A well-researched but distant and cold biography.
In Barbara Leaming's biography of Bette Davis, the author seems to have a strong distain for her subject. There is scarcely a kind word said about the movie star here and she comes off as a bit of a monster. Leaming's use of words often reveals a complete lack of sympathy for Bette. While Bette Davis was a very flawed individual, when you aren't allowed to sympathize or relate to the subject in a biography, it makes for rather cold and uninvolving reding. The entire book made me feel still a great distance from the subject. This book tells of many horrible things Bette did but doesn't give any insight into why she did it. In other words, the lack of sympathy and empathy for Bette keep us from ever getting close enough to her to know who she was as a person. This can end up feeling more like a gossip tabloid rather than an actual biography.
Even Leaming's look at Davis's filmography is mostly dismissive. She praises a handful of her films and performances and dismisses all the others.
With this said, the research here is very admirable. This book is packed with a lot of great and insightful information about Bette's film work and personal life. I found a recorded conversation between Bette and Mae West incredibly invaluable. Even the biggest Bette Davis fans will learn a lot from this book.
With all the great research that went into this book, it is even sadder that this is such a cold and distant read.
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