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My Name is Barbra
The long-awaited memoir by the superstar of stage, screen, recordings, and television.
Barbra Streisand is by any account a living legend, a woman who in a career spanning six decades has excelled in every area of entertainment. She is among the handful of EGOT winners (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) and has one of the greatest and most recognizable voices in popular music. She has been nominated for a Grammy 46 times, and with Yentl she became the first woman to write, produce, direct, and star in a major motion picture. In My Name Is Barbra, she tells her own story about her life and extraordinary career, from growing up in Brooklyn to her first star-making appearances in New York nightclubs to her breakout performance in Funny Girl (musical and film) to the long string of successes in every medium in the years that followed. The book is, like Barbra herself, frank, funny, opinionated, and charming. She recounts her early struggles to become an actress, eventually turning to singing to earn a living; the recording of some of her acclaimed albums; the years of effort involved in making Yentl; her direction of The Prince of Tides; her friendships with figures ranging from Marlon Brando to Madeleine Albright; her political advocacy; and the fulfillment she’s found in her marriage to James Brolin.
No entertainer’s memoir has been more anticipated than Barbra Streisand’s, and this engrossing and delightful book will be eagerly welcomed by her millions of fans.
Barbra Streisand is an American singer, actress, director and producer and one of the most iconic figures in music and film, the only recording artist in history to have earned #1 albums over six consecutive decades. She has received the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the Kennedy Center Honor, the National Medal of Arts, France’s Légion d’Honneur, and America’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She founded The Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai, helping to raise awareness and push for more research into women’s heart disease, the leading cause of death among women. Through the Streisand Foundation, which she established in 1986, she has supported national organizations working on preservation of the environment, voter education, the protection of civil liberties and civil rights, women’s issues, and nuclear disarmament. In 2021 she launched the Barbra Streisand Institute at UCLA, a forward-thinking institution dedicated to finding solutions to the most vital social issues.
Barbra Streisand is by any account a living legend, a woman who in a career spanning six decades has excelled in every area of entertainment. She is among the handful of EGOT winners (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) and has one of the greatest and most recognizable voices in popular music. She has been nominated for a Grammy 46 times, and with Yentl she became the first woman to write, produce, direct, and star in a major motion picture. In My Name Is Barbra, she tells her own story about her life and extraordinary career, from growing up in Brooklyn to her first star-making appearances in New York nightclubs to her breakout performance in Funny Girl (musical and film) to the long string of successes in every medium in the years that followed. The book is, like Barbra herself, frank, funny, opinionated, and charming. She recounts her early struggles to become an actress, eventually turning to singing to earn a living; the recording of some of her acclaimed albums; the years of effort involved in making Yentl; her direction of The Prince of Tides; her friendships with figures ranging from Marlon Brando to Madeleine Albright; her political advocacy; and the fulfillment she’s found in her marriage to James Brolin.
No entertainer’s memoir has been more anticipated than Barbra Streisand’s, and this engrossing and delightful book will be eagerly welcomed by her millions of fans.
Barbra Streisand is an American singer, actress, director and producer and one of the most iconic figures in music and film, the only recording artist in history to have earned #1 albums over six consecutive decades. She has received the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the Kennedy Center Honor, the National Medal of Arts, France’s Légion d’Honneur, and America’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She founded The Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai, helping to raise awareness and push for more research into women’s heart disease, the leading cause of death among women. Through the Streisand Foundation, which she established in 1986, she has supported national organizations working on preservation of the environment, voter education, the protection of civil liberties and civil rights, women’s issues, and nuclear disarmament. In 2021 she launched the Barbra Streisand Institute at UCLA, a forward-thinking institution dedicated to finding solutions to the most vital social issues.
1040 pages, Hardcover
First published November 7, 2023
About the author
Barbra Streisand
24 books296 followersBarbra Streisand is an American two time Academy Award-winning singer, film and theatre actress. She has also achieved some note as a composer, political activist, film producer and director. She has won Oscars for Best Actress and Best Original Song as well as multiple Emmy Awards, Grammy Awards, and Golden Globe Awards.
She is considered one of the most commercially and critically successful female entertainers in modern entertainment history and one of the best selling solo recording artists in the US, with RIAA-certified shipments of over 71 million albums. She is the highest ranking female artist on the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) Top Selling Artists list. She has sold approximately 145 million albums worldwide.[citation needed]
Streisand is a member of the short list of entertainers with the distinction of having won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony award.
She is considered one of the most commercially and critically successful female entertainers in modern entertainment history and one of the best selling solo recording artists in the US, with RIAA-certified shipments of over 71 million albums. She is the highest ranking female artist on the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) Top Selling Artists list. She has sold approximately 145 million albums worldwide.[citation needed]
Streisand is a member of the short list of entertainers with the distinction of having won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,359 reviews
November 12, 2023
The publication day of this book will be the high holy day of 2023 for me.
Actual Review:
BEHOLD A PERFECT BOOK. 1,000/10, no notes.
I read the hardback; my biceps thank her for the brief 6 day workout. I also listened to her read the audiobook herself (!!), which is perhaps one of the greatest gifts among a bounty of gifts she has given her fans. A hand delivered basket of joy; that is my review of the audiobook.
I could write the type of review I usually write, but I find I cannot with this particular book. I can only say: I have loved Barbra, unabashedly, since I was 12 years old; her defiance, resilience, boldness, self-determination, early and unwavering advocacy for women, LGBTQ+, and anyone who feels othered, her beauty, her elegance, that divine voice, the vulnerable parts of herself we could see through her performances; she is a part of my DNA, replicating endlessly, because she changed me, just as she has with millions of other super fans, by the mere fact that I was lucky enough to live in the time of Streisand, where she taught people - by her example and by the choices she made in her career - that there are no limits to how one can live a life, that there is delight in the non-traditional if one has courage. And all of those things are evident in the book as she gives the reader VIP access to her perspective on key events in her life and career, her rationale for certain decisions, her thoughts when recording certain songs (I cried when I read that she was thinking of the unfair treatment of the gay community when recording "somewhere," as that song has always has special meaning to me for that reason, like a beacon of hope when things seemed hopeless, but I never knew she thought that, too. Have I mentioned how much I adore her?), hearing her correct the record on so many mistruths, and just witnessing her being the ultimate badass, a unicorn of the artistic world, even when she struggled - perhaps especially when she struggled.
Barbra gives us a feast with this book. I cannot believe she shared so much of herself, so vulnerably, so beautifully. But then again, it's a Barbra book; of course it is peerless, just like the author herself.
Actual Review:
BEHOLD A PERFECT BOOK. 1,000/10, no notes.
I read the hardback; my biceps thank her for the brief 6 day workout. I also listened to her read the audiobook herself (!!), which is perhaps one of the greatest gifts among a bounty of gifts she has given her fans. A hand delivered basket of joy; that is my review of the audiobook.
I could write the type of review I usually write, but I find I cannot with this particular book. I can only say: I have loved Barbra, unabashedly, since I was 12 years old; her defiance, resilience, boldness, self-determination, early and unwavering advocacy for women, LGBTQ+, and anyone who feels othered, her beauty, her elegance, that divine voice, the vulnerable parts of herself we could see through her performances; she is a part of my DNA, replicating endlessly, because she changed me, just as she has with millions of other super fans, by the mere fact that I was lucky enough to live in the time of Streisand, where she taught people - by her example and by the choices she made in her career - that there are no limits to how one can live a life, that there is delight in the non-traditional if one has courage. And all of those things are evident in the book as she gives the reader VIP access to her perspective on key events in her life and career, her rationale for certain decisions, her thoughts when recording certain songs (I cried when I read that she was thinking of the unfair treatment of the gay community when recording "somewhere," as that song has always has special meaning to me for that reason, like a beacon of hope when things seemed hopeless, but I never knew she thought that, too. Have I mentioned how much I adore her?), hearing her correct the record on so many mistruths, and just witnessing her being the ultimate badass, a unicorn of the artistic world, even when she struggled - perhaps especially when she struggled.
Barbra gives us a feast with this book. I cannot believe she shared so much of herself, so vulnerably, so beautifully. But then again, it's a Barbra book; of course it is peerless, just like the author herself.
