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So what was the "terrible homosexualist" society photographer doing with "the divine" actress? Amateur psychologists, sharpen your pencils. Diana Souhami wisely does not allow herself to extemporise too wildly despite the understandable allure of such an alliance. Along with the Scandinavian shoulders and paddle feet, Garbo also possessed a Nordic cold melancholy, rendering her screen portrayals attractively distant and her own self frustratingly absent. The truth was that she did not possess a character to match her undoubted grace and beauty, however hard one tried to impose one and, boy, people did. Beaton, on the other hand, was instinctively bright and bursting with desire to be adored, matching her indolence with bustling industry, like an early sketch for Jeffrey Archer. At times, particularly in the recounting of his early days, his obnoxiousness borders on the unbearable and Souhami barely conceals her disgusted glee, but she is a superb at reining in such characters, as she showed in Gertrude and Alice, and thrives on the challenge of eliciting respect for the sheer indomitable life force of such individuals.
Beaton pursued the artificial throughout his life and nothing could be more superficial than the hollow idealised self he saw in Garbo through the lens of a camera and pursued in the flesh. Yet all the while, as the years passed, and the notion, absurd yet not quite ridiculous, of marriage to Garbo faded, his mother, the early subject of his obsessive imagination, grew old, drunken and demented at his home in England, his picture of Dorian Gray by proxy.
Absence pervades every quality of this book, physically, emotionally and sexually, and it is a quality which Souhami seems to intuitively understand and allows to provide its own chastening commentary on those it envelops. Her sympathetic and shrewd attentions coax a tragic and complicatedly familiar story from two masters of illusion who are united, then estranged, by their lonely natures, uncomfortable in their own skins, but ultimately unable to live in each other's. --David Vincent
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Fair. A readable copy of the book which may include some defects such as highlighting and notes. Cover and pages may be creased and show discolouration. Seller Inventory # GOR006089680
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Good. With Cecil Beaton and Greta Garbo, the boundaries merge between image and reality, fact and fantasy, male and female and art and life. Garbo first met Beaton in Hollywood in March 1932. She flirted and danced with him, told him he was pretty, and at dawn, drove away in her black Packard and brushed aside his pleas to let him see her again. At the time of this meeting, they were both involved in turbulent same-sex affairs: Greta with Mercedes de Acosta, among whose lovers were Eva Le Gallienne and Marlene Dietrich, and Cecil with Peter Watson, a wealthy dilettante. When the pair met again, 15 years later, she asked him to go to bed. For her, it was an idle flirtation, for him it fuelled his ambition to photograph her, to be like her and to marry her. The book has been read but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact and the cover is intact. Some minor wear to the spine. Seller Inventory # GOR004410216
Book Description Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. . Seller Inventory # 7719-9780006550358
Book Description Condition: Very Good. 1710245853. 3/12/2024 12:17:33 PM. Seller Inventory # U9780006550358
Book Description Condition: Very Good. Shipped within 24 hours from our UK warehouse. Clean, undamaged book with no damage to pages and minimal wear to the cover. Spine still tight, in very good condition. Remember if you are not happy, you are covered by our 100% money back guarantee. Seller Inventory # 6545-9780006550358
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Used; Good. ***Simply Brit*** Welcome to our online used book store, where affordability meets great quality. Dive into a world of captivating reads without breaking the bank. We take pride in offering a wide selection of used books, from classics to hidden gems, ensuring there is something for every literary palate. All orders are shipped within 24 hours and our lightning fast-delivery within 48 hours coupled with our prompt customer service ensures a smooth journey from ordering to delivery. Discover the joy of reading with us, your trusted source for affordable books that do not compromise on quality. Seller Inventory # 1186628
Book Description Condition: Very Good. Book is in Used-VeryGood condition. Pages and cover are clean and intact. Used items may not include supplementary materials such as CDs or access codes. May show signs of minor shelf wear and contain very limited notes and highlighting. Seller Inventory # 0006550355-2-3
Book Description Medium Trade Paperback. Condition: Good. Medium Trade Paperback. 271 pages. *** PUBLISHING DETAILS: Flamingo, UK, 1996. *** CONDITION: This book is in good condition. More specifically: Covers have light creasing. Edges of covers have moderate wear. Spine has minimal reading creases. . Pages are reasonably tanned and lightly creased. Large black felt-tip mark on bottom edge of pages. *** ABOUT THIS BOOK: With Cecil Beaton and Greta Garbo, the boundaries merge between image and reality, fact and fantasy, male and female and art and life. Garbo first met Beaton in Hollywood in March 1932. She flirted and danced with him, told him he was pretty, and at dawn, drove away in her black Packard and brushed aside his pleas to let him see her again. At the time of this meeting, they were both involved in turbulent same-sex affairs: Greta with Mercedes de Acosta, among whose lovers were Eva Le Gallienne and Marlene Dietrich, and Cecil with Peter Watson, a wealthy dilettante. When the pair met again, 15 years later, she asked him to go to bed. For her, it was an idle flirtation, for him it fuelled his ambition to photograph her, to be like her and to marry her. *** Quantity Available: 1. Category: Biography & Autobiography; ISBN: 0006550355. ISBN/EAN: 9780006550358. Inventory No: 20090109. Seller Inventory # 20090109
Book Description Condition: Buen Estado. Dust Jacket Condition: Buen Estado. Libros. Seller Inventory # 16.387
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Very Good. book. Seller Inventory # D7S9-1-M-0006550355-4