What do you think?
Rate this book
Enchantment: The Life of Audrey Hepburn
Her name is synonymous with elegance, style and grace. Over the course of her extraordinary life and career, Audrey Hepburn captured hearts around the world and created a public image that stands as one of the most recognizable and beloved in recent memory. But despite her international fame and her tireless efforts on behalf of UNICEF, Audrey was also known for her intense privacy. With unprecedented access to studio archives, friends and colleagues who knew and loved Audrey, bestselling author Donald Spoto provides an intimate and moving account of this beautiful, elusive and talented woman.
Tracing her astonishing rise to stardom, from her harrowing childhood in Nazi-controlled Holland during World War II to her years as a struggling ballet dancer in London and her Tony Award–winning Broadway debut in Gigi , Spoto illuminates the origins of Audrey’s tenacious spirit and fiercely passionate nature.
She would go on to star in some of the most popular movies of the twentieth century, including Roman Holiday , Sabrina , Funny Face , The Nun’s Story , Breakfast at Tiffany’s and My Fair Lady . A friend and inspiration to renowned designer Hubert de Givenchy, Audrey emerged as a fashion icon as well as a film legend, her influence on women’s fashion virtually unparalleled to this day.
But behind the glamorous public persona, Audrey Hepburn was both a different and a deeper person and a woman who craved love and affection. Donald Spoto offers remarkable insights into her professional and personal relationships with her two husbands, and with celebrities such as Gregory Peck, William Holden, Fred Astaire, Gary Cooper, Robert Anderson, Cary Grant, Peter O’Toole, Albert Finney and Ben Gazzara. The turbulent romances of her youth, her profound sympathy for the plight of hungry children, and the thrills and terrors of motherhood prepared Audrey for the final chapter in her life, as she devoted herself entirely to the charity efforts of an organization that had once come to her rescue at the end of the war: UNICEF.
Donald Spoto has written a poignant, funny and deeply moving biography of an unforgettable woman. At last, Enchantment reveals the private Audrey Hepburn—and invites readers to fall in love with her all over again.
“She was as funny as she was beautiful. She was a magical combination of high chic and high spirits.” —Gregory Peck
“In spite of her fragile appearance, she’s like steel.” —Cary Grant
“Audrey was known for something which has disappeared, and that is elegance, grace and manners . . . God kissed her on the cheek, and there she was.” —Billy Wilder
“There is not a woman alive who does not dream of looking like Audrey Hepburn.” —Hubert de Givenchy
“Her magnetism was so extraordinary that everyone wanted to be close to her. It was as if she placed a glass barrier between herself and the world. You couldn’t get behind it easily. It made her remarkably attractive.” —Stanley Donen
“She has authentic charm. Most people simply have nice manners.” —Alfred Lunt
Tracing her astonishing rise to stardom, from her harrowing childhood in Nazi-controlled Holland during World War II to her years as a struggling ballet dancer in London and her Tony Award–winning Broadway debut in Gigi , Spoto illuminates the origins of Audrey’s tenacious spirit and fiercely passionate nature.
She would go on to star in some of the most popular movies of the twentieth century, including Roman Holiday , Sabrina , Funny Face , The Nun’s Story , Breakfast at Tiffany’s and My Fair Lady . A friend and inspiration to renowned designer Hubert de Givenchy, Audrey emerged as a fashion icon as well as a film legend, her influence on women’s fashion virtually unparalleled to this day.
But behind the glamorous public persona, Audrey Hepburn was both a different and a deeper person and a woman who craved love and affection. Donald Spoto offers remarkable insights into her professional and personal relationships with her two husbands, and with celebrities such as Gregory Peck, William Holden, Fred Astaire, Gary Cooper, Robert Anderson, Cary Grant, Peter O’Toole, Albert Finney and Ben Gazzara. The turbulent romances of her youth, her profound sympathy for the plight of hungry children, and the thrills and terrors of motherhood prepared Audrey for the final chapter in her life, as she devoted herself entirely to the charity efforts of an organization that had once come to her rescue at the end of the war: UNICEF.
Donald Spoto has written a poignant, funny and deeply moving biography of an unforgettable woman. At last, Enchantment reveals the private Audrey Hepburn—and invites readers to fall in love with her all over again.
“She was as funny as she was beautiful. She was a magical combination of high chic and high spirits.” —Gregory Peck
“In spite of her fragile appearance, she’s like steel.” —Cary Grant
“Audrey was known for something which has disappeared, and that is elegance, grace and manners . . . God kissed her on the cheek, and there she was.” —Billy Wilder
“There is not a woman alive who does not dream of looking like Audrey Hepburn.” —Hubert de Givenchy
“Her magnetism was so extraordinary that everyone wanted to be close to her. It was as if she placed a glass barrier between herself and the world. You couldn’t get behind it easily. It made her remarkably attractive.” —Stanley Donen
“She has authentic charm. Most people simply have nice manners.” —Alfred Lunt
368 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2006
About the author
Donald Spoto
60 books153 followersA prolific and respected biographer and theologian, Donald Spoto is the author of twenty published books, among them bestselling biographies of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Alfred Hitchcock, Tennessee Williams, and Ingrid Bergman. His books have been translated into more than twenty languages. Donald Spoto earned his Ph.D. in theology at Fordham University. After years as a theology professor, he turned to fulltime writing. The Hidden Jesus: A New Life, published in 1999, was hailed by the Los Angeles Times as "offering a mature faith fit for the new millennium." His successful biography of Saint Francis was published in 2002.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 427 reviews
April 19, 2014
Love, love, love Audrey; however, this book was just middle of the road for me. Somewhat repetitious, too. I would have liked to have read the actual critics’ reviews instead of just this author’s opinion of her movies; I would have preferred him to be more factual instead of opinionated throughout.