November 14, 2023
I am a big Barbra Streisand fan but… the level of detail and minutiae she included in this book is painful. Half of these 989 pages should have been left on the cutting room floor. Does anyone really want to know about each furnishing in every room she ever walked into or how each costume or dress she wore was made and how it looked? Going through each scene she liked or didn’t like and why, in the film, “The Way We Were”? It was excruciating to get through. She states that having creative control over every project she is involved in is crucial to her. Well, it’s pretty obvious she had complete creative control over this book. There was obviously no editor to take what she had written and slash it in half. This is a 989 memoir written by Barbra, for Barbra, and to Barbra.
November 21, 2023
It's hard not to appreciate the dedication that Barbra puts into her work, and this book is no exception. This may be one of those very rare occasions when a celebrity memoir is written by the celebrity themselves. It took her 10 years to write, and you can see that it was a journey for her too. She was so invested that she actually did research. She has incredible stories to tell from her professional and personal life, backed up by proof from photos to love letters. Movie lovers, especially those who have seen her movies, will love this. The best thing is that nothing here feels sensational. Her personality shines through all her stories, allowing you to understand why her reputation isn't the best. She has a way of saying 99 amazing things about a person and making you forget them all for one bad thing. The latter parts are weaker, especially concerning politics, but this actually made me more open to biographies.
March 12, 2024
I arrived in Hollywood without having my nose fixed, my teeth capped, or my name changed. That is very gratifying to me.
My Name is Barbra ~~ Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand’s My Name is Barbra is a fascinating read. Whatever your feelings about Streisand, this deep dive into her work and the process behind it is mesmerizing.
Thankfully, this is not a book where Streisand slings mud about her ex’s, gossips, spills tea, or dishes dirt. This is not the autobiography of a victimized soul.
My Name is Barbra is a comprehensive look at the life and career of the most legendary performer of our time. From Streisand's humble beginnings in Brooklyn to her rise to fame on Broadway and Hollywood, Streisand’s story is one of grit and talent.
What I most appreciate most about this book is Streisand’s candidness. Never does she shy away from discussing the challenges she faced as a woman in the entertainment industry, nor does she gloss over the controversies that have surrounded her throughout her life.
Streisand has a tragic early story ~~ as it seems all icons do ~~ the death of her father when she was 15 months old. For months after my father died, I would still climb up on the window ledge to wait for him to come. In some ways, I'm still waiting.
Her mother, Diana, didn't treat her well ~~ she claimed she didn't have time to tell her daughter that she loved her. The arrival of a stepfather, the misnamed Lou Kind, didn't help. In one particularly cruel incident, he gave her elder brother's fiancée money to buy ice cream for everyone except Barbra because she was ugly .
The Mother from Hell frames Streisand's story. She made it big through determination and talent, but her insecurities were never far away.
To share more of her story ~~ filled with celebrity, political and royal encounters ~~ would deprive future readers of discovering these themself.
This is not a quick or easy read. But I did feel I was in the company of someone real, someone who is telling the truth. But through it all, the writing is great and genial, while her formidable personality shines through every page. Highly recommended.
My Name is Barbra ~~ Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand’s My Name is Barbra is a fascinating read. Whatever your feelings about Streisand, this deep dive into her work and the process behind it is mesmerizing.
Thankfully, this is not a book where Streisand slings mud about her ex’s, gossips, spills tea, or dishes dirt. This is not the autobiography of a victimized soul.
My Name is Barbra is a comprehensive look at the life and career of the most legendary performer of our time. From Streisand's humble beginnings in Brooklyn to her rise to fame on Broadway and Hollywood, Streisand’s story is one of grit and talent.
What I most appreciate most about this book is Streisand’s candidness. Never does she shy away from discussing the challenges she faced as a woman in the entertainment industry, nor does she gloss over the controversies that have surrounded her throughout her life.
Streisand has a tragic early story ~~ as it seems all icons do ~~ the death of her father when she was 15 months old. For months after my father died, I would still climb up on the window ledge to wait for him to come. In some ways, I'm still waiting.
Her mother, Diana, didn't treat her well ~~ she claimed she didn't have time to tell her daughter that she loved her. The arrival of a stepfather, the misnamed Lou Kind, didn't help. In one particularly cruel incident, he gave her elder brother's fiancée money to buy ice cream for everyone except Barbra because she was ugly .
The Mother from Hell frames Streisand's story. She made it big through determination and talent, but her insecurities were never far away.
To share more of her story ~~ filled with celebrity, political and royal encounters ~~ would deprive future readers of discovering these themself.
This is not a quick or easy read. But I did feel I was in the company of someone real, someone who is telling the truth. But through it all, the writing is great and genial, while her formidable personality shines through every page. Highly recommended.
December 29, 2023
I have vivid memories of Mom ironing Dad’s shirts (do people still iron these days??) with her Barbra Streisand albums playing on the stereo. Oh, how she loved Barbra.
So reading Ms. Streisand’s long-awaited memoir was a no-brainer for me — if for no other reason, in fond memory of my childhood and my beloved mother.
And what a memoir it is, clocking in at 992 pages! Yup, you read that correctly.
But hey, at 81-years-old with a career that spans 50+ albums and more than a dozen movies, I would expect My Name Is Barbra to be nothing less.
Accolades? Oh, she’s got 'em in spades: an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony); three Peabodys; eleven Golden Globes; a Presidential Medal of Freedom; not to mention 52 gold and 31 platinum albums, surpassing all other female singers and nearly all recording artists, second only to Elvis Presley.
Oy, meshuggeneh! I'm a little verklempt.
From Brooklyn to Broadway to Hollywood, this American icon has lived a full life.
She’s had romances with Marlon Brando, Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, and a 28-years-younger Andre Agassi, to name a few — she can’t remember whether she slept with Warren Beatty, but it’s possible.
All this before her current, blissfully happy 25-year marriage to actor James Brolin.
I alternated between the written tome and the audiobook. Peppered with Yiddish phrases throughout, the audio is wonderful with Barbra’s legendary chutzpah, off-script asides, and snippets of recorded music.
The hardcopy has some great photos of Barbra with nearly every important figure of her time.
For fans of the actress, singer, writer, director, producer, composer, and activist, I guarantee that you’ll relish the time spent with this living legend.
Want to read
November 4, 20231040 pages is she insane
January 8, 2024
At over 1,000 pages this is an exhaustive - and exhausting - autobiography but that space is taken up less with gossip (ok, that's what I wanted!) and more with the minutiae of Streisand's phenomenal career: every writer/lyricist/backing musician/cinematographer/director/choreographer/agent/dressmaker/make-up artist (oops, no, she did all her make-up herself, as she reminds us repeatedly), wig-maker/cameraman and so on gets thrown in by name along with minute by minute rundowns of exactly what happened in all her TV specials, the way her apartments and various homes were decorated, the costumes she wore (now that I was interested in), how many copies of her albums were sold, how many people attended her concerts, what original art was on her walls, what presents she bought for the crew at the end of each shoot... get the picture?
What I liked: Streisand's early life, her sassy personality, her work ethic, and the way she refused to conform to the way women, especially young Jewish women, were supposed to look, sound and behave.
A key theme that is so over-used that I was eventually rolling my eyes every time it's mentioned is her need for complete control. At the start this is admirable as Streisand fights to express her vision of the songs and characters she is performing. By the end, it feels almost like a caricature - and this book feels like a casualty of that need for a control that I can imagine terrorised editors into letting this bloated book into print in this form.
I've only seen a handful of the films discussed here (Funny Girl, A Star is Born, The Way We Were, Yentl) but that doesn't matter as the book gives an extended commentary on each of them: what scenes BS loved or hated, how she argued with directors/cinematographers/choreographers, who supported her, who didn't. If you know the films, there is some fascinating material here - if you don't, it can feel a bit bogged down and I started skimming.
It's fascinating that two iconic films - Funny Girl and A Star is Born - tell essentially the same story of a talented, strong, passionate woman who loses the man she loves because he's weaker than she is, and BS talks about what she related to in those characters. There's some lovely insider gossip about working with Omar Sharif and Robert Redford (though, to be fair, Streisand seems to have worked with literally everyone I've ever heard of - and a lot of people I haven't!) but not really much on her personal life which, I confess, I'd have liked more of.
In the end, I lost interest in the book after A Star is Born. At that stage Streisand is literally doing everything herself: writing, composing, acting, directing, even editing the film. The ego that starts off as charmingly inquisitive and cheeky seems to become... something else entirely.
There's much to like about this book and to admire in Streisand herself, not least her spectacular talents - I just wish it had been half the size it is with a more judicial choice of material.
