George, Being George: George Plimpton's Life as Told, Admired, Deplored, and Envied by More Than 300 Friends, Relatives, Lovers, Acquaintances, Rivals--and a Few Unappreciative ...

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George, Being George: George Plimpton's Life as Told, Admired, Deplored, and Envied by More Than 300 Friends, Relatives, Lovers, Acquaintances, Rivals--and a Few Unappreciative ...

by Nelson W. Aldrich

3.80 · rating details · 109 ratings · 39 reviews

Norman Mailer said that George Plimpton was the best-loved man in New York. For more than fifty years, his friends made a circle whose circumference was vast and whose center was a fashionable tenement on New York’s East Seventy-second street. Taxi drivers, hearing his address, would ask, “Isn’t that George Plimpton’s place?” George was always giving parties for his friend...moreNorman Mailer said that George Plimpton was the best-loved man in New York. For more than fifty years, his friends made a circle whose circumference was vast and whose center was a fashionable tenement on New York’s East Seventy-second street. Taxi drivers, hearing his address, would ask, “Isn’t that George Plimpton’s place?” George was always giving parties for his friends. It was one of the ways this generous man gave back.

This book is the party that was George’s life–and it’s a big one–attended by scores of people, including Peter Matthiessen, Robert Silvers, Jean Stein, William Styron, Maggie Paley, Gay Talese, Calvin Trillin, and Gore Vidal, as well as lesser-known intimates and acquaintances, each with candid and compelling stories to tell about George Plimpton and childhood rebellion, adult indiscretions, literary tastes, ego trips, loyalties and jealousies, riches and drugs, and embracing life no matter the consequences.

In George, Being George people feel free to say what guests say at parties when the subject of the conversation isn’t around anymore. Some even prove the adage that no best-loved man goes unpunished. Together, they provide a complete portrait of George Plimpton. They talk about his life: its privileged beginnings, its wild and triumphant middle, its brave, sad end. They say that George was a man of many parts: “the last gentleman”; founder and first editor of one of our best literary magazines, The Paris Review; the graceful writer who brought the New Journalism to sports in bestsellers such as Paper Lion, Bogey Man, and Out of My League; and Everyman’s proxy boxer, trapeze artist, stand-up comic, Western movie villain, and Playboy centerfold photographer. And one of the brave men who wrestled Sirhan Sirhan, the armed assassin of his friend Bobby Kennedy, to the ground.

A Plimpton party was full of intelligent, funny, articulate people. So is this one. Many try hard to understand George, and some (not always the ones you would expect) are brilliant at it. Here is social life as it’s actually lived by New York’s elites. The only important difference between a party at George’s and this book is that no one here is drunk. They just talk about being drunk.

George’s last years were awesome, truly so. His greatest gift was to be a blessing to others–not all, sadly–and that gift ended only with his death. But his parties, if this is one, need never end at all.(less)

Hardcover, 423 pages

Published October 21st 2008 by Random House

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Jan 04, 2009

Jim rated it

This oral biography of George Plimpton has the feel of a chat over drinks with friends of a celebrity. You hear lots of great anecdotes, get some sense of what it must have been like to know him, but don't run into a lot of deeply considered evaluations.

He comes across as starting out a life of incredible privilege (cocktails with young Jackie Bouvier, dinner with Princess Elizabeth of England)and then stumbling into publishing The Paris Review because his literary friends from coll...more

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Dec 07, 2008

Hood rated it

http://miamisunpost.com/archives/2008/11...

Bound - Miami SunPost

Nov. 20, 2008

A Gentleman Among Men

George Plimpton Was All That and Then Some

By John Hood

George Plimpton and I first met at his Manhattan home back in ’90 or ’91 when he hosted a wedding reception for then Paris Review Senior Editor Fayette Hickox. I was just coming into my ego then and still a bit reticent around celebrity, but Plimpton made me feel immediately ...more

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Dec 25, 2008

Aaron rated it

In this oral history/hagiography of George Plimpton, we are treated to over-the-top antics of the patron saint of Upper East Side privilege. At times the breathless tone seems overblown, given that his three miracles appear to be:

1. Being born rich
2. Being born well-connected
3. Being not quite as snobbish as someone that rich and well-connected typically is.

It's hard to talk about a book like this and not make it a referendum on the subject. I hope my complai...moreIn this oral history/hagiography of George Plimpton, we are treated to over-the-top antics of the patron saint of Upper East Side privilege. At times the breathless tone seems overblown, given that his three miracles appear to be:

1. Being born rich
2. Being born well-connected
3. Being not quite as snobbish as someone that rich and well-connected typically is.

It's hard to talk about a book like this and not make it a referendum on the subject. I hope my complaints are more about the book itself than Plimpton. My main concern is that it seems like there were some rather uncritical choices in editing. For example, Aldrich really tries to present the notion that however elitist Plimpton was, he was most definitely not a racist WASP, going as far as including a quote from Mailer: "You know, where does this guy get that absolutely extraordinary, unique sense of cool? That's why blacks loved him." Of course, when it comes to actually interviewing one of these blacks, Aldrich either couldn't find one who wanted to praise Plimpton, or he simply couldn't be bothered to look. As far as I could tell, the only non-white voice in the project was a paragraph from Jamaica Kincaid praising Plimpton's common-man-amongst-professionals approach as fundamentally American.

