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The Woman Beyond the Attic: The V.C. Andrews Story
“The woman who emerges from these pages is as riveting as her books” (The Wall Street Journal) in this compelling celebration of the famously private V.C. Andrews—featuring family photos, personal letters, a partial manuscript for an unpublished novel, and more.
Best known for her internationally, multi-million-copy bestselling novel Flowers in the Attic, Cleo Virginia Andrews lived a fascinating life. Born to modest means, she came of age in the American South during the Great Depression and faced a series of increasingly challenging health issues. Yet, once she rose to international literary fame, she prided herself on her intense privacy.
Now, The Woman Beyond the Attic aims to connect her personal life with the public novels for which she was famous. Based on Virginia’s own letters, and interviews with her dearest family members, her long-term ghostwriter Andrew Neiderman tells Virginia’s full story for the first time.
Perfect for anyone hoping to learn more about the enigmatic woman behind one of the most important novels of the 20th century, The Woman Beyond the Attic will have you “transfixed” (Publishers Weekly) from the first page.
Best known for her internationally, multi-million-copy bestselling novel Flowers in the Attic, Cleo Virginia Andrews lived a fascinating life. Born to modest means, she came of age in the American South during the Great Depression and faced a series of increasingly challenging health issues. Yet, once she rose to international literary fame, she prided herself on her intense privacy.
Now, The Woman Beyond the Attic aims to connect her personal life with the public novels for which she was famous. Based on Virginia’s own letters, and interviews with her dearest family members, her long-term ghostwriter Andrew Neiderman tells Virginia’s full story for the first time.
Perfect for anyone hoping to learn more about the enigmatic woman behind one of the most important novels of the 20th century, The Woman Beyond the Attic will have you “transfixed” (Publishers Weekly) from the first page.
258 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2022
180 people are currently reading
7188 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Neiderman
74 books390 followersAndrew Neiderman is the author of over 44 thrillers, including six of which have been translated onto film, including the big hit, 'The Devil's Advocate', a story in which he also wrote a libretto for the music-stage adaptation. One of his novels, Tender Loving Care, has been adapted into a CD-Rom interactive movie.
Andrew Neiderman became the ghostwriter for V.C. Andrews following her death in 1986. He was the screenwriter for Rain, a film based on a series of books under Andrews name. Between the novels written under her name and his own, he has published over 100 novels.
Andrew Neiderman became the ghostwriter for V.C. Andrews following her death in 1986. He was the screenwriter for Rain, a film based on a series of books under Andrews name. Between the novels written under her name and his own, he has published over 100 novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews
February 3, 2022
Not really a biography, more a cut and paste job, filled with mistakes and outright lies. I was Virginia's editor until her death, and Andy's collaborator for the four books afterward, so I know
September 18, 2023
Ooof this was not at all well written. Such a huge disappointment. It’s all over the place and extremely superficial. The writer makes assumptions about VC Andrews sex life that were so uncomfortable to read and felt so incredibly prying and disrespectful and just icky. The previously unpublished work in the second half reads like the first draft it was so I can’t complain about that but there’s no excuse for the mess that is the first half - that thing reads like most of my messy, incomprehensible review notes 🥴 All random repeated thoughts, unanswered questions and scattered commentary. Yikes
March 28, 2023
The biography portion misses an opportunity to be the definitive account of a literary icon. Based on other reviews, it sounds like fans could have written a more detailed and accurate history of her life. However, this section does serve as an effective introduction to a previously unpublished novel-in-progress The Obsessed which Andrews was working on before her death in 1986.
I imagine the negative reviews are partly because longtime fans were bored by the lack of new information, shocked by errors, and maybe even infuriated that a huge part of the book consists of a V.C. Andrews manuscript which may have been floating around on the Internet already.
"The Obsessed" manuscript was new to me, however, and I LOVED reading it. I'm totally new to Andrews, only knowing her by reputation. These were the first words I'd ever read by her and though they were obviously first draft, I was mesmerized by the characters and story. I now want to read EVERYTHING by her. She handles incest extremely well. It's not sleazy at all, but coming from a point of view that is part psychological and part symbolic. I also found it fascinating to read the rough draft of a prolific and bestselling author. It's rare to get this kind of inside view into the process of successful writers.
I did think it was unfortunate that Andrew Neiderman didn't elaborate on how it feels to be her ghostwriter. I imagined he would have an intimate relationship with her work and be more of a superfan, having taken on the mantle for decades. Instead we get the sense that he knew nothing about her when he took the job and never put in effort to "become" V.C. Andrews.
I get that the book is about her and not him, but by now he's been V.C. Andrews longer than she was. It would be nice to gain some insight into that situation, or at least close the book feeling like her legacy was left in good hands. I'm sure he's a fine writer, but I got the sense he's only V.C. Andrews for the paycheck.