For instance, what was Audrey’s reaction to Julie Andrews’ quip in her acceptance speech at the 1964 Oscars, thanking Jack Warner? (He chose not to cast Andrews - who originated the role on stage - but Hepburn in My Fair Lady, leaving Andrews open to take the role of Mary Poppins, for which she won an Oscar. Audrey was not even nominated. She also originally refused the offer, advising Warner to cast Andrews.) Surely she laughed, too. Right?
It was interesting - and appalling - to see the salary difference in actresses and actors in that era. Audrey received $11,914 for her role in Sabrina; William Holden $80,000; Humphrey Bogart $200,000.
In addition, more on Ms. Hepburn’s work with UNICEF would have been great. He would also skip a whole decade here or there. I was also disappointed in the photo selections, so I posted some that I like, but were not in the book.
The book had such an overshadowing of sadness to it all...from her choice in men, to her mother not being able to tell her she loved her, to her absent father, to her five miscarriages...to her many affairs... something I don’t get from her pictures at all, proving, I guess, that she was quite the actress.
She was such an icon of class, elegance, style, grace, and gentle strength.
Jardins des Tuileries, 1956.
Audrey Hepburn sporting a black turtleneck in Funny Face, 1957.
Audrey Hepburn with William Holden in Sabrina, 1954. She’s wearing the exquisite Givenchy gown, for which he received no credit, but certainly helped Edith Head win her Oscar.
Audrey Hepburn publicity shot for Breakfast at Tiffany’s, 1961.
Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady, 1964.
Audrey Hepburn, Somalia, 1992 - UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
May 18, 2017
A imagem de Audrey Hepburn sobreviveu à passagem do tempo como um ícone de beleza e elegância, talvez mais marcante que as suas interpretações no ecrã.
Todavia, atrás da imagem de mulher deslumbrante encontrava-se uma menina que sempre havia desejado ter uma família feliz. Abandonada pelo pai, viveu com a mãe que era rígida e exigente e não sabia expressar o amor que sentia pela filha.
Audrey sobreviveu à brutalidade da IIGuerra Mundial mas ficou com sequelas físicas devidas ao longo período de fome. Começou aí, na adolescência, a sua determinação em ajudar os mais desamparados.
Os anos de sucesso em Hollywood não a seduziram para uma vida de glamour, preferia refugiar-se na Suíça sempre que podia.
Entre os sucessos cinematográficos, criou dois filhos, sofreu mágoas, traições e sonhos desfeitos.
Afastou-se do cinema e entrou para a Unicef como Embaixadora da Boa Vontade para O Fundo das Nações Unidas para a Infância. Foi a demanda de uma vida, usou o seu estatuto para benefício dos mais desfavorecidos, particularmente as crianças. Infelizmente, passados cinco anos foi-lhe diagnosticado cancro e morreu na sua casa na Suíça, onde também está sepultada e onde vinte e cinco mil pessoas encheram as ruas da localidade para assistir ao seu funeral.
As 5* que dei a este livro não são só pelo trabalho do autor, mas especialmente em memória da mulher por trás da atriz; um ser humano altruísta que merecia ter tido mais momentos felizes.
Todavia, atrás da imagem de mulher deslumbrante encontrava-se uma menina que sempre havia desejado ter uma família feliz. Abandonada pelo pai, viveu com a mãe que era rígida e exigente e não sabia expressar o amor que sentia pela filha.
Audrey sobreviveu à brutalidade da IIGuerra Mundial mas ficou com sequelas físicas devidas ao longo período de fome. Começou aí, na adolescência, a sua determinação em ajudar os mais desamparados.
Os anos de sucesso em Hollywood não a seduziram para uma vida de glamour, preferia refugiar-se na Suíça sempre que podia.
Entre os sucessos cinematográficos, criou dois filhos, sofreu mágoas, traições e sonhos desfeitos.
Afastou-se do cinema e entrou para a Unicef como Embaixadora da Boa Vontade para O Fundo das Nações Unidas para a Infância. Foi a demanda de uma vida, usou o seu estatuto para benefício dos mais desfavorecidos, particularmente as crianças. Infelizmente, passados cinco anos foi-lhe diagnosticado cancro e morreu na sua casa na Suíça, onde também está sepultada e onde vinte e cinco mil pessoas encheram as ruas da localidade para assistir ao seu funeral.
As 5* que dei a este livro não são só pelo trabalho do autor, mas especialmente em memória da mulher por trás da atriz; um ser humano altruísta que merecia ter tido mais momentos felizes.
June 23, 2010
I started out this book really rather excited about it. Her early years were fascinating, and the author's style was good. I was really enjoying it up to the point when Spoto started discussing the movies she was in. Then he really started to annoy me.
While Spoto's writing is well done for the most part, he seems to blur the line between biographer and film critic. A biographer should deal in the facts. Tell me what films she did, what happened during filming, what the public reaction was to the film, etc. Things that are concrete. A film critic can give their opinion of the films, but because they present themselves as film critics, we know that it is just their opinion. So when, for example, Spoto started talking about "Sabrina" and how difficult Humphrey Bogart was to work with, that was just fine. When he stated as fact that Bogart was "miscast," that didn't sit well with me. He offered no quotes from critics saying that they thought so, nothing from anyone working on the picture saying that they thought he wasn't good in the movie. Just his opinion that Bogart was "miscast" (yes, they had wanted Cary Grant originally, but that doesn't mean that Bogart didn't work in the film as well). And yes, I disagree with him that Bogart was miscast, but the point is that it is not his job as a biographer to be a film critic as well.
