Rating: 
Summary: Well researched and written
Review: It can't have been easy for Soares to write this book, since Novarro and most of his contemporaries were deceased when he started his research. However he accomplishes his task with finesse and style, telling the facts in a manner that both interests the reader and leaves you wanting the next chapter. I have to say this is one of the best film star biographies I've ever read, because it's not a fawning fan piece, overly critical, or full of rumors that have been presented for years as "truth" (Soares rightfully clears up the stories about Novarro's death, which unfortunately have eclipsed the actor's life work for the past 25 years). As a Novarro fan, the book satisfies me so much that I'd give it a sixth star if I could. If you wish to introduce a friend to Ramon Novarro, please buy this book for them.
Rating:
Summary: The Real Ramon Novarro Comes Forth
Review: Proving a thorough background of the times, cultures, and lifestyles, the author creates a vivid and three-dimensional narrative of the life of silent/early talkie star Novarro. Rather than accept heresay--especially about the movie star's drinking, horrendous death--Soares delves into the reality of the situations. An excellent book and a wonderful addition to cinema history.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Revealing Biography of a Very Private Star
Review: This biography is written in the best style of biography. One learns not only about the subject but also about the era in which he lived. Andre Soares has uncovered and debunked many of the myths and legends that surrounded Ramon Novarro's life, career and eventual murder (being Valentino's lover and an art deco sex toy as a murder weapon among them).Novarro is revealed in a very sympathetic light. The author writes eloquently and shows he has taken the time not only to research facts and present them here in plenty,like Novarro's movies (Ben Hur etc) and co-stars (Garbo, Crawford, Loy, Shearer) but also to understand Novarro himself. As well as is now possible after the passage of the years, he examines and reveals the stresses and pressures of being an international super-star who is also a homosexual in 1920's America. The book is a fascinating story and a very good read.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book For A Great Star
Review: This book is full of vital information about one of Hollywood's overlooked stars. It is well researched and written without pandering to the more sensational aspects of the subject's life. This is a thoughtful, yet unbiased, account of a talented man.
Rating:
Summary: BEYOND PARADISE is beyond brilliant
Review: This book is that rarity among movie-star bios--a staggeringly comprehensive chronicle that is also highly readable and insightful. The subtitle "The Life of Ramon Novarro" is especially apt, for this is no mere behind-the-scenes glimpse, nor simply a recounting of a one-time cinema celebrity's film career, nor an attention-grabbing exercise in playing up the more lurid details of a complex and troubled individual's volatile life and tragic death. Instead, readers of BEYOND PARADISE are offered a thorough, accurate, and remarkably objective account of a truly fascinating life story. Ramon Novarro is certainly a worthy subject for such a careful and detailed analysis. As a young man from Durango, Mexico, Novarro came to America seeking fame and fortune in the burgeoning movie business of the late 1910s. The handsome and talented hopeful eventually became a Hollywood superstar playing the title role in the silent epic "Ben-Hur," and by the early sound era was MGM's most important male star. However, poor career choices and Novarro's neverending struggles with his personal demons (among them alcoholism and especially an inability to reconcile his homosexuality with his deeply ingrained Catholic faith) prevented him from realizing his potential either professionally or personally. The final tragedy was that the private life he so carefully hid from the world became public domain when the events surrounding his murder at the hands of two young male "hustlers" made headlines in the late 1960s. Andre Soares proves himself an exceptionally intelligent and inspired biographer. Novarro's story is replete with opportunities for a lesser writer to sensationalize, criticize, and sermonize, but Soares presents the fruits of his obviously painstaking research with detachment, clarity, and a minimum of editorializing, thereby respecting the reader's intelligence to draw his or her own conclusions. It is everywhere apparent that Soares' intent was to provide as truthful and verifiable account of Novarro's life as possible with the resources still available, as well as to scrupulously avoid the half-truths and apocryphal lore that are so often passed on as facts in works of this kind. Refreshingly, BEYOND PARADISE is not the product of a gushing fan or of a social activist with an agenda, but rather it's an honest assessment of an actor's life told from a respectful but objective point of view. BEYOND PARADISE is essential reading for anyone interested in Ramon Novarro, movie stars, or movies in general--indeed, BEYOND PARADISE itself would be ideal movie material. The book will also please any reader in search of a good biography or one who simply enjoys nonfiction accurately and compellingly told.
Rating:
Summary: The Dark Side of Celebrity
Review: Until now, the best-known element of film star Ramon Novarro's life was his gruesome death at the hands of two Hollywood hustlers. However, Andres Soares'meticulously researched new biography resurrects Mr. Novarro from casualty to icon. A matinee idol of the ephermeral silent screen, Mr. Novarro's career is given a persuasive critical appraisal by Mr. Soares who also cracks the socio-political climate of the early days of motion pictures and how the industry came into being. Definitely not a beach-read for those preferring a surface biography of their favorite stars (i.e., "The Brad Pitt Story") this is a must for serious cinema buffs.
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