In the end, there's still space for a legitimate biography written by a real biographer. Some aspects of her life will likely remain a mystery, but surely more can be said about such an influential author beyond rehashing old interviews and doing a copy-paste job from some of her letters. Taking a little initiative would have gone a long way.
Three stars for the biography, five stars for "The Obsessed" and some of the other private letters.
I imagine the negative reviews are partly because longtime fans were bored by the lack of new information, shocked by errors, and maybe even infuriated that a huge part of the book consists of a V.C. Andrews manuscript which may have been floating around on the Internet already.
"The Obsessed" manuscript was new to me, however, and I LOVED reading it. I'm totally new to Andrews, only knowing her by reputation. These were the first words I'd ever read by her and though they were obviously first draft, I was mesmerized by the characters and story. I now want to read EVERYTHING by her. She handles incest extremely well. It's not sleazy at all, but coming from a point of view that is part psychological and part symbolic. I also found it fascinating to read the rough draft of a prolific and bestselling author. It's rare to get this kind of inside view into the process of successful writers.
I did think it was unfortunate that Andrew Neiderman didn't elaborate on how it feels to be her ghostwriter. I imagined he would have an intimate relationship with her work and be more of a superfan, having taken on the mantle for decades. Instead we get the sense that he knew nothing about her when he took the job and never put in effort to "become" V.C. Andrews.
I get that the book is about her and not him, but by now he's been V.C. Andrews longer than she was. It would be nice to gain some insight into that situation, or at least close the book feeling like her legacy was left in good hands. I'm sure he's a fine writer, but I got the sense he's only V.C. Andrews for the paycheck.
In the end, there's still space for a legitimate biography written by a real biographer. Some aspects of her life will likely remain a mystery, but surely more can be said about such an influential author beyond rehashing old interviews and doing a copy-paste job from some of her letters. Taking a little initiative would have gone a long way.
Three stars for the biography, five stars for "The Obsessed" and some of the other private letters.
May 25, 2024
I've waited to read about the life of the mysterious V.C. Andrews...and the publisher gives this important job to Andrew Niederman? What a colossal disappointment.
CO
LOS
SAL!
The end.
CO
LOS
SAL!
The end.
January 19, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of
The Woman Beyond the Attic.
I've been a fan of V.C. Andrews since I read Flowers in the Attic a looonnngggg time ago so when I saw this ARC, I knew I had to request it.
I'm grateful for this biography because I've been curious about the author ever since she made my mouth drop open with shock when I read the twist in My Sweet Audrina, which is my favorite book by V.C. Andrews.
The author, V.C. Andrews' ghostwriter for nearly four decades, pays homage to an incredibly talented, artistic, imaginative woman whose creativity soared outside the confines of her disabled body and the oppressive home and atmosphere created by her overprotective mother, Lillian.
What 'facts' I read about V.C. Andrews came mostly from Wikipedia (mostly inaccurate and fueled by gossip and purposely misleading tidbits by the author herself), and I was pleased her medical issues were explained, since the rumors fueled my own overactive imaginations had conjured up something even more horrifying, though I think V.C. Andrews might have found that amusing.
Mr. Neiderman offers a little insight into V.C. Andrews mostly happy childhood (until her father died) and the challenges she faced when her medical issues threatened to demoralize and break her spirit yet there's really nothing solid, mostly because the author herself was so private.
Can you imagine how she would have managed in our social media obsessed 24/7 era?
Anyhoo, without her dad, she had to grow up fast and become the sole source of income for her and her mother.
Naturally, this sudden upheaval in her life also caused her to maintain her innocence and imagination.
As a result, in many ways, she never quite reached full maturity in her mind because she never got to experience a normal adolescence and young adulthood.
Despite the tumult of her years after losing her father suddenly, V.C. Andrews remained her true self; her relatives speak highly of her intelligence, talent, beauty, and her desire not to be pitied or shunned.
I do find it ironic that the fame and success V.C. Andrews found in her later years was cut short by a cancer diagnosis, yet it still gave V.C. Andrews the dramatic and fanciful life she had always imagined for herself, the reasons she read dark tales of fantasy and grim fairy tales.
My biggest issue with this biography was how repetitive it was, especially toward the end.
It was apparent the author was running out of stuff to say and write about and turned to filler material like when he included a letter V.C. Andrews wrote about her trip to L.A. to be wined and dined by the Hollywood elite.
V.C. Andrews was an amazing woman; she knew she was special, she didn't want to be like everyone else and forgotten, to achieve a status she had always imagined herself but knew she could attain.
Anyone who has read one of her books would never forget her.
And if you've never read any of her books, I'm pretty sure you've heard of her.
I've been a fan of V.C. Andrews since I read Flowers in the Attic a looonnngggg time ago so when I saw this ARC, I knew I had to request it.