What I liked: Streisand's early life, her sassy personality, her work ethic, and the way she refused to conform to the way women, especially young Jewish women, were supposed to look, sound and behave.
A key theme that is so over-used that I was eventually rolling my eyes every time it's mentioned is her need for complete control. At the start this is admirable as Streisand fights to express her vision of the songs and characters she is performing. By the end, it feels almost like a caricature - and this book feels like a casualty of that need for a control that I can imagine terrorised editors into letting this bloated book into print in this form.
I've only seen a handful of the films discussed here (Funny Girl, A Star is Born, The Way We Were, Yentl) but that doesn't matter as the book gives an extended commentary on each of them: what scenes BS loved or hated, how she argued with directors/cinematographers/choreographers, who supported her, who didn't. If you know the films, there is some fascinating material here - if you don't, it can feel a bit bogged down and I started skimming.
It's fascinating that two iconic films - Funny Girl and A Star is Born - tell essentially the same story of a talented, strong, passionate woman who loses the man she loves because he's weaker than she is, and BS talks about what she related to in those characters. There's some lovely insider gossip about working with Omar Sharif and Robert Redford (though, to be fair, Streisand seems to have worked with literally everyone I've ever heard of - and a lot of people I haven't!) but not really much on her personal life which, I confess, I'd have liked more of.
In the end, I lost interest in the book after A Star is Born. At that stage Streisand is literally doing everything herself: writing, composing, acting, directing, even editing the film. The ego that starts off as charmingly inquisitive and cheeky seems to become... something else entirely.
There's much to like about this book and to admire in Streisand herself, not least her spectacular talents - I just wish it had been half the size it is with a more judicial choice of material.
December 23, 2023
I’ve had a month long journey with Babs through her entire life… I’ve slowly savored it a little bit here and there… it is very lengthy, very detailed.. and I would advise everyone to listen to the audiobook… where you can feel her emotions and enjoy her humor.
What a gift she has been to our world!
Actress, singer, film director, and philanthropist.
What a gift she has been to our world!
Actress, singer, film director, and philanthropist.
February 9, 2024
When I was younger, my dad accidentally broke my nose. I forgot to catch the ball, he ambitiously threw to me during a front yard baseball game with my brother and I. It caused an enormous bump on top of what was already a prominent nose.
This only added to my self-consciousness about my looks.
But when I started to be compared to looking like Barbra, I didn’t feel so badly. I always thought she was gorgeous.
Besides…
Look at the cover of this book!
To put things in context about my fan-girl status about Barbra…
I had already been pouncing around the house singing all her songs, every time one would come out. If only I could carry a tune.
As a 15th birthday present, my parents took me to the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood for the screening of her film, “Funny Girl.” I felt like royalty, all dressed up seeing my favorite actress/singer.
To this day…
I am still a fan.
So…
When her memoir came out, I needed to listen to it.
The question is…
Will this be a fair and honest review?
In her prologue, Streisand immediately shares her purpose for writing this vast 900+ page epic story…
“Once you become famous you become public property. I like facts. I’m tired of people making up things about me. After all these years. That is why this story is being written.”
She sees herself as a real person, and this book can share that, and her work and the process behind her work.
And…
Off we go to explore the vastness of Streisand’s world.
Learning early on mostly that it begins with loss. The loss of her father, early.
And…
A cold, uncommunicative mother. A loving, giving grandfather. Religion. Order. Independence. For her. Because she had to count on herself when she couldn’t count on adults or others to be there for her.
Many childhood experiences taught her to not lower herself to men. The first demonstrated by her unfeeling, unkind, condescending step-father. Nor to go against her word, because her mother didn’t follow through on her promises, and; thus, disappointed her.
As she moves on to share her childhood memories, I wondered why she felt it necessary to share so many small details about her life. From what she ate, to dentist appointments, to lipstick, and so on. As much as it made her more real to readers, it also sounded a bit tedious, and only reminded us that this was a 992-page novel and/or a 48 hours and 14 minutes audiobook.
Would it get more interesting over time?
No doubt, all these details provide readers with a sense of how Barbra comes into her own independence and towards recognizing her own talents that would lead her to finding herself and her adoring audience.
Still…
Through her details we learn about her resilience and her willingness to work hard to learn whatever she could to become the actress she wanted to become.
Because that is what she wanted for herself.
Not always realizing the singing voice that stirred within her.
She seriously pursued acting classes, and worked. She talks of her life living simply, and cheaply. Envious of others who had fathers.
There is no doubt this powerful woman has broken down barriers. Between Broadway, Hollywood, the recording industry, and even Washington D.C.
She is a woman everyone knows. You don’t even have to say her last name.
Needless to say…
It is interesting to listen to her New Yorkish, 81-year-old-self talk about her past, her insecurities, about growing up deprived, both economically and emotionally.
When we her fans, know her for much, much more.
Yet…
This is who she wants us to know.
And…
Even as she drops names of the people she knew, Warren Beatty, or Joan Rivers, or Dustin Hoffman, it doesn’t really matter.
Because we know…
Her destiny.
But still…
Some of these old details seem unimportant. Maybe, she needed to get it out, because it humanizes her, and that is what she wants us to know of her.
To know how important her educated father was, even though she didn’t get him long enough.
To know that her step-father, named Kind, who was anything but, were all apart of molding who she would become.
How tinnitus affected her.
How she appreciated mentors.
But…
It was her singing that made the big difference. And her resistance to be the same as everyone else. (They wanted her to bob her nose – thank goodness she chose to keep it! And, to wear nice new clothes when she preferred thrift.)
And how…
She still chooses not to be put in a corner. She will always stand out.
And then there were the men…
Some resented her.
Walter Matthau insulted her feeling he had more talent than she did (I won’t repeat his insulting comment to her on the set of “Hello Dolly”). Mike Wallace called her “totally self-absorbed” causing her to break into tears on “60 Minutes.”
Still…
There were some men who adored her and would even rewrite music for her.
I would love to see the actual book – not to go through all 992 pages, but to glance the pictures.
So…
What did I really think of this book…
Especially listening to the 48 hours and 14 minutes?
Barbra will always be to me…
The singer, actress, director, producer, philanthropist, activist, lover, mother, wife, friend, now author.
So very accomplished.
This may have been very, very long…
But…
I am so very grateful that she gave us this additional gift of her. In her own gravelly, talking voice.
This only added to my self-consciousness about my looks.
But when I started to be compared to looking like Barbra, I didn’t feel so badly. I always thought she was gorgeous.
Besides…
Look at the cover of this book!
To put things in context about my fan-girl status about Barbra…
I had already been pouncing around the house singing all her songs, every time one would come out. If only I could carry a tune.
As a 15th birthday present, my parents took me to the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood for the screening of her film, “Funny Girl.” I felt like royalty, all dressed up seeing my favorite actress/singer.
To this day…
I am still a fan.
So…
When her memoir came out, I needed to listen to it.
The question is…
Will this be a fair and honest review?
In her prologue, Streisand immediately shares her purpose for writing this vast 900+ page epic story…
“Once you become famous you become public property. I like facts. I’m tired of people making up things about me. After all these years. That is why this story is being written.”
She sees herself as a real person, and this book can share that, and her work and the process behind her work.
And…
Off we go to explore the vastness of Streisand’s world.
Learning early on mostly that it begins with loss. The loss of her father, early.
And…
A cold, uncommunicative mother. A loving, giving grandfather. Religion. Order. Independence. For her. Because she had to count on herself when she couldn’t count on adults or others to be there for her.
Many childhood experiences taught her to not lower herself to men. The first demonstrated by her unfeeling, unkind, condescending step-father. Nor to go against her word, because her mother didn’t follow through on her promises, and; thus, disappointed her.
As she moves on to share her childhood memories, I wondered why she felt it necessary to share so many small details about her life. From what she ate, to dentist appointments, to lipstick, and so on. As much as it made her more real to readers, it also sounded a bit tedious, and only reminded us that this was a 992-page novel and/or a 48 hours and 14 minutes audiobook.
Would it get more interesting over time?
No doubt, all these details provide readers with a sense of how Barbra comes into her own independence and towards recognizing her own talents that would lead her to finding herself and her adoring audience.
Still…
Through her details we learn about her resilience and her willingness to work hard to learn whatever she could to become the actress she wanted to become.
Because that is what she wanted for herself.
Not always realizing the singing voice that stirred within her.
She seriously pursued acting classes, and worked. She talks of her life living simply, and cheaply. Envious of others who had fathers.
