Mommie Dearest (20th Anniversary Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Christina Crawford's National Enquirer
Review: Tabloid style "tell-all"!

Rating:
Summary: Better Than The Movie
Review: I was first exposed to Christina's nightmare through the movie on HBO about 2 years after it premiered. Although I enjoyed the movie and the depiction of Christina's life with Joan Crawford, I found that the original (1978) edition of the book went further in depth into Christina's teenage and young adult years. This was the first time I learned that there were two additional children in the household. Neither the 20th Anniversary Edition nor the original edition goes into any detail of Christina's youngest siblings.
When I saw the 20th Anniversary edition (which is the original manuscript) at a NYC bookstore, I naturally purchased it and enjoyed it more. This one filled in many of the "holes" from the '78 version and provides the reader with additional footnotes from things that Christina learned after the original book (and the movie) was released. This version goes into much further detail about Christina's (and Christopher's) life as young adults.
I don't think that Christina's story was fabricated. Child abuse goes on and on and on. Joan Crawford was not the only celebrity who abused her children. Bette Davis was guilty of it and I've also heard that Bing Crosby was a drunk in his private life and a wife-beater. This kind of thing is taboo, and Hollywood is very image-conscious when it comes to the private lives of their celebrities, despite their falls from grace. It's a shame that money, fame, glamour, etc... is given higher priority than the happiness, stability, and love of one's children. I applaud Christina Crawford for exposing her mother for what she was: a cold, calculating, destructive monster.
If you enjoyed the movie, you'll definitely enjoy reading this book.

Rating:
Summary: Brave and Forthright
Review: One thing most people disregard is that Joan Crawford was not Christina's mother - she adopted Christina. And even though, people are allowed to be unhappy with their parents, society is extremely protective of those who adopt. Without thinking, these adult caretakers needs are considered rather than the best interests of the children in their custody, whose needs are unquestionably thought to be met generously by magnanimous adopters possessing special virtues that enable them to love the children of other people 'as' their own. So, fame, money, and this privileged adoptive status that Joan Crawford holds, which even in death supercedes Christina's adopted status, makes people tend to want to defend her and unwilling to see Christina's pain now and when she was child. Unconscious reaction to Christina's revelations is most like to picture her as ungrateful after being 'saved' by Ms. Crawford. Also, adoption itself possesses a sacred cow status in our society, and Christina is exposing an image that is uncomfortably incompatible with that widely held and unexamined belief about this legal arrangement. Yes, she's courageous sharing her memories and braving the painful invalidation she's more likely to encounter than those coming to terms with abuse by flesh and blood parents.

Rating:
Summary: Camp Classic, but I remain a skeptic.
Review: There's no doubt that it's a classic...it coined a phrase for bad mothers and spawned an outrageous movie that is on everyone's list of Guilty Pleasures. But is it a true story, or just a fabricated tell-all by a bitter daughter who got left out of the will? It's great that author Christina Crawford has become an advocate against child-abuse, but her credibility is sketchy when she turns up at drag-queen screenings of the movie version to sign copies of her book. Hmmm...and she criticizes her mother for making "Trog!?"

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Excellent book! Followed the movie closely but with added detail. Exceptional wording used to describe events. Picked this book up and couldnt put it down.

Rating:
Summary: Supposed child abuse
Review: I read the book and saw the movie. It seems to me that Christina was a spoiled little girl who was disrespectful of her mother. Her mother disciplined her and she didn't like that. She probably felt that because she was Joan Crawford's daughter, she should get everything she wanted. Well Ms. Crawford finally had enough and wrote her out of the will, so Christina got even by writing this scathing book. Do any of us really know whether or not any of this is true. I don't think so. You have to take into consideration who is writing this book. A woman who is angry because her mother didn't leave her anything when she died.

Rating:
Summary: Hollywood Parents Who Should Not Take on the Role
Review: Christina's book will not be believed by those how refuse to accept that movie stars are not exactly how they appear on the screen and a big house is not a guarantee for a happy childhood. To those who have open minds, however, this book is a revelation. Christina was picked to be an accessory to the Joan Crawford image, not much different than what to wear to the Oscars or where to go in Europe for summer vacation. This new role starred Joan as the "Famous-Wonderful-Perfect-Actress-who-also-makes-time-to-raise-a-family." She was the consummate actress and she was wonderful to her fans. That is the kindest thing to be said about her after reading the worse-than-Dickensian childhood Christina was forced to endure. She rode roughshod over anyone who got in her way, she was merciless and frightening. The Night Raids illustrate perfectly the true extent of this woman's deranged mindset. Waking up the entire household in the dead of night, Joan would destroy every rose bush and any other growing thing she wanted to get rid of. Wooden hangers were another catalyst that could set her off. This is not merely a catalogue of disturbed behavior, it is an insightful view into the life of a child who is thrown into a gilded nightmare. The clearest memories are those from childhood and everything in the book is true, contrary to what Joan's good friend Caesar Romero would say in his well-intentioned but grossly misguided attempts to refute Christina's own memory of a horrific childhood. When she grew into adulthood you breathe a sigh of relief; she survived! But there are scars and more pain, culminating in the reading of the will at the end when Joan has Christina and Christopher written out of her life and her estate "for reasons known to them."

Rating:
Summary: If You Have Nothing Else To Read!
Review: Warning! This latest edition only contains more comments from people 'after' the first edition was printed and more 'Christina and Mommy' revelations. Oh yes. Christina's new ideas on adoption reform are also included. Otherwise, this is the same book filled with gleefully horrifying events of Joan Crawford verbally and physically abusing Christina. At first, the reader is sucked into a pathetic world where no one can save the children. Then, the reader can't decide whether you hate Joan the Mom for being [so nasty] or Christina for being such a whining blabbermouth! Suffice it to say that, by the fourth chapter, you won't be rooting for anyone. It's a sad story, but told in such a narcissistic manner that it's hard to feel sorry for the children. Christina just whines and whines and whines. I would suggest renting the movie, which is far more entertaining and doesn't leave such a sour taste in your mouth. Ms. Crawford's adoption reform comments are commendable, but it's all for her own ego benefit and her comments just don't ring true. This is Hollywood. It's for entertainment. Otherwise, read about Winston Churchill.

Rating:
Summary: Mommie Dearest
Review: I believe this book to be somewhat inaccurate. I do not believe that the author was completely honest. I do not consider most of the things she wrote about to be considered abusive. Other than the physical abuse. Since when is it considered abusive to make a spoiled child eat her dinner? Ridiculous! Shameful!

Rating:
Summary: Eh...
Review: This book was an interesting read. I have also gone further and learned alot more about the life of Joan Crawford. The book barely mentions the existence of the two other adopted children. These children have always stated that their mother never abused them. They have always denied Christina Crawford's allegations. Many friends and colleagues of Joan's have denied many of the claims made in this book, as well. My point is not to say that this book is fictionalized and that Christina is lieing but rather to present the arguement that this may not be entirely accurate. People in these reviews are talking about hating Joan Crawford and about how brave Christina is, etc. I think before you do that you may want to weigh all of the facts and then make your decision. Don't base your entire opinion on this one book...look at all the facts.