I'm grateful for this biography because I've been curious about the author ever since she made my mouth drop open with shock when I read the twist in My Sweet Audrina, which is my favorite book by V.C. Andrews.
The author, V.C. Andrews' ghostwriter for nearly four decades, pays homage to an incredibly talented, artistic, imaginative woman whose creativity soared outside the confines of her disabled body and the oppressive home and atmosphere created by her overprotective mother, Lillian.
What 'facts' I read about V.C. Andrews came mostly from Wikipedia (mostly inaccurate and fueled by gossip and purposely misleading tidbits by the author herself), and I was pleased her medical issues were explained, since the rumors fueled my own overactive imaginations had conjured up something even more horrifying, though I think V.C. Andrews might have found that amusing.
Mr. Neiderman offers a little insight into V.C. Andrews mostly happy childhood (until her father died) and the challenges she faced when her medical issues threatened to demoralize and break her spirit yet there's really nothing solid, mostly because the author herself was so private.
Can you imagine how she would have managed in our social media obsessed 24/7 era?
Anyhoo, without her dad, she had to grow up fast and become the sole source of income for her and her mother.
Naturally, this sudden upheaval in her life also caused her to maintain her innocence and imagination.
As a result, in many ways, she never quite reached full maturity in her mind because she never got to experience a normal adolescence and young adulthood.
Despite the tumult of her years after losing her father suddenly, V.C. Andrews remained her true self; her relatives speak highly of her intelligence, talent, beauty, and her desire not to be pitied or shunned.
I do find it ironic that the fame and success V.C. Andrews found in her later years was cut short by a cancer diagnosis, yet it still gave V.C. Andrews the dramatic and fanciful life she had always imagined for herself, the reasons she read dark tales of fantasy and grim fairy tales.
My biggest issue with this biography was how repetitive it was, especially toward the end.
It was apparent the author was running out of stuff to say and write about and turned to filler material like when he included a letter V.C. Andrews wrote about her trip to L.A. to be wined and dined by the Hollywood elite.
V.C. Andrews was an amazing woman; she knew she was special, she didn't want to be like everyone else and forgotten, to achieve a status she had always imagined herself but knew she could attain.
Anyone who has read one of her books would never forget her.
And if you've never read any of her books, I'm pretty sure you've heard of her.
February 2, 2022
Goodreads needs a 0 option.
AN has destroyed her legacy and then continues to use her good name to pay for his life.
Disgusting. Please do your "fans" a favor and retire 🙏
Also, terrible writing and no real big "secrets" that many of us fans don't already know.
AN has destroyed her legacy and then continues to use her good name to pay for his life.
Disgusting. Please do your "fans" a favor and retire 🙏
Also, terrible writing and no real big "secrets" that many of us fans don't already know.
January 27, 2022
Such a blatant and obvious cash grab aimed at Gen X and Elder Millennials on the back of a very private woman not here to demand higher quality. The author has benefitted off Victoria Andrew's legacy for decades by publishing books under her name, but this book is insulting to both the subject and the reader. The quality and style are that of a paper written at the last minute with the main motivator being a desperate need to hit a word count. So many blatant guesses, random interpretations, rehashing of information, unanswered rhetorical questions, and reuses of quotes (sometimes to support conflicting ideas). Reading it is just plain infuriating.
That said, there are many quotes from letters Victoria wrote to her family and stories told by her few surviving family members which are quite enjoyable. And some may find this book worth the cost of reading just for the unedited, unfinished, unpublished genuine VC Andrews novel that makes up the second half. Which makes it so much more frustrating how little care was given in the first half. A book that was made up of just her letters with added commentary from her family followed by this unpublished work would have been much less labor intensive and much more enjoyable.
And so I give this book 2 stars, because Victoria's content drags it up past the 0 stars it otherwise deserves. I whole heartedly recommend not buying this book (the publisher and author should be absolutely ashamed of this and do not deserve to profit), but maybe pick it up from the library or share one copy amongst several friends.
That said, there are many quotes from letters Victoria wrote to her family and stories told by her few surviving family members which are quite enjoyable. And some may find this book worth the cost of reading just for the unedited, unfinished, unpublished genuine VC Andrews novel that makes up the second half. Which makes it so much more frustrating how little care was given in the first half. A book that was made up of just her letters with added commentary from her family followed by this unpublished work would have been much less labor intensive and much more enjoyable.
And so I give this book 2 stars, because Victoria's content drags it up past the 0 stars it otherwise deserves. I whole heartedly recommend not buying this book (the publisher and author should be absolutely ashamed of this and do not deserve to profit), but maybe pick it up from the library or share one copy amongst several friends.
November 15, 2021
The Woman Behind the Attic by Andrew Neiderman is a mixed bag in so many ways. I'm glad I read it but hope a real biography by a real writer will be forthcoming at some point.
