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pipparature's review against another edition
2.0
Having heard glowing reviews about the recent film adaptation of this book I decided to read it before seeing the finished product and, to be honest, I'm not really glad I did!
Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool is an autobiographical account of the last days of the actress Gloria Grahame, told by her erstwhile partner, Peter Turner. They had a relationship for around three years which ends prior to a phone call from Lancaster, where she has been acting in a play to say that she is gravely ill. Turner responds by bringing her home to his parents' house (where he is staying while acting in a play himself) in Liverpool. So far so good, but Turner's actions from then on seem odd and unlike how most people would act when someone they care for is desperately sick. He continues to act in his play, socialises with family members and leaves his mother and siblings to care for Gloria. At times he seems at best, inconvenienced by Grahame's illness and, at worst, impatient with her. He focuses on a dying woman's attempts to make herself look good and makes her sound pathetic and sad in his description.
I'm not really sure of Turner's motivation in writing this account, I can only assume that he was trying to cash in on his connection with an Oscar winning actress. Nowhere does he really talk of his love for her, there is no passion here, it seems almost fortuitous that she chose to call him for help as he has benefited from it. The whole book left a bad taste in my mouth to be honest. I can only assume that the book provides a loose basis for the movie as I wouldn't want to see an adaptation of this sad, and somewhat soulless, story as I read it.
Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool is an autobiographical account of the last days of the actress Gloria Grahame, told by her erstwhile partner, Peter Turner. They had a relationship for around three years which ends prior to a phone call from Lancaster, where she has been acting in a play to say that she is gravely ill. Turner responds by bringing her home to his parents' house (where he is staying while acting in a play himself) in Liverpool. So far so good, but Turner's actions from then on seem odd and unlike how most people would act when someone they care for is desperately sick. He continues to act in his play, socialises with family members and leaves his mother and siblings to care for Gloria. At times he seems at best, inconvenienced by Grahame's illness and, at worst, impatient with her. He focuses on a dying woman's attempts to make herself look good and makes her sound pathetic and sad in his description.
I'm not really sure of Turner's motivation in writing this account, I can only assume that he was trying to cash in on his connection with an Oscar winning actress. Nowhere does he really talk of his love for her, there is no passion here, it seems almost fortuitous that she chose to call him for help as he has benefited from it. The whole book left a bad taste in my mouth to be honest. I can only assume that the book provides a loose basis for the movie as I wouldn't want to see an adaptation of this sad, and somewhat soulless, story as I read it.
lakecake's review against another edition
4.0
I won a copy of this book from GoodReads Giveaways.
Devastating and confusing and beautiful. This is, as the cover description states, a true love story. It broke my heart and left me hopeful at the same time.
Devastating and confusing and beautiful. This is, as the cover description states, a true love story. It broke my heart and left me hopeful at the same time.
kerryanndunn's review against another edition
1.0
Well, Peter Turner seems like a real piece of shit. I don’t know what he was trying to accomplish with this “memoir” but the main point he put across is that he’s a selfish, self-involved asshole. The second point he put across is that he should stick to his day job (acting, I guess?) because he is a terrible writer. This book is slim, shallow, with boring, unnecessary and awkward dialogue and descriptions of things the reader doesn’t even care about. Anyone who is reading this book only cares about one thing: Gloria Grahame. This is supposed to be the story of her last days but she’s a minor character, set aside for Peter’s complaining, wallowing selfishness. You barely get a sense of her or their relationship. She’s dying in his family’s home and he’s doing everything but be with her and letting his family stretch themselves thin taking care of her. Poor Gloria and poor Peter’s put upon family. I only read this book because I heard about the film being made with Annette Bening as Gloria (inspired casting). I sure hope they can create a better film out of what should have been a fascinating story but instead is a dull and infuriating read.
bookwormerica's review
3.0
I won this book as part of a goodreads giveaway. I'm super excited I did bc I LOVE LOVE LOVE old hollywood...as you can see from my pervious memoir reads lol I enjoyed this book especially the first person pov on Gloria. I know Gloria mostly from the movie in a lonely place ...bogey! it's not really a book ...more a novella to me and it seemed a bit stretched out
cathbennett's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
bryanfarmer's review against another edition
5.0
I gobbled this story up. Loved its simple, yet complex, tale of love.
susanlbussey's review against another edition
2.0
True story of the end of Gloria Grahame's life. Movie with Annette Benning.
miss_alaina's review against another edition
2.0
The longer I think about this book, the more irked I get about it. I'm not sure who Peter Turner wrote this book for or why he felt the need to write it, other than to cash in on his relationship with Gloria Grahame. And that relationship, which I thought was going to be the focus of the story, was all but pushed aside so Peter could whine about how inconvenient it was that Gloria was dying at his house. At a minimum, I thought he'd be by her side in her final days, but instead he pushes Gloria off on everyone else in his family and spends his time anywhere but with her.
I was extremely excited about reading this book because Gloria was a childhood idol of mine (thanks to "that circus movie" The Greatest Show on Earth ). In reading this, though, I realized that Gloria would never have wanted this book to have been written. Instead of celebrating her life or their love story (I'm still not sure it was much of one), Peter focused on things like her body odor as she was dying, how bad her make-up is applied, and her pitiful requests for help being burped. For a private woman like Gloria who was obsessed with her physical appearance, sharing these details about her last days seems insulting to her memory. I read most of this book with a cringe on my face.
Overall, a very disappointing book.
I was extremely excited about reading this book because Gloria was a childhood idol of mine (thanks to "that circus movie" The Greatest Show on Earth ). In reading this, though, I realized that Gloria would never have wanted this book to have been written. Instead of celebrating her life or their love story (I'm still not sure it was much of one), Peter focused on things like her body odor as she was dying, how bad her make-up is applied, and her pitiful requests for help being burped. For a private woman like Gloria who was obsessed with her physical appearance, sharing these details about her last days seems insulting to her memory. I read most of this book with a cringe on my face.
Overall, a very disappointing book.
wadesworld's review against another edition
3.0
This book is short and spare, but I am still excited to see the movie.