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Life with My Sister Madonna
Madonna up close, by the brother who knows her better than anyone.Christopher Ciccone's extraordinary memoir is based on his forty-seven years of growing up with, working with, and understanding the most famous woman of our time, who has intrigued, scandalized, and entertained millions for half a century.
Through most of the iconic star's kaleidoscopic career, Christopher played an important role in her life: as her backup dancer, her personal assistant, her dresser, her decorator, her art director, her tour director.
If you think you know everything there is to know about Madonna, you are wrong. Only Christopher can tell the full scale, riveting untold story behind Madonna's carefully constructed mythology, and the real woman behind the glittering facade.
From their shared Michigan childhood, which Madonna transcended, then whisked Christopher to Manhattan with her in the early eighties, where he slepton her roach-infested floor and danced with her in clubs all over town -- Christopher was with her every step of the way, experiencing her first hand in all her incarnations. The spoiled daddy's girl, the punk drummer, the raunchy Boy Toy, Material Girl, Mrs. Sean Penn, Warren Beatty's glamorous Hollywood paramour, loving mother, Mrs. Guy Ritchie, English grande dame -- Christopher witnessed and understood all of them, as his own life was inexorably entwined with that of his chameleon sister.
He tangled with a cast of characters from artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, to Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Moss, Demi Moore, and, of course, Guy Ritchie, whose advent in Madonna's life splintered the loving relationship Christopher once had with her.
The mirror image of his legendary sister, with his acid Ciccone tongue, Christopher pulls no punches as he tells his astonishing story.
"Life with My Sister Madonna" is the juicy, can't-put-it-down story you've always wanted to hear, as told by Madonna's younger brother.
Through most of the iconic star's kaleidoscopic career, Christopher played an important role in her life: as her backup dancer, her personal assistant, her dresser, her decorator, her art director, her tour director.
If you think you know everything there is to know about Madonna, you are wrong. Only Christopher can tell the full scale, riveting untold story behind Madonna's carefully constructed mythology, and the real woman behind the glittering facade.
From their shared Michigan childhood, which Madonna transcended, then whisked Christopher to Manhattan with her in the early eighties, where he slepton her roach-infested floor and danced with her in clubs all over town -- Christopher was with her every step of the way, experiencing her first hand in all her incarnations. The spoiled daddy's girl, the punk drummer, the raunchy Boy Toy, Material Girl, Mrs. Sean Penn, Warren Beatty's glamorous Hollywood paramour, loving mother, Mrs. Guy Ritchie, English grande dame -- Christopher witnessed and understood all of them, as his own life was inexorably entwined with that of his chameleon sister.
He tangled with a cast of characters from artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, to Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Moss, Demi Moore, and, of course, Guy Ritchie, whose advent in Madonna's life splintered the loving relationship Christopher once had with her.
The mirror image of his legendary sister, with his acid Ciccone tongue, Christopher pulls no punches as he tells his astonishing story.
"Life with My Sister Madonna" is the juicy, can't-put-it-down story you've always wanted to hear, as told by Madonna's younger brother.
342 pages, Hardcover
First published July 14, 2008
88 people are currently reading
829 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Ciccone
1 book10 followersChristopher Gerard Ciccone was an American artist, interior decorator, and designer in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. He was the younger brother of singer Madonna.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 508 reviews
April 15, 2019
This book was INCREDIBLY bad. Perhaps the worst I've ever read, and I've read a lot of books!
I'll qualify this review by telling you that I chose this book at the airport because I wanted something simple and fun to read on my 14 hour flight to Tokyo. So, it's probably my own fault for ending up with such a worthless book.
My two main criticisms of the book are as follows:
1. The quality of the writing in this book was completely sub-par and even what I would call lazy at times. Christopher might not be a writer by trade, but he was assisted in this effort by Wendy Leigh. I've never read anything else by Leigh, but she she wrote quite a few other books before this one. This book was littered with typos, lousy sentence structure, and entire paragraphs that barely made sense. Was there not an editor or an intern available to help with proofreading? Did Leigh just record Christopher's ramblings and then transcribe them word for word? I just don't know.
I can only assume that the publishers knew that this book would sell just on the basis of having Madonna's name on the cover, and so really didn't bother to do much oversight on the effort. Whatever the reason, an amateur with a good grasp of Essay Writing 101 could have made reading this sloppy piece of literature quite a bit better in just a weekend, in my humble opinion.
2. Christopher (perhaps unconsciously) decided long ago to play the role of victim in his relationship with his sister, and showed few signs by the end of the book of changing.
Madonna's brother detailed working for his sister as her dresser/interior designer/assistant, wherein she would always become emotionally/verbally abusive and withhold payment for his services. Then, when he would threaten to quit or stop talking to her for a while, she would throw him a few crumbs of perfunctory kindness. Inevitably, he would go back to working for her, and the cycle would repeat itself over and over again. For more than 350 pages and 20 years!
Christopher describes Madonna to be a super diva bitch. That may be true, or it may be exaggerated for the public. Only the two of them can know what the true dynamics of their relationship are. But if even half of what Christopher says is real, this book made him look like a pathetic hanger-on, rather than someone I could feel sorry for. About halfway through the book, I wanted to scream, “if she's so awful and not paying you, FIND ANOTHER FUCKING JOB, ASSHOLE!”
One of the more annoying aspects of this book is that he makes it clear that he and his sister never talk to each other about their feelings, or even resolve any arguments that they have; he says that is not how their family does things. He has no idea why Madonna treats him the way she does, so he persists in taking us through pages and pages of "Why Does My Sister Treat Me So Badly?!?"
He's obviously quite emotionally immature, and it reminds me of when I was a teenager and my girlfriends and I would sit around and try to figure out why the boys we liked were such idiots--a useless, perpetual, impossible waste of time.
You know what, Christopher? If the things you have told us are true, maybe your sister is just a selfish egomaniac, and should worry a bit more about your own masochistic need to be close to her rather than trying to figure out what makes her tick.
