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Ingrid Bergman: Ma Vie
Ingrid Bergman - winner of three Academy Awards - tells her own story both onstage and off. The book describes her relationships with the characters she knew and worked with, including Selznick, Garbo, Bogart, Gary Cooper and Ingmar Bergman. Above all, she reveals the story of her personal life - her childhood in Sweden, her marriages (including her dramatic and controversial elopement with Roberto Rossellini), and, in more recent years, her battle against cancer. She died in 1982.
595 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
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February 26, 2015
این کتاب مطمئنن یه اثر ادبی نیست زندگینامه ی ستاره بین المللی سینماست به قلم خودش که ازقضا فراز و فرودهای زیادی هم در زندگیش تجربه کرد.ابتدای کتاب ،برگمان همه ی انگیزه ی خودش رو از نوشتن همچین اثری به خوبی بیان میکنه.مطمئن بود بعد از مرگش همه دست به قلم میشن تا راجع به سبک و سیاق زندگیش نظر بدهند در حالی که دیگه کسی نخواهد بود تا راست رو از دروغ سوا کنه.پس خودش قبل از مرگش دست به کار شد
برگمن چه در دوره ی فتح قله های سینما و چه در دوران افول همیشه برای همه سوژه ی جالب و بفروشی بود.از همین رو بود که بلافاصله بعد از انتشار، کتاب به زبانهای دیگه ترجمه و میلیون ها نسخه ش فروش رفت تا مردم از زندگی خصوصی،علایقش،تلاش هاش ، احساساتش و دلیلش برای اون رسوایی بزرگ با روبرتو روسولینی،کارگردان ایتالیایی سر در بیارن
کتاب جالبیه و تا پایان زندگی مشترک با روسولینی هم صرفنظر از پرداخت و توضیح و تفصیل طولانی و دقیق شرایط و اتفاقات، یکنفس جلو میره ولی حقیقت اینه که بعد از اون، خوندنش چندان لطفی نداره.به هرحال احتیاط برگمن برای جلوگیری از قلم فرسایی نادرست سایرین راجع به زندگیش ،اثری ششصد صفحه ای رو ایجاد کرده که حداقل صد صفحه ی نهاییش ملال اور میشه
با همه ی اینها با خوندن این کتاب کسب اگاهی از جزئیات زندگی برگمن تنها چیزی نیست که حاصل میشه مرور نحوه ی ساخت و داستان های پشت صحنه ی فیلم های معروف برگمن و تاریخ سینما و گریز به زندگی اطرافیان برگمن که بعضی هاشون از مشهورترین های ادبیات و سینما بودند هم براتون جالب خواهد بود
برگمن به همرا روبرتو روسولینی
ستاره ای که مدام در حال بافتن بود
:)
برگمن چه در دوره ی فتح قله های سینما و چه در دوران افول همیشه برای همه سوژه ی جالب و بفروشی بود.از همین رو بود که بلافاصله بعد از انتشار، کتاب به زبانهای دیگه ترجمه و میلیون ها نسخه ش فروش رفت تا مردم از زندگی خصوصی،علایقش،تلاش هاش ، احساساتش و دلیلش برای اون رسوایی بزرگ با روبرتو روسولینی،کارگردان ایتالیایی سر در بیارن
کتاب جالبیه و تا پایان زندگی مشترک با روسولینی هم صرفنظر از پرداخت و توضیح و تفصیل طولانی و دقیق شرایط و اتفاقات، یکنفس جلو میره ولی حقیقت اینه که بعد از اون، خوندنش چندان لطفی نداره.به هرحال احتیاط برگمن برای جلوگیری از قلم فرسایی نادرست سایرین راجع به زندگیش ،اثری ششصد صفحه ای رو ایجاد کرده که حداقل صد صفحه ی نهاییش ملال اور میشه
با همه ی اینها با خوندن این کتاب کسب اگاهی از جزئیات زندگی برگمن تنها چیزی نیست که حاصل میشه مرور نحوه ی ساخت و داستان های پشت صحنه ی فیلم های معروف برگمن و تاریخ سینما و گریز به زندگی اطرافیان برگمن که بعضی هاشون از مشهورترین های ادبیات و سینما بودند هم براتون جالب خواهد بود
برگمن به همرا روبرتو روسولینی
ستاره ای که مدام در حال بافتن بود
:)
August 30, 2011
This book was a chance find on the fleamarket, but it turned out to be very interesting. I've always been an Ingrid Bergman fan, but I didn't know very much about her life. Now I do - and in a sense, the perception I always had of her has been confirmed: She was a very strong woman who didn't let anything get her down, who was very straightforward, had lots of humour and a great, eventful life and wasn't your typical Hollywood star. There was a lot of Sweden in her still, which I love. And I hadn't known that her affair/later marriage with Roberto Rossellini was such a scandal, and that the pressure of the public & the media seems to have been just as bad as it is today, paparazzi and all. A very inspiring life story. I think in my next life I want to be Ingrid Bergman.
