Jackie Ethel Joan: Women of Camelot Abridged

Rating:
Summary: Dismay!
Review: The other Amazon reviews that appear here must have been written either by lovers or friends of the author. Anyone even remotely familiar with the Kennedy syllabus will know immediately that this book is pure bunkum. Conversations to which the author could not possibly have been privy are created wholesale, facts, events, relationships, are totally false and misleading. The book is unintentionally humorous. Taraborrelli ought to apply his trade for the afternoon TV soaps, for which he would be better suited. His leaden, drab prose style, agush with the romantic twitter of the melodramatic, has nothing to do either with biography or history. It is pure fiction, and poor fiction at that. An example of Taraborrelli's would-be "faction" is his invention of Jackie's supposed jealousy over Marilyn Monroe. It is clear to anyone who has ever read a biography of Jackie that she could have cared less about Marilyn Monroe or any of her husband's other lovers. The author has invented this event along with a thousand others in this book in an effort to entertain rather than enlighten, but the purpose of biography is to depict the true life of the author's subjects, and in this realm, Taraborrelli has failed completely.

Rating:
Summary: Camelot Revisited
Review: Of all of them, this is the Kennedy book I think makes the most sense. In it, Camelot is a land where anything goes, and the wives have to figure out how to deal with it all. Sometimes they are successful -- as in Jackie's dealing with Marilyn Monroe -- boy, did she put her foot down on that one. And sometimes they are not -- as in Joan's dealing with Ted's unfaithfulness -- what a sad mess of things. But always, they shine, shine, shine. I enjoyed this book because it neither condemned nor patronized ... it just told a very good story in an appealing way, and made the women very real to me, and very human. I think Jackie would be proud of this book, and certainly Joan should be. Ethel may have a problem with some of it (but then, again, maybe she shouldn't have allowed her kids to set the maid on fire!) I found the whole thing to be so interesting, and even the material about the Cuban Missile Crisis, which could have been a big, fat bore, comes to life here through the eyes of the women. I loved Jackie's little dinner the night of JFK's speech where they all entertained and had chicken and wild rice as if it wasn't the end of the world, and cheap wine too. How funny! What a piece of work this is! Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of serious and tragic moments. But some funny ones, too. Loved it. Loved every nano-Kennedy-second of it. (Had to have it imported. Can't seem to get it in London. What a shame.)

Rating:
Summary: You Won't Be Able To Put It Down
Review: Randy T. did tremendous research for this book--the hard work is evident in literally every page. He's done minimal rehashing of what has been published before and maxium new lighting of what hefore has never been revealed. You'd think at this point there would be nothing more significant to write about the Kennedys but this book delivers the goods and then some. Jackie if anything comes off as even more heroic than before in how she handles her life, her husband, her children and the dead certainty she will be harmed if she continues to live in the United States as a Presidential widow. And it's clear here is a woman who basically let the public create her image and believe what it wanted to believe about her. Meanwhile, she was living exactly the way she wanted to live. It's clear she was bright, educated, loved art and artists, was a hard worker, a conscientious mother and nobody's fool. She's the star of the book but the other two Kennedy ladies are fascinating, too, even if they are Mary and Florence to her Diana.

Rating:
Summary: An Odd Approach ... But also Fascinating!
Review: At first, I didn't know what to make of "Jackie, Ethel, Joan" because it reads more like a novel than it does a non-fiction biography which can be a bit off-putting. I thought I would find myself confused by the author's approach, but after the first three chapters I was completely absorbed. This is not just a biography, it's an epic drama and is presented as such. I had a wonderful time with it and feel as if I know these three women in a way that I never would have guessed. They are truly remarkable, each in her own way. My favorite is Joan -- the brave and long-suffering Joan who comes full circle. Jackie is also presented in a new way here, as a compassionate person and practically a therapist to Joan. Ethel is the comic relief, and maybe unfairly in the sense that hers is a tragic story in an of itself. At the end, though, the writer makes it clear that she relies on her faith to get her through her many ordeals. This author left no stone unturned in his research, though I wish there had been more about their relationships with Rose Kennedy which are just touched on from time to time. But there are more new stories here than any Kennedy watcher can imagine. And what was the deal with that secret room the author claims Onassis had as a shrine to Jackie, which she was never allowed to see and which she one day stumbled upon? How strange! But so Ari. And the stories about Jackie's battles with Ethel intrigued me, all presented in a tactful and not exploitive manner. Would I recommend "Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot"? Yes! What fun! And also, what poignancy. Kudos to J. Randy Taraborrelli... I'm a new fan of his and am going to order all of his back list books from Amazon, even the one about Michael Jackson (an entertainer I couldn't care less about but who, with this author, might just make some sense.) I wish Taraborrelli would tackle Princess Diana next and be the first author to do her justice.

Rating:
Summary: Jackie, Ethel, Joan
Review: I am a long-time Kennedy fan. This book gave me a great insight into the women in the family and I feel it was a true assessment of Jackie, Ethel and Joan's personality's. I would recommend this book highly.