That's another thing! The guy goes on and on throughout the book about how he and his sister were so “close” in the early part of her career, and he wants to be “close” to her again. In my estimation—from what he's described—the two siblings were never tight. He was PHYSICALLY around her a great deal, going on tour with her, designing her houses, etc. But, he never gives any evidence that the two of them ever shared any type of intimate emotional bond.
As a result, there's really nothing new to learn about Madonna from this book because Christopher doesn't know squat about his sister's thoughts or feelings about anything, much less about her relationship with him. And he doesn't really give any interesting details about her private life, so all he has accomplished is having a very monotonous catharsis about his sister in public.
And what a f*&king NAME-DROPPER!! There are so many side stories littered throughout this book where he details his relationships (or just one-time run-ins) with other famous people for no reason at all. The vignettes have absolutely nothing to do with the story, and really became obnoxious.
One last criticism that I have about this book. Christopher is gay, and talks about several long-term relationships he's had with other men. He gives the names of everyone else that he's been friends with over the last 25 years, but he changes the names of most of the men that he's been with. Since he makes clear that his boyfriends were openly gay, it doesn't make sense why he keeps their identities confidential, and he doesn't give any clue to why he needs to.
I could say more, but I don't want to spoil the whole book for anyone who might still want to read this piece of crap.
I'll qualify this review by telling you that I chose this book at the airport because I wanted something simple and fun to read on my 14 hour flight to Tokyo. So, it's probably my own fault for ending up with such a worthless book.
My two main criticisms of the book are as follows:
1. The quality of the writing in this book was completely sub-par and even what I would call lazy at times. Christopher might not be a writer by trade, but he was assisted in this effort by Wendy Leigh. I've never read anything else by Leigh, but she she wrote quite a few other books before this one. This book was littered with typos, lousy sentence structure, and entire paragraphs that barely made sense. Was there not an editor or an intern available to help with proofreading? Did Leigh just record Christopher's ramblings and then transcribe them word for word? I just don't know.
I can only assume that the publishers knew that this book would sell just on the basis of having Madonna's name on the cover, and so really didn't bother to do much oversight on the effort. Whatever the reason, an amateur with a good grasp of Essay Writing 101 could have made reading this sloppy piece of literature quite a bit better in just a weekend, in my humble opinion.
2. Christopher (perhaps unconsciously) decided long ago to play the role of victim in his relationship with his sister, and showed few signs by the end of the book of changing.
Madonna's brother detailed working for his sister as her dresser/interior designer/assistant, wherein she would always become emotionally/verbally abusive and withhold payment for his services. Then, when he would threaten to quit or stop talking to her for a while, she would throw him a few crumbs of perfunctory kindness. Inevitably, he would go back to working for her, and the cycle would repeat itself over and over again. For more than 350 pages and 20 years!
Christopher describes Madonna to be a super diva bitch. That may be true, or it may be exaggerated for the public. Only the two of them can know what the true dynamics of their relationship are. But if even half of what Christopher says is real, this book made him look like a pathetic hanger-on, rather than someone I could feel sorry for. About halfway through the book, I wanted to scream, “if she's so awful and not paying you, FIND ANOTHER FUCKING JOB, ASSHOLE!”
One of the more annoying aspects of this book is that he makes it clear that he and his sister never talk to each other about their feelings, or even resolve any arguments that they have; he says that is not how their family does things. He has no idea why Madonna treats him the way she does, so he persists in taking us through pages and pages of "Why Does My Sister Treat Me So Badly?!?"
He's obviously quite emotionally immature, and it reminds me of when I was a teenager and my girlfriends and I would sit around and try to figure out why the boys we liked were such idiots--a useless, perpetual, impossible waste of time.
You know what, Christopher? If the things you have told us are true, maybe your sister is just a selfish egomaniac, and should worry a bit more about your own masochistic need to be close to her rather than trying to figure out what makes her tick.
That's another thing! The guy goes on and on throughout the book about how he and his sister were so “close” in the early part of her career, and he wants to be “close” to her again. In my estimation—from what he's described—the two siblings were never tight. He was PHYSICALLY around her a great deal, going on tour with her, designing her houses, etc. But, he never gives any evidence that the two of them ever shared any type of intimate emotional bond.
As a result, there's really nothing new to learn about Madonna from this book because Christopher doesn't know squat about his sister's thoughts or feelings about anything, much less about her relationship with him. And he doesn't really give any interesting details about her private life, so all he has accomplished is having a very monotonous catharsis about his sister in public.
And what a f*&king NAME-DROPPER!! There are so many side stories littered throughout this book where he details his relationships (or just one-time run-ins) with other famous people for no reason at all. The vignettes have absolutely nothing to do with the story, and really became obnoxious.
One last criticism that I have about this book. Christopher is gay, and talks about several long-term relationships he's had with other men. He gives the names of everyone else that he's been friends with over the last 25 years, but he changes the names of most of the men that he's been with. Since he makes clear that his boyfriends were openly gay, it doesn't make sense why he keeps their identities confidential, and he doesn't give any clue to why he needs to.
I could say more, but I don't want to spoil the whole book for anyone who might still want to read this piece of crap.
September 4, 2021
I wanted to love this as I'm a huge Madonna fan and I felt like it might be an insight into her life, however I felt like the whole book was her brother doing the poor me poor me, its hard being Madonna's brother thing.
Its a thumbs down from me, I didn't take much from reading this one.
Its a thumbs down from me, I didn't take much from reading this one.
July 29, 2008
It's a quick & dirty read. Exactly what I wanted! We hear enough about Madge & alot about Christopher's experience of their relationship. None of her fans imagined her as a kissy/huggy type & she's definately not ~and her brother shows both the good & bad sides of his experience with her. (He's learned she'll sell out anyone & now, it's HIS TURN.)
Now, for Lola's tell all! THAT will be good! You know that kid is gonna have ISSUES with a control freak mom.
Now, for Lola's tell all! THAT will be good! You know that kid is gonna have ISSUES with a control freak mom.