September 15, 2011
What an epic life Ingrid Bergman led! Living and working all over Europe and America, she acted in 5 languages (English, French, German, Italian and Swedish) on stage and screen. She ended up only a Grammy short of "EGOTing" with her three Oscars, two Emmys and Tony. She was great friends with Hemingway, knew Shaw and O'Neill, performing in many of their plays. She was something of a pet to Howard Hughes. Not to mention all the great leading men (Cary Grant, Yul Brynner, Bogie) and immortal directors (Hitchcock, Lumet, Ingmar Bergman, Jean Renoir)...
Also, I had no idea Ingrid Bergman was so scandalous in her day!
I really liked the structure, with mostly first-person reminiscences by Ingrid, lots of letters reproduced and some connective sections by her co-author. It felt real and reliable, while at the same time conveying her warmth, humor and straightforwardness.
Recommended for any film buffs.
Also, I had no idea Ingrid Bergman was so scandalous in her day!
I really liked the structure, with mostly first-person reminiscences by Ingrid, lots of letters reproduced and some connective sections by her co-author. It felt real and reliable, while at the same time conveying her warmth, humor and straightforwardness.
Recommended for any film buffs.
September 8, 2017
It was with the audience in mind that Ingrid Bergman once said, "I learned that the audience is on your side. They don't laugh at you, they weep for you. Yes, they laugh when it's funny, when you ask them to laugh, but when it's serious, they hold their breath waiting for you to take hold again."
That sense of understanding...perhaps even compassion she talks about in the context of the "relationship" between performer and audience was an apt description of how I felt about Ingrid Bergman as I read this biography.
Even before reading it, I loved her performances in "Intermezzo" and "Anastasia" and saw her as a rare and exquisite acting talent.
But the book talked about her controversial marriage to director Roberto Rossellini and the difficult film "Stromboli" that they somehow managed to make together.
It was then that I as the reader took a view of understanding and that made the reading of the book, and appreciation of Ingrid Bergman's life all the more satisfying.
I very well written book that was easy to immerse oneself in. I highly recommend it.
That sense of understanding...perhaps even compassion she talks about in the context of the "relationship" between performer and audience was an apt description of how I felt about Ingrid Bergman as I read this biography.
Even before reading it, I loved her performances in "Intermezzo" and "Anastasia" and saw her as a rare and exquisite acting talent.
But the book talked about her controversial marriage to director Roberto Rossellini and the difficult film "Stromboli" that they somehow managed to make together.
It was then that I as the reader took a view of understanding and that made the reading of the book, and appreciation of Ingrid Bergman's life all the more satisfying.
I very well written book that was easy to immerse oneself in. I highly recommend it.
June 2, 2016
If you're too young to remember the scandal, Ingrid Bergman, the #1 box office star at the time, left her husband and had a child with her director of the movie Stromboli. They later married and divorced and she married and divorced again. It seems utterly quaint in 2016 that this was a big enough deal that the public, the press, and even a U.S. Senator were horrified, and she stayed out of the U.S. for 20 years.
Anyway, it's a fine biography, which includes the author's narrative of events, Ingrid's own impressions and feelings, and letters to and from her between her and significant people in her life. I enjoyed it very much and now plan to watch a bunch of her movies, mostly for the second time, a few for the first. In addition to being very beautiful, she was a very fine actress.
Anyway, it's a fine biography, which includes the author's narrative of events, Ingrid's own impressions and feelings, and letters to and from her between her and significant people in her life. I enjoyed it very much and now plan to watch a bunch of her movies, mostly for the second time, a few for the first. In addition to being very beautiful, she was a very fine actress.
October 12, 2019
داستان زندگی هنرپیشه ای که عاشق کارش بود، به معنای واقعی اولین انتخابش همیشه کار بود، درش غرق میشد و لذدت میبرد.ماجراها و اتفاقات داخلی زندگی یک سلبریتی. ماجرای رویاهای بزرگ یک زن و تلاش همه جانبه برای رسیدن به اونها در زمانی که زنان خیلی حقوق مشخص و واضحی نداشتن و از همه مهمتر حضور خیل بزرگ فیلمسازها و داستان نویسان وعکاسان در یک برهه از زمان و ارتباطات شخصی اونا باهم که خوندن کتاب رو شیرین و شیرن تر میکنه. من از لحظه لحظه خوندن این کتاب لذت بردم و مثل یک آبنبات دل انگیز آروم آروم خوندمش چون دلم نمیخواست تموم بشه.
