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82nd out of 857 books
—
1,227 voters
It's Always Something
by
Gilda Radner
"I had wanted to wrap this book up in a neat little package. I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned the hard way that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end."The world fondly remembers the many faces of Gilda Radner: the adamant but misinformed Emily Litella; the hyperkinetic Girl Scout Judy Miller; the irrepressibly ner...more
Paperback, 256 pages
Published
July 1st 2000
by HarperCollins Publishers
(first published 1989)
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Hmm. So many people love this book. I had been meaning to read it for years. And when I finally did, I was disappointed. I loved Gilda's comedy on SNL and knew the gist of her story. I tried to get into it, but found myself skimming some pages because this book was sorely lacking something. More depth? Less neediness? I wanted to learn more about her formative years, more about her life before cancer, and much less about her co-dependency issues. (I have been under the impression that Gene had a...more
When I first read this I was hoping to get some eternal truths or revalation of wisdom from it, or at the very least some juicy gossip. That didn't happen and I was vaguely disappointed.
But over time I've come to appreciate it for the less-is-more version of truth: there aren't always tidy endings. Sick people aren't always noble and uncomplaining. Desperation sometimes makes us do things that keep us busy and make us believe we're going to get well. Sometimes Zen moments are what sustain us:
Bud...more
But over time I've come to appreciate it for the less-is-more version of truth: there aren't always tidy endings. Sick people aren't always noble and uncomplaining. Desperation sometimes makes us do things that keep us busy and make us believe we're going to get well. Sometimes Zen moments are what sustain us:
Bud...more
Hardcover:
I read this not long after Gilda lost her battle with ovarian cancer. This is Gilda's heartbreaking story of her rise to fame on SNL, her marriage to Gene Wilder and her mind boggling experience with ovarian cancer, including the dozen or so times she was misdiagnosed before someone finally put two and two together and figured it out.
My copy had an epilogue by Gene Wilder where he talks about how she begged and pleaded not to go in for that final procedure which she never came out of...more
I read this not long after Gilda lost her battle with ovarian cancer. This is Gilda's heartbreaking story of her rise to fame on SNL, her marriage to Gene Wilder and her mind boggling experience with ovarian cancer, including the dozen or so times she was misdiagnosed before someone finally put two and two together and figured it out.
My copy had an epilogue by Gene Wilder where he talks about how she begged and pleaded not to go in for that final procedure which she never came out of...more
We're going to discuss this in my LIT group in October. I loved Gilda Radner as a comedienne, and I was heartsick during her battle with cancer, and I greatly admired her honesty and openness in revealing that she had ovarian cancer. Such announcements were not common in the mid 1980s (she was diagnosed, after seemingly interminable tests and misdiagnoses, in 1986. Sadly, as I understand it, ovarian cancer is still often misdiagnosed, then diagnosed after women have suffered greatly, physically...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I read this when I was at home, pregnant and supposed to lay in bed for the last 6 weeks of the pregnancy. It was a page turner for me.
I laughed so much with this book and then cried like a baby at the end. I loved Radner's comedic writing in this because it felt like she was talking to me about all the crazy little things that would cross her mind as she tried to work through her experience with Cancer. She tried so many things to learn and understand her disease and made fun of herself as she...more
I laughed so much with this book and then cried like a baby at the end. I loved Radner's comedic writing in this because it felt like she was talking to me about all the crazy little things that would cross her mind as she tried to work through her experience with Cancer. She tried so many things to learn and understand her disease and made fun of herself as she...more
Few books have ever touched me as deeply as this one did.
For those of you too young to remember her, Gilda Radner was a comedian on Saturday Night Live. She played, among other things, Rosanne Rosanna Danna, the grossout queen of the SNL News scene. Oh she was funny!