There is no doubt this powerful woman has broken down barriers. Between Broadway, Hollywood, the recording industry, and even Washington D.C.
She is a woman everyone knows. You don’t even have to say her last name.
Needless to say…
It is interesting to listen to her New Yorkish, 81-year-old-self talk about her past, her insecurities, about growing up deprived, both economically and emotionally.
When we her fans, know her for much, much more.
Yet…
This is who she wants us to know.
And…
Even as she drops names of the people she knew, Warren Beatty, or Joan Rivers, or Dustin Hoffman, it doesn’t really matter.
Because we know…
Her destiny.
But still…
Some of these old details seem unimportant. Maybe, she needed to get it out, because it humanizes her, and that is what she wants us to know of her.
To know how important her educated father was, even though she didn’t get him long enough.
To know that her step-father, named Kind, who was anything but, were all apart of molding who she would become.
How tinnitus affected her.
How she appreciated mentors.
But…
It was her singing that made the big difference. And her resistance to be the same as everyone else. (They wanted her to bob her nose – thank goodness she chose to keep it! And, to wear nice new clothes when she preferred thrift.)
And how…
She still chooses not to be put in a corner. She will always stand out.
And then there were the men…
Some resented her.
Walter Matthau insulted her feeling he had more talent than she did (I won’t repeat his insulting comment to her on the set of “Hello Dolly”). Mike Wallace called her “totally self-absorbed” causing her to break into tears on “60 Minutes.”
Still…
There were some men who adored her and would even rewrite music for her.
I would love to see the actual book – not to go through all 992 pages, but to glance the pictures.
So…
What did I really think of this book…
Especially listening to the 48 hours and 14 minutes?
Barbra will always be to me…
The singer, actress, director, producer, philanthropist, activist, lover, mother, wife, friend, now author.
So very accomplished.
This may have been very, very long…
But…
I am so very grateful that she gave us this additional gift of her. In her own gravelly, talking voice.
January 15, 2024
More pics at: https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
4.5 stars
Barbra Streisand - an American singer, actress, director and producer - is an extraordinary talent and one of the few EGOT winners (Emmy Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). In this memoir, which is almost 1000 pages long, Barbra details her life and career, and she deserves to win a writing award as well. I read the book and listened to the audiobook, excellently narrated by Barbra - which has the added treat of song clips.
Barbra has sometimes been mischaracterized as being a difficult diva because she's a perfectionist who wants all the things she's involved with (albums, concerts, television specials, movies, tours, etc.) to be the best they can be. It seems evident this 'misunderstanding' is due to a woman succeeding in a man's world.
As Streisand said in a 1992 speech:
A man is commanding - a woman is demanding.
A man is forceful - a woman is pushy.
A man is uncompromising - a woman is a ball-breaker.
A man is a perfectionist - a woman's a pain in the ass.
He's assertive - she's aggressive.
He strategizes - she manipulates.
He shows leadership - she's controlling.
He's committed - she's obsessed.
He's persevering - she's relentless.
He sticks to his guns - she's stubborn.
If a man wants to get it right, he's looked up to and respected. If a woman wants to get it right, she's difficult and impossible.
If he acts, produces, and directs, he's called multitalented. If she does the same thing, she's called vain and egotistical.
And so on.
Moreover, Barbra names names, calling out the professionals who gave her a hard time because of the 'boys club', and other people - journalists, fellow performers, movie crews, etc. - who maligned her because they wanted publicity, or were jealous or resentful.
Now that I got that off my chest, I'll say a bit about the book.
Barbra (née Barbara) was born in Brooklyn in 1942, and lost her beloved father Emanuel when she was a toddler. Afterwards, Barbra's mother Diana married Louis Kind, a mean man who called Barbra ugly. Barbra's mother didn't protect or nurture her, and Barbra looked for 'mothering' elsewhere. Thus a neighbor, Tobey Borookov, who took care of Barbra after school; and a woman named Muriel Choy, who owned a Chinese restaurant where 12-year-old Barbra took orders, became surrogate mothers to the future superstar.
Barbra Streisand as a child
Barbra's first ambition was to be an actress, and - starting in her teens - Barbra would peruse 'Show Business' (a performing arts magazine), looking for opportunities. Barbra got minor acting roles here and there, but her career really started with singing gigs in nightclubs when Barbra was eighteen.
Barbra soon became a sought-after performer, though her looks were the subject of much chatter. Barbra was described as an amiable anteater, a myopic gazelle, and a seasick ferret, and several people advised her to get a nose job and cap her teeth. Barbra refused, thinking, "It was too much of a risk. And who knew what it might do to my voice."
Barbra was an iconoclast with respect to her clothing as well, and her entire wardrobe was straight out of thrift shops. She writes, "I couldn't believe the beautiful clothes you could find there....velvet dresses from the 1920s, an elegant turn-of-the-century coat made of Battenberg lace, a printed taffeta bed jacket".....much better than anything in department stores. In fact, Barbra continued to patronize thrift stores after she became successful - sometimes to find clothing for performances or movies. Moreover, Barbra often designed the outfits for her films and shows, which were made to her specifications.
Barbra got a big break when she was cast in the 1962 Broadway musical, 'I Can Get It For You Wholesale', in which she played a lovelorn secretary called Miss Marmelstein. This is also where Barbra met her first husband, actor Elliot Gould, with whom she had her son Jason.
Barbra Streisand and Elliot Gould with their baby Jason
During rehearsals for 'I Can Get It For You Wholesale', Barbra's staging suggestions irritated director Arthur Laurents, who yelled at her. Barbra writes, "I put my head down, hiding my face with my hair. I had two personalities, in a way...one was the street kid who was not going to take any shit from anybody, and the other was the little girl who was very vulnerable and easily hurt."
Barbra tells lots of great stories about this period, during which she met some of the people who would be important in her life. These include Barbra's lifelong friend, producer Cis Corman; her long-time manager Marty Erlichman; renowned songwriter Jule Styne; lyricists Marilyn and Alan Bergman; talent agent Ray Stark; and many others.
After 'I Can Get It For You Wholesale', Barbra's next big role was Fanny Brice in the Broadway musical 'Funny Girl'....after which Barbra also starred in the 1968 movie 'Funny Girl.'
Barbra reveals everything you'd ever want to know about these productions. Here's a bit of gossip: During rehearsals for the Broadway show 'Funny Girl', Barbra got involved with her married co-star Sydney Chaplin. When Barbra broke up with Sydney, he made it his business to CONSTANTLY whisper nasty comments ON STAGE during the Broadway show, which greatly disturbed Barbra.
In addition to acting, Barbra was also releasing albums, doing television specials, and more. Barbra was a perfectionist in all her endeavors, and when describing films, albums, television programs, tours, and concerts, Barbra explains every thought she had and every move she made in meticulous detail. One might think this would be boring, but I found it quite interesting.
For instance, Barbra - being an art collector - decided her 1996 television special 'Color Me Barbra' would start out in an art museum. Barbra writes, "The first act opened with me walking through the museum, dressed like a Victorian parlor maid in a dark green velvet dress (which I had found in Filene's Basement) with a white apron....And then I would go into various rooms and 'become' various paintings as I sang various songs...We had only thirty-six hours to complete this extremely complicated sequence, with many set-ups and costume changes."
Following 'Funny Girl', Barbra was cast in the 1969 film 'Hello Dolly', directed by Gene Kelly. Barbra was always eager to learn and she constantly peppered Kelly with questions. In fact, Barbra would ask questions of EVERYONE involved with the movie, including the cinematographer, cameramen, art director, production designer, costume designer, prop person, editor, etc.....AND she would make suggestions. Barbra made many additional films, and would usually follow this routine of questions and suggestions. This helped Barbra learn to become a director herself, but also added to her reputation as a diva.
After many trials and tribulations, Barbra finally got to make the 1983 film 'Yentl', which she co-produced, starred in, and directed. This was a dream come true for Barbra, and she was very thoughtful about every detail of the movie. Barry Gibb (of the Bee Gees) - who wrote songs and recorded music for the film - observed, "[Barbra] was a hard worker. She'd work from morning till late into the night...But we did have to lock her up when the food came, because she always wanted to eat. We had to keep her away from the food so she'd keep singing!" (In case you want to know, Chinese food is Barbra's favorite.) Here's another bit of gossip: Barbra's 'Yentl' costar Mandy Patinkin, who was married, expected to have an affair with Barbra during the filming, and behaved VERY badly when this didn't happen.