Equally telling is the near-silence from his children. While both of his wives' anecdotes are strewn throughout the book, his kids are only interviewed for two pages, with his son offering a single paragraph praising his dad for being slightly less uptight as he got near death. That would have been fine enough, but the editor includes countless comments from his peers assuring us that while George might not have been around a lot, when he was he was an awesome father. It's one thing if this discrepancy was there to draw attention to the difference in the perception of George versus the reality of his character. However, the structure makes it feel like that the glowing praise of the father was supposed to help the reader gloss over George's status of absentee father.

The book does offer a look at how the upper crust of New York partied in the 70s (at Elaine's, with lots of alcohol, with a surprising smattering of orgies), how they thought of themselves (absolutely brilliant) and how they talked (precisely, with hearty inclusions of the argots of lit theory and therapy). Hearing about it all through the focus of someone who was absolutely agog about the whole thing makes for a rather fun and breezy read.(less)

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Jan 02, 2009

Casey Logan rated it

loved it. this will sound like a complaint (though it's quite the opposite): after reading 300+ pages full of thoughts by the people who seemed to have known him best (including the two women he married), he's still an enigma. amazingly approachable and yet totally unknowable; remarkably warm and yet oddly cold in certain circumstances. loved it.

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Dec 09, 2008

Ryan Chapman rated it

Shelves: biography, nonfiction

We all know a word cannot be defined by reiterating the word itself: "Confusing? That's when you're, you know, confused about something." This same idea is why this is a thrilling biography. Some will see it as its main weakness, but for this reader it's its strongest suit. Let me explain.

Two of the most common phrases in this oral biography of blue-blood Paris Review editor and bon vivant George Plimpton are, "George was George," and "That was just George...more

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Mar 08, 2011

Jim rated it

I read this because I'm interested in people living more fulfilling and memorable lives, and Plimpton certainly belongs to that group. Growing up, I mostly knew him as the WASPy sounding Coleco pitchman and actor, and was unaware of the extent of his accomplishments, which include boxing with world champions, wrestling the gun out of Sirhan Sirhan's hands, and setting off a myriad of illegal fireworks.

I loved the "oral biography" format - a more multifaceted approach than yo...more

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Feb 15, 2009

Michael rated it

Diverting in its way. You come to understand that Plimpton was who he seemed to be; an old style WASP who had a pathological need for company. Somehow though nothing terrible comes down about him, I liked him much less after reading it than before. Ditto on Peter Mathieson who somehow manages to come off as snarky, passive-aggressive and mean-spirited towards Plimpton with every quote. Not sure it adds up to anything, maybe the presentation of a life that had genuine literary promise and dege...more

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May 20, 2009

Martin rated it

Ok. I really really wanted to love this. Have always been a big fan of Plimpton the writer as well as Plimpton the raconteur, Plimpton "the brand"...but sad to say this book just did not grab me at all...in fact i was only able to get about two thirds of the way through it (if that) before giving up. It mostly had to do with the way it was put together...brief one or two paragraph recollections on a variety of topics from various (dozens) former colleagues, co-workers, friends, love...more

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Dec 10, 2008

Robert rated it

As I read this book, I was reminded of James Thurber's Walter Mitty who escaped the boredom of his life and the miseries of his marriage by imagining himself in all sorts of situations that are far more exciting and (especially) much more glamorous. Having an equally active imagination, George also proceeded to do (or at least attempt to do) whatever seemed like "fun" while living an already exciting and glamorous life that included relationships with those who share their reminiscence...moreAs I read this book, I was reminded of James Thurber's Walter Mitty who escaped the boredom of his life and the miseries of his marriage by imagining himself in all sorts of situations that are far more exciting and (especially) much more glamorous. Having an equally active imagination, George also proceeded to do (or at least attempt to do) whatever seemed like "fun" while living an already exciting and glamorous life that included relationships with those who share their reminiscences and observations in this book. The several hundred contributors include (listed in alphabetical order) Arnold ("Red") Auerbach (former coach of the Boston Celtics with whom George also played briefly), Bill Curry (former NFL player and head coach of Alabama and Kentucky), Hugh Hefner (founder and CEO of Playboy Enterprises), A.E. Hotchner (Hemingway authority as well as co-founder and partner, with Paul Newman's Newman's Own food products), Alex Karras (All-Pro defensive tackle with Detroit Lions), Norman Mailer (author of 37 books), Freddy Espy Plimpton (George's first wife), Sarah Dudley Plimpton (George's second wife), Gene Scott (widely recognized as "Tennis's Renaissance Man," "the most controversial figure in the game," and "the conscience of tennis"), William Styron (author of many works that include Lie Down in Darkness and Sophie's Choice), Calvin Trillin (staff writer for The New Yorker since 1963), and Gore Vidal (author and playwright).