I was willing to get past it that first time, but it happened again with several other films. "The Nun's Story," which I have never seen but plan to, is, according to Spoto, pretty close to the best movie ever. "Green Mansions," which I happened to like, is terrible (though there are no quotes from critics to prove this). Marni Nixon as the singing voice in "My Fair Lady" was a total disaster and the audience immediately felt a disconnect between the singing and Audrey every time a song started (the way that the studio handled the whole dubbing situation was awful, but the movie itself is not). By the time it got around to "My Fair Lady," I was pretty annoyed with Spoto.
Still, I finished the book, because I wanted to hear about her work with UNICEF. That part was interesting. So I enjoyed the beginning and the end, and some tidbits of information in the middle. I with that I had gotten a different biography, but at least this was a bargain book.
While Spoto's writing is well done for the most part, he seems to blur the line between biographer and film critic. A biographer should deal in the facts. Tell me what films she did, what happened during filming, what the public reaction was to the film, etc. Things that are concrete. A film critic can give their opinion of the films, but because they present themselves as film critics, we know that it is just their opinion. So when, for example, Spoto started talking about "Sabrina" and how difficult Humphrey Bogart was to work with, that was just fine. When he stated as fact that Bogart was "miscast," that didn't sit well with me. He offered no quotes from critics saying that they thought so, nothing from anyone working on the picture saying that they thought he wasn't good in the movie. Just his opinion that Bogart was "miscast" (yes, they had wanted Cary Grant originally, but that doesn't mean that Bogart didn't work in the film as well). And yes, I disagree with him that Bogart was miscast, but the point is that it is not his job as a biographer to be a film critic as well.
I was willing to get past it that first time, but it happened again with several other films. "The Nun's Story," which I have never seen but plan to, is, according to Spoto, pretty close to the best movie ever. "Green Mansions," which I happened to like, is terrible (though there are no quotes from critics to prove this). Marni Nixon as the singing voice in "My Fair Lady" was a total disaster and the audience immediately felt a disconnect between the singing and Audrey every time a song started (the way that the studio handled the whole dubbing situation was awful, but the movie itself is not). By the time it got around to "My Fair Lady," I was pretty annoyed with Spoto.
Still, I finished the book, because I wanted to hear about her work with UNICEF. That part was interesting. So I enjoyed the beginning and the end, and some tidbits of information in the middle. I with that I had gotten a different biography, but at least this was a bargain book.
June 22, 2008
I have always loved Audrey Hepburn. I was not overly impressed with this book about her though. The author made it seem like she was never happy. Whether that was true or not, no one but Audrey would know for sure. For most of this book the author focused on the the hollywood making of the movies aspect, not so much Audrey. i felt like she got lost in the shuffle of a book that was supposed to be about her.
September 1, 2015
For Audrey Hepburn to be one of my favorite actresses and someone's classic ladylike style I've always looked up too, I sure didn't know a lot about her before reading this book. I was shocked to discover how similar we were in many ways, for example she suffered from constant insecurity, never knowing what her self-worth was.
She ended up living a pretty sad and tragic life that I think her parents, sadly are partially to blame for. A controlling, unfeeling, private mother (whom never showed affection) to a father who abandoned her when she was little - these are the things that set her up for failure in her relationships. She married men and became involved with men, who were a lot like her father. Her time during the holocaust was so hard to read and to imagine what it must be like to live through. It's a miracle she did survive it at all...but it's that experience I think that gave her a soft grace onscreen. She had a magnificent movie career in the beginning. I haven't seen all of her movies or any of her more serious, not to mention grown up dramas, but she was a remarkable actress with a great amount of talent that sadly she never saw.
It wasn't till about her mid 50's when she truly began to find herself. After she gave up the movies and her sons were grown, she joined UNICEF and it was there that she found herself and channeled the idea of her character, Sister Luke into who she really was and was passionate about. From a young age, all Audrey wanted to be was a wife and mother. 2 failed marriages and 5 miscarriages and an endless string of lovers, her love life left something to be desired, but it was her children, her sons, Sean and Luca who gave her life meaning and she used that love toward being a voice to all the children in poverty, disease stricken countries where the children were dying right before her eyes. For the first time in her life, she seemed to have a real drive and purpose and completely opened herself up to the spotlight, but only as an ambassador to Unicef to help raise awareness. She was on fire and I think had she lived longer, she would of done even more amazing work.
Her death happened somewhat fast and she was rather young. She got cancer and died not long after it was diagnosed.
Her life is to be remembered and learned from. An amazing book! I learned so much and it's one of the best biographies I've read in a long time.
She ended up living a pretty sad and tragic life that I think her parents, sadly are partially to blame for. A controlling, unfeeling, private mother (whom never showed affection) to a father who abandoned her when she was little - these are the things that set her up for failure in her relationships. She married men and became involved with men, who were a lot like her father. Her time during the holocaust was so hard to read and to imagine what it must be like to live through. It's a miracle she did survive it at all...but it's that experience I think that gave her a soft grace onscreen. She had a magnificent movie career in the beginning. I haven't seen all of her movies or any of her more serious, not to mention grown up dramas, but she was a remarkable actress with a great amount of talent that sadly she never saw.
It wasn't till about her mid 50's when she truly began to find herself. After she gave up the movies and her sons were grown, she joined UNICEF and it was there that she found herself and channeled the idea of her character, Sister Luke into who she really was and was passionate about. From a young age, all Audrey wanted to be was a wife and mother. 2 failed marriages and 5 miscarriages and an endless string of lovers, her love life left something to be desired, but it was her children, her sons, Sean and Luca who gave her life meaning and she used that love toward being a voice to all the children in poverty, disease stricken countries where the children were dying right before her eyes. For the first time in her life, she seemed to have a real drive and purpose and completely opened herself up to the spotlight, but only as an ambassador to Unicef to help raise awareness. She was on fire and I think had she lived longer, she would of done even more amazing work.
Her death happened somewhat fast and she was rather young. She got cancer and died not long after it was diagnosed.
