I Loved Lucy: My Friendship With Lucille Ball

Rating:
Summary: I Loved It
Review: This is a book about a distant relative of Gary Morton's relationship with Lucille Ball during the last ten years of her life. He spent a good amount of time with Lucy, and he shares with us their dinner dates, skiing in Colorado, going to the theatre and, of course, backgammon! I couldn't put the book down. The private life of Lucy after "I Love Lucy" is fascinating, no matter what she said or did - I wanna hear it all. The author tells the story always with love for Lucy and with a good sense of humor of his own. Lucy fans should treasure this.

Rating:
Summary: The true Lucille Ball
Review: This is such a wonderful, heartfelt, extraordinary book. I picked it up at 9:00 in the evening, expecting to read just a chapter or two. I couldn't set it down until I finished it at three in the morning, crying, of course, at the luminous quality of the work that I had just experienced.

Rating:
Summary: It's not juicy - it's just GREAT! Read this book!
Review: When I first heard about Lee Tannen's book, two questions came to me: Do I really care about Lucy? and How much more do I want to know about her? I decided to pick up the book for no other reason than for some light reading, and now I'm here to tell you - I am so VERY pleased that I did!
This is a GREAT book!
Tannen is both a fan and a family insider who got to spend the better part of an important decade with America's favorite female clown and I, for one, appreciate his honesty in his portrait of Lucy (and those around her)and for giving us details of his dealings with her. Yes, everthing and everyone is not presented as so "rosy" but that's because Lee is truthful and has no axes to grind. (If you think Gary Morton gets the shaft here - maybe it's because he deserves it! Lee knew him well, did you?). And while some may accuse Tannen of being a fanatical fan, or object to his style of referring him real-life dealings with Lucy to specific episodes of I Love Lucy, I found this to be one of the charms of the book. (What do critics of Tannen's writing style want - a boring narrative that starts and ends with "today we did this. . ." or some made-up juicy dirt? Get real!
Lee shows us that he knew Lucy, he knew the shows, he knew her background, he knew her friends, and most of all, he knew Lucy and cared for her - not as a delirious fan or follower, but as a true friend and admirer.
I found this to be such a good read, I couldn't put it down and I never wanted it to end. The humanity Tannen brings out - in both the main character and those around her - helps the reader to understand the souls within. And without these stories we'd never really know Lucy, the woman, and her times. I stopped after many a paragraph to admire the deeds of Lucy, while before this book, all I had to admire about her was the acting I saw on screen. Likewise, when I was made at Lucy's actions, knowing them still helped me to know her better than if I was simply an admirer of the silver screen. Tannen deserves credit for giving us this side of Lucy so effortlessly.
When the book concludes any reader with even a modicum of heart will have a lump in their throat and a tear in their eye. The pain in Tannen's voice is so evident, so real! It became my own pain and reminded me of all my own personal losses. So what's wrong with that?
I guarantee you'll love the book and find yourself telling Lucy tales to many a friend - for a long time!
To critics who take Tannen to task for his inside knowledge, or his style, all I can say is get over your case of jealousy. Here's a GREAT book by a guy who was fortunate enough to "be there," and we're fortunate that he's shared it all with us. I know I'm better off for the read. You will be too!