When she first found out she was diagnosed with cancer, Gilda set out to write a book about how she beat the disease. The book starts out on such a positive note as this lovely, strong, courageous, and hilarious woman faces the rolle...more
For those of you too young to remember her, Gilda Radner was a comedian on Saturday Night Live. She played, among other things, Rosanne Rosanna Danna, the grossout queen of the SNL News scene. Oh she was funny!
When she first found out she was diagnosed with cancer, Gilda set out to write a book about how she beat the disease. The book starts out on such a positive note as this lovely, strong, courageous, and hilarious woman faces the rolle...more
I really like Gilda Radner and admired her as a fine comedianne. Her death saddened me- a tragic waste of talent for her to die so young. And can you imagine the talent a child of Gilda and Gene Wilder might have had?
This book focused mostly on her struggles with her health and the diagnosis of cancer. I had been hoping for a book with more of a slant on her comic life, but found this one very moving, intimate, and honest. I am a nurse and also have a chronic illness that forced many changes upo...more
This book focused mostly on her struggles with her health and the diagnosis of cancer. I had been hoping for a book with more of a slant on her comic life, but found this one very moving, intimate, and honest. I am a nurse and also have a chronic illness that forced many changes upo...more
I read this book in the late 80s, early 90s, right after it came out in the first printing. For me at that time, a 20something, approaching my thirties, I read it for comic relief. It wasn't until later in life that I realized what a great book it was, and how much it would impact my own battle with cancer. Gilda Radner was a comedic genius, and more that that, I think she was a human being with a cause that she didn't understand, even unto her own passing. The world was left without her, far to...more
Nov 23, 2011
Wanda
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
owned-books,
non-fiction
There is so much about this book that spoke to me. Gilda's honesty, humor, and struggles with cancer. Her fight, upbeat attitude were amazing.
She wrote this book from her heart, there were no pretenses. She takes you on her journey with cancer. The good and the bad.
So much good came from her death -- Gilda's Club, The Wellness Community. She was an extraordinary woman. A life that left this Earth too soon.
This evening...
I had to come back to my review because I found myself thinking multiple...more
She wrote this book from her heart, there were no pretenses. She takes you on her journey with cancer. The good and the bad.
So much good came from her death -- Gilda's Club, The Wellness Community. She was an extraordinary woman. A life that left this Earth too soon.
This evening...
I had to come back to my review because I found myself thinking multiple...more
A funny lady tells the story of her not-so-funny battle with ovarian cancer, which she ultimately lost. I borrowed this book from one of my Middle School colleagues.
I have always been a big fan of Gilda's, so I guess I expected a little more out of the book. It is certainly one of the most heart wrenching journeys any of us could have to deal with in our lives, and Gilda told the brutal honesty of how she felt about cancer taking over her life.
I did love her honesty, the humor and many times her words used made it feel like you were right at her bedside. I was not impressed with the writing as much... skipping around too much on one page she was on treatmen...more
I did love her honesty, the humor and many times her words used made it feel like you were right at her bedside. I was not impressed with the writing as much... skipping around too much on one page she was on treatmen...more
I read this right before reading Gene Wilder's autobiography. Seems like they had different views of their relationship. Quick read, interesting.
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Like most others, I got to know Gilda on TV on Saturday Night. Most of us fell in love with the funny characters she created. The book isn't great literature, but it is another look into the life of the celebrity we didn't see on the boob tube. Many of us, me too, are afraid of even the thought of cancer....the big C....but some of us will have to deal with it either directly or because someone we love is dealt a bad hand in the card game of life. Shit.
By her own account, she seemed to handle th...more
By her own account, she seemed to handle th...more
Not only was she one of the funniest people on earth when she was with us, she was also extremely wise.