September 13, 2011
I have never been a fan of Madonna. It’s just that practically my young adult life was bombarded by her music. I was in college when she dished out Holiday and during our graduation partyI repeatedly heard her Borderline and at that time, her MTV of Like a Virgin was played almost everyday in a music video channel on the telly. I still remember her prancing, dancing, gyrating wearing a bridal gown riding an Italian gondola shrieking Like a virgin/ touch of the very first time/like a viirrrgin/when your heart beats/next to mine... This was followed by another MTV of her dressed ala-Audrey Hepburn in Material Girl and I still remember that the first movie I watched in a rundown theatre along Avenida upon coming down from Baguio (where I took my college) was her movie Crazy for You and it was my sister’s treat who started working a few months ahead of me. So, even if the movie was a love song, even up to now, whenever I hear it, I remember my sister. It becomes our unofficial theme song even if we did not have any incestuous relationship like Desdemona and Lefty in Jeffrey Eugenides’s Middlesex.
Sorry, I digressed. It’s just that My Life With My Sister Madonna is a memoir of Christopher Ciccione, the younger brother of Madonna and this book is basically about him, her and their relationship as siblings. Especially since they were already estranged at the time of this book’s writing, his objective was to obviously to make money out of his sister’s fame. I am not criticizing him for doing this – after all, it is their lives – all I’m saying is that this saddened me as I also have an elder sister. She may not be famous as Madonna but I will never ever write a book to defame her. There are just things that have to be kept within ourselves, within a family or within immediate relatives.
This motive (of making money for himself) is not evident in the first part of the book. Ciccione narrates the early part of his life with Madonna: his first joint, his first ecstasy pill, his first visit to a gay bar. He also recalls Madonna’s performance in school donning a provocative costume that displeased their father. Then he debunks the myth propagated by Madonna regarding her first trip to Manhattan with $27 in her pocket and a pair of ballet shoes. So, even if I enjoyed reminiscing about the times in my younger years when he mentioned the songs, concerts or videos, those revelations and debunking of “myths” somehow colored my enjoyment and made me think of Ciccione’s motive. Through his own recollection, it seemed to me that Madonna has been trying to help him recover from being a drug-addict and alcoholic by hiring him in various jobs, e.g., dresser, concert director, house designer, etc. and yet Ciccione still has the nerve to get angry with his sister and write this treacherous book. As I am not a Madonna’s fan, I will not comment on whether she is good or bad, talented or not, an artist-worth-emulating or not. However, we all cannot deny that Madonna is still a force to reckon with in the global music industry. She has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognized as the world’s top-selling female recording artist of all time by the Guinness World Records. She is next to Barbra Steisand as the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century with 64 million certified albums. In 2000, Time Magazine included Madonna as one of the “25 Most Powerful Women of the Past Century” for being an influential figure in contemporary music.
And with all those achievements, Ciccione should accept the consequences of being a brother of a world icon, keep his mouth shut, stop whining and listen to his sister. Despite all the assistance that he has been getting from Madonna, the gay single Ciccione is always broke and so he continuously waits for his big sister to lend him some alms. Ciccione probably thought that Madonna is his goose that lays the golden egg and she is there for his killing. I'd say, "Grow up, Christopher."
As I mentioned at the start of this review, I also have an older sister who is 2 years my senior (same as Madonna and Christopher) but I could never imagine myself doing what Christopher has been doing to Madonna. As they say, you reap what you sow.
Sorry, I digressed. It’s just that My Life With My Sister Madonna is a memoir of Christopher Ciccione, the younger brother of Madonna and this book is basically about him, her and their relationship as siblings. Especially since they were already estranged at the time of this book’s writing, his objective was to obviously to make money out of his sister’s fame. I am not criticizing him for doing this – after all, it is their lives – all I’m saying is that this saddened me as I also have an elder sister. She may not be famous as Madonna but I will never ever write a book to defame her. There are just things that have to be kept within ourselves, within a family or within immediate relatives.
This motive (of making money for himself) is not evident in the first part of the book. Ciccione narrates the early part of his life with Madonna: his first joint, his first ecstasy pill, his first visit to a gay bar. He also recalls Madonna’s performance in school donning a provocative costume that displeased their father. Then he debunks the myth propagated by Madonna regarding her first trip to Manhattan with $27 in her pocket and a pair of ballet shoes. So, even if I enjoyed reminiscing about the times in my younger years when he mentioned the songs, concerts or videos, those revelations and debunking of “myths” somehow colored my enjoyment and made me think of Ciccione’s motive. Through his own recollection, it seemed to me that Madonna has been trying to help him recover from being a drug-addict and alcoholic by hiring him in various jobs, e.g., dresser, concert director, house designer, etc. and yet Ciccione still has the nerve to get angry with his sister and write this treacherous book. As I am not a Madonna’s fan, I will not comment on whether she is good or bad, talented or not, an artist-worth-emulating or not. However, we all cannot deny that Madonna is still a force to reckon with in the global music industry. She has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognized as the world’s top-selling female recording artist of all time by the Guinness World Records. She is next to Barbra Steisand as the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century with 64 million certified albums. In 2000, Time Magazine included Madonna as one of the “25 Most Powerful Women of the Past Century” for being an influential figure in contemporary music.
And with all those achievements, Ciccione should accept the consequences of being a brother of a world icon, keep his mouth shut, stop whining and listen to his sister. Despite all the assistance that he has been getting from Madonna, the gay single Ciccione is always broke and so he continuously waits for his big sister to lend him some alms. Ciccione probably thought that Madonna is his goose that lays the golden egg and she is there for his killing. I'd say, "Grow up, Christopher."
As I mentioned at the start of this review, I also have an older sister who is 2 years my senior (same as Madonna and Christopher) but I could never imagine myself doing what Christopher has been doing to Madonna. As they say, you reap what you sow.
December 27, 2020
My biggest beef with this book is how insanely delusional Christopher is. There really wasn't a point to this book at all besides Christopher cashing in on his sister's name. In the end, it makes Christopher look bad not Madonna.
There are no new insights to Madonna as a person or an entertainer and everything Christopher reveals about her is pretty much common knowledge to Madonna's fans. We all know she can be a bitch. We all know she's an opportunist. We all know she's driven and focused.