Barbra Streisand, Amy Irving, and Mandy Patinkin in 'Yentl'
In fact, Barbra seems to have been a siren for many men, who either wanted to be Barbra's friend or her lover. Thus Barbra mentions friendships and/or romances with numerous famous men, including Omar Sharif, Anthony Newley, Warren Beatty, Pierre Trudeau, Marlon Brando, Ryan O'Neal, Jon Peters, Prince Charles (now King Charles), Don Johnson, Peter Matz, Paddy Chayefsky, James Newton Howard, Andre Agassi, Richard Baskin, Pat Conroy, Bill Clinton, Shimon Peres, and others. And of course, Barbra is married to James Brolin, a handsome fellow with good hair and good teeth. To add to Barbra's charm, she's also a dog lover, and she even cloned her sweet Coton de Tuléar Samantha after the pooch passed away.
Following 'Yentl', Barbra produced, directed, and starred in 'The Prince of Tides' (1991) and 'The Mirror Has Two Faces' (1996).
As usual, Barbra discusses everything you'd want to know about these two films, and the narratives are fascinating.
For example, for the 'The Prince of Tides' - which is about troubled siblings, with flashbacks to when they were children - Barbra describes planning a water scene: "I had to hire children who were good swimmers, as well as being able to act. As they pop up to the surface, I wanted bright morning light, so we needed an arc light on the tank. And the camera was there to catch the ripples on the water...which dissolve into waves that roll onto another shore and reveal grown up Tom, playing with his own children in the late afternoon light of the present day....I did a lot of thinking about the visual in each scene, working out the most natural transition from one place to another."
Scene from 'The Prince of Tides'
It's scandalous that Barbra never won an Academy Award for directing, an honor women have (mostly) been locked out of since the early days of the Academy.
In addition to all of Barbra's other accomplishments, she's created a number of philanthropic foundations, and contributes to scads of worthy causes. For instance, Barbra established the Emanuel Streisand Building for Jewish Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; the Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center; the Streisand Foundation, which supports a wide variety of causes, and more.
Barbra Streisand and Bill Clinton at the Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center
Additionally, since she's very political, Barbra has hosted, entertained at, or contributed to fundraisers for numerous people, such as Daniel Ellsberg - who was on trial for leaking the Pentagon Papers; Bella Abzug - the feminist icon; Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and many others. In fact, Barbra became close friends with Bill Clinton's mother Virginia, who was like a surrogate mother to Barbra.
Barbra Streisand and Virginia Clinton Kelley
Barbra is very open and shares lots of personal details about herself. By way of illustration, the superstar writes about her fractious relationship with her mother - who was jealous of Barbra's success; how much she's always missed her father; her discomfort with people envying her; her intense stage fright; her discomfiture with performing in public; her tendency to be late; her avoidance of photo shoots; her antipathy to people who lie to her; her reluctance to give interviews; her love of food and restaurants; the pleasure she gets from renovating and decorating her homes; her love for her son Jason; her beautiful wedding to James Brolin (LOTS of good food there); her siblings, Roslyn and Sheldon; people she's worked with; her friends; and more.
Barbra Streisand with her son Jason Gould
Barbra Streisand and James Brolin
Barbra's body of work is enormous and she's received innumerable honors, awards and accolades. Barbra mentions many of these in her book, which also contains snippets from her journals, excerpts from letters she's received, clippings from reviews, love notes, photos, and more.
Barbra Streisand is one of a kind, and still going strong.
If you're a Streisand fan, this is a must read. Very good book. Highly recommended.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com
November 24, 2023
Like most Streisand movies, this memoir is dramatically flawed by the over-indulgence of her gigantic ego. Filled with attempts at false humility, claiming she dislikes her voice or looks or talents (beyond acting, which she seems incredibly proud of despite making some major career errors), she claims to base this book on "facts" when in truth she is manipulating every story to make herself a goddess who should be worshipped. It's all kind of sickening and tragic because there are so many good behind-the-scenes stories here that are destroyed by her verbosity and selfishness.
I could go through every chapter and pick it apart, but to dare to publish a 900-page autobiography is ridiculous. The Funny Girl section is over 130 pages alone! And two-thirds of it is just her rambling about very detailed conversations from over 65 years ago. There's almost 100 pages on the yawner Yentl. She also alludes to some love affairs but rarely says that she even slept with anyone else.
You want to know about her clothes or what she ate? Well you'll be happy because the book is bloated with that kind of unimportant detail. Lots of it. Added to all the absurdity that there is no index or footnotes, and Streisand's claims of only being interested in "facts" make her difficult to believe when she doesn't actually provide any proof of her many over-the-top contradictions to popular history of her works. Most of it is her spewing lop-sided opinions based on cloudy recollections. She even critiques her own movies, finally seeing them after decades of refusing to watch herself, and she decides that For Pete's Sake and The Main Event are pretty good. So much for her taste.
It should have been cut apart and edited down dramatically then split into two books. The actress goes on and on about all sorts of nothings as well as repeating her simplistic self-centered mantras. All details point toward the same message: Streisand is totally absorbed with herself and no one else. And this was from the start, where as an unknown and untrained performer she bossed around every director, producer, and writer so that she quickly earned a well-deserved reputation for being impossible to work with before most of us had ever heard of her.
I think Streisand was her own worst enemy. She was best when she had to perform for strong leaders who had differing views from her instincts. Her work began to fall apart early in her career when she insisted on total creative control and made some really horrible role choices, but many of her fans kept praising her for some really bad stuff. She does have a chapter where she chides herself a bit, asking What Was I Thinking?
This is also true of her view of how she photographs: the cover picture is certainly not one of her best, her claim to only having one good side is absurd, and Streisand has little good to say about What's Up Doc, where she is at her peak of beauty and on-screen charm. It simply is the one of the best films she ever made if not the best (and included a couple of her greatest vocal renditions ever) yet she uses only 7 pages of the book on it, much of it negative! The actress ended up selling her 10% of the What's Up Doc gross back to Warner Brothers before it premiered because she thought the movie was going to be a flop! Ha! It ended up being the biggest box-office hit where she starred as the lead. So much for Barbra's understanding of the industry.
I'm glad she reveals some of her real secrets in the book, such as cheating on her first husband with her co-star of Funny Girl on Broadway. But even then she turns the story into her victimization because of how her fellow actor responded when she broke off the affair. The entire text is filled with her self-admitted negativity and complaining about everything, while also packed with praise and reviews from others. She says that at her core she is totally insecure and at the same time unstoppable at wanting complete control. This woman has big issues but she is never the real victim and fails to see that everyone around her is suffering due to her rude and demeaning nature.
She has the audacity to say regarding those people who directed her early shows, "they didn't understand the way I worked." No, Barbra, at 20 years old you didn't understand the way others worked and never took a moment to respect anyone except those few people who acted like your lowly servants. And that has continued for over sixty years.
A perfect example is how she is constantly late, dramatically late, frustratingly late to her commitments. She admits it about 25 times in the book! Yet she demands that others who serve her to be there on time and when she's a director of her own projects she suddenly is no longer late. Total selfishness and a person who does not deserve any admiration.
If you think she stands for liberal causes and equality for the disenfranchised, think again. Barbra Streisand is the one creating the problems by setting herself and her opinions about all others, only praising those who act as her slaves. She is the ultimate out-of-touch leftist Democratic entertainment industry elitist, saying all the right things but living a lifestyle that mistreats those beneath her. Instead of true tolerance she has zero tolerance for anyone who doesn't match her very warped view of life and she fails to see things from anyone else's viewpoint.
The end goes on and on, it gets to a point around page 700 that you just want her to shut up. A CliffsNotes summary of this book can give you the highlights, otherwise you have to trudge through her distorted, mentally ill mind in order to get to the good stuff. After reading this you realize that despite her defensive attempts to make her sound loving, people who worked with Streisand were not the luckiest people in the world.
I could go through every chapter and pick it apart, but to dare to publish a 900-page autobiography is ridiculous. The Funny Girl section is over 130 pages alone! And two-thirds of it is just her rambling about very detailed conversations from over 65 years ago. There's almost 100 pages on the yawner Yentl. She also alludes to some love affairs but rarely says that she even slept with anyone else.