November 11, 2014
This is the story of my favorite actress. A wonderful woman!I really loved it!
July 29, 2012
Ever since I saw Casablanca I have loved Ingrid Bergman and old Hollywood. So it should come as no surprise that I decided to read her autobiography. It was well done and I learned a lot about her. The thing I didn't like about it was that Ms. Bergman co-wrote the book with a professional writer, that stuck his own input in on situations. I didn't really care for that and therefore it kind of talk away from the novel. Overall a well done book and definitely worth reading.
July 24, 2014
طبعن زندگی اینگرید برگمان به عنوان یکی از بزرگترین ستارگان بازیگری جذابیت های خاص خودش را دارد به ویژه که داستان زندگی شخصی و عاشقانه اش پر از هیجان و فراز و نشیب بوده است. اما واقعن 608 صفحه برای یک بیوگرافی خیلی طولانی است. رسمن صد صفحه آخر را فقط مرور کردم و نخواندم از بس طولانی و کسل کننده بود.بهرحال اینگرید زن جالبی بود که زندگی جالبی هم داشت. از خواندن کتاب کم و بیش لذت بردم.
تیر ماه 93
January 3, 2012
I loved this book. It moves seamlessly between Bergman's own words and correspondence and 3rd person narrative that ties the story together. Very compassionate, humble and real.
August 29, 2012
Love this book and read it many times. It is really interesting and a well written book for Bergman fans.
March 7, 2020
خداحافظی با این زن توقف ناپذیر و این بازیگر پرشور بینهایت سخت است.
خداحافظ برگمن عزیز
خداحافظ ای جاودانه!
دوستت دارم بسیار بسیار بسیار
روانت شاد.
خداحافظ برگمن عزیز
خداحافظ ای جاودانه!
دوستت دارم بسیار بسیار بسیار
روانت شاد.
May 17, 2012
This is the story of a remarkable woman told in her own words and those of people close to her. It also makes extensive use of letters by Ingrid and the important people in her life, which gives it a very intimate and authentic feel. The shifts between Ingrid's voice and others is almost seamless, and the book provides great insights not just into Ingrid's life but a whole chapter in 20th century history. I loved the references to other famous people that she mixed with, and the descriptions of the high-flying and glamorous life she led.
It wasn't all sunshine and roses for Ingrid, though, and the book doesn't shy away from the difficult and heartbreaking times she went through. Her relationship with Roberto Rossellini was very stormy, but the story of how they got together, which opens the book, is so romanitic it's like something straight out of a movie.
Ingrid comes across as a very down-to-earth and likeable person with a strong moral compass. I think this is the reason she survived for so long in the acting game, because she never let her ego get the better of her. She tried hard to do the best by everyone in her life, but at the same time she is completely dedicated to her art, and this sometimes meant she neglected people. I felt a bit sorry for her children because she did not seem to spend much time with them as they were growing up.
Her biggest flaw, in my opinion, was her weakness when it came to men. She let her first husband dominate her, and then flew straight into the arms of another man who was even worse. Rossellini refused to let her work with any other directors when they were married and for a long time she went along with this, even though they produced only box-office disasters together.
Reading between the lines I sense that the reason she ended up with Rossellini was because she was desperate to leave her first husband and he provided a way out. Little did she know what she was letting herself in for! Despite his extreme egotism, Ingrid and Rossellini genuinely loved each other and remained close till the day he died. Ingrid was the type of person who seemed to have inspired long lasting and loyal relationships because she was a class-act till the very end.
I probably shouldn't admit this, but the whole time I was reading this book I had Ingrid Bergman mixed up with Katherine Hepburn, and when I got to the end I wondered why On Golden Pond was never mentioned. Duh! Obviously I knew very little about her before reading the book, and I was especially surprised to discover how much of her career was spent on the stage. I'm very inspired now to see some of her films and also Rossellini's. I might even give On Golden Pond a go, too, and I should probably brush up on my knowledge of Katherin Hepburn while I'm at it!.
It wasn't all sunshine and roses for Ingrid, though, and the book doesn't shy away from the difficult and heartbreaking times she went through. Her relationship with Roberto Rossellini was very stormy, but the story of how they got together, which opens the book, is so romanitic it's like something straight out of a movie.
Ingrid comes across as a very down-to-earth and likeable person with a strong moral compass. I think this is the reason she survived for so long in the acting game, because she never let her ego get the better of her. She tried hard to do the best by everyone in her life, but at the same time she is completely dedicated to her art, and this sometimes meant she neglected people. I felt a bit sorry for her children because she did not seem to spend much time with them as they were growing up.
