Leslie Caron didnt write a FAQ - she wrote of her memories - the ones that resonate in her mind - she explored her inner world as it was affected by the events of the outer world - she painted in broad strokes rather in minutia - so that not all personages are fleshed out equally - not every classic movie moment is elaborated on - this is her personal perspective - thats why i found this book very satisfyingsome of her character may be discerned in the formality of the writing style - i suspect that it is Leslie's writing - not a translation from French - after all - she seems to have written a book of short stories (Vengeance) in English - so why not thisher facility with english is amazing considering she spoke little of it when she began her Hollywood career - despite having an American mother - but the prose in this book suits her - its like the discipline induced by ballet - by her upper middle class upbringing - by her life in England in the Shakespearean theater world of her second husband Peter HallLeslie was one of the brightest movies stars when I was young - i preferred her to her contemporary Audrey Hepburn - and still do - Leslie was sexier - more human - as good an actress - and a better dancer - she had a unique voice that made her french accent sound different from anyone elses french accent - reviving memories of her performances can bring a ray of sunshine into my life - so it has been a distinct pleasure becoming better acquainted with the warm and intelligent woman behind the image.
THANK HEAVEN is much like the author herself: classy.Leslie Caron relives her past - her upbringing in a war torn France, her early, hectic days in Hollywood at the end of the golden era - in an honest and fun way.
Like many celebrity memoirs, Leslie Caron's vacillates between chapters of personal revelation and chapters of name-dropping and giving intimate parties "for 200 of my dearest friends." How Caron transitioned from a shy, withdrawn fledgling to an in-the-know, well-connected Hollywood player is uncharted in the book, so there are many unanswered questions raised in the reader's mind.
An engaging and genuine little slice of recent American history. This is a very real and honest account of growing up in rural midwestern America in the 40's and 50's.
Leslie Caron, born into a well-to-do French family that lost it all during World War 11 and the German occupation of Paris, trained as a classical ballet dancer and at 17 was spotted by the famous Gene Kelly. Transported to Hollywood to star opposite him in "An American in Paris" she became a star overnight.
Like one of the reviewers I have to admit that I grew up with watching lots of Leslie Caron movies and especially loved "Daddy Longlegs", "Lili", "Father Goose" and "Fanny" (I never cared much for "Gigi" or "An American in Paris" even though it's a masterpiece...it just never thrilled me as much as "Lili" did).
This book is every bit as delightful and charming as Ms.Caron herself.
Yes, thank heaven for little girls. When I was a little girl Leslie Caron was an influence in my life with her movies.
Really great and a new understanding of Leslie Caron. What you see is not what you what you really know.
My friend the novelist Bruce Benderson author of Pacific Agony has been trmupeting this book far and wide, and he has never steered me wrong yet, so I opened my Amazon account and ordered it pronto. I have to say that it is one of the most evocative movie star memoirs I have ever read.
I probably started this book with a bias because Leslie Caron has always been a favorite of mine. I was not disappointed.
It's hard to believe that Leslie Caron is 78 now, even if her star-making turn as Lise Bouvier, Gene Kelly's unattainable object of desire in [[ASIN:B001BHI0JE An American in Paris]] was nearly six decades ago. There was a lilting quality to her wide Cheshire grin and gamine screen presence that begged comparison with her most comparable contemporary, Audrey Hepburn.
Like many celebrity memoirs, Leslie Caron's vacillates between chapters of personal revelation and chapters of name-dropping and giving intimate parties "for 200 of my dearest friends." How Caron transitioned from a shy, withdrawn fledgling to an in-the-know, well-connected Hollywood player is uncharted in the book, so there are many unanswered questions raised in the reader's mind.
I found this memoir quite interesting, the more so since Caron had an international career rather than merely a Hollywood one. Like so many people whose name is made in Hollywood (and particularly women, unfortunately), her greatest celebrity came very early in her life, and from her thirties onward, both her career and her personal life appear to have been spent searching for new identities, sometimes successfully sometimes not.