You want to know about her clothes or what she ate? Well you'll be happy because the book is bloated with that kind of unimportant detail. Lots of it. Added to all the absurdity that there is no index or footnotes, and Streisand's claims of only being interested in "facts" make her difficult to believe when she doesn't actually provide any proof of her many over-the-top contradictions to popular history of her works. Most of it is her spewing lop-sided opinions based on cloudy recollections. She even critiques her own movies, finally seeing them after decades of refusing to watch herself, and she decides that For Pete's Sake and The Main Event are pretty good. So much for her taste.
It should have been cut apart and edited down dramatically then split into two books. The actress goes on and on about all sorts of nothings as well as repeating her simplistic self-centered mantras. All details point toward the same message: Streisand is totally absorbed with herself and no one else. And this was from the start, where as an unknown and untrained performer she bossed around every director, producer, and writer so that she quickly earned a well-deserved reputation for being impossible to work with before most of us had ever heard of her.
I think Streisand was her own worst enemy. She was best when she had to perform for strong leaders who had differing views from her instincts. Her work began to fall apart early in her career when she insisted on total creative control and made some really horrible role choices, but many of her fans kept praising her for some really bad stuff. She does have a chapter where she chides herself a bit, asking What Was I Thinking?
This is also true of her view of how she photographs: the cover picture is certainly not one of her best, her claim to only having one good side is absurd, and Streisand has little good to say about What's Up Doc, where she is at her peak of beauty and on-screen charm. It simply is the one of the best films she ever made if not the best (and included a couple of her greatest vocal renditions ever) yet she uses only 7 pages of the book on it, much of it negative! The actress ended up selling her 10% of the What's Up Doc gross back to Warner Brothers before it premiered because she thought the movie was going to be a flop! Ha! It ended up being the biggest box-office hit where she starred as the lead. So much for Barbra's understanding of the industry.
I'm glad she reveals some of her real secrets in the book, such as cheating on her first husband with her co-star of Funny Girl on Broadway. But even then she turns the story into her victimization because of how her fellow actor responded when she broke off the affair. The entire text is filled with her self-admitted negativity and complaining about everything, while also packed with praise and reviews from others. She says that at her core she is totally insecure and at the same time unstoppable at wanting complete control. This woman has big issues but she is never the real victim and fails to see that everyone around her is suffering due to her rude and demeaning nature.
She has the audacity to say regarding those people who directed her early shows, "they didn't understand the way I worked." No, Barbra, at 20 years old you didn't understand the way others worked and never took a moment to respect anyone except those few people who acted like your lowly servants. And that has continued for over sixty years.
A perfect example is how she is constantly late, dramatically late, frustratingly late to her commitments. She admits it about 25 times in the book! Yet she demands that others who serve her to be there on time and when she's a director of her own projects she suddenly is no longer late. Total selfishness and a person who does not deserve any admiration.
If you think she stands for liberal causes and equality for the disenfranchised, think again. Barbra Streisand is the one creating the problems by setting herself and her opinions about all others, only praising those who act as her slaves. She is the ultimate out-of-touch leftist Democratic entertainment industry elitist, saying all the right things but living a lifestyle that mistreats those beneath her. Instead of true tolerance she has zero tolerance for anyone who doesn't match her very warped view of life and she fails to see things from anyone else's viewpoint.
The end goes on and on, it gets to a point around page 700 that you just want her to shut up. A CliffsNotes summary of this book can give you the highlights, otherwise you have to trudge through her distorted, mentally ill mind in order to get to the good stuff. After reading this you realize that despite her defensive attempts to make her sound loving, people who worked with Streisand were not the luckiest people in the world.
February 2, 2024
Slightly embarrassing as seem to have gone on, and on and then on about reading this book
But got to say it was boring, maybe I am not as big of a fan as thought but am certainly not the kind of fan who wants to read about every pair of curtains she has ever had, every button owned or sandwich eaten, nor dissect every line in every song and have page after page about one producer she met in the 1960’s who obvs means a lot to her but relevance to me was zero
Parts were vaguely interesting but she does a lot of ‘its my way or no way’ and lots of ‘I never wanted fame and people adulating me’ then we get countless snaps of adulating reviews, very tiring to read
Also she constantly says ‘and I still have it to this day’ and ‘I’ve never liked it since’ and I wonder if the stories she is a nightmare to work with are true
None the less she is a star and has a wondrous voice but someone somewhere should have had the gumption to cut the book by half, at least
But got to say it was boring, maybe I am not as big of a fan as thought but am certainly not the kind of fan who wants to read about every pair of curtains she has ever had, every button owned or sandwich eaten, nor dissect every line in every song and have page after page about one producer she met in the 1960’s who obvs means a lot to her but relevance to me was zero
Parts were vaguely interesting but she does a lot of ‘its my way or no way’ and lots of ‘I never wanted fame and people adulating me’ then we get countless snaps of adulating reviews, very tiring to read
Also she constantly says ‘and I still have it to this day’ and ‘I’ve never liked it since’ and I wonder if the stories she is a nightmare to work with are true
None the less she is a star and has a wondrous voice but someone somewhere should have had the gumption to cut the book by half, at least
December 29, 2023
5/5
I have loved Barbra Streisand ever since I was a little girl, watching her movies on VHS in my Grandma’s tv room. Over the years, many people have made fun of my love and respect for her and even now some of my co-workers would tease me whenever I’d update them on my progress of this epic tome. (Because, although I loved this book with my entire being, it was long! But how could it not be?! Barbra’s been captivating audiences for over 60 years! That’s a lot of ground to cover in one book.)
This book was incredible on so many levels; Barbra has lead an amazing life so far, with countless stories about other famous artists and performers, politicians, and royalty but, along with these fascinating stories, her book is also full of inspiring and thought-provoking ideas and notions. I listened to the audiobook while I read the physical book and I highly recommend it!! It may take you longer to read, but Barbra often adds more anecdotes or info that isn’t on the page along with never before heard audio clips of her singing.
So many of us look up to Barbra because of how strong of a woman and artist she is, so I was shocked and saddened to learn about just how many times she was taken advantage of by colleagues and loved ones throughout her life. It just goes to show that anyone, no matter how bright of a light they shine on others, can be manipulated and made to feel inadequate. No matter how awful some of these people treated her throughout the years, Barbra told her truth with grace and class, never belittling or insulting anyone, but simply described how their cruel actions made her feel.
To everyone who believed the stories about her being difficult to work with, demanding, or a diva, I urge you to read the book! How could a diva graciously thank all of her mentors and friends who have helped her along the way throughout this entire book? Time and time again she lifts those people up in her book, celebrating their skill or kindness and never tries to make it seem like she had it all figured out or that she was better than everyone else. She also often brings up the fact that asking questions and caring about your work is not being difficult or being a diva, and I agree wholeheartedly. Why shouldn’t she want to know about the projects that her name, face, and voice are a part of? I would never just blindly agree to everything if I were in her position, either. This just highlights the hypocrisy of the media and society when it comes to women vs men; men can do this and be known as artistic geniuses but god forbid a woman ask a question about a movie she’s filming. 🙄
She talks a lot about her fear of performing and of letting people down, her hatred of lies and inauthenticity, and her constant quench for knowledge and understanding, all of which I can relate to (and a huge part in why I decided to quit acting professionally). It was mind-boggling but also completely understandable that someone of her stature and talent would talk about throwing up backstage in fear, or avoiding singing live unless it was for a good, charitable cause. It makes me feel even more grateful to have been able to see her sing live back in 2016.
Now that I’ve finished this book, a book that I’ve waited my entire life for (like I said below, prior to reading), I don’t know what to do! I feel both deeply sad and fulfilled, inspired and melancholy. I can’t believe it’s over.
Thank you, Barbra, for sharing yourself with the world, for striving to make the world a better place, and for inspiring countless others to unapologetically be ourselves. ❤️
——
I've been waiting my entire life for this book!
I have loved Barbra Streisand ever since I was a little girl, watching her movies on VHS in my Grandma’s tv room. Over the years, many people have made fun of my love and respect for her and even now some of my co-workers would tease me whenever I’d update them on my progress of this epic tome. (Because, although I loved this book with my entire being, it was long! But how could it not be?! Barbra’s been captivating audiences for over 60 years! That’s a lot of ground to cover in one book.)
This book was incredible on so many levels; Barbra has lead an amazing life so far, with countless stories about other famous artists and performers, politicians, and royalty but, along with these fascinating stories, her book is also full of inspiring and thought-provoking ideas and notions. I listened to the audiobook while I read the physical book and I highly recommend it!! It may take you longer to read, but Barbra often adds more anecdotes or info that isn’t on the page along with never before heard audio clips of her singing.
