2 Stars

by Paul Theroux

'Paul Theroux is one of the world's most prolific and versatile authors. A writer of acclaimed and award-winning fiction, Theroux is perhaps better known as a traveller with the rare ability to bring the world home to his millions of readers. In Two Stars he explores the world of celebrity surrounding two icons: Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

54 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Paul Edward Theroux is an American travel writer and novelist, whose best known work is The Great Railway Bazaar (1975), a travelogue about a trip he made by train from Great Britain through Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, through South Asia, then South-East Asia, up through East Asia, as far east as Japan, and then back across Russia to his point of origin. Although perhaps best known as a travelogue writer, Theroux has also published numerous works of fiction, some of which were made into feature films. He was awarded the 1981 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his novel The Mosquito Coast.

He is the father of Marcel and Louis Theroux, and the brother of Alexander and Peter. Justin Theroux is his nephew.

Reviews

[Zahra Dashti · Rating 2 out of 5]

اگر مي دونستم موضوعش چيه ، احتمالا اصلا شروعش نمی کردم ، صرفا چون توانایی انتخاب کتاب رو نداشتم ، کم حجمترین کتاب ممکن رو که هدیه فروشنده انتشارات ، در نمایشگاه دو سال پیش بود برداشتم که زود تموم بشه ، به امید انتخاب یک کتاب برای فردا و ترس از بی کارف در مسیر امروز!
با این همه ، بد هم نشد. آشنایی مختصر با دنیایی که کوچکترین جذابیتی برام نداشته و نداره و زندگی دو سه نفری که کوچکترین حسی ندارم در موردشون و چهره یکی شون (که بیشترین موضوعیت کتاب رو داره) رو حتی یادم نمی آد.
کتاب در مورد الیزابت تایلور ، مارلین مونرو و کمی مایکل جکسون بود!
با این همه خوندنش ، خیلی هم خالی از لطف نبود

[حسن صنوبری · Rating 3 out of 5]

در مجموع کتاب قابل تاملی بود که به زندگی دو ستارۀ زن سینمای تجاری آمریکا یعنی مرلین مونرو و الیزابت تیلور پرداخته و و سعی کرده پنجره‌ای به حقیقت نه چندان خوشایند زندگیشان از پس شهرت عظیمشان باز کند

درباب تیلور یک جستار مفصل و درباب مونرو دو یادداشت کوتاه

ترجمه هم تقریبا خوب و روان بود. البته کتاب کمی مشکل ویراستاری دارد

[Sadjad Abedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

به نیت مجموعه داستان شروع به مطالعه کتاب کردم، درحالیکه کتاب متشکل از سه مقاله در مورد ستاره‌های هالیوود بود. در مقاله‌ی کوتاه اول نویسنده مفهوم نوستاره در هالیوود را بررسی اجمالی می‌کند و مقاله‌ی دوم در مورد الیزابت تیلور و دوست صمیمی‌اش مایکل جکسون است. این مقاله واقعا درخور توجه است و نشان از زیرکی و توانمندی نویسنده دارد که تصویر جانداری از این ستاره‌ی سال‌های نه‌چندان دور هالیوود به دست می‌دهد. قسمت کوتاهی از این مقاله به وقت‌نشناسی الیزابت تیلور به عنوان یک ویژگی مشخصه می‌پردازد که تحلیل آن بسیار قابل‌تامل و عمیق است. مقاله‌ی کوتاه سوم روایتی از حراج وسایل شخصی مرلین مونرو است که نویسنده در آن فتیشیسم موجود در این نوع حراج‌ها را تحلیل می‌کند. در کل، علی رغم اینکه در ابتدای مطالعه‌ی کتاب از فرمت خارج از انتظار کتاب جا خوردم، از مطالعه‌ی این کتاب بسیار راضی‌ام.

[Daren · Rating 2 out of 5]

This Penguin 70s book comprises three short pieces of writing. Two are magazine articles, the third Theroux refers to as essay.
The Two Stars in question are Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe, however there is also a lot of time spent with Michael Jackson - largely due to his relationship with Taylor.
Probably due to the subject material - I have no real knowledge of Elizabeth Taylor, I can't stand Michael Jackson - I just think he is weirdo, and Marilyn, well she is jut a bit outside of my era - I didn't find this particularly enthralling. The Marilyn auction was by far the better of the three pieces.
I like Theroux as a writer. As a journalist - this is the first I have read, and I am not sure his style works as well.
A two stars, nothing more. (No pun intended!)

[Ville · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kolmesta osiosta rakennettu esseekokoelma. Oikeastaan ajatukseltaan varsin kiehtova, harmittavasti vain vähän suppea. Parasta antia oli viimeinen, eli Marilyn Monroen huutokaupattua omaisuutta käsitellyt osuus. Muut osiot tuntui vähän turhan sisällöttömiltä, olkoonkin että kyllä niissäkin oli mielenkiintoisia kohtauksia. Ehkä näiden tekstien paikka olisi ennemmin lehdessä kuin kirjassa, nyt sinänsä ihan kiinnostavat tekstit jäi vähän etäisiksi.

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick, pleasant enough read but nothing out of the ordinary.