Her life is to be remembered and learned from. An amazing book! I learned so much and it's one of the best biographies I've read in a long time.
October 24, 2018
I can do without the movie-making minutiae, and there's plenty of that in "Enchantment". For me, the most interesting parts of this Audrey Hepburn biography were the beginning and the end. Hepburn's childhood - growing up in Europe during WWII - was fascinating; I wish we had more details about that. But just imagining a young Audrey helping the Dutch resistance and nursing soldiers is amazing. Its impact on her life is undeniable, and would have been more interesting to delve into than which co-stars she slept with.
The last few chapters looked at her time as an ambassador for UNICEF; again, much more interesting than how she chose her roles. But let's be honest... if it weren't for Audrey Hepburn the celebrity, we wouldn't be reading about any of the other aspects of her life. As far as the movie stuff goes, what surprised me most, frankly, is how many bad movies she made. Thank God for Roman Holiday, Breakfast at Tiffany's and a handful of others, or this particular Hepburn may have been forgotten long ago.
The last few chapters looked at her time as an ambassador for UNICEF; again, much more interesting than how she chose her roles. But let's be honest... if it weren't for Audrey Hepburn the celebrity, we wouldn't be reading about any of the other aspects of her life. As far as the movie stuff goes, what surprised me most, frankly, is how many bad movies she made. Thank God for Roman Holiday, Breakfast at Tiffany's and a handful of others, or this particular Hepburn may have been forgotten long ago.
December 2, 2021
Dentro de la iniciativa #mujeresdeépoca que organiza @LaPeceradeRaquel, leímos la biografía de Audrey Hepburn de Donald Spoto, que nos ha permitido conocer un poco de la vida de este icono del cine. Y digo poco, porque si bien el libro tiene una magnifica primer parte centrada en la infancia y adolescencia de la actriz, relatando partes bastantes desconocidas de su vida sobre todo las relacionadas con la ocupación nazi de Holanda y, sus primeras incursiones en el mundo de la interpretación, da paso a una sucesión de relatos sobre los rodajes de las películas, guiones, compañeros de reparto y demás entresijos del mundo del cine, lo que bien es interesante a veces llega a ser irritante por dos razones fundamentales:
1ª el autor no se corta a la hora de spoilear casi todos los finales de las películas, - salvo Charada-, lo cual obviamente, si no has visto las pelis y querías hacerlo, pues te han fastidiado la sorpresa del final porque destripa todo.
2º el autor se alza como crítico cinematográfico, sin que nadie se lo haya pedido. Quizás si no hubiera contado con pelos y señales las películas, el lector de su biografía podría emitir un juicio propio sobre la obra, sin verse condicionada por la opinión de Spoto. De verdad, ¿era necesario?
Supongo que el hermetismo con que Audrey blindó su vida privada en su época de estrella hace que la Audrey persona quede desdibujada en buena parte de su vida, aunque me ha gustado mucho como se involucró siendo embajadora de Unicef y lo que esto le aportó en su última etapa.
Leyendo el libro me ha quedado la impresión de que fue una persona con una gran tristeza interior, puede que fruto de su infancia y las penalidades vividas durante la guerra, pero hay pocas fotos, tanto en el libro como en internet en la que la sonrisa que nos dedica llegue a sus ojos.
Por último y como comentó alguien del grupo de la LC, Audrey es un icono de estilo, tenía un gusto exquisito para la ropa, pero pésimo para los hombres.
Gracias a Raquel, por organizar la lectura y por seguir ayudándonos a descubrir más mujeres de época.
1ª el autor no se corta a la hora de spoilear casi todos los finales de las películas, - salvo Charada-, lo cual obviamente, si no has visto las pelis y querías hacerlo, pues te han fastidiado la sorpresa del final porque destripa todo.
2º el autor se alza como crítico cinematográfico, sin que nadie se lo haya pedido. Quizás si no hubiera contado con pelos y señales las películas, el lector de su biografía podría emitir un juicio propio sobre la obra, sin verse condicionada por la opinión de Spoto. De verdad, ¿era necesario?
Supongo que el hermetismo con que Audrey blindó su vida privada en su época de estrella hace que la Audrey persona quede desdibujada en buena parte de su vida, aunque me ha gustado mucho como se involucró siendo embajadora de Unicef y lo que esto le aportó en su última etapa.
Leyendo el libro me ha quedado la impresión de que fue una persona con una gran tristeza interior, puede que fruto de su infancia y las penalidades vividas durante la guerra, pero hay pocas fotos, tanto en el libro como en internet en la que la sonrisa que nos dedica llegue a sus ojos.
Por último y como comentó alguien del grupo de la LC, Audrey es un icono de estilo, tenía un gusto exquisito para la ropa, pero pésimo para los hombres.
Gracias a Raquel, por organizar la lectura y por seguir ayudándonos a descubrir más mujeres de época.
December 2, 2021
3.75 Me ha sorprendido gratamente aunque en ocasiones que se hablara de otras películas o otras personas me sacaba de la vida de esta actriz, que idealizada se tiene este tipo de actrices y no nos damos cuenta que son de carne y hueso y que sufren y padecen como el común de los mortales
October 1, 2014
I recently started watching classic films, which prior to my 25th year held little interest to me. I always WANTED to enjoy them, I just couldn't get past the black and white. Now that I have aged a bit, (that, or run out of Netflix options ;) ) I have begun to really enjoy classic films. I love the simplicity, the straightforward plotlines, the raw emotion of Hollywoods brightest. I enjoy the good simple stories, and the lack of overt sexuality, violence, and vulgarity. It's very lovely.
As for the book, I became interested in Audrey Hepburn after viewing several of her films, and being "enchanted" as are most people. I would have given the biography 5 stars, but I felt that it focused too much on her career and roles and not enough on her as a person. (Not that it didn't, but I just wanted a bit more).