So many of us look up to Barbra because of how strong of a woman and artist she is, so I was shocked and saddened to learn about just how many times she was taken advantage of by colleagues and loved ones throughout her life. It just goes to show that anyone, no matter how bright of a light they shine on others, can be manipulated and made to feel inadequate. No matter how awful some of these people treated her throughout the years, Barbra told her truth with grace and class, never belittling or insulting anyone, but simply described how their cruel actions made her feel.
To everyone who believed the stories about her being difficult to work with, demanding, or a diva, I urge you to read the book! How could a diva graciously thank all of her mentors and friends who have helped her along the way throughout this entire book? Time and time again she lifts those people up in her book, celebrating their skill or kindness and never tries to make it seem like she had it all figured out or that she was better than everyone else. She also often brings up the fact that asking questions and caring about your work is not being difficult or being a diva, and I agree wholeheartedly. Why shouldn’t she want to know about the projects that her name, face, and voice are a part of? I would never just blindly agree to everything if I were in her position, either. This just highlights the hypocrisy of the media and society when it comes to women vs men; men can do this and be known as artistic geniuses but god forbid a woman ask a question about a movie she’s filming. 🙄
She talks a lot about her fear of performing and of letting people down, her hatred of lies and inauthenticity, and her constant quench for knowledge and understanding, all of which I can relate to (and a huge part in why I decided to quit acting professionally). It was mind-boggling but also completely understandable that someone of her stature and talent would talk about throwing up backstage in fear, or avoiding singing live unless it was for a good, charitable cause. It makes me feel even more grateful to have been able to see her sing live back in 2016.
Now that I’ve finished this book, a book that I’ve waited my entire life for (like I said below, prior to reading), I don’t know what to do! I feel both deeply sad and fulfilled, inspired and melancholy. I can’t believe it’s over.
Thank you, Barbra, for sharing yourself with the world, for striving to make the world a better place, and for inspiring countless others to unapologetically be ourselves. ❤️
——
I've been waiting my entire life for this book!
November 21, 2023
I loved every minute. Streisand has two main modes: bragging and complaining but boy does she have a lot to brag and complain about. What a life! It’s pretty clear Streisand dictated this manuscript and no editor dared touch it. I loved the audio experience read by Streisand herself and inclusive of musical performances. You need the physical book to see all the photos she included though. She’s funny and self deprecating and her love of food and her dogs is incredibly relatable. There were so many tiny moments to love from her calling Apple to fix Siri’s pronounciation of her name to her stories of Marlon Brando and Liza Minelli. She’s a force and if you’re a fan you’re in for a treat.
October 27, 2023
I have not shit in 8 days from reading this.
January 4, 2024
Top 5 Streisand Songs
1. My Man
2. The Way We Were
3. Happy Days Are Here Again
4. You Don't Bring Me Flowers
5. No More Tears
Top 5 Streisand Movies
1. Nuts
2. The Mirror Has Two Faces
3. The Way We Were
4. Funny Girl
5. Meet the Fockers
As I read this monster of a tome, I had one thought "She really needs an editor". But as I continued to read this tome, I realized that nobody edits Barbra.
My late great mother loved Barbra Streisand. I've seen the movie The Mirror Has Two Faces too many times to count. Barbra songs were always in the rotation on her Saturday cleaning playlist. Barbra has always been ubiquitous in pop culture. I think it's weird when people claim she's ugly...like are we looking at the same person. I mean look at the cover of this book, she's stunning.
In My Name Is Barbra we learn 2 things:
1. Barbra craves control
2. Barbra is her biggest critic.
She's extremely hard on herself. I think part of the reason is because of how cruel her mother and stepfather were. Her mother always wanted to be famous and clearly she was intensely jealous of Barbra's success. Barbra is very blunt and detail oriented. By just cutting out her detailing of every movie she worked on, she cut have cut this book in half. If the movie making process doesn't interest you then maybe read another book because she talks you through every little part of her process. I personally enjoyed this, because I like to see what inspires artists.
I didn't know a whole lot about her life going in. I knew she was married to James Brolin and that she loves Bill Clinton but I didn't know that she had a son or that she was married to Elliott Gould( Ross and Monica's dad on Friends). Nor did I know that Barbra dated some all timers and some scumbags.
If you love Barbra then, pick this up. If you don't like her I think you should still pick this up because it might change your opinion.
2 Thumbs Up!
1. My Man
2. The Way We Were
3. Happy Days Are Here Again
4. You Don't Bring Me Flowers
5. No More Tears
Top 5 Streisand Movies
1. Nuts
2. The Mirror Has Two Faces
3. The Way We Were
4. Funny Girl
5. Meet the Fockers
As I read this monster of a tome, I had one thought "She really needs an editor". But as I continued to read this tome, I realized that nobody edits Barbra.
My late great mother loved Barbra Streisand. I've seen the movie The Mirror Has Two Faces too many times to count. Barbra songs were always in the rotation on her Saturday cleaning playlist. Barbra has always been ubiquitous in pop culture. I think it's weird when people claim she's ugly...like are we looking at the same person. I mean look at the cover of this book, she's stunning.
In My Name Is Barbra we learn 2 things:
1. Barbra craves control
2. Barbra is her biggest critic.
She's extremely hard on herself. I think part of the reason is because of how cruel her mother and stepfather were. Her mother always wanted to be famous and clearly she was intensely jealous of Barbra's success. Barbra is very blunt and detail oriented. By just cutting out her detailing of every movie she worked on, she cut have cut this book in half. If the movie making process doesn't interest you then maybe read another book because she talks you through every little part of her process. I personally enjoyed this, because I like to see what inspires artists.
I didn't know a whole lot about her life going in. I knew she was married to James Brolin and that she loves Bill Clinton but I didn't know that she had a son or that she was married to Elliott Gould( Ross and Monica's dad on Friends). Nor did I know that Barbra dated some all timers and some scumbags.
If you love Barbra then, pick this up. If you don't like her I think you should still pick this up because it might change your opinion.
2 Thumbs Up!
December 13, 2023
Listen, it’s not for everyone. But it is most certainly for me.
April 22, 2024
My mother has an eye for detail. Mostly for clothes, and food, and physical appearances. She’ll say, “I remember that day! It was 1956, I was fifteen, and I even remember what outfit I wore; it was so cute!” And she’ll describe it, like it was a week ago.
Which is why I immediately felt comfortable with Barbra Streisand, because she’s a lot like my mom in that regard, and happens to be a world-famous entertainer as well. Why is her memoir a thousand pages, and should you read it? Absolutely, especially if you crave highly-detailed inside dope on Streisand’s treasured clothes, food, home decor, albums, concerts, movies, gifts, and people she’s worked with, dated, or hung out with.
She was also one of the first celebrities I was ever aware of, as my parents were both fans, owned most of her sixties albums, and went to see her movies.
So of course, I had zero interest in her. Or musical theater. Or the Great American Songbook. On discovering The Beatles at twelve, I worshipped at the altar of classic rock. It was only decades later a buddy turned me on to crooners like Nat King Cole, and Mel Torme, and Tony Bennett, and once you start listening to that stuff, hey, you’re back on Barbra’s turf. This month, for example, recent purchases on heavy rotation include the new Vampire Weekend, April Wine’s The Nature of the Beast (1981) Charles Mingus’s Oh Yeah (1962), and Barbra’s Stoney End (1970). Funny how things come around. And yeah, I came around on musicals too, so I’ve seen most of her movies.
Having worked for a director myself, I especially related to her extensive descriptions of story development and film editing. I was also struck that so many of her major projects included a key collaborator who proved to be sullen, obstinate, or outright hostile to her. Sometimes she was stuck with these men— and they’re always men, who apparently can’t deal with a lady in charge— but even when she was able to fire them, she didn’t.
Why would a leader saddle themselves with a non-team player? I’m guessing it had a lot to do with Streisand being tarred as ‘difficult’ at various points in her career, which leads to her bending over backwards to be ‘accommodating.’ In other words, she was too damn nice to a succession of jerks any male filmmaker would have canned in a heartbeat.
Even now, there seems to be things about Hollywood she still hasn’t figured out: 1) That the young Sydney Pollack lacked the clout to support her wishes on The Way We Were, 2) that studios remained leery of her because she wouldn’t accept directing assignments, or 3) how nakedly jealous other directors were of her freedom to wrap a movie, then cut an album, score a radio hit, stage a concert, produce a TV special, or take an acting job.