[Marta · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 Stars (2005)

Stelline: Theroux fa un'analisi del ruolo delle 'stelline', presenti in gran quantità soprattutto in un certo tipo di cinema americano degli inizi; solo una piccola parte riuscirono poi a diventare delle stelle a tutti gli effetti: Marilyn ne è un esempio.
Liz a Neverland: l'autore fa un ritratto di una Liz Taylor non più giovane, con i suoi 8 matrimoni alle spalle e amica di Michael Jackson, con cui spesso si intratteneva nella sua tenuta di Neverland (che io credevo fosse rimasta aperta al pubblico, tipo via di mezzo tra Graceland e Gardaland, invece no) e che ancora chiede una 'doppia porzione di vita'.
Marilyn Monroe: l'asta: Theroux assiste all'asta degli averi di Marilyn dopo la sua morte, dai vestiti di scena agli oggetti di uso quotidiano, tra venerazione e feticismo.
"L'asta diceva tutto sul pathos muto degli oggetti materiali, sulla tristezza delle cose usate, su Hollywood, sulla vita americana, su Marilyn." pag. 57

[Malzee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Travel, as the saying goes, and as everyone knows, is a privilege. Paul Theroux is gifted with bringing travel to his non-travel companions through the written word. When he employs his gift to allow us to visit a person as destination, it is quite something. Calling it a gift is both understating and perverting its true nature. It is profound, and beautiful, and intimate, and sad. Then, again, the subjects matter. Liz Taylor in real life (with a side dish of Michael Jackson), and Marilyn Monroe in still life. I wonder what it is like to travel to me... #book13 #pocketpenguins #penguin70s

[Chibe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Due stelle è un agile volume che esplora la personalità delle icone di Hollywood: Liz Taylor e Marylin Monroe.
Non si tratta di biografie vere e proprie, ma di due spaccati nel mondo delle dive. Theroux sceglie di non ripercorrere punto per punto la vita di ciascuna di loro, ma attraverso un colloquio (nel primo caso) e la descrizione dell' asta dei beni di Marylin (nel secondo) ricostruisce brevemente le rispettive personalità al di fuori dello schermo.
Sarebbe stato più interessante un esame più approfondito.

[L J Field · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully intense portrait of Elizabeth Taylor.

[Coenraad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Theroux is known for his novels; in the Penguin 60s set his ability and fame as travel writer were on display. Here, in the Pocket Penguin 70s, he is seen as journalist. He writes about starlets (and if you din't know what that is, he gives several dictionary definitions); he writes a trenchant profile about Elizabeth Taylor, based in part on several interviews with her; and finally he writes about the auctioning of Marilyn Monroe's personal possessions. Insightful, moving, masterly.

Theroux skryf hier nie fiksie of reisbeskrywings soos in die boeke waarvoor hy meestal beroemd is nie, maar drie joernalistieke stukke: eerstens oor 'starlets', jong aktrises wat potensieel later sterstatus sou kon bereik; tweedens 'n lang stuk waarin hy die verskynsel Elizabeth Taylor deurtastend ondersoek, met gebruik van onder meer onderhoude met haar; en laastens 'n verslag oor die opveil van Marilyn Monroe se private besittings. Insiggewend, ontroerend, meesterlik.

[Lauren Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick easy read, comprising 3 pieces on female movie stars - a definition of the 'starlet', a long article detailing Theroux's interviews with Elizabeth Taylor (including an interview with her close friend Michael Jackson) and a very short article on the auctioning of Marilyn Monroe's possessions.

Read the full review on my blog Violin in a Void

[Mary Arkless]

Pleasant read. The first essay is about starlets, what the word means, if they still exist, etc. The second is about getting to know Elizabeth Taylor, and is the longest piece. At the end is a very short piece about an auction of Marilyn Monroe's last possessions.

[Steve Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very witty read for when you have a spare half an hour

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky, insteresting and characteristically Paul Theroux. Enjoyable quick read.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

“2 Stars” by Paul Theroux - “Liz in Neverland” (ISBN: 9780141022666)

Referring to Elizabeth Taylor's friendship with Michael Jackson:
Author: “So you're Wendy and Michael is Peter?”
Taylor: “Yeah, yeah. There's a kind of magic between us.” (p9)

“... she could not bear looking back on her life, and would never contemplate an autobiography. 'because some of it has been so painful, I couldn't relive it.'” (p16)

“And Michael, who indulges in obsessive iconography, had for years collected images of Elizabeth Taylor, as he had of Diana Ross and Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin – and for that matter of Mickey Mouse and Peter Pan, all of whom, over the years in what is less a life than a metamorphosis, he has come physically to resemble.” (p18)

Leon Bloy quote, 'In the lost childhood of Judas, Jesus was betrayed.' (p25)

On Montgomery Clift: “Monty was in the closet and I think I knew what he was fighting. He was tormented his whole life. I tried to explain to him that it wasn't awful. It was the way that Nature had made him.” (p35)

“If there is a constant in her endlessly altering life, it is the friendship of gay men. Husbands and lovers have come and gone but there has always been a gay man – and usually more than one – acting as an escort, confidant, friend, almost sister. Roddy McDowall ... James Dean, Rock Hudson, Tennessee Williams … Andy Warhol, Truman Capote. … among the closet friends she has in her life. Her lovers have been abusive, but there is not a recorded instance of even a spat with one of her gay friends.” (p36-37)

“2 Stars” by Paul Theroux - “Marilyn Monroe: The Auction”
“The atmosphere at Christie's main sale room in New York was in fact much more visceral, even outlandish, and as dramatic as a cargo-cult veneration of sacred totems.” (p47)

“Her single mother was mentally ill and committed to an asylum. The girl born as Norma Jean spent her early years shunting among eleven foster homes and an orphanage. She was still only eleven. … (Her) legal guardian .. brokered her first marriage a few weeks after Norma Jean turned sixteen.” (p49)

“... she was familiar with Khalil Gibran and 'The Little Prince'.” (p52)