1 like · like · see review
This is an important book to read but maybe not one I should have read while my mom is also sick and experiencing some similar situations although way more advanced treatments. The one thing that bothered me was the way Gilda felt the need to yell and scream about her upcoming treatments and doctor appts and hospital stays. Since my mom's diagnosis, my mom has never yelled or screamed and barely cried. I did appreciate Gilda's honsety and appreciation about being a celebrity and having the means...more
Gilda is the best. She is so, so funny, but it never feels like she's trying to tell you a joke (which is how I felt reading, say, Bossypants.) She just has the best, most natural, funniest way of telling stories, even really horrible ones about cancer and sickness. It was hard reading this knowing she was going to die of the cancer that she, at that point, had survived, and that definitely made it a sadder book than it probably was when it came out. But it's still delightfully funny, and I also...more
See more of my reviews on my blog Thoughts At One In The Morning.
My Thoughts:
I have always loved Gilda Radner. Her humor and ability to make people laugh, she was just one of the coolest people. When she wrote this book, she was facing a battle with ovarian cancer. Sadly, she did not survive this battle. But her story, what she went through and how she faced it with a determination in spite of her own insecurities and struggles, is one of the most amazing and empowering stories I’ve read. I’ve n...more
My Thoughts:
I have always loved Gilda Radner. Her humor and ability to make people laugh, she was just one of the coolest people. When she wrote this book, she was facing a battle with ovarian cancer. Sadly, she did not survive this battle. But her story, what she went through and how she faced it with a determination in spite of her own insecurities and struggles, is one of the most amazing and empowering stories I’ve read. I’ve n...more
My mantra, my compelling reason … Gilda Radner’s story was a bonus. Thank you Joanna Bull for this invention … “I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.”
Gilda as expected was not as brilliant as compared to most established and prolific novelists. But he...more
Gilda as expected was not as brilliant as compared to most established and prolific novelists. But he...more
A very raw, heartbreaking autobiographical account of Gilda's life and her struggles with ovarian cancer. It follows her ups and downs from the initial diagnosis, though chemotherapy and an unfortunate relapse (which lead to her death at 42 years old). It was exceedingly difficult for me to read some of her optimisms about how she thought she had beaten the disease, while knowing in the back of my mind how things turned out. It really made me think a lot about my own mortality, and those I've k...more
This book kind of got misplaced during the moving and shuffling. I did finally manage to uncover it and keep hold of it long enough to finish it.
Gilda Radner, of Saturday Night Live fame, tells of her early life and the decision to become a comedian - the how and why - her insecurities and her strengths. She fell in love with Gene Wilder and was desperately clingy. But then, a friend gave her a Yorkie, who became very important to her and saw her though the rough time when she and Gene were apa...more
Gilda Radner, of Saturday Night Live fame, tells of her early life and the decision to become a comedian - the how and why - her insecurities and her strengths. She fell in love with Gene Wilder and was desperately clingy. But then, a friend gave her a Yorkie, who became very important to her and saw her though the rough time when she and Gene were apa...more
Mar 14, 2012
Megan
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Radner fans,those dealing w/ cancer
Recommended to Megan by:
my mother-in-law
Shelves:
borrowed-books,
read-in-2012
It's Always Something is Gilda Radner's only book that she wrote while battling with ovarian cancer in the mid-late 1980s before she succumbed to the disease and died in May 1989. The book chronicles her beginning stages of married life with husband Gene Wilder (famous for movies like Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles), finding out she had ovarian cancer, battling the cancer with various methods and doctors (some methods and are questionable to their legitimacy). The title, It's Always Some...more
I feel guilty not giving this a 4 or 5 star review because I love Gilda so much. I thought she was hysterical. It wasn't one of the best written biographies, but I couldn't put the book down either. It was interesting to read about her struggle with cancer and her never-ending relapses. She was one amazingly strong person. I know that's what people usually say to describe other people, but you should read this bio so you know what I mean. She lived through one stroke of bad luck after another. I...more
I love Gilda Radner. She was the funniest. This book is great because it has great stories of times we may have all watched on tv. But not just that. She tells about how she is strong but unsure of herself, happy but unfulfilled, and sick but alive. Luckily she found the love of her life and had a rock to lean on when she needed it. She tells of her battle with cancer and all the different treatments she tried. She was not always brave and sometimes downright stubborn. Her star is still shining.
