Edith Piaf: 25 chansons

by Simone Berteaut

The true, tumultuous story of Edith Piaf, the Parisian waif who entertained France and the world with her songs, her loves, her scandals, herself.

Written by Simone Beteaut, Edith Piaf's half-sister and lifelong partner in mischief when they sang for tips in the streets, squares, cafés, and military camps, while living in a succession of cheap, squalid hotels during Piaf's early years.

Genres: Biography, Music, Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography, History, France

147 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

Reviews

[danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

God, but she was a wonderfully crazy person.

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved Edith Piaf's amazing voice. An aunt of mine recently died and I was given Simone Berteaut's biography of Edith from her estate. It is a 1969 hardbook 1st edition and a little dog-eared but from the first page, I was hooked! You would not have to be a fan of Edith's to enjoy this riveting biography, so lovingly and honestly told by Edith's half-sister. I recommend it wholeheartedly to lovers of biographies.

[Daiva Skirkevičienė · Rating 5 out of 5]

Viena geriausių ir įspūdingiausių mano kada nors skaitytų biografijų. Ją parašė Editos Piaf sesuo (to paties tėvo dukra) Simona Berto. Tai labai atviras pasakojimas apie nepaprastą asmenybę ir stulbinamą jos gyvenimą bei karjerą.
Knygą skaičiau išverstą į rusų kalbą.

[Данна Донку · Rating 5 out of 5]

Това е книгата, която ме запали по Едит и музиката й. Чела съм я толкова пъти, че знаех наизуст отделни пасажи. Едит Пиаф има живот като приказка- от дете на улицата до величие на сцената, талантлива и безмилостна в работата си, изцяло отдадена на музиката. Любовта е движеща сила в живота й, наравно с музиката- нейно вдъхновение и нужда. Тя е перманентно влюбена, властна и изискваща към любимите си хора, но също толкова щедра и отдадена на тях. Животът й е белязан от редица трагедии и загуби на важни хора, но всяка една я прави по-силна. Известна и с това, че има нюх и създава изпълнители- откривателка на Ив Монтан, Шарл Азнавур и Тео Сарапо. Книгата е интересно поднесена от най-близкия й човек и съучастник във всички възходи и падения- доведената й сестра Симон Берто.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the book in a bookstall somewhere before I even realized who Edith Piaf really was ... and my copy has been lost over the years. But it introduced me to a woman who is, for me, the symbol of France.

[Gizem Erdoğan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edith Piaf'in hayatını, şarkılarının nasıl ortaya çıktığını bir yandan o şarkıları dinleyerek okumak harika bir deneyimdi . edith okulundan çıkan sanatçılari Charles aznavour ,Claude Figus, Theo Sarapo ve daha nicelerinin Edith Piaf ile kesişen hikayelerini dinlemek de ayrıca keyifliydi

[Steven Vanderstraeten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prachtig!

[Jikke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Een emotioneel verhaal dat verteld wordt door de halfzus van Edith. Ze leerden elkaar pas kennen tijdens de puberteit en besloten samen te gaan leven. Hun liefde voor elkaar was onvoorwaardelijk en Simone liet alles uit haar handen vallen als ze er moest zijn voor Edith, die tevens veel van haar zus eiste.

Ze groeiden op met niets en zo bleven ze ook leven. Zelfs toen Edith op het toppunt van haar carrière was, had ze geen cent gespaard. Ze gaf alles in een dag uit: aan alcohol, mannen, kleding en aan iedereen die het maar vroeg. Ze leefde van dag tot dag en hield geen rekening met de toekomst.

In het boek worden de vele liefdes van Edith uitvoerig beschreven. Zonder liefde kon ze niet leven en ze was daardoor erg extreem in haar relaties. Mannen maakten misbruik van haar, maar zij manipuleerde hen ook.

Niet alleen haar relaties waren extreem, maar ook haar liefde voor het chanson en voor alcohol. Ze leefde erg ongezond en vroeg ontzettend veel van haar lichaam door zoveel te zingen; muziek was haar leven. Tot het niet meer ging; ze zakte ineen op het podium en kreeg morfine voorgeschreven tegen de pijn. Ze raakte verslaafd en het ging bergafwaarts met haar. Die kleine vrouw van 1.47m met die ontzettend grote stem en die al zoveel had overleefd, kon het niet meer aan.

Bij elke bladzijde die ik las werd ik benieuwder naar de volgende. Ik werd volledig meegesleurd in het verhaal en had het gevoel alsof ik erbij was. Ik heb me veel verwonderd over haar leven en vertelde iedereen die het wilde aanhoren over de dingen die ik las. Bij de laatste bladzijden van het boek heb ik heel wat tranen moeten wegvegen. Ik denk dat dit het mooiste boek is dat ik ooit heb gelezen.