My favorite thing about Audrey, is that at the end of her life, she wants to use her fame for good. It's a perspective that I don't know how some famous people don't understand. What's the point of fame and money if you don't do something productive with it? That's the point of life, no? To feel fulfilled, by helping others who often are in horrible positions? That's how I feel, and how many good people all over the world feel. It's a great lesson.
As for the book, I became interested in Audrey Hepburn after viewing several of her films, and being "enchanted" as are most people. I would have given the biography 5 stars, but I felt that it focused too much on her career and roles and not enough on her as a person. (Not that it didn't, but I just wanted a bit more).
My favorite thing about Audrey, is that at the end of her life, she wants to use her fame for good. It's a perspective that I don't know how some famous people don't understand. What's the point of fame and money if you don't do something productive with it? That's the point of life, no? To feel fulfilled, by helping others who often are in horrible positions? That's how I feel, and how many good people all over the world feel. It's a great lesson.
May 5, 2021
Audrey Hepburn has always been my favorite actress of old Hollywood so I was eager to read a biography about her. Having read Spoto’s book on Grace Kelly, I was aware there may be a few factual errors here and there as well as a gossip-y tendency. Aside from these things, I really enjoyed the book and had a hard time putting it down even though I knew most of the details covered. Audrey is an inspiration through her entire life, from her childhood hardships during the war, from her hard work & talent put forth in her career, to the way she loved others so much as to devote the latter years of her life as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. Many parts of the biography were tear jerking, especially the end which closes with her “still and peaceful” passing. What a life she lived and with such humility, compassion, kindness, and love. I think my favorite quote mentioned by her is: “I was born with an enormous need for affection, and a terrible need to give it.” It truly captures her life’s mission and just her spirit which lives on. I recommend this book to someone who is interested in Audrey Hepburn’s life & career, however take heed of some film critic opinions and gossip throughout.
August 8, 2012
I have always admired Audrey Hepburn, but sadly did not know much about her besides her filmology. This biography is written really well, so it does not seem like a dull text book but almost like I am reading fiction. Her life was so much more than just an actress and this book gives much detail showing that. Even if you don't think you are interested in her life, you might surprise yourself while reading this.
April 12, 2018
Audreys life was extremely sad and depressing.
January 13, 2008
Audrey Hepburn has always been someone that I have admired. It's obvious to anyone who has seen her that she was a beautiful woman. But deep beneath those looks was an even more beautiful heart. Her charitable works brought about so much change and good things in the world - her acting seems to be just a brief footnote.
Unfortunately, this book discusses more of Audrey's career than her life with UNICEF. I learned many things about her, from her childhood in Nazi-controlled Holland to her bad marriages. I would have like to have seen more about the good works that she did. However, I suppose I should remember that her fame is what made her able to bring the spotlight to people in the world who were in need.
I did enjoy the book, more than I thought I would, in fact. The writing style is good, and Spoto kept me interested. It was obvious that he was a fan, though. He had very little in the way of bad things to write about Miss Hepburn. If you are a fan of Audrey's or the film industry of the 50's and 60's, pick up this book. It has lots of great tidbits in it.
Unfortunately, this book discusses more of Audrey's career than her life with UNICEF. I learned many things about her, from her childhood in Nazi-controlled Holland to her bad marriages. I would have like to have seen more about the good works that she did. However, I suppose I should remember that her fame is what made her able to bring the spotlight to people in the world who were in need.
I did enjoy the book, more than I thought I would, in fact. The writing style is good, and Spoto kept me interested. It was obvious that he was a fan, though. He had very little in the way of bad things to write about Miss Hepburn. If you are a fan of Audrey's or the film industry of the 50's and 60's, pick up this book. It has lots of great tidbits in it.
August 16, 2010
I have always been inspired by Audrey Hepburn's grace and tactics, so when I decided to pick up a biography from the library, I chose one about her. Even though the author gave us a lot of information about the her childhood, movie-making, and her love affairs, it focused more on what made Audrey unhappy rather than what made her happy [such as her sons, cooking, UNICEF:].
The book was very informational on Audrey's career. And maybe I would have given it a higher review had I not had a specific side of Audrey stuck in my mind. It was like finding out that your favorite cereal was discontinued. Finding out about Audrey's love affairs and troubles really wasn't all that fun for me. But it was a very interesting book.
The book was very informational on Audrey's career. And maybe I would have given it a higher review had I not had a specific side of Audrey stuck in my mind. It was like finding out that your favorite cereal was discontinued. Finding out about Audrey's love affairs and troubles really wasn't all that fun for me. But it was a very interesting book.
December 3, 2010
This was a really troubling read. I love Audrey Hepburn and always have, but I found her consecutive adultery really disturbing (her husbands were adulterous as well). I learned so much about her and loved getting details on portions of her life with which I was already familiar. What was most impressive to me about her is how none of her colleagues ever had anything bad to say about her. Other than her reptetivive adultery, she was a really classy lady. And she did incredibly wonderful work for all kinds of charity.
August 10, 2019
Un libro precioso, narrado como si fuera una novela, desde casi el principio olvidas que estás leyendo una biografía, la historia de una persona real. Una actriz tan icónica como lo fue su vida, llena de luces y sombras. Un personaje fascinante que forma parte de la historia del cine y de los que lo amamos. Tanto si te gusta Audrey, si has disfrutado decenas de veces sus películas, si amas el cine, como si no, es un libro que recomiendo. No te arrepentirás de conocer un poquito mejor a la gran dama del cine.
August 1, 2008
I really like reading about her. I don't love this author's writing style. He is a little repetitive and kind of adds his own opinion to some things. He is, however, very thorough, and seems to have a lot of really good sources that actually knew the people he wrote about. He does write in a way that actually makes their lives very interesting and kept me wanting to know more. I would recommend his biographies.