The best part was when Christopher described her early years of success but quickly the book gets bogged down by Christopher's globe trotting and name dropping of celebrities he hung out and did drugs with.
But back to my beef. What really irked me about Christopher's incessant whining and complaining is how he goes on and on about his dislike for Madonna's inner circle of sycophant yes-men yet is completely oblivious to the fact that he is Madonna's biggest sycophant yes-man. For 25 years he never said no to her. He would drop anything and everything and rush to be by her side to the chagrin of his partner. He would tell her how great she is in her movies even though he knows (as well as we do) that she's a crap actress. He would let her walk all over him and then come back begging for more. What makes it worse is that he's her brother and should have been her biggest, most upfront and honest critic. Instead, he's afraid to establish boundaries or say no to her because his own success hinges on staying in her good graces. Madonna tells him everything he has is because of her, which is true although Christopher certianly doesn't believe it.
Which also brings me to another point: if Christopher is so delusional about not being Madonna's yes man then he must be equally delusional about his drug use. He says he generally does drugs only on the weekend. O-K. By the end of the book he never says that he has stopped using drugs so maybe Madonna is right. Maybe he does need rehab. Drug addicts are the last to realize that they have a problem because they're delusional!
I'm siding with Madonna on this one. She has nothing to worry about with this book and ultimately Christopher is the one who comes out looking like a pathetic loser still cashing in on his sister's success.
There are no new insights to Madonna as a person or an entertainer and everything Christopher reveals about her is pretty much common knowledge to Madonna's fans. We all know she can be a bitch. We all know she's an opportunist. We all know she's driven and focused.
The best part was when Christopher described her early years of success but quickly the book gets bogged down by Christopher's globe trotting and name dropping of celebrities he hung out and did drugs with.
But back to my beef. What really irked me about Christopher's incessant whining and complaining is how he goes on and on about his dislike for Madonna's inner circle of sycophant yes-men yet is completely oblivious to the fact that he is Madonna's biggest sycophant yes-man. For 25 years he never said no to her. He would drop anything and everything and rush to be by her side to the chagrin of his partner. He would tell her how great she is in her movies even though he knows (as well as we do) that she's a crap actress. He would let her walk all over him and then come back begging for more. What makes it worse is that he's her brother and should have been her biggest, most upfront and honest critic. Instead, he's afraid to establish boundaries or say no to her because his own success hinges on staying in her good graces. Madonna tells him everything he has is because of her, which is true although Christopher certianly doesn't believe it.
Which also brings me to another point: if Christopher is so delusional about not being Madonna's yes man then he must be equally delusional about his drug use. He says he generally does drugs only on the weekend. O-K. By the end of the book he never says that he has stopped using drugs so maybe Madonna is right. Maybe he does need rehab. Drug addicts are the last to realize that they have a problem because they're delusional!
I'm siding with Madonna on this one. She has nothing to worry about with this book and ultimately Christopher is the one who comes out looking like a pathetic loser still cashing in on his sister's success.
December 25, 2021
I'm not a huge Madonna fan but I was in the mood for a biography and thought this one of her brother side of the story would be interesting. This one is hard to think about. In one hand Indo agree that Christopher should have had more time to heal and get a little more "me time" before writing the book as it came across very "I'm the victim" which don't always go well in a memoir or an biography? More fitting for a therapist session. But in the other hand I do understand that he was hurt and for what I've read, been emotional abused for many years and probably needed space to tell his side of the story, and for that I thought he was very brave and strong
August 31, 2008
I should begin by saying that I admire and respect Madonna and the ambition and drive that have kept her in the spotlight for so long. And I love her music. I would consider myself a huge fan, but I don't actually like her.
In her brother's blah-titled and poorly written memoir, "Life with My Sister Madonna," the Material Mum comes off as spoiled, demanding, cold, neurotic, stingy, and self-centered. And I ask, "Is this surprising to anyone, even to her fans?"
Christopher Ciccone's account is neither enlightening or juicy. Ciccone isn't insightful enough and is perhaps too close to her to analyze his sister's complexities. And while some of the stories concerning Madonna and other celebrities may be new to readers, they aren't exactly earth-shattering. Her diva-antics are pretty much what you'd expect from the Queen of Pop.
You get the feeling Ciccone's holding back a lot of the real dirt not so much because Madonna's family and he doesn't want to hurt her but because he's hoping she'll still hire him for one of her projects again.
Ultimately, too much is spent on his life and what he's going through as if we cared. His portrait of Madonna is sketchy at best and a lot of her milestones are skimmed over (especially her pregnancy to her first child, Lourdes) in favor of how he decorated Madonna's homes.
This book becomes nothing more than (surprise, surprise) a brother cashing in on his sister's celebrity.
That being said, I devoured it in like two days.
In her brother's blah-titled and poorly written memoir, "Life with My Sister Madonna," the Material Mum comes off as spoiled, demanding, cold, neurotic, stingy, and self-centered. And I ask, "Is this surprising to anyone, even to her fans?"
Christopher Ciccone's account is neither enlightening or juicy. Ciccone isn't insightful enough and is perhaps too close to her to analyze his sister's complexities. And while some of the stories concerning Madonna and other celebrities may be new to readers, they aren't exactly earth-shattering. Her diva-antics are pretty much what you'd expect from the Queen of Pop.
You get the feeling Ciccone's holding back a lot of the real dirt not so much because Madonna's family and he doesn't want to hurt her but because he's hoping she'll still hire him for one of her projects again.
Ultimately, too much is spent on his life and what he's going through as if we cared. His portrait of Madonna is sketchy at best and a lot of her milestones are skimmed over (especially her pregnancy to her first child, Lourdes) in favor of how he decorated Madonna's homes.
This book becomes nothing more than (surprise, surprise) a brother cashing in on his sister's celebrity.
That being said, I devoured it in like two days.
November 19, 2012
I read this in a weekend. I avoided the book for a few years thinking it was crappy that he wrote it. But I admit it was an interesting perspective and even though I know there are two sides to every story and I do think that Christopher Ciccone is a bit of an addict (even though he assures you 100 times in the book that he is not), in the end she's a self serving spotlight chaser which is no surprise. still as a child of the 80's and a Madonna fan up until a few years ago when she stopped singing and writing actual songs, I found it totally engrossing and couldn't put it down.