Her biggest flaw, in my opinion, was her weakness when it came to men. She let her first husband dominate her, and then flew straight into the arms of another man who was even worse. Rossellini refused to let her work with any other directors when they were married and for a long time she went along with this, even though they produced only box-office disasters together.
Reading between the lines I sense that the reason she ended up with Rossellini was because she was desperate to leave her first husband and he provided a way out. Little did she know what she was letting herself in for! Despite his extreme egotism, Ingrid and Rossellini genuinely loved each other and remained close till the day he died. Ingrid was the type of person who seemed to have inspired long lasting and loyal relationships because she was a class-act till the very end.
I probably shouldn't admit this, but the whole time I was reading this book I had Ingrid Bergman mixed up with Katherine Hepburn, and when I got to the end I wondered why On Golden Pond was never mentioned. Duh! Obviously I knew very little about her before reading the book, and I was especially surprised to discover how much of her career was spent on the stage. I'm very inspired now to see some of her films and also Rossellini's. I might even give On Golden Pond a go, too, and I should probably brush up on my knowledge of Katherin Hepburn while I'm at it!.
September 25, 2012
An interesting (auto)biography. Most of the text is by Ingrid Bergmann (I suppose edited by her co-author, Alan Burgess), with some explanatory paragraphs by Burgess and numerous quotes from her daughters Pia and Isabella, her husbands, actors and directors she worked with etc.
I would have liked to get to know more about her movies, especially the filming process, and her co-stars. There are some passages about this, but only about some of her movies. The focus is definitly more on her private life, especially her three marriages and the "scandal" when she met Roberto Rossellini. Actually, a good third of the book covers her relationship with Rossellini, the problems with her divorce from her first husband, the break-up with Rossellini after seven years, custody-battles and the behaviour of the press.
The view represented in this book is - not surprisingly so in an autobiography - very subjective. There are some things that are obviously very important to Ingrid Bergmann and that therefore are talked about a lot and other themes that would have been interesting to know for the reader but are told only in passing.
All in all a well-written, enjoyable book, that isn't so much about her most famous Hollywood movies and co-stars but focusses more on her private life, the early Swedish films and her work at the theater.
I would have liked to get to know more about her movies, especially the filming process, and her co-stars. There are some passages about this, but only about some of her movies. The focus is definitly more on her private life, especially her three marriages and the "scandal" when she met Roberto Rossellini. Actually, a good third of the book covers her relationship with Rossellini, the problems with her divorce from her first husband, the break-up with Rossellini after seven years, custody-battles and the behaviour of the press.
The view represented in this book is - not surprisingly so in an autobiography - very subjective. There are some things that are obviously very important to Ingrid Bergmann and that therefore are talked about a lot and other themes that would have been interesting to know for the reader but are told only in passing.
All in all a well-written, enjoyable book, that isn't so much about her most famous Hollywood movies and co-stars but focusses more on her private life, the early Swedish films and her work at the theater.
June 21, 2021
I am a fan of Ingrid Bergman. She wrote a memoir in 1980. Her kids had pleaded with her for years to write her memoir to tell her story. She was born in Sweden by the time she was 13, both of her parents had died. She found she had a knack for acting and started out in small roles in Sweden. Married young and made it to the USA. I liked reading of her life and the movies she made. I wish she had talked more about the movies and what it was like working with certain actors and actresses. she shares some which is nice.
she marries three times. Her second husband caused a lot of scandal for the times. she was married and had an affair and left her first husband to start up a relationship with Roberto Rossellini. for years she was shunned my the industry. This memoir gives her a chance to write about those years. she had a daughter from her first marriage and had three more children with Rossellini.
she finally got to start up her career again married a third time. she wrote this book in 1980 and died two years later. I was glad to read her memoir and learn more about Ms. Bergman.
she marries three times. Her second husband caused a lot of scandal for the times. she was married and had an affair and left her first husband to start up a relationship with Roberto Rossellini. for years she was shunned my the industry. This memoir gives her a chance to write about those years. she had a daughter from her first marriage and had three more children with Rossellini.
she finally got to start up her career again married a third time. she wrote this book in 1980 and died two years later. I was glad to read her memoir and learn more about Ms. Bergman.
January 11, 2014
I love this book! Ingrid Bergman is one of my idols, and there's not anything i love more than a biography written by the person herself. It makes you feel like you know her very well without even knowing her, and you can't do anything but love her, when you read this book!
This woman has gone through so much, but still manages to keep her head held high; and she is so positive, so happy and smiling.