July 25, 2015
Meh. Audrey Hepburn was/is one of my all time favorite actresses. I've always loved her movies, her classic style, and her anthropic habits with her infamous work with UNICEF. But, in reading this, it kinda disappointed me. For one thing, she was kinda a hoe. She had no qualms about getting involved with married men, or having love affairs while she was married. I can't have a lot of respect for that. Also, I'm just not a big fan of biographies, even one of an actress I like.
July 29, 2013
I've been reading all I can about this icon for research with my YA series NO MORE GODDESSES. Let's just say I'm totally falling in love with Audrey. Her story is nothing short than amazing.
August 26, 2015
It was no Breakfast at Tiffany's...but I loved how she created her own style.
March 2, 2016
Absolutely Inspirational!
August 18, 2012
"Enchantment: The Life of Audrey Hepburn" enters a crowded field. Barry Paris's encyclopedic "Audrey Hepburn" appeared in 1996, Alexander Walker's astute "Audrey" in 1994, and Diana Maychick's chatty "intimate portrait" in 1993 — just to mention Donald Spoto's immediate predecessors. At this point, the impatient reviewer is supposed to complain, "Do we really need another biography of Audrey Hepburn?"
This is almost always the wrong question. Biography by its very nature is incomplete. It is a Rashomon-like genre, never more so than when movie sets are involved and conflicting versions of events multiply like rabbits. Mr. Spoto, author of more than a dozen biographies, is well aware of this problem of pullulation. He seems to rely judiciously on the work of previous biographers, correcting their errors, providing some original film criticism, revealing one big new story about his subject, and writing with an incisive grace that puts him near the head of his class.
To determine Mr. Spoto's merits I compared his account of "Sabrina," the romantic comedy in which William Holden and Humphrey Bogart compete for Audrey Hepburn's hand, to other competing versions. As in other Hepburn biographies, Mr. Spoto's Bogart plays the offscreen heavy. At 54, he looked 65, "weathered and dyspeptic and ill with the first symptoms of the cancer that would claim his life four years later." Next to the handsome 35-year-old Holden, how was Bogart supposed to get the girl?
This question bothers Mr. Spoto far more than other biographers. Even though reviewers have lauded Bogart's performance, Mr. Spoto insists he was dreadfully miscast in a role originally meant for Cary Grant, who bowed out because at 50 he felt he was too old to play opposite the 24-year-old Hepburn. Yet, as Mr. Spoto notes, the next year Grant was triumphant in Alfred Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief," playing opposite Grace Kelly, who was exactly Hepburn's age.
Mr. Spoto portrays a sulking Bogart who envied Holden and Hepburn, rising stars and lovers during the film shoot. According to Bogart's agent, Irving Lazar, Bogart also expected Billy Wilder to humble himself, but "on a Billy Wilder picture, there is no star but Billy Wilder." The director chose to chum around with Holden and Hepburn, increasing Bogart's animus toward everyone, including the film's writers. In the Spoto scenario, Hepburn remains coolly professional and diplomatic when Bogart baits her. Other biographers depict a stalwart Holden protecting a terrified or wary Hepburn.
Several aspects of Mr. Spoto's account troubled me. Why would Bogart take a Cary Grant role? Why would he compete with Holden, whom Bogart had had a rough time with on an earlier film? Was Bogart really already suffering from cancer? Why would Bogart do a Wilder film when the director was notorious for his sharp tongue and autocratic ways?
To answer these questions I had to consult not only other Hepburn biographies but also those about Grant, Bogart, Wilder, and Holden — and even then certain mysteries remain. Marc Eliot in "Cary Grant" (2004) makes it abundantly clear that the actor could not abide Wilder. On the other hand, several Wilder biographers note that Bogart and Wilder had been friends before "Sabrina," and Bogart did not even trouble to read the script, telling Wilder he would just shake on it and trust that the director would take care of him. When Wilder manifestly began to snub Bogart, the actor took his nasty revenge — at one point even calling the Jewish Wilder (who had lost family during the Holocaust) a Nazi.
No biographer seems to have considered the possibility that Bogart felt competitive, perhaps wanting to show that he could do well at a role meant for Grant. Even if Bogart had not read the script, it is hard to believe that he did not know, in a general sense, what the film was about, especially since it was based on a successful Broadway play. Mr. Spoto notwithstanding, several biographers and critics have lauded Bogart's performance, suggesting he gave the role a depth and color beyond Grant's capacity.
There is no credible evidence that Bogart was already suffering from cancer, although other biographers also provide the same overreaching explanation for his conduct. He may have been peeved at being Wilder's second choice, but then why do the film at all?
I e-mailed Jeffrey Meyers, a Bogart biographer, who responded: "Wilder, rather desperate, persuaded Bogart. And Swifty Lazar, who thought his [Bogart's] career would be enhanced if he could play high comedy, also talked him into it. Wilder later felt he did it mainly for the money." Bogart got $300,000, more than Hepburn's and Holden's salaries combined.
Perhaps Mr. Spoto should have done a little more sorting through the evidence. Economy of phrasing is virtuous, but not at the expense of doing less than full justice to events.
Now for the one big new story that other biographers might have detected since it was right under their noses. Mr. Spoto does not gloat about his fresh material, perhaps because Robert Anderson, a playwright and screenwriter who had an affair with Audrey Hepburn and wrote about it in his novel, "After" (1973), handed it to him.