July 21, 2008
Christopher comes across as a spiteful, celebrity obsessed, hanger-on who is clearly suffering from a severe case of jealousy.
Why is he always broke? After reading for the 12th time that he has "reluctantly" taken another job offer from his sister, I starting thinking "enough already!" If he hates working for her so much, than find another employer, or.....here's something he hasn't thought of.....SAVE some money instead of going to overpriced clubs with Naomi Campbell and living a lifestyle he clearly can't afford.
He has the opportunity to fly around the world, and visit places most people only hope they can see, and he complains that she doesn't get him 1st class tickets, or hotel suites? Pay for your own upgrade!!!!
I really felt like all she was trying to teach him was to stand on his own two feet, instead of waiting around for her to hand him a life. If he liked directing concerts so much, why couldn't he do it for other entertainers? If he liked decorating so much, why couldn't he do it for other people? He spent the last 25 years waiting in the wings for her next handout. Just because she has money, shoudn't make her responsible for the other 10 adults in her family.
Plus, the writing style was very juvenile, and littered with typos. I don't know if the typos are his fault, or the publishers, but they're frequent, and annoying.
Half way through this "tell-all" I was pretty frustrated with Christopher, but I kept reading, waiting for some juicy tid bit to be revealed, and it never was, much to my disappointment. The book just got worse, and Christopher's whining just got louder.
Why is he always broke? After reading for the 12th time that he has "reluctantly" taken another job offer from his sister, I starting thinking "enough already!" If he hates working for her so much, than find another employer, or.....here's something he hasn't thought of.....SAVE some money instead of going to overpriced clubs with Naomi Campbell and living a lifestyle he clearly can't afford.
He has the opportunity to fly around the world, and visit places most people only hope they can see, and he complains that she doesn't get him 1st class tickets, or hotel suites? Pay for your own upgrade!!!!
I really felt like all she was trying to teach him was to stand on his own two feet, instead of waiting around for her to hand him a life. If he liked directing concerts so much, why couldn't he do it for other entertainers? If he liked decorating so much, why couldn't he do it for other people? He spent the last 25 years waiting in the wings for her next handout. Just because she has money, shoudn't make her responsible for the other 10 adults in her family.
Plus, the writing style was very juvenile, and littered with typos. I don't know if the typos are his fault, or the publishers, but they're frequent, and annoying.
Half way through this "tell-all" I was pretty frustrated with Christopher, but I kept reading, waiting for some juicy tid bit to be revealed, and it never was, much to my disappointment. The book just got worse, and Christopher's whining just got louder.
April 17, 2012
8/28/09 - Though many might disagree with me, I found this memoir surprisingly well-written, or at least very engaging, and I had trouble not reading it all in one sitting. Whether you like Madonna or not, her brother Christopher lays it all out & I think you'll come away with an altered perspective after reading this. Of course, there are always two sides to a story, and this one's bound to be biased, but I can't help but lose a little respect for Madonna after reading this. I've always had mixed feelings about Madonna -- I've respected her ability to become a success & she seems a very organized, structured individual, and overall I like her music, although I prefer the older stuff. But as a person, I've always questioned her morals & wonder what she's really trying to achieve. Her brother presents her as a selfish, attention-seeking person who cares little for the feelings of people around her, and I have no doubt that's an accurate description for the most part. Overall, I've lost more respect for her after reading this & I feel for Christopher and the way she's treated him, but at the same time I think he should have stood up for himself a long time ago. Essentially, they've both used each other through the years to get what they want, but obviously Christopher has ended up with the shorter straw. My hope is that Christopher Ciccone wrote this as a sincere therapeutic process as opposed to a money-making endeavor.
March 11, 2009
I had to buy this book for my spring break trip because I wanted an easy read with some gossip about my formerly favorite pop idol (no one has replaced her, btw, I just stopped caring about pop stars so much). The book is great although annoying at times because Madonna's brother, while trying to tell us Madonna, also discusses a bit of his own personal life, which is not as interesting to me as his perceptions of her behaviors and attitudes. The details about Madonna are priceless and a reminder of how very human everyone is despite their self-created smoke and mirrors. Her own behavior had taken down a few notches on my pedestal of her but the contents of the book descended her to the very bottom. Anyone who looks at stars with any envy or longing to be in the spotlight should read this and see how those dreams affect everyone surrounding you and have the ability to estrange you from people who love you.
September 22, 2008
I'm not at all impressed. This was a HUGE waste of time to. Madonna's brother is so angry that she went further than him in life and he doesn't even have the you-know-whats to come out and admit it. He has to throw little digs in here and there while pretending to sing her praises. What a joke. Does anyone really care if her brother (who I'd never heard of before this book by the way) thinks she slept with two DJs in New York to get her record played? And, let's be frank, what if she did? Last I checked, she's her own person. Her brother needs to get over it. The writing is mediocre at best and I don't know who this Wendy Leigh but if I were her I'd be ashamed to have my name anywhere near this piece of garbage. I really wish I'd taken the reviews on this one to heart and saved myself the time. Thankfully, I didn't spend any money on it.
December 28, 2008
I really enjoyed the lightness of this book, it is an easy, and fun read and not as one-sided as I thought it would be. If only a fraction of what is written is true, it still would be disturbing. For example; Madonna earns over 55 million a year and yet had her sibling pay for their own tickets and acomodations to her wedding. I am surprised that given her pro involvement with gay rights that she married such an openly homophobic man as Guy Ritchie.
September 7, 2008
Madonna is bossy and self-centered. Yawn. I want to see the copy BEFORE the lawyers got to it. The only new info I gleaned was that she paid her brother to swab her sweaty boobies. Yuck.
February 27, 2017
Christopher Ciccone bitching about his bitch sister. Great stuff.
