Anyway, about Olivia de Havilland's memoir. It's hilarious. Like, Dave Barry hilarious. I laughed aloud soooooooooo many times while I read this book! I wish it was four times as long, because I was absolutely not ready for it to be finished.
Ms. de Havilland wrote this in 1962. She had married a Frenchman and moved to France a few years earlier, though she still came back to the US to make movies now and then. The only one she really mentioned was The Proud Rebel (1958), which pleased me no end, of course, because that co-stars my beloved Alan Ladd. She never talked about him, but whatever. The book is all about what it's like to adjust to living in France after living in the USA all your life. And when I say she can make the story of repainting their new home into a laugh-inducing tale of woe, you know this must be good, right?
Oh, another thing that made me laugh was the title of the very first chapter: "I'm not at all sure if you know that I'm alive..." That cracked me up because fifty-five years after this book was written, she's still alive. Ms. de Havilland turned 101 in July, and she still lives in Paris. Astonishing woman.
More than anything, this book made me want to hang out with her and be her friend. I am not more firmly a fan of hers than ever, and I wouldn't be surprised if she became one of my ten favorite actresses before long.
Oh, and what does every Frenchman have? Not a mistress or a drinking problem or a beret. It's a liver. Every Frenchman has a liver. If you want to know what on earth she could find to write about that, read the book.
If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: a gentle PG-13 for a few tastefully handled anecdotes about somewhat bawdy subjects.
This is my fifth book read and reviewed for the Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2017.
What!? How come I never knew about this book!? Oh well, I do now and I need to read it!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's adorable. Hope you can find it!
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