I am so glad to have read, and bought this book, because it really shows the person Ingrid, and not the movie star Miss Bergman - It shows how she tried to live life as good as she could, with a lot of mistakes, but even more happiness.
If you love Ingrid Bergman, or just want to know about her and her life, then read this book! You wont be disappointed!
This woman has gone through so much, but still manages to keep her head held high; and she is so positive, so happy and smiling.
I am so glad to have read, and bought this book, because it really shows the person Ingrid, and not the movie star Miss Bergman - It shows how she tried to live life as good as she could, with a lot of mistakes, but even more happiness.
If you love Ingrid Bergman, or just want to know about her and her life, then read this book! You wont be disappointed!
March 30, 2013
Recently I picked this book off a shelf at the beach house we rented and I found it to be a very fascinating read. I have always adored Ingrid Bergman for both her beauty and the naturalness of her acting. Casablanca and Anastasia were two of my favorite movies to on watch Saturday afternoons when Atlanta TV would show old movies. (Sunday mornings were all about Shirley Temple). Anyway, Ms. Bergman turns out to be as beautiful on the inside and very open and honest about her life. She was not afraid to be who she was. I was glad to read her life in her own words. The ghost-writers research is both unobtrusive and enlightening. Pick up a copy at your nearest beach house or library today!
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October 12, 2008وقتي اين كتاب رو خريدم، و با پيش فرضي كه از اينگريد برگمن و فيلمهايي كه در آن ها بازي كرده بود، فكر ميكردم كتاب خوبيه و مطالب خوبي خواهم خواند. دربارهي فيلمها و خاطراتش از فيلمها
صد صفحه خوندم ديدم به جايي نرسيد. صد و پنجاه صفحه خوندم ديدم اصلاً نميخواد به روي خودش بياره كه چيكاره بوده؟ با كيا بازي كرده؟ تو فيلم چه كارگردانهايي بازي كرده
دويست صفحه خوندم حالم از اين همه خاله زنك بازي به هم خورد. ظاهراً بحث (خاله زنك بازي) خيلي گسترده تر از ايران و آسيا و جهان سوم و دوم است. اين جزو كتابهايي بود كه از بابت خريدنش، پشيمون شدم
صد صفحه خوندم ديدم به جايي نرسيد. صد و پنجاه صفحه خوندم ديدم اصلاً نميخواد به روي خودش بياره كه چيكاره بوده؟ با كيا بازي كرده؟ تو فيلم چه كارگردانهايي بازي كرده
دويست صفحه خوندم حالم از اين همه خاله زنك بازي به هم خورد. ظاهراً بحث (خاله زنك بازي) خيلي گسترده تر از ايران و آسيا و جهان سوم و دوم است. اين جزو كتابهايي بود كه از بابت خريدنش، پشيمون شدم
February 3, 2010
I love older movies and was introduced to Ingrid Bergman through the Alfred Hitchcock movies she was in. In the 50's she was involved in a scandal that isolated her from the United States and even legislation was made in Congress stating she was degrading Hollywood! Imagine that, I think that they have been degrading themselves just fine without blaming her. Anyway this was the story of her life from her point of view. It was really good, just a little long. I love to read biographies/autobiographies.
January 12, 2022
This was a really interesting read and for a 500+ biography I was surprisingly engaged and invested the whole was through
I knew... absolutely nothing about ingrid bergman going in (other than like... she was Swedish and in Casablanca (I have still not seen Casablanca I am ashamed)) and now I feel like I wanna go watch everything she's been in
I knew... absolutely nothing about ingrid bergman going in (other than like... she was Swedish and in Casablanca (I have still not seen Casablanca I am ashamed)) and now I feel like I wanna go watch everything she's been in
August 18, 2021
Ingrid Berman, love. There's never been anyone like you. I'm glad you shared your story with your own words before you passed. Wherever you are now, I hope you're as colorful and beautiful as I've gotten to think of you.
April 5, 2025
I watched 12 of her movies alongside reading this book to get to know her as much as she was willing to offer.
Ingrid Bergman was an in-between woman, caught between her desire to be a free artist and the patriarchal system dominated by men who struggled to contain her (i.e. studio heads, husbands and lovers, the government); in between nations, as a Swedish woman in an English market who was shunned and trapped in Italy. Even her biography is stuck between her naked recounting, and some random guy filling in the missing details. At the centre of it all was Ingrid. Her poise, the way she held herself and her effortless grace made her extremely desired and famous, not just for being attractive, but her acting ability was something else. The camera loved her, and when you watch her films you pity her male co-stars because the audience isn’t watching them, they’re watching Ingrid. Even through broken English, her star quality shone through the screen and elevated to a level of fame few people were able to attain, and this is all in a time when gaining fame was not an easy task. The story of a young attractive star getting this famous usually ends darkly, but by all accounts Ingrid came out unscathed. Yes, she went through torment, but her psyche wasn’t destroyed by it. She had the grace and poise to become a megastar, and the mental strength to survive it.