October 19, 2015
Okay, I admit it; I only read this because I was totally jones-ing for something trashy and scandalous. What can I say: guilty as charged? HOWEVER, I also want to confess I hugely enjoyed it. A supposedly tell-all book by Madonna’s younger brother Christopher it is full of anecdotes, gossip, character assassination (sorry, I mean analysis) and actually surprisingly revelatory about what it’s like to be part of the inner circle of an international megastar. As a child of the 80s I always remember Madonna saying in an interview, “I want to rule the world,” so nobody should be surprised at the level of ambition, drive and ruthlessness she has displayed over the past 30 years getting to that point. Christopher is the brother who lived and worked alongside her all those years as dresser, stylist and interior designer (and it must be said, sycophant-in-chief) for the juggernaut that became MADONNA. Growing up with her Christopher literally knew Madonna when she was nobody so presumably understands her better than most.
What’s really interesting about this book is not (just) the excoriating criticism and bitchiness, but the image of a woman so much more insecure than we ever imagined. Here is her inability to laugh at herself or handle confrontations, her desperate need to be taken seriously as an actress, her increasing disconnect from the real world, her longing to have a child and to make her relationships work whilst simultaneously having to control every aspect of everyone’s life around her, up to the point of demanding Christopher enter rehab even though every psychotherapist and addiction counselor he visits keeps telling Madonna he doesn’t need it.
Christopher naturally doesn’t list his motives for writing the book but there are multiple choices: 1) he wanted to get back at her for cutting him out of her life, 2) he needed the money after she and her Hollywood “friends” dropped him as their decorator of choice, 3) his tolerance for her bullshit finally reached its limit or 4) all of the above. For all his apparent intelligence and insight, it’s hard to imagine Christopher didn’t realize this book could reflect just as badly on him.
The book ends before Madonna’s marriage to Guy Ritchie fell apart, so readers are left dying to know what Christopher thought of that, although his antipathy towards Ritchie is obvious, which, considering Ritchie’s apparent homophobia (yes, Christopher is gay) is not at all surprising. Being an only child I can’t imagine the conflicting emotions that come with being a sibling but they must be magnified a thousand times when that sibling is hugely famous, wealthy and powerful. I’d like to believe Christopher still loves his sister (and may even respect her achievements), but he clearly doesn’t like her!
What’s really interesting about this book is not (just) the excoriating criticism and bitchiness, but the image of a woman so much more insecure than we ever imagined. Here is her inability to laugh at herself or handle confrontations, her desperate need to be taken seriously as an actress, her increasing disconnect from the real world, her longing to have a child and to make her relationships work whilst simultaneously having to control every aspect of everyone’s life around her, up to the point of demanding Christopher enter rehab even though every psychotherapist and addiction counselor he visits keeps telling Madonna he doesn’t need it.
Christopher naturally doesn’t list his motives for writing the book but there are multiple choices: 1) he wanted to get back at her for cutting him out of her life, 2) he needed the money after she and her Hollywood “friends” dropped him as their decorator of choice, 3) his tolerance for her bullshit finally reached its limit or 4) all of the above. For all his apparent intelligence and insight, it’s hard to imagine Christopher didn’t realize this book could reflect just as badly on him.
The book ends before Madonna’s marriage to Guy Ritchie fell apart, so readers are left dying to know what Christopher thought of that, although his antipathy towards Ritchie is obvious, which, considering Ritchie’s apparent homophobia (yes, Christopher is gay) is not at all surprising. Being an only child I can’t imagine the conflicting emotions that come with being a sibling but they must be magnified a thousand times when that sibling is hugely famous, wealthy and powerful. I’d like to believe Christopher still loves his sister (and may even respect her achievements), but he clearly doesn’t like her!
September 21, 2008
Christopher Ciccone is Madonna's most famous family member as he was in and out of the singer's life throughout her career. I remember when Madonna out-ed her brother, announcing to the world that he was gay. He was upset with this. However, her reaction was that it was no big deal. Christopher does not paint a pretty picture of his sister. Many of his observations are no secret. The public already knows: She tries to be shocking. She can be rude, a perfectionist, selfish, and a user. But he does also reminds us how hard she works at her career. Many times, Christopher sounds angry and resentful of his sister. He felt she did not treat him fairly. Often he felt she was being cheap with him and not valuing his worth when he helped her out in designing her homes, and helping her on our tours. Often he felt like her shadow, as when people would see him, they would not ask how he was doing, but ask about his famous sister. Nonetheless, often in his book, he reminds us how much he loves his sister despite her many flaws. Interestingly, he shows how trust is something they both strive to achieve from each other and from others in their lives. I highly recommend this book to Madonna fans. I do not feel that he betrays her; he helps us try to get to know her better.
December 3, 2010
I saw this at halfprice books and decided to give it a try. I am not a huge fan of Madonna, but I can appreciate her drive. This book started out well, as Chris Ciccone discussed he and Madonna's childhoods and their early years in New York City. Yet, it became clear that Madonna and her brother became obsessed with fame. Madonna comes across as a cold bitch who only cares about being in the spotlight. No big surprise there. Ciccone seemed to love the fame by association and complains A LOT about not being respected enough by his sister and having to be in her shadow. At the same time, he clearly tolerated it for 20+ years. The ending is sad because you get the feeling he wrote this book primarily for money.
I do have some sympathy for Mr. Ciccone, however, as I cannot imagine being the younger sibling of Madonna.
The book does contain some juicy tidbits, especially about Guy Ritchie's alleged homophobia. This isn't the best read, but will do if you are looking for something quick and mildly entertaining.
I do have some sympathy for Mr. Ciccone, however, as I cannot imagine being the younger sibling of Madonna.
The book does contain some juicy tidbits, especially about Guy Ritchie's alleged homophobia. This isn't the best read, but will do if you are looking for something quick and mildly entertaining.
January 3, 2010
I loved this super-juicy tell-all. It left me both envious of, and yet not at all wishing to trade places with Christopher, who served as artistic director, interior decorator, painter, dresser, and art buyer for his superstar sister. Revelations like how sweaty Madonna gets on stage (duh), that Sean Penn was drunk during the entire filming of Shanghai Surprise (and that Bukowski was a frequent, puking houseguest), and that Madonna is a tight-fisted miserly taskmaster who loves to get her ass kissed (double duh) kept me interested. Great book that chronicles their childhood years, ballet class in NYC, world tours, and ends right after her marriage to Guy. The two sets of very intimate photos are lovely. Lots of name-dropping, partying, and rivalries ("J.Lo is here and we are NOT TALKING TO HER!") make this a riveting and hilarious page-turner.
