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rembrandt1881's review
4.0
After listening to some of her life via the podcast You Must Remember This, the host Karina Longworth suggested this book as one that covers the early 80s modeling culture and this wasn't wrong. Carre manages to tell her story and keep it mostly compelling the entire time. From her young life to her time as a star model, there are so many ups and plenty of downs as she works to be successful and later fight off her demons.
As I got to the end I could see how much of the story was now seen through the lens of her Buddhist Faith and the whole story of he life is molded to reach her moments of enlightenment and overcome her addiction and abusive relationship with Mickey Rourke. With memoirs that come to a revelation on a personal journey, it can sometimes get to be boring and 'sappy' after the major time of struggle but this book doesn't fall completely into those tropes. I would say the Buddhist perspective helps this because she is able to really speak to her struggles even after she gets away from Rourke and the use of drugs.
It is maybe a little long at times. I listened to the audio version and it did drag a little as it came to the conclusion but there was a lot for her to really wrap up
As I got to the end I could see how much of the story was now seen through the lens of her Buddhist Faith and the whole story of he life is molded to reach her moments of enlightenment and overcome her addiction and abusive relationship with Mickey Rourke. With memoirs that come to a revelation on a personal journey, it can sometimes get to be boring and 'sappy' after the major time of struggle but this book doesn't fall completely into those tropes. I would say the Buddhist perspective helps this because she is able to really speak to her struggles even after she gets away from Rourke and the use of drugs.
It is maybe a little long at times. I listened to the audio version and it did drag a little as it came to the conclusion but there was a lot for her to really wrap up
edenseve63's review
2.0
It was an interesting memoir and I applaud Carre for beating her demons. She shined a light into the modeling industry which isn't very pretty once you get beyond the magazine covers. She also spent a good deal of the book dissecting her unconventional and troubled marriage to Mickey Rourke.
jewellspring's review
3.0
A before bed read. A version of escape. Bought it, so finished it. Respect her sharing her story. But ready to move on.
starness's review
3.0
Overdrive audiobook 3.5 stars
As a teenager I was obsessed with the supermodels of the 90’s and was a magazine whore, devouring the fashion pages and being in awe of all these Amazonian goddesses. I still love all that glam stuff although I have no personal fashion sense at all, hence my admiration! I like to admire from afar without having to go through the fuss myself.
So in making my admission I was interested to read about the undisclosed inner world of a model well known for her turbulent and troubled relationship with Mickey Rourke. Instead I learnt about a misunderstood fragile girl who was thrust into the world of nastiness and of exploitation and abuse at the hands of those who’s business it was to look after her. The misogynistic world of the modelling industry made this a sad and difficult read. This girl was abused so many times, her looks becoming a magnet for these depraved opportunist men. It’s appalling and I love how Carré managed to turn such horrific mistreatment into an empowering spokesperson for women everywhere. Exposing the dirty secrets of the modelling world and also in light of all the accusations of sexual inappropriateness trickling out everywhere I congratulate her for pouring out her truth even if only to serve as a purpose to warn other girls out there from falling into the same traps. Unfortunately for Carré fame came at a cost and hers was a slippery slope down a bad path, making poor decisions that would leave lasting consequences, I do love to see how she managed to identify her part in making those mistakes and then correcting her behaviour to bring in light and positivity and turning her life completely around, finding the inner peace of Buddhism at a time when she desperately needed it, it’s always a reminder that beauty, fame and fortune doesn’t always equate to happiness and a fulfilling life, as demonstrated so evidently within this book.
As a teenager I was obsessed with the supermodels of the 90’s and was a magazine whore, devouring the fashion pages and being in awe of all these Amazonian goddesses. I still love all that glam stuff although I have no personal fashion sense at all, hence my admiration! I like to admire from afar without having to go through the fuss myself.
