Self-Portrait

I got this book because I am very interested in manic depression (or bipolar disorder) and I knew Gene Tierney had gone through the disease. My purchasing this book also had to do with my admiring Miss Tierney as an actress, for giving astounding performances in films like "Leave Her to Heaven". What I found was not only a fascinating read written by an honest and courageous lady, but also a very well written account of a victim of MD. I learned many things from this book and I must say, Miss Tierney was extremely honest, chose her words well, and most of all, wrote about famous celebrities like her former husband Oleg Cassini as well as former boyfriend John Kennedy without showing any negative feelings towards them. She writes with such class and frankness, making this a must for every fan of her work.

Called the most beautiful woman in movie history by Darryl Zanuck (founder of 20th Century Fox), actress Gene Tierney also proves herself a good and insightful writer with this accomplished "self-portrait". I purchased this on a whim in an antique store, and have read it several times. I appreciate her honesty regarded her psychological problems and the fun tidbits about Hollywood life in the 1940s. It's unfortunate that the name Gene Tierney is so unfamiliar these days. She was a talented actress and writer, and I enjoy her work very much.

I love this book. Gene Tierney tells her story and comes acrossas a brave and intelligent woman. She speaks candidly about hermental illness, her marriages, her family. Poor Gene...her first daughter was born retarded and had to be institutionalized. Her first marriage fell apart and she lost her grip on her sanity, but she bounced back. She married Howard Lee and her second child (by first husband Oleg Cassini) was born healthy. Today Gene might not be a household name, but she should be...if you read this book you will see why. Great book beginning to end!

This book is told by Gene Tierney herself. She tells about her childhood through her later years living in Houston, Texas. She lived an exciting life but paid the price for it with many terrible tragedies. She shares her deep, dark secrets of her life. It is an extremely wonderful book. I am a huge fan of Gene Tierney. You must read this book. You will not be able to put it down!