[Marksplatter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like being there alongside M. Piaf. Especially the start on the streets through rough poverty through France in the 20s and 30s, through adventures colored by seedy streets and alcohol, smoky cafe and bistros through all hours of the night with the colorful characters of the cabaret set. Countless love affairs and more tragedies than you can count on hands and feet, balanced out by outrageous fortune and success and a 'dont give a damn' attitude and determination. Edith Piaf is well worth getting to know, in song and character.

[Eliza Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A biography so beautiful and loving that it reads like a eulogy. This book makes you feel as though you are walking through Paris right alongside the tornado that was Edith Piaf.

[Maria Burberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sincere beautiful recollection by person who knew her well. ‘Her life was so sad it was almost too beautiful to be true’. Highly recommended.

[Kahlan23 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edith Piaf. Vrabčiak. Meno, ktoré poznajú všetci. Jej hlas poznajú všetci. Edith Piaf to je šansón. Šansón to je Edith Piaf. Poznáme však príbeh, ktorý sa skrýva za týmto menom a hlasom, ktorý opantal celý svet? Vždy rada siahnem po nejakom beletrizovanom životopise a tentoraz sa mi do rúk dostal tento o Edith Piaf. Samozrejme aj ja som o nej už počula, keď sa povie Edith Piaf viem kto bola a aj som počula niektoré z jej piesni. Ale bližšie som jej život nepoznala a preto som rada, že som mala možnosť si prečítať túto knihu a mohla som spoznať jej životný príbeh.

Kto najlepšie môže vyrozprávať jej príbeh, ako osoba, ktorá jej bola v živote najbližšia a ktorá pri nej vždy stála a to jej sestra Simone "Momone" Berteaut. Momone ju opisuje taká aká bola, nič neprikrášľuje, nezveličuje, nestavia ju na piedestál a nerobí z nej nadľudskú osobu. Jej Edith je Edith z mäsa a kostí, s jej dobrými a zlými vlastnosťami, s neresťami, s jej milujúcou a citlivou stránkou. Životný príbeh Edit sledujeme teda z pohľadu jej sestry, tak ako ju vnímala ona a ako vnímala jednotlivé momenty v jej živote. Svoj život s Edith opisuje bez príkras, proste taký aký bol.

Edith Piaf bola žena s neuveriteľnou, ale aj komplikovanou osobnosťou. Svoj život žila naplno, nestarala sa o nič, ani o peniaze a užívala si každý jeden moment. Vedela čo chce. Od vystupovania na uliciach Paríža prešla k vystupovaniu v podnikoch až to dotiahla na pódia koncertných sál po celom svete. Z malého chudobné dievčaťa, ktoré vychovala ulica sa stal niekto, hviezda a jej meno poznal každý. Spievala preto lebo spev bol v nej, bola v nej dráma a jej hrdlo bolo plné tragédie. Pieseň bola pre ňu všetkým, dávala do nej všetko, preciťovala ju každou jednou bunkou. Nemusíte vedieť po francúzsky a jej spev vás opantá a ochromí.

Keď sa však človek pozrie bližšie uvedomí si, že aj keď mala slávu a jej meno niečo znamenalo (a stále znamená) bola veľmi osamotená. Jej životom prešli viacerí muži, každý z nich v iný dôležitý moment a posunul ju novým smerom. Simone Berteaut sa v knihe venovanej jej sestre nebojí zájsť a opísať aj tie nie moc pekné stránky života Edith (jej závislosť a boj s ňou). Ide teda o naozaj úprimné čítanie, ktoré ide do hĺbky, aj keď sa môže občas zdať, že ide len akoby o nejaké opisovanie.

Život Edith Piaf nebol jednoduchý a jednoduchým čítaním nie je ani táto kniha. Za to prečítanie však istotne stojí. Pocítite pri nej všetko krásu ale aj smútok, každou stránkou vás dostane viac a viac. Možno vám pomôže aj lepšie pochopiť o čom spievala, lebo spievala o živote tak ako ho žila, cítila a vnímala. Príjemnou vsuvkou v knihe teda sú úryvky z jej piesni. Ja čítania tejto knihy neľutujem, ani jednej stránky z nej.