Whenever writers consort with actors, look at the writer's work. It amazes me that no biographer before Mr. Spoto followed this cardinal rule. So dead-on is Mr. Anderson's novel that Mr. Spoto often prefers to quote from it rather than from Anderson's testimony about Hepburn: "The first thing you noticed was ‘style.' She was tall and slender and held herself beautifully, almost like a dancer. Her dark hair was worn in her own particular style, not the style of the day ... I saw her large dark eyes ... The entire effect of her was striking. She had style, dedication, real excitement."
Audrey Hepburn was like no other star of her period — nothing like Ava Gardner or Elizabeth Taylor or Marilyn Monroe. She would have been the first to say she had little technique as an actress. But she had been trained as a ballet dancer, and it was a joy just to see her move. She brought intensity and elegance to every role she attempted, and the same dedication she would later display when she became UNICEF's "ambassador-at-large."
Anderson's novel and his talks with Mr. Spoto make this book. When Mr. Anderson speaks to Mr. Spoto, we get a sense of both the everyday Audrey and her allure: "She was a very tidy girl" who cleaned up Mr. Anderson's kitchen, and she was "sad — beautiful and sad and romantic." Hepburn, a young girl in Nazi-occupied Holland, almost starved during the war, escaped from a truck transporting children to a Nazi camp, and endured an unhappy marriage and a spreading cancer that ultimately took her life.
This graceful, indomitable figure enraptured William Holden, who never tired of regretting her loss (she broke off their romance when she learned his vasectomy, then irreversible, meant he could not engender children), and mesmerized millions who gazed at her movies and photographs and copied her exquisite taste in fashion.
What finally sets Hepburn apart was her sense of proportion. She never gave way to star tantrums; she never valued her work more highly than it deserved. Consequently, her performances evince a degree of integrity and honesty seldom equaled on the screen. To that Audrey Hepburn, Mr. Spoto is admirably faithful.
This is almost always the wrong question. Biography by its very nature is incomplete. It is a Rashomon-like genre, never more so than when movie sets are involved and conflicting versions of events multiply like rabbits. Mr. Spoto, author of more than a dozen biographies, is well aware of this problem of pullulation. He seems to rely judiciously on the work of previous biographers, correcting their errors, providing some original film criticism, revealing one big new story about his subject, and writing with an incisive grace that puts him near the head of his class.
To determine Mr. Spoto's merits I compared his account of "Sabrina," the romantic comedy in which William Holden and Humphrey Bogart compete for Audrey Hepburn's hand, to other competing versions. As in other Hepburn biographies, Mr. Spoto's Bogart plays the offscreen heavy. At 54, he looked 65, "weathered and dyspeptic and ill with the first symptoms of the cancer that would claim his life four years later." Next to the handsome 35-year-old Holden, how was Bogart supposed to get the girl?
This question bothers Mr. Spoto far more than other biographers. Even though reviewers have lauded Bogart's performance, Mr. Spoto insists he was dreadfully miscast in a role originally meant for Cary Grant, who bowed out because at 50 he felt he was too old to play opposite the 24-year-old Hepburn. Yet, as Mr. Spoto notes, the next year Grant was triumphant in Alfred Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief," playing opposite Grace Kelly, who was exactly Hepburn's age.
Mr. Spoto portrays a sulking Bogart who envied Holden and Hepburn, rising stars and lovers during the film shoot. According to Bogart's agent, Irving Lazar, Bogart also expected Billy Wilder to humble himself, but "on a Billy Wilder picture, there is no star but Billy Wilder." The director chose to chum around with Holden and Hepburn, increasing Bogart's animus toward everyone, including the film's writers. In the Spoto scenario, Hepburn remains coolly professional and diplomatic when Bogart baits her. Other biographers depict a stalwart Holden protecting a terrified or wary Hepburn.
Several aspects of Mr. Spoto's account troubled me. Why would Bogart take a Cary Grant role? Why would he compete with Holden, whom Bogart had had a rough time with on an earlier film? Was Bogart really already suffering from cancer? Why would Bogart do a Wilder film when the director was notorious for his sharp tongue and autocratic ways?
To answer these questions I had to consult not only other Hepburn biographies but also those about Grant, Bogart, Wilder, and Holden — and even then certain mysteries remain. Marc Eliot in "Cary Grant" (2004) makes it abundantly clear that the actor could not abide Wilder. On the other hand, several Wilder biographers note that Bogart and Wilder had been friends before "Sabrina," and Bogart did not even trouble to read the script, telling Wilder he would just shake on it and trust that the director would take care of him. When Wilder manifestly began to snub Bogart, the actor took his nasty revenge — at one point even calling the Jewish Wilder (who had lost family during the Holocaust) a Nazi.
No biographer seems to have considered the possibility that Bogart felt competitive, perhaps wanting to show that he could do well at a role meant for Grant. Even if Bogart had not read the script, it is hard to believe that he did not know, in a general sense, what the film was about, especially since it was based on a successful Broadway play. Mr. Spoto notwithstanding, several biographers and critics have lauded Bogart's performance, suggesting he gave the role a depth and color beyond Grant's capacity.
There is no credible evidence that Bogart was already suffering from cancer, although other biographers also provide the same overreaching explanation for his conduct. He may have been peeved at being Wilder's second choice, but then why do the film at all?
I e-mailed Jeffrey Meyers, a Bogart biographer, who responded: "Wilder, rather desperate, persuaded Bogart. And Swifty Lazar, who thought his [Bogart's] career would be enhanced if he could play high comedy, also talked him into it. Wilder later felt he did it mainly for the money." Bogart got $300,000, more than Hepburn's and Holden's salaries combined.
Perhaps Mr. Spoto should have done a little more sorting through the evidence. Economy of phrasing is virtuous, but not at the expense of doing less than full justice to events.
Now for the one big new story that other biographers might have detected since it was right under their noses. Mr. Spoto does not gloat about his fresh material, perhaps because Robert Anderson, a playwright and screenwriter who had an affair with Audrey Hepburn and wrote about it in his novel, "After" (1973), handed it to him.
