Edie: American Girl
EUR 7,00
Glamorous, Fabulous, and Pathetic - Edie Sedgwick was one of the hottest media events of the mid 1960 s, a burning star enjoying the newest kind of fame - celebrity, i.e., being well-known for doing nothing except existing. Like so many of her generation, Miss Sedgwick crashed and burned (literally) at the end of the 1960 s, dying of a barbituate overdose at the ripe old age of 28, after a series of well-publicized drug freakouts, accidents, and rest cures in mental hospitals. As other reviewers have noted, the conceit of telling Sedgwick s story through interviews with those who knew her is brilliant, producing a riveting narrative exposing to public view the inner workings of the many worlds in which Sedgwick moved - high-society, art, California biker, and East Village drug addict. Ultimately, Sedgwick impresses the reader as a force of nature, incredibly charismatic and compelling to those around her. Sadly, her glamour was not enough to save her from herself. What emerges from this book is a disturbing portrait of a world obsessed with money, fame, fashion and fabulousness. As far as I could tell, this glamourous lifestyle seemed to consist chiefly of dressing foolishly, ingesting enormous quantities of drugs, copulating with anyone who showed an interest (of either sex), and living in a dreamworld of eternal youth and unending fame. Despite the vivid recollections of the interviewees, Sedgwick s life and career have left very few traces. Her death certificate described her as an actress, but what Sedgwick performances can you think of today? She broke all the rules, but ultimately accomplished little. Not only was Sedgwick self-destructive and superficial, so was everyone else around her. The book is a stunning chronicle of an impatient era and a self-absorbed society convinced that the world belonged to it alone and that the party would never end. Edie is the perfect epitaph to the 1960 s, a decade which trumpeted fulfillment but achieved only confusion. (C. Paglia, 1991)
Psychology of a tragic heroine - It s funny how a person s childhood experiences can set a person up for success or failure as an adult. However, in the case of Edie Sedgwick, her failures as an adult were definitely unfunny. I loved that this book relied only on quotes from the people who had met/known her. Exceptional research into every stage of Edie s life to uncover people who experienced her in each incarnation and brilliant editing make this an extremely special biography. It is evident that the choices the adult Edie made which were ultimately destructive were foreshadowed by events in her childhood. I don t think it s necessary for you to be fascinated by the scenes Edie lived through to enjoy the book. If you approach this as a psychological study of an individual, it becomes mainstream reading, not just a pop-culture chronicle.
Disturbing/fascinating look at a lost soul in pop-era NYcity - As a small-town west coast preteen in the 60s and self-absorbed teen in the 70s I was peripherally aware of the pop scene in New York City (mostly from my mother shaking her head over the photos and stories in Life magazine). When Edie was published I ran across it in a book club review and it just sounded intriguing. I ended up reading Edie so many times the cover practically fell off. Then a few years ago it mysteriously vanished from my bookshelves -- did I lend it to someone who was as morbidly fascinated as I by the tragic rise and fall of Warhol s little queen (as the Cult song says)??? One thing s for sure: Edie was a victim of Warhol s astounding ego -- or madness -- sucked into the black hole of his twisted little soul. Of course, she came from a long line of borderline personalities in a high-society family. The excesses of the 60s were absolutely the end of the road -- or rope -- for many of these types. As one who missed the whole self-indulgent and uncontrolled scene, after reading Edie I finally realized that I m much better off having just read about those times. It s a real collage of that generation s high-fliers and fringe dwellers that will not cease to amaze. So why am I writing this review now? I just heard the song I referred to earlier, the Cult s Edie, and I am now ordering a new copy of the book. Plimpton s word-of-mouth writing style brings the viewpoints of so many people who were there it s like theater in the round, or something -- you see and experience the scene from every angle. You don t hear just from the heads and freaks, you hear from the spectrum of New York s inhabitants, plus many of Edie s kinfolk. I recommend the book to anyone who likes to see how the stranger half live and who wants to experience the story-book coming of age and final degradation of a fragile, lovely girl who was caught in the sordid vortex of the pop culture.
READ THIS! - Edie is a book that never fails to astonish. Although much of the book is about Warhol s Factory and ALL the people surrounding it, Edie does tend to be a centre character, providing the base for the book, much like in real life...She was a fixture of the factory, a piece of art in herself. Great photographs, excellent anecdotes (missing couch from moving van - where is it now?) You will never forget the self-destructive beauty that was EDIE!
Spellbound - Fantastic book. Told from a quirky angle, but is able to get opinions pinned down. Shows a neat look into the life of Edie and has some great side plots and stories.