I have never really looked into Andrews life, or maybe I should say tried to look into it, so for someone like me there is some interesting information here. Unfortunately Neiderman writes nonfiction as vapidly as he does fiction.
The ONLY reason I would recommend this book to someone would be for the parts that are written by a talented writer, Andrews herself. Those are interesting to read and I just hope they weren't abused in the same way he abused her reputation and legacy.
I will say, although he doesn't state it explicitly, in the introduction it becomes clear why a hack writer was brought onboard to butcher Andrews' name, money. Both his agent and he saw dollar signs when her health deteriorated and they managed to find a way to make a good thing ugly. Congrats!
Like I said, recommended only for those who want to read as much from the hand of Andrews as possible, or those who would rather read the few interesting tidbits in poorly written form than search online and read it there, likely written much better online as well.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
I have never really looked into Andrews life, or maybe I should say tried to look into it, so for someone like me there is some interesting information here. Unfortunately Neiderman writes nonfiction as vapidly as he does fiction.
The ONLY reason I would recommend this book to someone would be for the parts that are written by a talented writer, Andrews herself. Those are interesting to read and I just hope they weren't abused in the same way he abused her reputation and legacy.
I will say, although he doesn't state it explicitly, in the introduction it becomes clear why a hack writer was brought onboard to butcher Andrews' name, money. Both his agent and he saw dollar signs when her health deteriorated and they managed to find a way to make a good thing ugly. Congrats!
Like I said, recommended only for those who want to read as much from the hand of Andrews as possible, or those who would rather read the few interesting tidbits in poorly written form than search online and read it there, likely written much better online as well.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
January 18, 2022
"The Woman Beyond the Attic" is Andrew Neiderman's new book about the very elusive author Cleo Virginia Andrews, known to the literary world as V.C. Andrews, author of the "Dollanganger" series. It will be published February 1, 2022.
As a young adult, I fell in love with reading thriller/mystery novels beginning with "The Flowers in the Attic". These books were the rage in bestselling books in the late 70s' and early 80's. V.C Andrews books were originally banned in some literary settings, but the author continued to endure till her death in 1986.
As a avid fan of V.C. Andrews books, I was so ecstatic to read this book about her life. The mystique behind the author of these trend setting books was of great intrigue to me. Sadly, Andrew Neiderman's writing style is unusual and missed the mark with me. I am sorry to say, other than basic facts, the majority of the book was slow. I was disappointed, but I will always have the highest esteem for V.C. Andrews. She opened up a whole new world to me and thus I became a devout reader. You can't get any better than that!
Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for allowing me to review this e-book in exchange for my honest opinion. I appreciate the honor.
As a young adult, I fell in love with reading thriller/mystery novels beginning with "The Flowers in the Attic". These books were the rage in bestselling books in the late 70s' and early 80's. V.C Andrews books were originally banned in some literary settings, but the author continued to endure till her death in 1986.
As a avid fan of V.C. Andrews books, I was so ecstatic to read this book about her life. The mystique behind the author of these trend setting books was of great intrigue to me. Sadly, Andrew Neiderman's writing style is unusual and missed the mark with me. I am sorry to say, other than basic facts, the majority of the book was slow. I was disappointed, but I will always have the highest esteem for V.C. Andrews. She opened up a whole new world to me and thus I became a devout reader. You can't get any better than that!
Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for allowing me to review this e-book in exchange for my honest opinion. I appreciate the honor.
December 22, 2021
I along with millions of girls in 1980s devoured VC Andrew’s books. For that reason I wanted to read this biography. There is something off for me while reading it. I feel I probably can go to Wikipedia and learn more about her.
Honest review of ARC given to me by NetGalley.
Honest review of ARC given to me by NetGalley.
April 1, 2022
There's not much here. This includes letters written to family members, a bit about her childhood, her family and tracks her career as a painter before her writing career.
This also tracks her heartbreakingly short career.
I don’t know if it's accurate but I liked the picture of her being uncooperative with the press and repeatedly lying about her age and background. What a character.
I think there's a sexist and ableist treatment of her by Neiderman in his obsession with and insistence on stressing her presumed innocence and virginity. He repeatedly characterizes her as a stunted adult or teenager who never grew up despite the darkness of her work or its incredibly adult subject matter. Not to mention the author was middle aged when published.
Often disabled people are seen as childlike or innocent. Perhaps Virginia was, though her writing belies that definition, but I believe the assertion to be based upon her disability and likely her race. The purity of white women is a huge big deal in the western world.
Certainly there is no way to know what experiences she may have had before her life becomes restricted by her mother and health around age 17. She had a boyfriend when she her condition worsens and which her mother subsequently runs off. Many of the characters in her books experience their first sexual exploration before the age of 17 so perhaps she did too.
Either way I found this focus somewhat salacious and overly colored by sexism & ableism.
I enjoyed the most Obsessed, the original unedited uncompleted story written by Virginia and included with this biography.