Whenever writers consort with actors, look at the writer's work. It amazes me that no biographer before Mr. Spoto followed this cardinal rule. So dead-on is Mr. Anderson's novel that Mr. Spoto often prefers to quote from it rather than from Anderson's testimony about Hepburn: "The first thing you noticed was ‘style.' She was tall and slender and held herself beautifully, almost like a dancer. Her dark hair was worn in her own particular style, not the style of the day ... I saw her large dark eyes ... The entire effect of her was striking. She had style, dedication, real excitement."
Audrey Hepburn was like no other star of her period — nothing like Ava Gardner or Elizabeth Taylor or Marilyn Monroe. She would have been the first to say she had little technique as an actress. But she had been trained as a ballet dancer, and it was a joy just to see her move. She brought intensity and elegance to every role she attempted, and the same dedication she would later display when she became UNICEF's "ambassador-at-large."
Anderson's novel and his talks with Mr. Spoto make this book. When Mr. Anderson speaks to Mr. Spoto, we get a sense of both the everyday Audrey and her allure: "She was a very tidy girl" who cleaned up Mr. Anderson's kitchen, and she was "sad — beautiful and sad and romantic." Hepburn, a young girl in Nazi-occupied Holland, almost starved during the war, escaped from a truck transporting children to a Nazi camp, and endured an unhappy marriage and a spreading cancer that ultimately took her life.
This graceful, indomitable figure enraptured William Holden, who never tired of regretting her loss (she broke off their romance when she learned his vasectomy, then irreversible, meant he could not engender children), and mesmerized millions who gazed at her movies and photographs and copied her exquisite taste in fashion.
What finally sets Hepburn apart was her sense of proportion. She never gave way to star tantrums; she never valued her work more highly than it deserved. Consequently, her performances evince a degree of integrity and honesty seldom equaled on the screen. To that Audrey Hepburn, Mr. Spoto is admirably faithful.
November 16, 2021
Me ha encantado poder conocer más la vida de esta actriz tan conocida, había tantas cosas que desconocía.
El estilo del autor es muy ameno, en ningún momento se hace pesado, e incluye muchas referencias.
Si tengo que sacarle algún fallo diré que no me ha encantado que se destripe el argumento y final de las películas de la actriz (muchas no las he visto pero ahora ya conozco los finales) y que quizás se trata a la actriz como a una persona casi perfecta, o esa es la impresión que me ha dado a mí.
Aun así he disfrutado mucho esta experiencia y estoy deseando ver las películas que me faltan de Audrey Hepburn.
El estilo del autor es muy ameno, en ningún momento se hace pesado, e incluye muchas referencias.
Si tengo que sacarle algún fallo diré que no me ha encantado que se destripe el argumento y final de las películas de la actriz (muchas no las he visto pero ahora ya conozco los finales) y que quizás se trata a la actriz como a una persona casi perfecta, o esa es la impresión que me ha dado a mí.
Aun así he disfrutado mucho esta experiencia y estoy deseando ver las películas que me faltan de Audrey Hepburn.
June 1, 2021
Una muy buena biografía sobre uno de los grandes clásicos del cine y de la moda. Ha sido una delicia conocer a Audrey Hepburn en profundidad, a través de sus películas y de su proceso de maduración y aprendizaje.
August 25, 2023
Well written and easy to read. A good place to start for anyone interested in the life of Audrey Hepburn
November 21, 2017
Breakfast At Tiffany's is one of my favorite films, and I've enjoyed most of the films in which Audrey Hepburn starred. I adored her when she was the representative for UNICEF, and when I watched her touring rose gardens. She was a heroine, a perfect lady. Well spoken, a face that radiated light when she smiled, a gamine yet a model of style and grace. However, after reading this beautifully written book, I learned that I really didn't know much about her at all. I was amazed at her childhood background, and her life in Holland during the WWII years. Reading this book broke my heart, and made me smile, and caused me to wonder. Truly, the world was her oyster (although there were some monsters along the way). I have about a dozen DVDs of her films, and just ordered a couple I don't have. One of these weekends, I'll enjoy an Audrey Hepburn film festival. I'm grateful we were on the planet at the same time for awhile. (An added note: I had just made a donation to UNICEF on the day that this book about her arrived in the mail; quite a coincidence! And when I read the part of the book that dealt with her time with that organization, I was so glad I did.)
April 17, 2020
This book tells the story of one of the most amazing women of my lifetime. She is my idol!!!
November 21, 2017
I loved reading about Audrey, but the book was repetitive and therefore too long
November 17, 2017
Enchanting Read
I loved this biography from the moment I read the 1st words. It was well researched and compact, not meandering through her life but clearly bringing out the qualities of a highly professional and talented actress. I was truly enchanted with the story of Audrey’s life and her truly unique personality. Highly recommend!
I loved this biography from the moment I read the 1st words. It was well researched and compact, not meandering through her life but clearly bringing out the qualities of a highly professional and talented actress. I was truly enchanted with the story of Audrey’s life and her truly unique personality. Highly recommend!
January 1, 2018
The dark side of Audrey Hepburn's life. I understand that it would be difficult to compile a biography with only outside sources, rather than the personal experience and influence of the person themselves. But this book seemed to hop from surviving war, to movie project, to suffering relationship, to movie, to miscarriage, to depression, to failed marriage...the timeline was presented matter of factly and seemed to focus on the bad. Audrey was spun as a promiscuous and sad individual. I feel that it did a disservice to her this way: stripping a lot of joy that surely must have been interwoven with the pain we all experience in a lifetime. We all have a dark side and it is not all roses, but something about the approach here was just too mechanical and lacking. This is the first Audrey Hepburn biography I've read and I wouldn't recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 427 reviews