So in making my admission I was interested to read about the undisclosed inner world of a model well known for her turbulent and troubled relationship with Mickey Rourke. Instead I learnt about a misunderstood fragile girl who was thrust into the world of nastiness and of exploitation and abuse at the hands of those who’s business it was to look after her. The misogynistic world of the modelling industry made this a sad and difficult read. This girl was abused so many times, her looks becoming a magnet for these depraved opportunist men. It’s appalling and I love how Carré managed to turn such horrific mistreatment into an empowering spokesperson for women everywhere. Exposing the dirty secrets of the modelling world and also in light of all the accusations of sexual inappropriateness trickling out everywhere I congratulate her for pouring out her truth even if only to serve as a purpose to warn other girls out there from falling into the same traps. Unfortunately for Carré fame came at a cost and hers was a slippery slope down a bad path, making poor decisions that would leave lasting consequences, I do love to see how she managed to identify her part in making those mistakes and then correcting her behaviour to bring in light and positivity and turning her life completely around, finding the inner peace of Buddhism at a time when she desperately needed it, it’s always a reminder that beauty, fame and fortune doesn’t always equate to happiness and a fulfilling life, as demonstrated so evidently within this book.
liralen's review against another edition
3.0
Considerably grimmer than I'd expected—abuse, drugs, more abuse, desperation. It makes for a difficult story that is sometimes more interesting than others...perhaps because abuse and self-destruction go in cycles, the book sometimes felt repetitive. Multiple mentions of 'but it would still be years before I left', etc.
Aside from this book and what I found on Wikipedia, I really know nothing about Otis, Rourke, or any of the other people depicted in the book. Otis may or may not be holding back, but she gives the impression of shooting straight—more than one Very Famous Person is mentioned in a less-than-flattering manner (to say the least). I give her props for being so forthright about her past struggles, including ones that I imagine were/are very difficult to have out in public.
It does seem that the book lost some of its focus towards the end—or rather, that she wanted to move on and spend a lot of time talking about Buddhism and how much better her life is for it, so she zipped through some things pretty quickly. Discussion of her eating disorder is limited to, more or less 'oh and then I realised that I'd have to deal with this massive Thing that I haven't mentioned at all until now, so I did and it was hard but I persevered and came out stronger' (not a new phenomenon to have it dealt with this way, but tiresome nonetheless).
Also worth noting that modelling seems to be part of the grimness of the book—that some of Otis's experiences with it were so awful that they tainted any joy she might have found in modelling otherwise. I don't know if that's true; she really talks very little about modelling itself, focusing that part of the book more on her struggle to get jobs and work despite Rourke and so on. Not clear what direction she ended up going, work-wise, after modelling...but I hope she's happier for doing other things.
Aside from this book and what I found on Wikipedia, I really know nothing about Otis, Rourke, or any of the other people depicted in the book. Otis may or may not be holding back, but she gives the impression of shooting straight—more than one Very Famous Person is mentioned in a less-than-flattering manner (to say the least). I give her props for being so forthright about her past struggles, including ones that I imagine were/are very difficult to have out in public.
It does seem that the book lost some of its focus towards the end—or rather, that she wanted to move on and spend a lot of time talking about Buddhism and how much better her life is for it, so she zipped through some things pretty quickly. Discussion of her eating disorder is limited to, more or less 'oh and then I realised that I'd have to deal with this massive Thing that I haven't mentioned at all until now, so I did and it was hard but I persevered and came out stronger' (not a new phenomenon to have it dealt with this way, but tiresome nonetheless).