This doesn't have much valuable info that's not already included in previously published interviews and while it does include some family letters, nothing of real importance is added.
Spoilers for those who are intetested but don't want to bother with the book:
Virginia is from a working class family, she was an art prodigy and took community college art classes in grade school.
She probably had a chronic condition that was exacerbated by a 'twist' in high school. This causes arthritis which has terrible pain. This led to multiple Dr visits, specialist appointments and surgeries. One such surgery followed by a full body cast leaves her needing to use crutches & a wheelchair for mobility permanently.
After her father's death she and her mother Lilian who provides all of her physical care live with relatives. Virginia sells artwork for awhile to help make ends meet. She always wants to write and eventually quits painting full time to pursue writing.
She read and studied extensively which forced her to increase her families library as reference books can't be checked out.
Her mother never reads her books but is horrified at the incest in Flowers.
Cathy from Flowers was based heavily on Virginia and carries many of her skills and aspects of her personality probably.
Flowers in the Attic is worked from the story of a young Dr she met who she was sweet on and he was sweet on her when she was dealing with medical troubles. He told her he was from an influential family and had to be hidden for 6 years due to issues with inheritance. Almost 30 yrs later that will become Flowers in the Attic.
She had approval power over the script for Flowers in the Attic movie, visited the set, spoke with actors and even filmed a cameo for the film. She quite liked the casting.
She writes a sweet letter in 1983 leaving everything to her mom which must be when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. In the novel, Heaven, Kitty dies of breast cancer which she refused to acknowledge or treat. I think it likely Virginia chose the same as according to Neiderman there's no record of chemo or radiation therapy.
Virginia doesn't do much writing towards the end of her life though supposedly she did stay awake writing out ideas for future books and had presumably saved that.
I assume this is what Neiderman works from in part anyway.
Maybe worth a read for serious fans but not much here of value🤷🏾♀️
This also tracks her heartbreakingly short career.
I don’t know if it's accurate but I liked the picture of her being uncooperative with the press and repeatedly lying about her age and background. What a character.
I think there's a sexist and ableist treatment of her by Neiderman in his obsession with and insistence on stressing her presumed innocence and virginity. He repeatedly characterizes her as a stunted adult or teenager who never grew up despite the darkness of her work or its incredibly adult subject matter. Not to mention the author was middle aged when published.
Often disabled people are seen as childlike or innocent. Perhaps Virginia was, though her writing belies that definition, but I believe the assertion to be based upon her disability and likely her race. The purity of white women is a huge big deal in the western world.
Certainly there is no way to know what experiences she may have had before her life becomes restricted by her mother and health around age 17. She had a boyfriend when she her condition worsens and which her mother subsequently runs off. Many of the characters in her books experience their first sexual exploration before the age of 17 so perhaps she did too.
Either way I found this focus somewhat salacious and overly colored by sexism & ableism.
I enjoyed the most Obsessed, the original unedited uncompleted story written by Virginia and included with this biography.
This doesn't have much valuable info that's not already included in previously published interviews and while it does include some family letters, nothing of real importance is added.
Spoilers for those who are intetested but don't want to bother with the book:
Virginia is from a working class family, she was an art prodigy and took community college art classes in grade school.
She probably had a chronic condition that was exacerbated by a 'twist' in high school. This causes arthritis which has terrible pain. This led to multiple Dr visits, specialist appointments and surgeries. One such surgery followed by a full body cast leaves her needing to use crutches & a wheelchair for mobility permanently.
After her father's death she and her mother Lilian who provides all of her physical care live with relatives. Virginia sells artwork for awhile to help make ends meet. She always wants to write and eventually quits painting full time to pursue writing.
She read and studied extensively which forced her to increase her families library as reference books can't be checked out.
Her mother never reads her books but is horrified at the incest in Flowers.
Cathy from Flowers was based heavily on Virginia and carries many of her skills and aspects of her personality probably.
Flowers in the Attic is worked from the story of a young Dr she met who she was sweet on and he was sweet on her when she was dealing with medical troubles. He told her he was from an influential family and had to be hidden for 6 years due to issues with inheritance. Almost 30 yrs later that will become Flowers in the Attic.
She had approval power over the script for Flowers in the Attic movie, visited the set, spoke with actors and even filmed a cameo for the film. She quite liked the casting.
She writes a sweet letter in 1983 leaving everything to her mom which must be when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. In the novel, Heaven, Kitty dies of breast cancer which she refused to acknowledge or treat. I think it likely Virginia chose the same as according to Neiderman there's no record of chemo or radiation therapy.
Virginia doesn't do much writing towards the end of her life though supposedly she did stay awake writing out ideas for future books and had presumably saved that.
I assume this is what Neiderman works from in part anyway.
