Dark Star Audiobook By Alan Strachan cover art

Dark Star

A Biography of Vivien Leigh

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Dark Star

By: Alan Strachan
Narrated by: Alasdair Buchan
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Bloomsbury presents Dark Star by Alan Strachan, read by Alasdair Buchan.

Winner of the Society for Theatre Research Book Prize 2020

Vivien Leigh was perhaps the most iconic actress of the twentieth century. As Scarlett O’Hara and Blanche Du Bois she took on some of the most pivotal roles in cinema history. Yet she was also a talented theatre actress with West End and Broadway plaudits to her name. In this ground-breaking new biography, Alan Strachan provides a completely new full-life portrait of Leigh, covering both her professional and personal life. Using previously unseen
sources from her archive, recently acquired by the V&A, he sheds new light on her fractious relationship with Laurence Olivier, based on their letters and diaries, as well as on the bipolar disorder which so affected her later life and work. Revealing new aspects of her early life as well as providing glimpses behind-the-scenes of the filming of Gone with the Wind and A Streetcar Named Desire, this book provides the essential and comprehensive life-story of one of the twentieth century’s greatest actresses.

©2020 Alan Strachan (P)2020 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Entertainment & Celebrities Entertainment & Performing Arts Film & TV History & Criticism Women Celebrity Biography Theater
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The book was well researched but the reader did not do it justice with his flippant tone.

The difficulty she had balancing her gift with her romance and bipolar disease

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What a life Vivian led! A fuller picture of her as a woman, a wife, and a mental-health survivor. This is relatively lean on basking in the glow of her legacy performances. I wouldn’t have minded a little more indulgence here, But I respect the restraint and the research. Well-written.

Really good and restrained…

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An incredible biography of an incredible star. Although dark at times, as the title warns, the story benefits from Strachan’s nuanced understanding of the ups and downs of Leigh’s career and condition, providing a complex and balanced depiction of her that feels fair to her legacy.

It’s only drawback are portions that overfocus on Olivier, who has plenty of biographies written about him, and feel like pull away from Leigh’s story.

Fascinating, complex, and well written biography of a great star

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I tried, I really did, but it was no use. I got as far as GWTW before I called it quits. The narrator is wrong for the story and makes it difficult from the start. I actually had to listen to the book on.08 to get any sense of the storyline.

As for the book, I don’t know how to describe it. The pacing is haphazard, the language is at times crude and vulgar, and there’re countless mentions of people I’ve never heard of. I think it’s mostly aimed at a British audience and that’s fine. I became distracted by having to stop and look up sometimes 3 people who appear in 1 paragraph.

I’m sure there’re many people who have and will enjoy the book. I’m simply not one of them.

Enjoy your day.

Oddly written and painfully narrated.

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I have seen and read many superficial accounts of her life. I did not know of her many stage projects that were so successful and her struggles with mental illness and lung disease. She worked very hard on her craft and being a consistent, kind individual.
She was devastated when she ruined relationships and projects due to her loss of mental stability and tuberculosis.. Still, so many friends , relatives, ex husbands and professional associates loved and admired her and saw her unique artistry. It was a fascinating listen.

So much more to this actress and kind friend

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loved it, although I wish the reader would've done some research on how people's names are pronounced.

great biography of a great star!

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Thanks to the author for telling a truth I've always suspected. VL was the brains and Olivier was just an actor who was not even smart enough to recognize she had loads more talent. Her biggest failing was loving him.

Most complete fair biography.

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14 hours long. It is fascinating to the max. I learned from the author that so was Vivien Leigh during her remarkable life and career. The time spands golden decades of British theater and film, weaving in countless persons in hers and Laurence Olivier's circle. I'm not sure the story would be appealing to a reader not eager to be submerged in that setting. Especially for 14 hours. Narration is very good. I slowed the word speed in order clarify the British accent.

The book's content is immaculately researched, honest yet nonjudgemental toward the wild drive it took for Vivien Leigh and Olivier to become legendary theatrical stars. Her remarkable intelligence and awareness is described in excellent depth so as to convince readers that she absorbed everything she encountered, alchemized it internally, and gave it back with love. The vast details of her choice of roles, her preparation and performances are stunning. Her gifts were eventually accelerated into bi-polar psychotic episodes, in a time when the mental disease was hardly understood for what it is- involuntary.

Treasured Listening

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This book is very informative, well written, and well read.
I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in knowing about this beautiful and talented actress
L.G.

A very full and productive life.

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Really liked the story. However I would have preferred listening to a woman reading Vivien's story. Also someone whose voice doesn't sound so dated. He sounds like an Edwardian. I love the Edwardian accent, just not in this context. So highbrow. I like a more down to earth voice when it comes to reading a story. He sounds like a member of the royal family.

Great Story.

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