Reviewed by Christy
Thanks to Nick at Nite, I’ve been a lifelong I Love Lucy fan. But, for whatever
reason, it wasn’t until I came across Sarah Royal’s A.K.A. Lucy that I
finally picked up a biography of Lucille Ball. (I’m sure the eye-catching cover
helped, too.) A wonderful hybrid of a coffee table book and a biography, A.K.A.
Lucy is a delightful, engaging read.
In the introduction, Royal explains
that this is not a typical biography. In it, Lucille’s life is not documented
chronologically but instead by categories: early life, movie career, marriage,
tv career, children, etc. I really liked this approach. It kept it interesting
and plus, it was nice reading about Desi and Lucy “back together again” in the
tv section after just reading about their divorce in the marriage section. It’s
also just a stunning book to look at. Gorgeous photos and pops of color from
the graphics make it a treat to flip through.
I also enjoyed getting to know a
little bit about Lucille’s real personality. She was known for being brusque in
real life but according to Royal, she certainly did not like hurting anyone’s feelings and admired Desi’s ability to give
negative feedback in a gentle way. A skill she just did not possess. She also
didn’t think she was very funny either, for that matter. What she was was a hard worker. She never claimed
any natural talent but instead attributed her success to her relentless work
and rehearsals. I, however, do think she was naturally funny because this
anecdote from the book made me laugh out loud:
[A friend] recounted a memory of being on set when everyone
was particularly chatty after lunch and director Bruce Bilson was trying to get
everyone to be quiet so they could resume rehearsal. Bilson pointed at various
people in turn, saying, “I don’t care what YOU had for lunch, or what YOU had
for lunch,” until his frustrated hollering hushed everyone up. “Everyone sat
there, mouths shut, afraid of making another peep…but then about 15 seconds
later, Lucy opened her mouth and cried out, “I had the salmon!”
I’m sorry, Lucy, but that is funny.
And since everyone around her cracked up after this, I’m not the only one who
thinks so!
This is a great read and starting
point for any Lucy fan who may be intimidated by the overabundance of Lucy
books to sort through. I think I’ll even purchase a copy for my coffee table.
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