Review of Barbra Streisand: On the Couch
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Timia Harrybarran
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- Latest Review: Barbra Streisand: On the Couch by Alma H. Bond, Ph.D.
Review of Barbra Streisand: On the Couch
[Following is a volunteer review of "Barbra Streisand: On the Couch" by Alma H. Bond, Ph.D..]
Unapologetic is her name; defiant she stands, candid she will always remain, complex in nature, animated in her presence, with a soul set ablaze, comic at heart - She is Barbra Streisand.
Dr. Darcy Dale's special night was to be halted by an unexpected visitor disguised as a frumpy-looking/mumsy-dressed woman. Revealed as the one and only Barbra Streisand, demanding an immediate session. Unable to comprehend the commanding force in front of her, she starts the analysis. Thus begins our process of unraveling the raw- unfiltered person behind the Icon. Each session tells a story of her beginning, from a girl longing to fill a void created by her father's passing and mother's neglect- to a face unwanted by record labels and directors for its originality. And a heart in love with the idea of love trying to find and produce the feeling. Not only do we watch her grow but, Alma H. Bond, Ph.D.- depicts the human side of psychoanalyst Darcy Dale. As she matures alongside Barbra, we notice her experience emotions that seem so out of place for a stoic persona we are used to seeing in her profession. Sometimes professional boundaries between the two are crossed, which makes their unlikely friendship unique.
From Miss Marmelstein to Funny Girl and Yentl, following Barbra's success is something to behold, and the hard work it took to get there is an achievement in its self. Peeling back the insecurities behind what seems to be a polished figure is something I found to be very relatable; I began to see a likeness between us which made this an emotional read at times, even if it was just fiction. The choice to delve into the gender parity between the income of a man and women actor/actress/director within Hollywood receives, I found to be a bold one and just highlighted the fierce feminist she is. Her unpredictable nature dressed in a Brooklyn accent gave the book an enjoyable, witty feel and, with her spontaneity, it kept you guessing and wanting more which made this a hard book to put down- one of my favorite quotes that perfectly explains this is: " I am a feminist, Jewish, opinionated, liberal woman," She said proudly. " Why should I have my nose changed? It helps me smell a phony a mile away!" (location 278 line 4-6)
With the casual use of the word rape in the story, I considered it very insensitive which, speaks to Barbra's I don't care attitude. Some of the lines in the pdf version were cut in half, making the text hard to read. Towards the end of the book, the font style and size drastically changed, which appeared very inconsistent. The word - start here was incorrectly left in the text. In addition, there were spelling errors and words unnecessarily repeated, which was disappointing. I felt that a glossary for all the Yiddish would have helped me understand the phrases used.
At first, I would have liked to give this book a perfect 4/4, but for the aforementioned errors in the pdf version, I rate Barbra Streisand: on the couch a 3 out of 4 stars. I went in knowing little to nothing about Barbra Streisand and came out a fan, so I recommend this to just about anyone of age, but especially fans of real person fiction (RPF) and memoirs. I leave a warning here for people who are uncomfortable reading about; domestic violence, substance abuse, rape (it's not explained in detail but mentioned), marital affairs, child neglect, sexual scenes, and profanity.
******
Barbra Streisand: On the Couch
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Unapologetic is her name; defiant she stands, candid she will always remain, complex in nature, animated in her presence, with a soul set ablaze, comic at heart - She is Barbra Streisand.
Dr. Darcy Dale's special night was to be halted by an unexpected visitor disguised as a frumpy-looking/mumsy-dressed woman. Revealed as the one and only Barbra Streisand, demanding an immediate session. Unable to comprehend the commanding force in front of her, she starts the analysis. Thus begins our process of unraveling the raw- unfiltered person behind the Icon. Each session tells a story of her beginning, from a girl longing to fill a void created by her father's passing and mother's neglect- to a face unwanted by record labels and directors for its originality. And a heart in love with the idea of love trying to find and produce the feeling. Not only do we watch her grow but, Alma H. Bond, Ph.D.- depicts the human side of psychoanalyst Darcy Dale. As she matures alongside Barbra, we notice her experience emotions that seem so out of place for a stoic persona we are used to seeing in her profession. Sometimes professional boundaries between the two are crossed, which makes their unlikely friendship unique.
From Miss Marmelstein to Funny Girl and Yentl, following Barbra's success is something to behold, and the hard work it took to get there is an achievement in its self. Peeling back the insecurities behind what seems to be a polished figure is something I found to be very relatable; I began to see a likeness between us which made this an emotional read at times, even if it was just fiction. The choice to delve into the gender parity between the income of a man and women actor/actress/director within Hollywood receives, I found to be a bold one and just highlighted the fierce feminist she is. Her unpredictable nature dressed in a Brooklyn accent gave the book an enjoyable, witty feel and, with her spontaneity, it kept you guessing and wanting more which made this a hard book to put down- one of my favorite quotes that perfectly explains this is: " I am a feminist, Jewish, opinionated, liberal woman," She said proudly. " Why should I have my nose changed? It helps me smell a phony a mile away!" (location 278 line 4-6)
With the casual use of the word rape in the story, I considered it very insensitive which, speaks to Barbra's I don't care attitude. Some of the lines in the pdf version were cut in half, making the text hard to read. Towards the end of the book, the font style and size drastically changed, which appeared very inconsistent. The word - start here was incorrectly left in the text. In addition, there were spelling errors and words unnecessarily repeated, which was disappointing. I felt that a glossary for all the Yiddish would have helped me understand the phrases used.
At first, I would have liked to give this book a perfect 4/4, but for the aforementioned errors in the pdf version, I rate Barbra Streisand: on the couch a 3 out of 4 stars. I went in knowing little to nothing about Barbra Streisand and came out a fan, so I recommend this to just about anyone of age, but especially fans of real person fiction (RPF) and memoirs. I leave a warning here for people who are uncomfortable reading about; domestic violence, substance abuse, rape (it's not explained in detail but mentioned), marital affairs, child neglect, sexual scenes, and profanity.
******
Barbra Streisand: On the Couch
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Barbra Streisand: On the Couch by Alma H. Bond, Ph.D.