As alot of celebrity books do, this one reveals more about the author's life than she may have intended. Her determination to beat a terminal condition is admirable and her courage never flagged. But it also shows glimpses of her husband's (Gene Wilder) struggle, his exhaustion and gives some idea of what it must be like for the family of cancer sufferers. Medically out of date but a fascinating glimpse into a complex situation. UPDATE: I wrote this review and since then, my husband has been dia...more
My review. Gilda was a much better performer than a writer.
Gilda's comment.
I had wanted to wrap this book up in a neat little package. I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned the hard way that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end."
Book jacket.
The world fondly remembers the many faces of Gilda Radner: the adamant but misinformed Emily Litella; the hyperkinetic Girl Scout Judy Miller; the irrepressibly nerdy Lisa Loopner; the gross-out queen o...more
Gilda's comment.
I had wanted to wrap this book up in a neat little package. I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned the hard way that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end."
Book jacket.
The world fondly remembers the many faces of Gilda Radner: the adamant but misinformed Emily Litella; the hyperkinetic Girl Scout Judy Miller; the irrepressibly nerdy Lisa Loopner; the gross-out queen o...more
Very depressing. Gilda was very talented, but I think she missed an opportunity to turn her cancer experience and help others deal with it through humor. There was no humor in this book and I found it very depressing to see her grasping for straws like macrobiotic diets and dogs. Definitely not a book for someone battling cancer as it is not inspiring. But I empathize with her for persevering and doing whatever she could to get better. She was a brave woman to endure all that pain.
Jan 27, 2013
Michelle
added it
Avoiding non-fiction about my idols is the key to keeping them superhuman and perfect, if only in my mind. It's been almost 25 years since Gilda died, so I finally broke down and got a copy of It's Always Something. Big mistake.
She was brutally honest about not only her illness and treatments, but about her insecurities and imperfections, and most of me wishes I never opened this book. She went through too much pain and suffering, and, obviously, there's no But-She-Survived-Despite-it-All happy...more
She was brutally honest about not only her illness and treatments, but about her insecurities and imperfections, and most of me wishes I never opened this book. She went through too much pain and suffering, and, obviously, there's no But-She-Survived-Despite-it-All happy...more
I picked this up at the library book sale yesterday, settled down to read it last night, and am donating it back today. Within 5 pages, I found the author needy and completely dependent on other people for her happiness--and since that is one of my least favorite characteristics in a person, I'm reading no farther. Since Gene Wilder originally broke up with her for smothering him with her neediness, I don't think it was just an impression on my part.
Not a book for me.
Not a book for me.
I wish I could give three and a half stars; because I really liked reading this book. It just wasn't very well-written, as many celebrity autobiographies aren't, and didn't seem to have the amazing spark that Gilda's performances always did. Still, honest and warm. Cancer is stupid and it makes me sad, but Gilda tried so hard! Also, if you already love Gene Wilder, you will love him more after reading this. I read his autobiography too, now that I think of it.
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Gilda Susan Radner was an Emmy Award winning American comedienne and actress, best known for her five years as part of the original cast of the NBC comedy series Saturday Night Live. Radner's death at 42 of ovarian cancer helped increase public awareness of the disease and the need for earlier detection and treatment.
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“The more I protested about this ambiguity, the more Joanna pointed out to me that it was both a terrible and wonderful part of life: terrible because you can't count on anything for sure--like certain good health and no possibility of cancer; wonderful because no human being knows when another is going to die--no doctor can absolutely predict the outcome of a disease. The only thing that is certain is change. Joanna calls all of this 'delicious ambiguity.' 'Couldn't there be comfort and freedom in no one knowing the outcome of anything and all things being possible?' she asked. Was I convinced? Not completely. I still wanted to believe in magic thinking. But I was intrigued.”
—
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