October 3, 2008
This book was actually much better than I expected it to be. I've been really into listening to celebrity memoirs while driving lately, and while some have been great (Steve Martin) others, not so much (Paula Poundstone). I found this one to be interesting but not overly dishy and really compelling. Plus it's fun to learn a little bit more about Madonna, especially if you grew up in the eighties, like I did.
August 3, 2008
Completely self-serving, as far as I can tell. Although you can certainly identify and relate to Christopher, you kind of wonder what his whole point is, besides making a dollar. And I did walk away with a bit more respect for Madonna, who clearly is a masterful businesswoman.
March 28, 2014
I never thought I'd find myself reading a book about Madonna. I've never been a big fan of hers but after driving by her dad's vineyard multiple times and then seeing this book at the local library, I began to wonder what their lives were like.
This book reminded me of a couple of things.
1). Fame and fortune doesn't change you but it is powerful in that it brings out what's in your soul.
Tim Keller makes the point in his book, "Counterfeit Gods" that many think fame will change their lives and make everything better. Yet when they finally get it, many become so disillusioned when it fails to measure up to their fantasies, they turn into beastly people or their "inner beast" comes forth. This book is just another example of that reality.
2). Religion, even religion that borrows from the revelation God has granted us, is still meaningless if you don't have a real, personal relationship with the Living Christ. In the end, it won't change you. You may become more "religious" and think yourself more spiritual, but you're still unable to be truly transformed into the person God created you to be. And worst of all, you may end up thinking that by practicing some religious principles you actually know God, when in fact you're farther away from Him than ever before.
While I'm sure that airing the dirty laundry of his relationship with his sister helped Christopher feel better, I am a bit skeptical as to why he decided to do it so publicly. Some will assume it was just to get wealthy off from her. Maybe, maybe not. Whatever the reason, one thing that came through the book was that he really does love his sister and desires to have a healthy relationship with her. Sadly, I don't think that's ever going to happen.
Good relationships require that we get healthy and are willing to make changes. Fame and fortune can make it very easy for people to avoid the pain of change and avoid dealing with their issues. It can also deceive people into thinking higher of themselves than they ought to and thus encourages them to deny the truth about themselves and their utter helplessness. Perhaps that's why so many with fame and fortune find their relationships, and sometimes even their lives, in the ditch.
After reading this book, I understand Christ's words a little bit more:
“How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:24-25)
Add fame into the mix and it's probably even harder.
This book reminded me of a couple of things.
1). Fame and fortune doesn't change you but it is powerful in that it brings out what's in your soul.
Tim Keller makes the point in his book, "Counterfeit Gods" that many think fame will change their lives and make everything better. Yet when they finally get it, many become so disillusioned when it fails to measure up to their fantasies, they turn into beastly people or their "inner beast" comes forth. This book is just another example of that reality.
2). Religion, even religion that borrows from the revelation God has granted us, is still meaningless if you don't have a real, personal relationship with the Living Christ. In the end, it won't change you. You may become more "religious" and think yourself more spiritual, but you're still unable to be truly transformed into the person God created you to be. And worst of all, you may end up thinking that by practicing some religious principles you actually know God, when in fact you're farther away from Him than ever before.
While I'm sure that airing the dirty laundry of his relationship with his sister helped Christopher feel better, I am a bit skeptical as to why he decided to do it so publicly. Some will assume it was just to get wealthy off from her. Maybe, maybe not. Whatever the reason, one thing that came through the book was that he really does love his sister and desires to have a healthy relationship with her. Sadly, I don't think that's ever going to happen.
Good relationships require that we get healthy and are willing to make changes. Fame and fortune can make it very easy for people to avoid the pain of change and avoid dealing with their issues. It can also deceive people into thinking higher of themselves than they ought to and thus encourages them to deny the truth about themselves and their utter helplessness. Perhaps that's why so many with fame and fortune find their relationships, and sometimes even their lives, in the ditch.
After reading this book, I understand Christ's words a little bit more:
“How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:24-25)
Add fame into the mix and it's probably even harder.
May 4, 2009
I could go on for days about this book. I was really upset that her brother Christopher Ciccone wrote this. When Madonna started out in the beginning she had a close relationship with her brother and helped him out by hiring him for a lot of her shows and throughout the years decorating her house. He spent some time living with her and they would go clubbing together. As time went on, Madonna outgrew the club scene and eventually started settling down with a family of her own. Her brother didn't take this very well. When Madonna became too busy for him, he took it really personally. When she disagreed with his taste in decorating "her" house, he got upset. He admits to a drug problem, which she didn't like. Christopher seemed fine partying with celebs and attaching Madonna's name to his project of the month (a restaurant, art, decorating, etc etc), but if she didn't support him financially or let him use her name, he got upset. He does a really good job of painting himself as the victim and Madonna as a power hungry bitch who climbed to the top while pushing everyone down. But come on, how many times do you think she gets asked for favor after favor after favor. Christopher seemed to be the one person she trusted, and look how that turned out. Of course she tried to get the book stopped (would you like a sibling airing your laundry), but that didn't work. I feel bad for Madonna; I hope her brother is happy now that he finally has his millions of dollars that he always thought was owed to him. Christopher talks about family and loyalty, but if you can't trust your brother, who can you trust?
August 8, 2008
The only saving grace to this godawful book is that it only took me a day to read. What possessed me to buy it in the fisrt place is another matter entirely.
What a load of self-pitying, whining drivel this book is. Christopher Ciccone is nothing more than a name-dropping hanger-on with no backbone of his own. Case in point - page 241 - Christopher is worried because he has sent Madonna a vile, foul-mouthed fax where he vents about her lack of talent, old-age etc and it has just dawned on him what he has done: "As I ponder the professional repercussions, and my status in Hollywood, I know that I am fucked and have to somehow rectify the situation." Nice. Does he regret what he's done? Yes, but only because of how it will affect him: "I write a letter to Madonna in which I apologise profusely, although I don't mean a word of it".
