Review by merlinkaya -- Barbra Streisand: On the Couch
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Review by merlinkaya -- Barbra Streisand: On the Couch
[Following is a volunteer review of "Barbra Streisand: On the Couch" by Alma H. Bond, Ph.D..]
4 out of 4 stars
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Dr. Alma Bond’s book, Barbra Streisand on the Couch, is a beautiful blend of non fiction and fictional narrative. Distinguished psychoanalyst with PhD from Columbia University, Dr. Bond morphs her extensive research, experience, and deep knowledge of Freudian psychology into a lyrically reconstructed biography. At the same time, it’s not just the biography that moves in a boring, linear sequence, but unfolds as Barbra Streisand, in a relaxed format, lying on the couch, reveals to her therapist her profoundly poignant inner universe.
We all know Barbra Streisand as a talented actress and an exceptional singer, an original filmmaker and a courageous activist for the causes she believes. Her stellar personality shines in so many fields. And yet, under this “solar” surface, we’re about to discover a vulnerably soul, exposing to her therapist in the course of a year, the convoluted foundation she emerged from with all its ups and downs.
What I really enjoy about his book is its spontaneous flow without any straight lines. Even if a reader isn’t particularly fond of Streisand, one can still enjoy her vibrant stories about the remarkable men in her life, breakthroughs in her career and the like. As we read, we can feel how her energy shifts from depressed tones to genuine catharsis. Barbra lost her father as a young child. He died in a car accident. The tragedy left deep scars on her soul, for she lost not only her father but her mother as well. The grief created a psychological void between the mother and the daughter. Traveling back in time under Dr. Darcy's subtle guidance helps her view her past in a different perspective.
All the episodes Barbra brings to life shed light on Streisand's personality. As she recalls, she slides back in time to revive what she felt back then. I really relished the way she talks about her affair with Pierre Trudeau, how she felt about the roles she played, or some meaningful social events. The whole narrative is imbued with contagious sense of humor and a good deal of irony. For instance, the scene where Barbra asks the Queen of England why the English women have to wear gloves and the men don’t is simply hilarious.
What makes the book truly magnetizing is the mode of narrative. The couch Barbra nestles on becomes also her stage for reliving the past and embracing it all. She opens her soul, petal after petal. In the end, we appreciate the totality of what Barbra Streisand has become through the entire kaleidoscope of her fascinating life.
It was very interesting to learn what was going on behind the scenes as they filmed “Hello Dolly”, “Funny Girl”, and other major episodes of her career. Barbra Streisand is a charming story-teller, employing a very vibrant, colorful language, sprinkled with Jewish words and phrases.
Streisand's narrative is peppered with local colors, recreating the atmosphere of the places she talks about. Whether she refers to her humble childhood setting in Brooklyn, performing for President Kennedy, or other important moments of her life, we get the real feel of it all.
Finally, Barbra Streisand On the Couch is charged with inspiring creative mode, sharing with readers the inner alchemy of how to channel our inner obstacles and continuous setbacks into glamorous success and something profoundly beautiful. With her talent, perseverance and inner resources she managed to transform a little "mesquite" she was pejoratively labeled as a child into a multiverse, shining star. Even the shape of her nose she felt so uncomfortable with, became an integral part of her artistic uniqueness and charisma as a whole.
Learning how to be happy is one of the precious lessons she shares with readers. Also, Barbra's musings about the skin-deep, external beauty and the modern obsession with it Streisand meditates upon in regards to the movie she made, "The Mirror Has Two Faces", is profoundly insightful.
b]I give this book 4 out of 4.[/b] There are some minor typos, but nothing major. I think it could’ve offered more professional insight into Barbra’s inner world. I understand that it’s all about Barbra and no one else,but her therapist, to my opinion, could’ve been more active and enlightening for a reader who doesn’t know too much about psychotherapy.
Of course, not everyone is as talented as Barbra Streisand and yet every human being is endowed by nature with distinctive traits. When we tap into our creative energy, we can shape them into something truly original. Konstantin Stanislavski once said, “Love the art in yourself, and not yourself in art”. That’s exactly what the book exudes and personifies.