Maybe worth a read for serious fans but not much here of value🤷🏾♀️
March 18, 2022
Look, I wasn't expecting great literature. It's a biography of VC Andrews, not Virginia Woolf, after all. But this is utterly unreadable dreck. The author spends half the book saying things like "as this biography will show..." and the other half "as this biography has shown..." with precious little actual showing in between. I tried skimming it, attempting to just ferret out the details of Andrews' life, but the narrative isn't clear or linear. It jumps around in time, frequently repeating details and anecdotes, and constantly mixes in passages from Flowers in the Attic - attempting both to prove and disprove any similarities between VCA and Cathy Dollanganger. I finally gave up in annoyance and re-read Flowers in the Attic instead.
February 2, 2022
I wanted to give Andrew Neiderman the benefit of the doubt and had hoped this biography would be decent. Sadly, that's not the case. It feels half-heartedly written. The overly long preface feels more like a biography than the actual biography. I wished the V.C. Andrews estate and Gallery Books had hired a professional biographer instead of rehiring Andrew Neiderman. Yeah, I get it. Neiderman is the ghostwriter, so he should be the perfect choice to pen V.C. Andrews's biography. Right? Wrong! The last dozen or so ghostwritten titles have been lazy and sloppy. And, Neiderman's streak of horrible writing continues.
The Woman Beyond the Attic has zero new information about V.C. Andrews that I didn't already know via the internet. The only two things of any interest in this book are the several never-seen-before photos and The Obsessed, but they're not enough for me to recommend the book to other readers.
You can read my full review at https://www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com/....
May 7, 2022
Some interesting social/historical context, but the biographer’s attempt to tie VC Andrews’ life to her work feel amateur and unearned. Still, I found the facts of her life interesting. The author gets a lot of his information from an article published in the early part of her career (called “The Faces of Evil,”) so I figured I might look up the original article myself if I ever wanted to read more about what she had to say directly.
The book’s last 10 chapters publish her last (unfinished) manuscript at the time of her death. I did not read it.
File Under: A Fat Book with Thin Content
The book’s last 10 chapters publish her last (unfinished) manuscript at the time of her death. I did not read it.
File Under: A Fat Book with Thin Content
June 20, 2022
This book reads like a term paper. A crappy, poorly organized term paper.
October 31, 2021
I received an e-ARC version of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.
I have mixed feelings about “The Woman Beyond the Attic: The VC Andrews Story” by Andrew Niederman.
Let me start by stating the pros of this book - finally there’s a biography of VC Andrews, an author whose books I read when I was a teenager. Yes, I will admit - I devoured the “Flowers” books (and “My Sweet Audrina”), but knew very little about the writer herself. I liked that we have her own words (and those of her family) included in this book - it’s not just rehashed interviews or gossip. And how wonderful is it to have included an unpublished original writing of a VC Andrews book at the end?
Unfortunately, the cons outweighed the pros for me. I haven’t read any of the books written by her ghost writer Andrew Niederman, who happened to write this biography. This book is not well organized (in one part we’re in February 1986, then in October, then back to March) and information is repeated often enough to have been a bit confusing (and it wasn’t just due to family members telling their recollections). Mr. Niederman uses very odd language at times that I found myself bewildered, such as a paraphrased line about while VC Andrews’ brother was being born, the nation was also undergoing it’s own birth (this was in reference to Black Thursday and the Great Depression). Through the book, Mr. Niederman switches the point of view (such as “Ms. Andrews wrote constantly … I cannot write when I have a cold … we should all be impressed”) and I found this a bit jarring. While it was great to read an unpublished VC Andrews work, it did take up about 30-35% of the book, which seems like a lot. Unfortunately by the end of this book, I still feel like I really don’t know VC Andrews, though I’ll admit to knowing more than before reading this book.
If you haven’t read any VC Andrews books, I’d strongly recommend at minimum reading “Flowers in the Attic” because that book (and series) is referred to quite often in this book.
I have mixed feelings about “The Woman Beyond the Attic: The VC Andrews Story” by Andrew Niederman.
Let me start by stating the pros of this book - finally there’s a biography of VC Andrews, an author whose books I read when I was a teenager. Yes, I will admit - I devoured the “Flowers” books (and “My Sweet Audrina”), but knew very little about the writer herself. I liked that we have her own words (and those of her family) included in this book - it’s not just rehashed interviews or gossip. And how wonderful is it to have included an unpublished original writing of a VC Andrews book at the end?