Also, he moans about Madonna not flying him first class when she takes him all round the world on tour. Here's a thought - PAY FOR IT YOURSELF!
I can't bear to waste another moment on this peice of tripe.
What a load of self-pitying, whining drivel this book is. Christopher Ciccone is nothing more than a name-dropping hanger-on with no backbone of his own. Case in point - page 241 - Christopher is worried because he has sent Madonna a vile, foul-mouthed fax where he vents about her lack of talent, old-age etc and it has just dawned on him what he has done: "As I ponder the professional repercussions, and my status in Hollywood, I know that I am fucked and have to somehow rectify the situation." Nice. Does he regret what he's done? Yes, but only because of how it will affect him: "I write a letter to Madonna in which I apologise profusely, although I don't mean a word of it".
Also, he moans about Madonna not flying him first class when she takes him all round the world on tour. Here's a thought - PAY FOR IT YOURSELF!
I can't bear to waste another moment on this peice of tripe.
February 3, 2009
You know, I'm a pretty big fan of Madonna (since I was a young kid), but I just don't care about what her family members thought of her performance in a middle school talent show, how sweaty she is during costume changes between songs, how uncomfortable her brother/assistant is at seeing her boobs, or any psychological insight about "who Madonna really is." I think I just want to dance to her music and blindly deify her. I'll hold out for the day where she writes her own book and confesses (on a dance floor?) all of her personal lifelong secrets, loves, hang-ups, etc...or maybe not. Maybe part of what makes Madonna fabulous is simply not knowing and just loving her as an entertainer. On that note, I got slightly less than halfway through this before I decided to call it quits and put on The Immaculate Collection instead.
May 2, 2009
I am not too surprised by the overall feeling that Madonna is controlling, egocentric, cheap, cold, tough and
a hard ass. Don't you need to be those things to get a big as Madonna is? I liked reading this book, just like I like my gossip websites....but it wasn't a great book. It is "written" by Madonna's brother Christopher, who has serious issues himself. This is one of those stories that you have to think that there are always two sides to every story. I believe that these are Christopher's interpretations of events and are somewhat interesting, but I bet Madonna has a completely different view as to how things went down. I am sure the truth is somewhere in between. I am glad I read it and recommend it to people into Madonna, but I can't give it a higher rating when I take into consideration of all of the great books that I have read.
a hard ass. Don't you need to be those things to get a big as Madonna is? I liked reading this book, just like I like my gossip websites....but it wasn't a great book. It is "written" by Madonna's brother Christopher, who has serious issues himself. This is one of those stories that you have to think that there are always two sides to every story. I believe that these are Christopher's interpretations of events and are somewhat interesting, but I bet Madonna has a completely different view as to how things went down. I am sure the truth is somewhere in between. I am glad I read it and recommend it to people into Madonna, but I can't give it a higher rating when I take into consideration of all of the great books that I have read.
June 17, 2009
I pretty much knew going in that this book would be trash. It was a fast read, and probably something I won't remember in five years. From her brother's point of view, Madonna is an icy control freak who is SOOOO UNFAIRRRR. god, there is so much whining in this book. He sometimes perks up with bravery and breaks off ties with Madonna, only to come crawling back, when he realizes that without her connections, he doesn't have much of a shot. I just don't understand how a book could be so terribly written, even with a co-writer!
The only interesting pieces of information I take from this book are that Madonna loves Hot Tamales candy, is a fan of Anais Nin and Anne Sexton, plus loves the smell of gardenias.
I'm happy that I only paid $1.95 for this book from a thrift store, and didn't pay the $26.00 listed on the book. I feel sorry for those who did. What a rip-off.
The only interesting pieces of information I take from this book are that Madonna loves Hot Tamales candy, is a fan of Anais Nin and Anne Sexton, plus loves the smell of gardenias.
I'm happy that I only paid $1.95 for this book from a thrift store, and didn't pay the $26.00 listed on the book. I feel sorry for those who did. What a rip-off.
August 4, 2008
First of all, how did it take someone below only 3 hours to read this - it took me an entire weekend (sadly dedicated to reading this, but still...)
Anyway, let's cut Christopher some slack. I think he was pretty fair, giving Madonna credit where it was due - and besides, whose memoir wouldnt be a bit biased? And if you needed the money and had a story to tell - wouldn't you tell your life story? I would. I thought it was really interesting. I think it's funny that Guy Ritchie kept saying the word "twee" and interesting that Christopher takes a lot from Kaballah despite not wanting to be involved to please his sister.
It wasn't amazing and I probably wouldnt read anything else he writes. But I don't regret reading it. I find Madonna fascinating still, for better or worse.
Anyway, let's cut Christopher some slack. I think he was pretty fair, giving Madonna credit where it was due - and besides, whose memoir wouldnt be a bit biased? And if you needed the money and had a story to tell - wouldn't you tell your life story? I would. I thought it was really interesting. I think it's funny that Guy Ritchie kept saying the word "twee" and interesting that Christopher takes a lot from Kaballah despite not wanting to be involved to please his sister.
It wasn't amazing and I probably wouldnt read anything else he writes. But I don't regret reading it. I find Madonna fascinating still, for better or worse.
October 20, 2008
I have a fascination with Madonna.. along with millions of other people.. I've just started this book and I'm hooked. :)
Well I have to say that I was disappointed because I really thought that the diva Madonna was going to be so different from the real Madonna, however, she's not according the her brother. Christopher Ciccone claims that Madonna is a horrible, selfish, greedy person even to family. That everything revolves around her and if people don't agree to this, then they are shunned.
Well regardless of her personality, I still will always love her music.
Well I have to say that I was disappointed because I really thought that the diva Madonna was going to be so different from the real Madonna, however, she's not according the her brother. Christopher Ciccone claims that Madonna is a horrible, selfish, greedy person even to family. That everything revolves around her and if people don't agree to this, then they are shunned.
Well regardless of her personality, I still will always love her music.
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