The biography itself is measured and is just a running list of the films she appeared in and some fun anecdotes of those times. The main story is her parting from Petter Lindstrom, her Swedish husband and getting with Roberto Rossellini, which is what the majority of readers would have been curious about. There are much more interesting sections on her feelings about her daughter Pia who felt Ingrid had abandoned her that were more telling, and the long letters people in the 50s would send each other. Ernest Hemingway comes out looking like a chill dude in this in the way he came to Bergman’s defence. I didn’t find Ingrid’s behaviours juicy or salacious, I mostly just hated America’s reaction to it.
It took me a while to finish as it was at times dry, but overall I feel I got a good sense of Ingrid’s character and how she changed as she got older. Recommend to those who have an existing fascination with Ingrid Bergman, but the writing and cohesion of the book itself is nothing to run off to Italy about.
Films I watched:
Intermezzo: A Love Story
Adam Had Four Sons
Rage in Heaven
Casablanca
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Gaslight
Spellbound
The Bells of St. Mary’s
Notorious
Stromboli
Anastasia
Murder on the Orient Express
Ingrid Bergman was an in-between woman, caught between her desire to be a free artist and the patriarchal system dominated by men who struggled to contain her (i.e. studio heads, husbands and lovers, the government); in between nations, as a Swedish woman in an English market who was shunned and trapped in Italy. Even her biography is stuck between her naked recounting, and some random guy filling in the missing details. At the centre of it all was Ingrid. Her poise, the way she held herself and her effortless grace made her extremely desired and famous, not just for being attractive, but her acting ability was something else. The camera loved her, and when you watch her films you pity her male co-stars because the audience isn’t watching them, they’re watching Ingrid. Even through broken English, her star quality shone through the screen and elevated to a level of fame few people were able to attain, and this is all in a time when gaining fame was not an easy task. The story of a young attractive star getting this famous usually ends darkly, but by all accounts Ingrid came out unscathed. Yes, she went through torment, but her psyche wasn’t destroyed by it. She had the grace and poise to become a megastar, and the mental strength to survive it.
The biography itself is measured and is just a running list of the films she appeared in and some fun anecdotes of those times. The main story is her parting from Petter Lindstrom, her Swedish husband and getting with Roberto Rossellini, which is what the majority of readers would have been curious about. There are much more interesting sections on her feelings about her daughter Pia who felt Ingrid had abandoned her that were more telling, and the long letters people in the 50s would send each other. Ernest Hemingway comes out looking like a chill dude in this in the way he came to Bergman’s defence. I didn’t find Ingrid’s behaviours juicy or salacious, I mostly just hated America’s reaction to it.
It took me a while to finish as it was at times dry, but overall I feel I got a good sense of Ingrid’s character and how she changed as she got older. Recommend to those who have an existing fascination with Ingrid Bergman, but the writing and cohesion of the book itself is nothing to run off to Italy about.
Films I watched:
Intermezzo: A Love Story
Adam Had Four Sons
Rage in Heaven
Casablanca
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Gaslight
Spellbound
The Bells of St. Mary’s
Notorious
Stromboli
Anastasia
Murder on the Orient Express
February 25, 2023
She was ahead of her time. She wrote a diary like many did back then, I was encouraged too in kindergarten and school to do so, and started blogging in 2005. Anyway, she also did lots of portraits of herself I'm not sure if it was taken by her but she was a postmodern woman. The reason I only rated it 1 is she annoyed me.
But I learnt later of her life. For example, in the beginning of the book, she praises her (first) husband, that he says "don't raise your shoulders, don't scrunge your forehead", then maybe 50 pages later, she says the same thing, but that shes annoyed by it. That's when I stopped reading, so maybe I only read 80 pages or so.
Anyway, to this day, I've only really had 1 blogfriend, but she's never given up on me. And if anyone has more than 1 best friend, then you're one of the lucky ones. For Ingrid, I'm not sure, who was her best friend? I can't recall her talking about it, maybe she was just a lonely geek, like Marilyn Monroe. The adventures even take her to Sicily.
I could recommend it now, but if you're bored of diary-like books it might not be for you. Self-biographies have a certain glow to them to, it's like you "know" the person afterwards, like you have a connection to them, especially if you've taken in much of their art before. A lot of more of their creativity makes sense then. And maybe that's what is the most important thing about life, that it makes sense. As a wise man once said, "Reality is more of a stranger than fiction, because fiction has to make sense".