Rating:
Summary: So Happy I Ordered It! The Best Kennedy Book!
Review: There's so much out about the Kennedys these days, how glad I am that finally I found a book that I like and that I respect and that I think is true. This author has done something no one has ever done -- taken the wives and focused on what made them unique, and what their similarities were, too, and made them all sound like people you'd want to know. Unlike other readers, I could have done without all of the Marilyn Monroe business. (Who cares?) Jackie is the star here. Not Marilyn. And Joan and Ethel, too, who really come to life. I thought Ethel was so funny; what a character! I loved her take on life, and the way she messed with Joan's head, yet was always there for her when Joan needed her (like at Chappaquiddick). And poor Joan. Jeez! But she comes back at the end, strong as can be and gives Ted the boot. (Good for her!) And Jackie, the Queen ... always there to lend Joan an ear and give her some bad advice. (Hahaha) I thought all of the stuff about Jackie and Lyndon Johnson was very enlightening (What a jerk he was!). And I loved, loved, LOVED the ending of this book. It actually made me cry (just a little.) This book reads like a giant romance novel, but it has all of the elements of a great and well thought-out work. Taraborelli should be commended for doing something new and different, and doing it in a way that will remain special ... and remain on my book shelf for years to come. (Plus, I saw the author on TV, and he looked like he knew his stuff ...)

Rating:
Summary: A New Approach
Review: This is the first book I have read by the author. His approach to the subjects was novel and he has done a great job bringing to light the complexities that exist in every family when there is a blending of backgrounds. Too often the Kennedys have been portrayed as rather one dimensional characters and I enjoyed the reach beneath the surface. Unfortunately there were a couple glaring editing errors such as calling John Kennedy Jr.'s wife, Caroline, instead of Carolyn and also stating that Jacqueline was the youngest First Lady ever. Frances Cleveland and Julia Tyler were both younger when in the White House. However, I greatly enjoyed this book and would recommend highly.

Rating:
Summary: A good book
Review: I think this was a good book and I'm only 11 years old and I liked it. The reason I chosed to read this book is because I like the Kennedy family and I want to learn alot about them. Next time in school if you have to do a report on a famouse family or person I will do them.

Rating:
Summary: A warm and well researched look at the Kennedy wives
Review: I liked a lot of things about this book. One of the biggest was that the writer actually seemed to like his subjects, and not be just interested in shocking people with lurid details about them, or making them look as bad as possible. He focused on relationships between women, and on their relationships with their husbands, especially on how infidelity affected them, and how the tragedies in their life did. The book seems to be extremely well researched and documented. My only quibble---at times it seems like this book could have used closer editing. Some stories, phrases and facts are repeated several times, and the structure of the book is a bit odd--at times chronological, but at others jumping back and forth and telling things out of sequence. But this was not enough to really greatly hinder my enjoyment of it. I especially liked getting a bit more sympathetic look at Ethel than in another book I'd read---The Other Mrs. Kennedy, which was almost all negative.

Rating:
Summary: The Most Exciting Kennedy Book Yet
Review: I really loved this book for so many reasons and I can't encourage you enough to read it. It's chock full of information on Jackie, Ethel and Joan Kennedy, but it's never dull or plodding. It actually draws you in from the opening chapter and goes on to weave a complicated tale of three famous women who you may think you know - but learn more and more about as the book goes on. Taraborrelli has achieved a perfect example of biography at it's best because it's written by an author who knows and understands his subjects. Like putting the pieces together to a complicated puzzle he carefully brings each character to life using historical facts and never before heard anecdotes. He somehow managed to get first-time interviews with reliable sources so there's quite a few shocking revelations. But even the most lurid details are presented with compassion and integrity. Believe me, there are greater ingredients here than any mini-series writer could dream up: power, sex, money, betrayal and fame - with backdrops that include the White House, Hollywood, and Europe. There's Jackie - the complicated first lady, sometimes strong, sometimes insecure. Ethel, the first of the women to marry into the Kennedy family but who was soon overshadowed when the glamorous and provocative Jackie married the first born son. And Joan, beautiful, sensitive and totally unprepared for the high pressure life of living in a fish bowl. It is fascinating to read how these three ladies - each one very different from the other - interacted when they were forced into "sisterhood" when they married into the illustrious Kennedy family. Each woman was extremely complicated with different areas of strengths and vulnerabilities. They somehow learned to get from each other whatever it was they were lacking in themselves so that, combined, the three women made up the perfect "Kennedy Wife." Taraborrelli shows that during each significant moment in their lives, the wives banded together - in triumph and tragedy, through joy and suffering. Even with all their money and fame and power Jackie, Ethel and Joan had to struggle all their lives against extraordinary odds because of the complications of being the wives of the most famous brothers of this 20th century. "Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot" is a perfect read....historic and informative while being entertaining and glitzy. By the way, the chapters about the wives' dealings Marilyn Monroe alone are worth the price of admission.