Unfortunately, the cons outweighed the pros for me. I haven’t read any of the books written by her ghost writer Andrew Niederman, who happened to write this biography. This book is not well organized (in one part we’re in February 1986, then in October, then back to March) and information is repeated often enough to have been a bit confusing (and it wasn’t just due to family members telling their recollections). Mr. Niederman uses very odd language at times that I found myself bewildered, such as a paraphrased line about while VC Andrews’ brother was being born, the nation was also undergoing it’s own birth (this was in reference to Black Thursday and the Great Depression). Through the book, Mr. Niederman switches the point of view (such as “Ms. Andrews wrote constantly … I cannot write when I have a cold … we should all be impressed”) and I found this a bit jarring. While it was great to read an unpublished VC Andrews work, it did take up about 30-35% of the book, which seems like a lot. Unfortunately by the end of this book, I still feel like I really don’t know VC Andrews, though I’ll admit to knowing more than before reading this book.
If you haven’t read any VC Andrews books, I’d strongly recommend at minimum reading “Flowers in the Attic” because that book (and series) is referred to quite often in this book.
October 30, 2021
I am a little torn on my feelings for this book. First I will say I felt almost obliged to read the biography and honor the life of this person for whose books I'd save my allowance to purchase in paperback from drugstores in the 80s. I feel justified now in all those hours I spent turning one more page, minute by minute further past my bedtime. I didn't read the fiction works that the author wrote in Andrews name, but I will say -- he's no nonfiction writer. I was able to forgive noticeable repetition of facts and unoriginal organization largely due to the contributions of family members and the inclusion of a bit of Virginia's unpublished original writing. If you are interested, I don't think you will be at all upset having read it!
January 24, 2022
I did not read this book and I will not be reading this book. I cannot think of anyone worse to write this book. Niederman is a disgusting pig and I think maybe we should all just ignore this utter trash.
May 17, 2022
It’s literally insane how bad this is
Want to read
November 27, 2021The Woman Beyond the Attic: The V.C. Andrews Story is written by her long-term ghostwriter, Andrew Neiderman. This brings up some curious ethical questions concerning intentions and bias. Putting that aside, I found the writing unorganized but informative. The best part was hearing about her experience in her own words.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free digital copy of this book for a honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free digital copy of this book for a honest review.
February 16, 2022
I wanted so very much to love this book. What I found was repetitive filler. And despite A.N. writing in her name all these years, I don't think he did her much justice in this book. I expected so much more. Very disappointing. Virginia Andrews deserved much better.
February 20, 2022
This feels like the outline of a biography. An actual literary biography of V.C. Andrews would be a fascinating read. Unfortunately, this one isn’t it, despite having access to her family and her papers.
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September 16, 2022My expectations for this book were low, but even so I wasn't quite prepared for what a pile of hot garbage it was. And I know next to nothing about V.C. Andrews after reading it.
May 2, 2022
This book is so bad. lolz This is supposed to be a biography, and it's not. It's more like high school student's literary analysis of Flowers in the Attic--specifically, what fictional things from that book were drawn from Andrews' life. Now, that isn't terrible in and of itself; I think that's a legitimate area of study, but it's still poorly done. "This biography will show..." My friends, no decent biography will have that phrase sprinkled throughout the text. Personal pronouns (Neiderman refers to himself, "I", a lot) are also terrible. And there are also the rhetorical questions. One of my favourites involved a journalist or publicist who didn't get Andrews or her books. The question went along the lines of : could it be this young woman had experienced similar terrible things as the Dollanganger children and Andrews' books reminded her of this terrible experience? (Neiderman, I think the answer was simply that the woman in question didn't like the books or hadn't heard of them.) Anyway, there would sometimes be entire paragraphs of rhetorical and speculative questions--instead of, you know, writing events in such a way so that the reader can easily draw the conclusions the biographer wishes to highlight. Like a real biography.
And then there's the terrible presentation of Andrews' life. A single chapter will jump back and forth in time, inserting literary analysis along the way, so that the timeline of Andrews' life is a jumble. (I'd like to say this was a meta way of honouring Andrews and MSA, but Neiderman doesn't have the skill. This is a mess, not deliberate looping.) Do you know, I'm still not entirely clear about Andrews' health and why she used a wheelchair and had to sit at strange angles? It's never clearly stated. (to be clear, it seems to be rheumatoid arthritis, and I gleaned that from an Andrews' letter, but holy smokes, that shouldn't be a mystery.) There's also the jump between the accident/surgery in high school and her writing a book. Decades are skipped.
There was an intriguing reference in one of the included letters, in which Andrews tells her brother that, no, actually, she won't be just splitting her book money with her brothers. Neiderman focuses on the fact that she needs to save because of health, and never really digs into the fact that her family was sniffing around that money. ...and how could he, really, since he's benefitted quite a lot from her family cashing in on her success!
TL;DR It's a shame that Andrews' family didn't commission a skilled biographer or non-fiction writer to tackle this "biography". Neiderman's ability doesn't do the subject justice. And, honestly, what this really needed was someone able to dig in and examine her life, rather than present a sanitized, family-approved version. Maybe someday we'll get that book.