And here you get the truth, she had eating disorders too but upside down, she just liked eating a lot of good food, when her husband didn't "do" it for her. A portrait of an amazing person, I wish I'd gotten to know her, that I was born earlier. That I'd seen her movies in theatres, seen her photo in magazines all the time. Wondered what strange little girl she was.
By the way, "Bergman" is a german last name, it means "mountain person", or rather "strong as a mountain", and if you read more than I did, you might understand what it means to be Ingrid.
But I learnt later of her life. For example, in the beginning of the book, she praises her (first) husband, that he says "don't raise your shoulders, don't scrunge your forehead", then maybe 50 pages later, she says the same thing, but that shes annoyed by it. That's when I stopped reading, so maybe I only read 80 pages or so.
Anyway, to this day, I've only really had 1 blogfriend, but she's never given up on me. And if anyone has more than 1 best friend, then you're one of the lucky ones. For Ingrid, I'm not sure, who was her best friend? I can't recall her talking about it, maybe she was just a lonely geek, like Marilyn Monroe. The adventures even take her to Sicily.
I could recommend it now, but if you're bored of diary-like books it might not be for you. Self-biographies have a certain glow to them to, it's like you "know" the person afterwards, like you have a connection to them, especially if you've taken in much of their art before. A lot of more of their creativity makes sense then. And maybe that's what is the most important thing about life, that it makes sense. As a wise man once said, "Reality is more of a stranger than fiction, because fiction has to make sense".
And here you get the truth, she had eating disorders too but upside down, she just liked eating a lot of good food, when her husband didn't "do" it for her. A portrait of an amazing person, I wish I'd gotten to know her, that I was born earlier. That I'd seen her movies in theatres, seen her photo in magazines all the time. Wondered what strange little girl she was.
By the way, "Bergman" is a german last name, it means "mountain person", or rather "strong as a mountain", and if you read more than I did, you might understand what it means to be Ingrid.
June 8, 2022
"I have always thought that I will go on acting and acting and acting because I belong to those people of the theater and the movies and the make believe world we create...so at the end of my life, I'll be ready and there".
Man, it hurts that two years after this was published, we lost Ingrid Bergman. I love Ingrid, and loved getting to know her life better. Only she could persuade me to seek out the 3 hour documentary of the making of Autumn Sonata and watch the whole thing. My main takeaways from this memoir, other than the solidification of my admiration for her, are;
-Marion Davies was incredibly kind
-Her first two husbands were incredibly toxic, and not just in the "oh its the 40's and things are different so this is ok!" kind of way, but in the "this is incredibly concerning and traumatic" kind of way
-Interesting that so many of the movies that are now thought of as masterpieces (e.g. all of her films with Rossellini basically, notably Stromboli and Journey to Italy) were very poorly received at the time
-EVERYONE in Hollywood was having numerous affairs at any given moment. Kind of hilarious reading about all the crossover
-Cary Grant was as charismatic and likeable in person as he was on screen
-It is very sad reading about how Ingrid met people such as Charles Boyer, Ernest Hemingway and Signe Hasso, and found them to be full of life and remained friends for years, knowing what we know now about where their lives took them. Really hard to accept that such seemingly happy people ended up with such difficult and devastating life turns.
Man, it hurts that two years after this was published, we lost Ingrid Bergman. I love Ingrid, and loved getting to know her life better. Only she could persuade me to seek out the 3 hour documentary of the making of Autumn Sonata and watch the whole thing. My main takeaways from this memoir, other than the solidification of my admiration for her, are;
-Marion Davies was incredibly kind
-Her first two husbands were incredibly toxic, and not just in the "oh its the 40's and things are different so this is ok!" kind of way, but in the "this is incredibly concerning and traumatic" kind of way
-Interesting that so many of the movies that are now thought of as masterpieces (e.g. all of her films with Rossellini basically, notably Stromboli and Journey to Italy) were very poorly received at the time
-EVERYONE in Hollywood was having numerous affairs at any given moment. Kind of hilarious reading about all the crossover
-Cary Grant was as charismatic and likeable in person as he was on screen
-It is very sad reading about how Ingrid met people such as Charles Boyer, Ernest Hemingway and Signe Hasso, and found them to be full of life and remained friends for years, knowing what we know now about where their lives took them. Really hard to accept that such seemingly happy people ended up with such difficult and devastating life turns.
