Anjelica Huston

This is what I was looking for, and I should definitely have read it before A Story Lately Told—even though it was published second—because I didn't know enough about Anjelica Huston to appreciate that one before this. It seems like she's had more of life than anyone I've ever heard of; not just a more interesting life, although that's true, but somehow more of it. Her life is so Hollywood, but she grew up in Ireland, was a model in New York, married a Mexican sculptor, designed her home show more in the southwestern aesthetic of New Mexico, and always felt like she was "returning home" when she went to Italy, where her grandparents lived. She's about as glamorous a movie star as they come, but is always surrounded by a menagerie of animals including dogs, birds, horses, and a giant "miniature" pig. And one of the things I loved most about her is that she often expresses the same insecurities and weaknesses I have. I've always liked her, and it seems she's a fascinating person off the screen as well. I feel like I could be good friends with her. show less

First off, is this not the only honest title for an actor's memoir?

Anjelica takes us from growing up Huston to edging carefully into filmwork and torn about her father's leverage. Along with the entrance to Hollywood comes relationships with Jack Nicholson and Ryan O'Neal. Jack is emotionally abusive and Ryan proves physically so. Why Anjelica seems to demand so little decency from her paramours is surprising and unexplored. Her father's tireless, principled, and hard-headed career gets full show more coverage and allows me to understand the portrayal in "White Hunter Black Heart" (1990). This thinly fictionalized account of the legendary movie director by Clint Eastwood is an interesting shadow of what Anjelica describes. She, of course, adds much detail to her many successful films, like difficult costuming in "The Addams Family" and "The Witches" as well as working with Wes Anderson and other directors and actors. She has a more settled and healthy relationship with her husband Bob Graham, the Mexican-American sculptor who created the 24-foot-long (7.3 m) arm with a fisted hand suspended by a 24-foot-high (7.3 m) pyramidal framework that is the Monument to Joe Louis. A full and fascinating life, frankly told and of interest to movie fans, for sure. Now, I need to get me a copy of Prizzi's Honor. show less

Her life gets more interesting in this second volume – she realizes she’s drifting and decides to get serious about acting, gets better roles, and does well in them. Then directing and producing. I always enjoy reading about creative work and the creative process. There’s lots about her and Jack Nicholson (he finds out his “sister” was actually his mother, but she and their mother have both died). She meets sculptor Robert Graham to whom she was happily married until his death in 2008.

I first read an excerpt from this autobiography in one of my issues of Vogue. I wasn't particularly blown away by the writing style, but I found Anjelica Huston's descriptions of her parents and her childhood very intriguing. So when I saw A Story Lately Told on the library shelf a few weeks ago, I decided to pick it up.

The narrative style took some getting used to, since Huston doesn't follow a specific timeline when writing about her first 18 years I mean, she obviously goes show more chronologically, but she sometimes bounces around when talking about a certain event or person that relates to something that happens later on). I liked this, because it wasn't just a boring "this happened, then this, then this, blah blah blah". I loved reading about her upbringing and all the privileges she had, but also how hard it was to grow up with such famous parents. While I did not know all of the people she mentioned, I could still appreciate how important or famous they were. I also had no idea she had a pretty dysfunctional relationship with the photographer Bob Richardson, so that was interesting (and terrifying) to read about.

After reading this first part of her autobiography (the second part is coming out later this year), it is easy to see why she became an actress. Her life was full of drama, and she was a dramatic and enigmatic person herself. I'm excited to read the second book, which goes into her years as an actress.

The only issue I had with this book was that sometime the writing was cliched. But I can forgive her for that, since "author" is not her main profession. However, her story is so interesting and so unlike my own that I found myself constantly engaged while reading this book. show less