******
Barbra Streisand: On the Couch
View: on Bookshelves
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4 out of 4 stars
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Dr. Alma Bond’s book, Barbra Streisand on the Couch, is a beautiful blend of non fiction and fictional narrative. Distinguished psychoanalyst with PhD from Columbia University, Dr. Bond morphs her extensive research, experience, and deep knowledge of Freudian psychology into a lyrically reconstructed biography. At the same time, it’s not just the biography that moves in a boring, linear sequence, but unfolds as Barbra Streisand, in a relaxed format, lying on the couch, reveals to her therapist her profoundly poignant inner universe.
We all know Barbra Streisand as a talented actress and an exceptional singer, an original filmmaker and a courageous activist for the causes she believes. Her stellar personality shines in so many fields. And yet, under this “solar” surface, we’re about to discover a vulnerably soul, exposing to her therapist in the course of a year, the convoluted foundation she emerged from with all its ups and downs.
What I really enjoy about his book is its spontaneous flow without any straight lines. Even if a reader isn’t particularly fond of Streisand, one can still enjoy her vibrant stories about the remarkable men in her life, breakthroughs in her career and the like. As we read, we can feel how her energy shifts from depressed tones to genuine catharsis. Barbra lost her father as a young child. He died in a car accident. The tragedy left deep scars on her soul, for she lost not only her father but her mother as well. The grief created a psychological void between the mother and the daughter. Traveling back in time under Dr. Darcy's subtle guidance helps her view her past in a different perspective.
All the episodes Barbra brings to life shed light on Streisand's personality. As she recalls, she slides back in time to revive what she felt back then. I really relished the way she talks about her affair with Pierre Trudeau, how she felt about the roles she played, or some meaningful social events. The whole narrative is imbued with contagious sense of humor and a good deal of irony. For instance, the scene where Barbra asks the Queen of England why the English women have to wear gloves and the men don’t is simply hilarious.
What makes the book truly magnetizing is the mode of narrative. The couch Barbra nestles on becomes also her stage for reliving the past and embracing it all. She opens her soul, petal after petal. In the end, we appreciate the totality of what Barbra Streisand has become through the entire kaleidoscope of her fascinating life.
It was very interesting to learn what was going on behind the scenes as they filmed “Hello Dolly”, “Funny Girl”, and other major episodes of her career. Barbra Streisand is a charming story-teller, employing a very vibrant, colorful language, sprinkled with Jewish words and phrases.
Streisand's narrative is peppered with local colors, recreating the atmosphere of the places she talks about. Whether she refers to her humble childhood setting in Brooklyn, performing for President Kennedy, or other important moments of her life, we get the real feel of it all.
Finally, Barbra Streisand On the Couch is charged with inspiring creative mode, sharing with readers the inner alchemy of how to channel our inner obstacles and continuous setbacks into glamorous success and something profoundly beautiful. With her talent, perseverance and inner resources she managed to transform a little "mesquite" she was pejoratively labeled as a child into a multiverse, shining star. Even the shape of her nose she felt so uncomfortable with, became an integral part of her artistic uniqueness and charisma as a whole.
Learning how to be happy is one of the precious lessons she shares with readers. Also, Barbra's musings about the skin-deep, external beauty and the modern obsession with it Streisand meditates upon in regards to the movie she made, "The Mirror Has Two Faces", is profoundly insightful.
b]I give this book 4 out of 4.[/b] There are some minor typos, but nothing major. I think it could’ve offered more professional insight into Barbra’s inner world. I understand that it’s all about Barbra and no one else,but her therapist, to my opinion, could’ve been more active and enlightening for a reader who doesn’t know too much about psychotherapy.
Of course, not everyone is as talented as Barbra Streisand and yet every human being is endowed by nature with distinctive traits. When we tap into our creative energy, we can shape them into something truly original. Konstantin Stanislavski once said, “Love the art in yourself, and not yourself in art”. That’s exactly what the book exudes and personifies.
******
Barbra Streisand: On the Couch
View: on Bookshelves
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Latest Review: Concealment by Rose Edmunds
