I've just ordered In My Father's Shadow by the daughter of Orson Welles. In it she will detail years of neglect by her famous father who had a low boredom threshold and couldn't deal with the emotional demands of children.
I love these tell-all books by famous people's children. I especially enjoyed reading about Joan Crawford (wire hangers) and Bette Davis' (drunk and violent) parenting skills. I think when I read about kids telling all after years of having to be silent it reminds me of my own childhood where I had to keep my father's secrets until I was an adult when I could finally speak.
I'll tell you all about the juicy parts of this book when I read it.
I enjoyed what one reviewer had to say already:
"It has always been my considered belief that artistic geniuses should take a vow of celibacy because that way they will be confined to messing up only their lives. We would also be spared the sub-genre of mewling memoirs produced by their oppressed, neglected, browbeaten children.
"On my shelves I have cry-baby books by the offspring of Picasso, Chaplin. Olivier, Sellers, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. With this book, Orson Welles now joins the ranks of celebrity bad parents who 'loved you when you were in front of him, but forgot you when you were out of sight.'"
2 comments:
I heard a truism on the Radio yesterday, someone said "you never really know your parents and you never really know your children, hell you're lucky if you ever really know yourself" - not entirely on-topic but it resonated with me.
I don't know who I really am either. I think it varies with which way the wind is blowing....
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