Each of these and the other contributors share her or his reminiscences of "George, being George" from his student years at various schools and then Harvard, through his lengthy association with The Paris Review, until the years immediately prior to his death when health issues precluded almost all physical activities and yet he still retained (in his words) "the gumption to get out and try one's wings." Together, the mini-contributions -- from so many different people, recalling different moments in different places at different times - create a multi-dimensional portrait of a truly unique person. Almost a century ago in a speech delivered at the Sorbonne, Theodore Roosevelt praised what he called "the man in the arena." He could well have been describing George Plimpton: "Credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

If asked to respond to Roosevelt's description, contributors to this book would probably explain "that's just George, being George."(less)

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Jan 26, 2009

Kent rated it

A terrific recounting of a life richly lived but always wanting, George Being George is structured as an oral history of George Plimpton's life. Rather than take the form of a traditional narrative, the book is a collection of brief anecdotes, observations and snippets harvested from interviews with Plimpton's friends and associates from his youth on the Upper East Side, to his New England schooling, the founding of the Paris Review, the assasination of Bobby Kennedy and Plimpton's growing cele...more

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Jun 12, 2009

Josh Frost rated it

George Plimpton was a real life Walter Mitty -- if Walter Mitty had actually did all the things he dreamed of doing. Whether wrestling with Sirhan Sirhan after the assassination of RFK, or playing a game with the Detroit Lions, or pitching baseballs to major league hitters, George did it all. Makes you wish you could have spent an evening with him. (Sounds like he wasn't an easy person to be married to though).

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Feb 14, 2009

Cynthia rated it

This is not a conventional biography by any means. It is written in the style that Plimpton himself used to write/edit his life stories on Capote and Edie Sedgwick. By allowing the interviewees to speak for themselves, more is revealed about Plimpton than would be in a straight chronological narative. Enlightening, funny, sad and complicated - much like the man himself. It was a "good read."

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Mar 02, 2009

Tom rated it

I enjoyed this collection of comments about Plimpton, whom I didn't know all that much about. But the book is not very well organized; chapters are ostensibly chronological, but the editor deviates from that a lot. In the chapter on the 70s, I was confused when one writer mentioned cell phones, until I realized that he worked at the Paris Review in the late 90s. After that, I noticed a lot of comments that seemed to be in the wrong place, which was distracting. Still, it's an interesting first t...more

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Nov 24, 2008

Eric rated it

An oddly organized, but very readable, biography of George Plimpton. Presented in "oral history" format, including entries from ex-wives, rivals, literati, and friends. Plimpton ran in the most exlusive of circles - but was revealed to be a very lonely man. An interesting look at the world of American publishing in the secod half of the 20th century.

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May 25, 2009

Frances rated it

I certainly grew up knowing about George Plimpton, but before reading this I don't think I fully appreciated the scope of his literary reach. The book details the start of the Paris Review, Plimpton's extensive network of famous friends, the parties Plimpton threw, and the evolution of the New York literary world. This is a fun, breezy read.

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Dec 20, 2011

Mark Feltskog rated it

Shelves: mla-bibliography-additions

I remember the "Paper Lion" special on television as well as George Plimpton's amusing guest appearance ("I'll go back to doing whatever it is that I do") on "The Simpsons." I've always found him an appealing and sympathetic figure, so I suppose I was predisposed to like this. Nonetheless, it is a fine book, and well worth a read.

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Jan 05, 2009

Brian rated it

The NYT Book Review suggested that George Plimpton was the American version of Nick Jenkins — Anthony Powell's Dance to the Music of Time protagonist. I couldn't resist and thoroughly enjoyed this.

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May 12, 2009

Candy rated it

George Plimpton was an interesting fellow, but this book was too boring for me to finish. It's a collection of funny memories George's wealthy, self-indulgent friends have regarding George.

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Feb 02, 2011

AdultNonFiction Teton County Library rated it

· review of another edition

I think the title says it all. I find George a bit fascinating and anyone who does will find this a very satisfying read.

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Dec 10, 2008

Terri rated it

the problem with this type of book is that you tend to not like the person as much as when you started the book.

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Jan 04, 2009

David rated it

Friends, relatives, and acquaintances reccount tales and impressions of this legendary waspy archetype.

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Nov 24, 2008

Beth rated it

A nice look at the literary world of the 1950s and the birth of the Paris Review

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Oct 28, 2010

Kate Silver rated it

Was paging through this on the subway and remembered how much I liked it.

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Jan 11, 2010

Brendan rated it

· review of another edition

I am running out of ways to express how fucking awesome this book is.

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Aug 14, 2009

Salli Bauer rated it

Insight into a different time and life style. A very intesting man.

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Jun 18, 2010

Michael Borshuk rated it

A delightful oral history of one of the great literary lives of the 20th century. A real pleasure.

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Feb 17, 2009

Matthew is currently reading it

inspirational

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Sep 08, 2009

Tammy marked it as to-read

Shelves: in-library, biography

B Plimpton

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Feb 16, 2009

Barr rated it

This is really wonderful. Very funny, very preppy, very "to themanner borne"

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Nov 21, 2008

Nathan Rabin rated it

Utterly motherfucking delightful. The next best thing to chillaxing with the man himself.

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