Also worth noting that modelling seems to be part of the grimness of the book—that some of Otis's experiences with it were so awful that they tainted any joy she might have found in modelling otherwise. I don't know if that's true; she really talks very little about modelling itself, focusing that part of the book more on her struggle to get jobs and work despite Rourke and so on. Not clear what direction she ended up going, work-wise, after modelling...but I hope she's happier for doing other things.
robinsbooks's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't intend to read this through but sitting home with a cold gave me a good reason to skim through this memoir of a famous model/actress coming to terms with her life. It was a bit of "poor little me, don't hate my because I'm beautiful because I've been abused and taken advantage of by everyone in my past life and never took responsibility for many of the stupid decisions (and there were many) I made, but I've been reborn and have managed to mature and make something of myself" (quote is mine). And of course, I had to find out the real dirt--er, I mean story behind the movie Wild Orchid and her marriage to Mickey Rourke. All in all it was quick read about someone who became a celebrity much too soon and her way to a better life.
edenseve63's review against another edition
2.0
It was an interesting memoir and I applaud Carre for beating her demons. She shined a light into the modeling industry which isn't very pretty once you get beyond the magazine covers. She also spent a good deal of the book dissecting her unconventional and troubled marriage to Mickey Rourke.
gothamgal's review against another edition
2.0
I was excited to read this, but it really didn't live up to my hopes.
catevari's review
3.0
My husband calls me a nonfiction hater. I don't think that's true, but I definitely have a lower enthusiasm level for nonfiction than fiction. I was sitting here debating whether I wanted to give this a 3 or 4 star rating and what it came down to is that, while an enjoyable read—much more enjoyable than I thought it would be—4 stars is more for a book I think I would reread and, with nonfiction in general and this book in particular, I seldom feel the need to revisit it once it's done.
I'm familiar with Carre Otis in the way most people are; her starring role in Zalman King's Wild Orchid and her subsequent marriage to Mickey Rourke. At the time, I was fascinated with the movie, and Otis, but from where I was sitting—being largely uninterested in the fashion industry or the models that populate it—she largely disappeared from public view. So there was some morbid interest in picking up this biography, sure, because of her sensationalized relationship with Rourke, but I was also interested in (finally) seeing who Otis is as a person and finding out more about her in her own words.
On the one hand, I think that the candor and dispassion with which Otis presents her story is remarkable and brave. It would've been easy to paint herself as a victim—especially as she was inarguably victimized many times over the course of her life—but I felt like she did a good job of owning her own damage and contextualizing her own contributions to the various messes and drama in her life.
As well, it's difficult for anyone who's been through any one of the experiences she's been through—sexual abuse/rape, domestic violence, drug abuse—to come forward and talk about it, especially outside of safe spaces (like therapy) that are designed to put those events in self-useful context. For Otis to do so in such a public arena, and one that guarantees criticism, takes courage. It just does. It seems especially brave considering how clearly she internalized a lot of the criticism around her performance in Wild Orchid.
I was glad for the opportunity to place the little snippets that I knew about Otis into a greater context. I also enjoyed reading about her journey, from fragility into strength, from deep unhappiness to a much greater serenity.
I'm familiar with Carre Otis in the way most people are; her starring role in Zalman King's Wild Orchid and her subsequent marriage to Mickey Rourke. At the time, I was fascinated with the movie, and Otis, but from where I was sitting—being largely uninterested in the fashion industry or the models that populate it—she largely disappeared from public view. So there was some morbid interest in picking up this biography, sure, because of her sensationalized relationship with Rourke, but I was also interested in (finally) seeing who Otis is as a person and finding out more about her in her own words.
On the one hand, I think that the candor and dispassion with which Otis presents her story is remarkable and brave. It would've been easy to paint herself as a victim—especially as she was inarguably victimized many times over the course of her life—but I felt like she did a good job of owning her own damage and contextualizing her own contributions to the various messes and drama in her life.
As well, it's difficult for anyone who's been through any one of the experiences she's been through—sexual abuse/rape, domestic violence, drug abuse—to come forward and talk about it, especially outside of safe spaces (like therapy) that are designed to put those events in self-useful context. For Otis to do so in such a public arena, and one that guarantees criticism, takes courage. It just does. It seems especially brave considering how clearly she internalized a lot of the criticism around her performance in Wild Orchid.
I was glad for the opportunity to place the little snippets that I knew about Otis into a greater context. I also enjoyed reading about her journey, from fragility into strength, from deep unhappiness to a much greater serenity.
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