In a way, blindness to jealousy is one of her notable flaws. She calls out her own mother for it— a miserable pill of a woman who could melt down and scream as much during family or public events— but can’t seem to recognize it when it hides behind a smiling show biz mask. On a personal and professional level, I know I could’ve provided great creative support to Streisand the producer-director; on the other hand, how could you commit to a filmmaker who only blew in and out of the field as the mood struck her?
“But, Jon,” I can hear you thinking, “I don’t have time to read her Robert Caro herself, or listen to her narrating all forty-eight hours of the audio edition. Isn’t there just one song of hers that sums up this entire book?”
Sure. I’ll go with “Putting It Together,” from The Broadway Album (1985), a hilariously exasperated account of launching her next endeavor, which includes guest kvetching by Sydney Pollack and David Geffen as typical nay-sayers.
“Art isn’t easy / Even when you’re hot.”
I used to think she and Sondheim were overdoing it with that one. Not after this book.
November 19, 2023
I have to confess I hate-read this. I hoped it would be a juicy read. (Usually the crazier the celebrity, the juicier the read.) Well, the book turned out to be a dull ego trip - written by a person who had been holding grudges for decades (especially over her Oscar snub for "Yentl" and her work with director/screenwriter Frank Pierson; Barbra, I understand that it took you ages to write this 1,000-page memoir, but Frank Pierson has been dead for 11 years. Snap out of it.) My verdict: Mediocre. The writing is clumsy, the insights are rare, the insistence that Barbra is a modest and forthcoming human being is hilarious. And page after page after page, Streisand (s like sand on the beach) repeats her mantra: I'm not a control freak, I'm not hard to work with. I'm actually pretty nice. Yeah, and?
November 30, 2023
Holy ego! If you are interested in a 1000 page diary that discusses:
-every single decision made in directing and acting,
-how much money Barbra earned per project,
-how much she spent on famous paintings,
-all the houses and decorations she bought
-how many people love her and why all the critics are wrong,
-how much control she needs over every aspect of her career
Then this is the book for you! I only finished it because I had already put in so much time. This needed some serious editing (did I mention she needs control?!) and could have been 1/3rd of the length.
-every single decision made in directing and acting,
-how much money Barbra earned per project,
-how much she spent on famous paintings,
-all the houses and decorations she bought
-how many people love her and why all the critics are wrong,
-how much control she needs over every aspect of her career
Then this is the book for you! I only finished it because I had already put in so much time. This needed some serious editing (did I mention she needs control?!) and could have been 1/3rd of the length.
November 13, 2023
This is a DNF for me. I’ve lost interest in her huge ego - I’m done. I was really looking forward to this one. In addition to pages of tiny needless details that don’t expand the story but rather drag it down, her audio delivery is rough as her voice cracks and it’s sounds like she needs to clear her throat some of the time. And 48 hours is soooo long although I have listened to books that long before and found enjoyment. But not this time around.
February 5, 2024
Barbra Streisand is a great singer. Barbra Streisand is a good actor and director. Barbra Streisand is not a writer. Did she even hire an editor for this book or did she try that profession too?
November 10, 2023
I am verklempt….
Want to read
November 21, 2023Wowwww, this audio is 48 hours long. Dayum!
February 1, 2024
This book was superb!! Barbra, whom I loved before is my superhero. She did so much for women’s equality and she had grit and gumption and stood up for what she believed. She was unapologetically Jewish and I loved that. This woman experienced so much and I’m in awe of her. I rate it a 4.5 and it would be a 5, but some of this was just too long and unnecessary. 60 freaking chapters and 20 could be cut out, but I love her so much and I’m rewatching all her movies now!!
November 22, 2023
Way.Too.Long. Was there not an editor assigned to her?
While the book has many interesting facts and stories, I feel like she could’ve left half of it out and still had a great book. The minutiae of her life is not that interesting to even the most avid fan. Her narration of the audiobook made it better, but even then i found myself speeding it up at times. 48 hours is the longest audiobook I’ve ever listened to and again, half wasn’t even necessary. A bit self-indulgent, I think.
While the book has many interesting facts and stories, I feel like she could’ve left half of it out and still had a great book. The minutiae of her life is not that interesting to even the most avid fan. Her narration of the audiobook made it better, but even then i found myself speeding it up at times. 48 hours is the longest audiobook I’ve ever listened to and again, half wasn’t even necessary. A bit self-indulgent, I think.
November 20, 2023
Absolute perfection 🥰
January 2, 2024
What a mammoth of a book but as she said herself couldn't leave anything out , very detailed and an insight into her life and career and learnt new things about her too.
January 16, 2024
I heard that Barbra took 10 years to write this memoir. 989 pages! But she has been around for a while.
She takes us from her humble Brooklyn beginnings, definitely a difficult childhood with the early passing of her father, a cruel stepfather and an apathetic mother. She also takes us to the story behind every story, movie and album. Some of it I did skim through. The woman loves clothes, hats, art and decor. None of this I care about so breezed through it. She is without a doubt, a legend in her own time. No one can sing like her. I mean, God blessed her with a beautfiul gift and wow, I am always blown away by that VOICE.
With sales of over 150 million records worldwide, Streisand is one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she is the highest-certified female artist in the United States, with 68.5 million certified album units tying with Mariah Carey. Billboard honored Streisand as the greatest Billboard 200 female artist of all time. Her accolades include two Academy Awards,10 Grammy Awards including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Grammy Legend Award, five Emmy Awards, four Peabody Awards, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and nine Golden Globes.* Per Wikipedia
The memoir is beautifully written and her strength comes through. Being a woman Director, even in today's world is still unusual. She fought tooth and nail to get the songs, the movies she wanted as she wanted them.
Couple of things I didn't care for: Barbra has been deeply involved in politics for decades. The book stopped before the 2020 election and I really would have loved her views since then. The other issue is the (probably unintentional) bragging ie: private planes, playing the stock market with a million dollars, the private helicopter, the artwork, the yachts, the traveling, and hobnobbing... I get it, she's a superstar who is a self-made millionaire. She earned every dime, but seriously, stop making my eyes roll.
Definitely a wonderful read for a fan, and if you're not, read it anyway. Its a great book about a hell of a strong, spirited fighter who never gives up.
She takes us from her humble Brooklyn beginnings, definitely a difficult childhood with the early passing of her father, a cruel stepfather and an apathetic mother. She also takes us to the story behind every story, movie and album. Some of it I did skim through. The woman loves clothes, hats, art and decor. None of this I care about so breezed through it. She is without a doubt, a legend in her own time. No one can sing like her. I mean, God blessed her with a beautfiul gift and wow, I am always blown away by that VOICE.
With sales of over 150 million records worldwide, Streisand is one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she is the highest-certified female artist in the United States, with 68.5 million certified album units tying with Mariah Carey. Billboard honored Streisand as the greatest Billboard 200 female artist of all time. Her accolades include two Academy Awards,10 Grammy Awards including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Grammy Legend Award, five Emmy Awards, four Peabody Awards, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and nine Golden Globes.* Per Wikipedia
The memoir is beautifully written and her strength comes through. Being a woman Director, even in today's world is still unusual. She fought tooth and nail to get the songs, the movies she wanted as she wanted them.
Couple of things I didn't care for: Barbra has been deeply involved in politics for decades. The book stopped before the 2020 election and I really would have loved her views since then. The other issue is the (probably unintentional) bragging ie: private planes, playing the stock market with a million dollars, the private helicopter, the artwork, the yachts, the traveling, and hobnobbing... I get it, she's a superstar who is a self-made millionaire. She earned every dime, but seriously, stop making my eyes roll.
Definitely a wonderful read for a fan, and if you're not, read it anyway. Its a great book about a hell of a strong, spirited fighter who never gives up.
November 17, 2023
I love Barbra Streisand but I can just picture the poor ghost writer and editor putting together this absolutely long-winded chunker and worrying about making sure everything she wants in this book goes in. I listened to the audiobook over the past few days and while there were some good stories, there is not a lot of pay off. I think even for Streisand obsessives this is a bit excessive. Even on 2x speed, it felt too long. 48 hours on 2x speed is still 24 hours though. I'm giving it two stars because I powered through and MAYBE if I read the book instead of listened to it I would like it more but this was a lot...
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