Nie ! Vôbec nič ...
Nie ! Neľutujem nič.
ani dobro, čo sa mi prihodilo,
ani zlo, všetko mi to je úplne jedno !
Nie ! Vôbec nič ...
Nie ! Neľutujem nič.
Pretože môj život, pretože moje radosti
dnes začínajú s tebou

[Athanase Pernatte · Rating 5 out of 5]

The biography of the famous singer penned by her half-sister, not “La Môme” but “Momône” (affectionate for “Simone”). This is an incredible “warts and all”, moving story which brings to life the utter misery of Piaf’s infant years, her raw intermediate years making a living singing in the streets as well as her career and sentimental highs and lows. Expect something totally different from the sugar coated film “La Vie en Rose”, here you’ll read about people sleeping sometimes 4 in a bed, a child weaned on alcohol, and at times, accounts of utter depravity. Simone is also a great yarn spinner, adept at bringing conversations back into life, sometimes a little fictionalized, I’m sure, but like an English critique said, “were these tales not true, they would remain some of the finest stories ever told”. It’s a page turner, one of these books in which you actually laugh, gasp aloud, and one of the very few ones who brought me to tears.

[Ari46 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Many of the people who were very close to Piaf said that this book is full of bullshit. Simone wasn’t Édith’s demi-soeur; it is true that she lived for a period with her, when Édith sang on the road, but than they divided. After Édith became famous, Simone became jealous. She even threatened édith to reveal to everybody her love story with Cerdan. There are better books about Piaf (more reliable). For example, that of Danielle and Marc Bonel and that of Emmanuel Bonini

[Lisbeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Det är några år sedan jag läste Piaf, skriven av Simone Berteaut, men jag minns den fortfarande som fängslande och med stor värme! Jag hade svårt att lägga ifrån mig den och släcka ljuset på kvällarna, läste den på bussen och på rasterna i skolan. Simone Berteaut var Edith Piafs halvsyster och hon berättar för oss om den egensinnade, vänliga lilla sparven som fascinerar mig fortfarande med sin fantastiska sångröst. Boken ska jag läsa en gång till snarast.

[Drew Morelock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d never heard of Edith before reading this book. I was drawn to the cover and decided to take a chance. Even in death Edith is still magnetic. The book is a collection of stories about all of the people who have been drawn in by her. And at times thrown out by her. Was that wrong of her? To keep hurting others and allowing herself to be hurt? I guess you’d have to ask the people she allowed into the adventure of her life. Something tells me it was worth it.

[Sara Houle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
Wow! Quelle vie époustouflante! Et difficile... Simone Berteaut arrive à nous replonger dans l'époque grâce à ses expressions loufoques et son sens de l'histoire. Elle se rappelle tellement de chaque détail que j'en suis venue à me demander à quel point son récit est véridique... Pas grave, ça se lit super bien!

[Gu Gu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ne zaman okuduğumu hiç hatırlamıyorum, ama çok beğendiğimi net biliyorum. Annemle kitap üstünde konuştuğumuzu anımsadığımdan bayağı olmuş olmalı. Uçuk kaçık, aşka aşık bir sanatçı, Yves Montand’ın büyük aşkı, küçücük bir kadın, ama dev bir ses. Bir de aklımda kalan çok genç bir sevgili, çok seven bir adam. Bittiğinde ağzımda üzücü bir tat kalmıştı.

[Sarah Cupitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edith Piaf's story is heartbreakingly beautiful - a legendary artist whose life was filled with love, loss, and tragedy. Because of her extraordinary talent and the immense pain she carried throughout her life, it is impossible to read this book without feeling deep sadness for the loss of such an incredible artist. If you enjoy Piaf's music, this book is a must-read; beware, you might cry.

[Linda Claeys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wat een leven! Wat een gepassioneerde en passionele vrouw! Ik ben grote fan van haar muziek en dankzij dit boek begrijp ik die muziek ook beter. Knap boek dat je meeneemt doorheen het turbulente leven van die kleine, grote dame.

[Temelog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haerika bir biyografi örneği.

[Iosiv Basarab · Rating 5 out of 5]

almost everything one wanted to know about Edith Piaf in a book written not without literary talent by her hald-sister

[Zakina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gelezen in het NL

[Lies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goed boek, geeft een goed tijdbeeld en inkijk in het leven van Edith Piaf, ook Aznavour komt erin voor, grappig

[Gabriela Marková · Rating 5 out of 5]

The one of those books you just cannot stop reading until its done :)

[Casacathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Läste boken på svenska. Intressant bok om en intressant kvinna

[Lenka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantasticky život Edith. Nevychádzala som z údivu. Táto žena žila 100 životov, každý deň na plno.

[Libby Wight · Rating 3 out of 5]

A harrowing portrayal of harrowing lives (as Piaf and Berteaut's live were so intertwined even when the were apart). It was an interesting story, but I found the writing quite challenging to follow.

[lindaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

nemam slov, slz hodne…

[Emanuella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Беше ме впечатлила в студентските години, сега се сетих и добавям :)