August 1, 2025
Gets around the is-it-or-isn't-it-ghostwritten problem of Hollywood memoirs in a pretty interesting way, by alternating Bergman's own words -- which are very anecdotal and off-the-cuff -- with coauthor Burgess's broader and clearly authorized narration. Serves as a kind of monument to what a giant of 20th century culture, and really just about every corner of film culture in particular, she was. The book's dominated by the Roberto Rossellini affair-marriage-scandal, and to modern eyes and ears it remains remarkable how personally the American film world took all that at the time. It's also interesting to read how the films they made together which are now considered untouchable classics were widely viewed as embarrassing failures at the time. Her personal life, which is admittedly pretty engrossing, custody battles and all, dominates the thing over her technique or career choices (the Hollywood work for which she's remembered is breezed through pretty quickly), but it's really nice to hear everything from her POV. It goes all the way up to Autumn Sonata and her cancer diagnosis. I was particularly touched by her final reunion with Rossellini and by the time the book takes out to acknowledge the most devoted fringe of her fanbase. An essential text IMO.
March 27, 2020
This got off to a really slow start and I regretted buying this at first. But after the first two chapters it got really interesting. I of course enjoyed learning about one of my favorite actresses (although I wish she talked more about the making of Casablanca), but I really learned about the type of person she was. There are parts that are happy, sad, funny, ironic, and everything else. The epilogue was so sweet.
The only thing I didn't really like is that even though this is technically an autobiography, Burgess provides a lot of narration at times, so it constantly switches between Burgess's narration and Bergman's voice. Sometimes his narration is interesting and provides some momentum but most of the time I found it distracting and/or unnecessary.
Still, it wasn't that big a deal and besides the beginning, I was very interested throughout the whole book. Highly recommend for fans of Bergman, movies, or autobiographies.
The only thing I didn't really like is that even though this is technically an autobiography, Burgess provides a lot of narration at times, so it constantly switches between Burgess's narration and Bergman's voice. Sometimes his narration is interesting and provides some momentum but most of the time I found it distracting and/or unnecessary.
Still, it wasn't that big a deal and besides the beginning, I was very interested throughout the whole book. Highly recommend for fans of Bergman, movies, or autobiographies.
November 25, 2018
A nice read about a very charming person's extraordinary life. It added a lot of details to the documentary "Jag är Ingrid" ("I am Ingrid"), which I recently saw. Especially about how big a scandal Ingrid Bergman's relationship and subsequent marriage to Roberto Rossellini was at the time, how she got hunted and criticised internationally.
It was wonderful to read how positive and spontaneous person she was. At one point she admits to director Ingmar Bergman (no relation): "I always speak first and think then".
At first the book is a little confusing as the "I" in the book shifts from Ingrid, to friends, to colleagues. Without indicating who is reporting. But you figure it out and get used to it.
It was wonderful to read how positive and spontaneous person she was. At one point she admits to director Ingmar Bergman (no relation): "I always speak first and think then".
At first the book is a little confusing as the "I" in the book shifts from Ingrid, to friends, to colleagues. Without indicating who is reporting. But you figure it out and get used to it.
April 19, 2025
Far more interesting than I expected it to be. Given that Bergman was involved in writing it, it's surprising how willing she is to be candid about her own flaws and mistakes. Bravo. She certainly lived life to the max!
I had no idea the scandal surrounding her affair with Rossellini was so earth-shattering at the time. It's quite something to have a US senator note you as an immoral influence on the formal record!
I enjoyed many of the stories about her interactions with others. Frank Sinatra flying up from Vegas to sing "As Time Goes By" for her at a tribute show was a lovely memory.
I had no idea the scandal surrounding her affair with Rossellini was so earth-shattering at the time. It's quite something to have a US senator note you as an immoral influence on the formal record!
I enjoyed many of the stories about her interactions with others. Frank Sinatra flying up from Vegas to sing "As Time Goes By" for her at a tribute show was a lovely memory.
January 6, 2023
Loved reading Ingrid's story and watching along with nearly 40 of her films this year. Amazed at her ability to go into long and meandering stories about mostly nothing, but refers barely in passing to works like Casablanca; goes to show that what seems fantastically important to one person doesn't mean a lick to someone else. A woman devoted to living life to its fullest, and in her later years seems to have been grateful for doing so. One of the best to ever step in front of a camera; one of the best to ever walk the earth.
March 8, 2025
WOW. First of all; I wish I hadn't taken forever to finish this story. I am surely still feeling its profoundness, but over the span of three months it was dampened quite a bit. As a whole, Bergman's narrative is astonishing and fantasy-like. I mean, what a career! I expected a true, authentic Hollywood story and I got that, but along with so much depth, beauty, heartache, and triumph! Bergman is amazing. I am AMAZED.
Love, love, loved this, and I cannot wait to watch some of the films that I have now, essentially, been behind the scenes of.
Love, love, loved this, and I cannot wait to watch some of the films that I have now, essentially, been behind the scenes of.
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