And then there's the terrible presentation of Andrews' life. A single chapter will jump back and forth in time, inserting literary analysis along the way, so that the timeline of Andrews' life is a jumble. (I'd like to say this was a meta way of honouring Andrews and MSA, but Neiderman doesn't have the skill. This is a mess, not deliberate looping.) Do you know, I'm still not entirely clear about Andrews' health and why she used a wheelchair and had to sit at strange angles? It's never clearly stated. (to be clear, it seems to be rheumatoid arthritis, and I gleaned that from an Andrews' letter, but holy smokes, that shouldn't be a mystery.) There's also the jump between the accident/surgery in high school and her writing a book. Decades are skipped.
There was an intriguing reference in one of the included letters, in which Andrews tells her brother that, no, actually, she won't be just splitting her book money with her brothers. Neiderman focuses on the fact that she needs to save because of health, and never really digs into the fact that her family was sniffing around that money. ...and how could he, really, since he's benefitted quite a lot from her family cashing in on her success!
TL;DR It's a shame that Andrews' family didn't commission a skilled biographer or non-fiction writer to tackle this "biography". Neiderman's ability doesn't do the subject justice. And, honestly, what this really needed was someone able to dig in and examine her life, rather than present a sanitized, family-approved version. Maybe someday we'll get that book.
February 18, 2022
The Woman Beyond the Attic is meant to be a celebration to the late great, famously private V.C. Andrews. Her personal life was part secretive, part fascinating. In this new release, her ghost writer Andrew Neiderman aims to connect her personal life to her famous novels based on letters and interviews. It is the first book of its kind!
I was more interested in the behind-the-scenes fiction than fact. This book includes a partial manuscript for an unpublished novel. Thanks to the Andrews family for allowing the unedited manuscript to be included. It was way more engaging than the personal letters and so-called "full" true story. I know nothing more about V.C. Andrews than before I read page one.
The Woman Beyond the Attic would perhaps be better received as a book examining Virginia Cleo's own life experiences and how they were applied to her characters' lives. Or better yet, let the famous author continue to be a mystery to us all; let her memory just be no matter how cryptic it seems.
Happy Pub Day, Andrew Neiderman! The Woman Beyond the Attic is now available.
~LiteraryMarie
I was more interested in the behind-the-scenes fiction than fact. This book includes a partial manuscript for an unpublished novel. Thanks to the Andrews family for allowing the unedited manuscript to be included. It was way more engaging than the personal letters and so-called "full" true story. I know nothing more about V.C. Andrews than before I read page one.
The Woman Beyond the Attic would perhaps be better received as a book examining Virginia Cleo's own life experiences and how they were applied to her characters' lives. Or better yet, let the famous author continue to be a mystery to us all; let her memory just be no matter how cryptic it seems.
Happy Pub Day, Andrew Neiderman! The Woman Beyond the Attic is now available.
~LiteraryMarie
February 20, 2022
I have been a V.C. Andrews fan since the very beginning. I have read all of her books and was so into them that I didn't realize for years that she was sadly no longer with us and that her books were written by a Ghostwriter- Andrew Neiderman.
As Mr. Neiderman states in this book , V.C. was a very private person this book reflects that as it really doesn't offer much info on her other than bare basics. None the less I had to read this and will continue to read any forth coming books.
Thank you to Netgalley, Gallery Books and the Author, Andrew Neiderman for an ARC of this book in exchange for ah honest review.
As Mr. Neiderman states in this book , V.C. was a very private person this book reflects that as it really doesn't offer much info on her other than bare basics. None the less I had to read this and will continue to read any forth coming books.
Thank you to Netgalley, Gallery Books and the Author, Andrew Neiderman for an ARC of this book in exchange for ah honest review.
February 8, 2022
I received this as a preorder because growing up a VC Andrews fan, I was excited about learning more about her. But the more I read, the more disappointed I was. I did like how her family members contributed to it but I feel like a lot was left out. For example, I always heard she wrote about incest to keep the readers involved but it didn’t really touch on that topic. I was more interested in The Obsession rather than the actual biography. I never give books 3 stars but this one deserves that.
February 4, 2023
I had to sit on myself to finish reading this book. It certainly wasn't the subject although it kept going over the same information over and over again and again. Secondly, I felt that the author, Andrew Neiderman was egotistical and narrow-minded. I truly loved the writing of V.C. Andrews and have never had the desire to pick up books from Andrew Neiderman and now I know why.
February 5, 2022
Totally bonkers and unintentionally campy bio of the great V.C.Poorly written and willfully non-revealing. Kind of an anti-biography! Yet another bizarre footnote in her legacy. Disability studies folks could have a field day with the preface alone. Book design is top-notch — looks great face out!
March 18, 2022
As a teen in the 80s, V.C. Andrews' books were an integral part of growing up and I was interested to learn more about her. This book was so bad, though, that I quit after chapter 2. None of this rings true and it is either a case of author worship or really poorly-executed publicity.
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