How to Hepburn

[babytheleopard]

Has anyone read this? I got this recently as a gift. It's a small book. Looks kind of interesting though. I've heard of it but never actually bought it until someone gave it to me.

[charliesgirl7681]

We have it at the library where I work. When our security system broke I got stuck guarding the door for hours at a time. To pass time when we were slow I read this. I thought it was intressting, it was a different biography. The woman who wrote it was very close to Kate she was a child, I think about 12, when she first met her. Its a good read but I prefer Burg's book to hers.

[gottamatch]

Wow, there are quite alot of books by people who actually knew her. I saw it in my local book store and didn't know what to make of it so I didn't buy it because it wasn't cheap! But I might have a look and see if I can go back and get it at some stage.

Jess

[Judy]

Jan 6, 2010 18:43:48 GMT -5 charliesgirl7681 said:

We have it at the library where I work. When our security system broke I got stuck guarding the door for hours at a time. To pass time when we were slow I read this. I thought it was intresting, it was a different biography. The woman who wrote it was very close to Kate she was a child, I think about 12, when she first met her. Its a good read but I prefer Burg's book to hers.

I think you are confusing Karen Karbo's How to Hepburn with Eileen Considine-Meara's At Home with Kate: Growing Up in Katharine Hepburn's Household.

My personal view? I don't much care for the former. It was just an excuse to get Hepburn's mug on a book cover. Basically it could have been a long magazine article. But it still would have smacked of a presumptuous, too-hip-for-the room-let's reduce-Kate's-life-to-a-series-of-one liners affair. And it takes as gospel another book - sort of - which automatically eliminates it from serious consideration.

The latter is the one written by Nora Considine's daughter. Nora, as many know was Kate's housekeeper/cook for more than 30 years. Eileen was often in Kate's presence and her book is comprised of brief anecdotes about what it was like to be around her and her mother's and family's relationship with her. And it was an attempt, after some less than stellar accounts of Kate's life by people who never knew her, to tell readers what she was really like. As such, even though it can be viewed as being merely anecdotal, it is better than most of the stuff out there. Not to mention kinder.

[CrazyForKate]

I agree, Judy. The book ("random collection of pages" seems to suit it better) has very little to do with KH. Just a bunch of quotes and a rather clumsy attempt to tell her life. I just...really don't see a point to its existence.

AHWK, meanwhile, is one of the sweetest Kate books ever.

[babytheleopard]

Jan 6, 2010 19:36:32 GMT -5 CrazyForKate said:

I agree, Judy. The book ("random collection of pages" seems to suit it better) has very little to do with KH. Just a bunch of quotes and a rather clumsy attempt to tell her life. I just...really don't see a point to its existence.

AHWK, meanwhile, is one of the sweetest Kate books ever.

I bought this book a while back but have yet to read it. I thought it looked pretty interesting, but maybe I'll save time and just skim it, if y'all say it's not so good lol

[charliesgirl7681]

Now I'm confused, I was almost postive that How to Hepburn was by 'Skate'. I guess I'll have to go reread it.

[CrazyForKate]

I'm pretty sure Skate didn't write a book, just a couple of articles.

[gottamatch]

I'm confused now lol but with my limited student funds, I think it's something that can wait. Thanks for the insight Judy and others

Jess

[Judy]

Jan 7, 2010 0:15:34 GMT -5 charliesgirl7681 said:

Now I'm confused, I was almost postive that How to Hepburn was by 'Skate'. I guess I'll have to go reread it.

Karen Karbo wrote How to Hepburn - published in 2007.

Eileen Considine-Meara wrote At Home with Kate - published in 2006 and told from the perspective of her mother's memories and her own childhood memories.

Sarah Standing - aka Skate - daughter of Bryan Forbes, who directed Kate in The Madwoman of Chaillot, and Nanette Newman has written articles about Kate - specifically what I think was the most moving and touching tribute after her death

www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3597746/Shoot-How-can-you-explore-in-a-dress.html

and another after the Sotheby's auction

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1464350/A-life-in-pictures-paintings-and-ID-cards.html.

As she wrote in the tribute, she was eight when she met Kate, who had a strong influence on her formative years, so perhaps it's the article that you were thinking of.

But she has not written a book about Kate. From her writing I kind of wish she would.

[dreamer]

I just got How to Hepburn - Am just happy I didn't buy it.
Hepburn by Alain Silver - Colleen Dewhurst an Autobiography from our library.

Was curious what you all were talking about. Judy is definite right - it has nothing in common with Kate - except the author uses her name to sell the book.

By the way - the magazine cover with Kate in Santa costume is in the book by Alain Silver. Will try scanning it today.