have been an interesting, trashy read. As it stands, it's just trash--recycle it & move on.
(17 reviews)
