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What Falls Away
by
Mia Farrow
In an exquisitely written memoir, Mia Farrow introduces us to the landscapes of her extraordinary life. Moving from her earliest memories of the walled gardens and rocky shores of Western Ireland and her Hollywood childhood to her career as an actress, she writes of these experiences and her struggle to protect her children in a painful custody battle with Woody Allen. It ...more
Paperback, 384 pages
Published
December 1st 1997
by Bantam
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This was the first memoir that got me hooked on autobiographies. Read this book my last year of high school and loved it. I was really into the 60s in high school, and to this day I'm not sure how I stumbled onto Mia Farrow but all I knew was that she was a style icon back then. I researched more about her and picked up the book.
The book is a story about a girl whose parents were apart of old Hollywood, (nothing like what it is today). Her mom an actress, her dad a director. They li...more
The book is a story about a girl whose parents were apart of old Hollywood, (nothing like what it is today). Her mom an actress, her dad a director. They li...more
I read this because I never turn up my nose at a good trash-talkin' celeb-biog, but this is actually a good book. Yes, it dishes the dirt on Frank Sinatra and Woody and Soon-Yi, but I didn't find myself skimming just to get to the good parts. She's an odd woman, but smart, and she writes about her life -- and all its weirdness -- with real intelligence. The prose is even good. So...not what you might expect. Good for a long airplane ride, a rainy Sunday, or a day at the beach. You won't ha...more
Ms. Mia Farrow is an eternal optimist. Her book was profoundly complimentary to those in her life with the exception of one Mr. Woody Allen. She never saw a flaw in anyone despite heartbreak. She searched for inner beauty, embraced the differences of the people she knew and spent her life searching for the purpose of her own existence. At the end of the day, she lived to have a meaning for her life which always included service to others.
I found it very sad that she was jaded by a man who...more
I found it very sad that she was jaded by a man who...more
A MUST READ autobiography. The title comes from Theodore Roethke:
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow,
I feel my fate in what I cannot fear,
I learn by going where I have to go.
We think by feeling. What is there to know?
I hear my being dance from ear to ear.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
Of those so close beside me, which are you?
God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,
And learn by going where I have to g...more
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow,
I feel my fate in what I cannot fear,
I learn by going where I have to go.
We think by feeling. What is there to know?
I hear my being dance from ear to ear.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
Of those so close beside me, which are you?
God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,
And learn by going where I have to g...more
If you still pay money to watch Woody Allen films after reading this book, then shame on you. This 1960s icon dishes the dirt on American's most famous neurotic, leaving the reader with a bad taste in the mouth about Allen, an obvious creep. Allen's paedophile tendencies, as exhibited in the New York home he ocassionally shared with Farrow and her children (he was so afraid of their germs he tended to stay in his own pad, on the otehr side of Central Park) are positively shocking to read. And it...more
A relaxing read. Insightful to the whole Hollywood / child of a star thing. Plus what she says about her marriage to Sinatra is very warm..
The final third of the book is taken up with the Woody Allen stepdaughter case and his (alleged abuse of others in the family). My views towards him have changed (used to be a big fan)and feel guilty about watching his films / buying his dvds....
Saw her on the news at the Naomi Campbell diamond thing and after reading this book I kn...more
The final third of the book is taken up with the Woody Allen stepdaughter case and his (alleged abuse of others in the family). My views towards him have changed (used to be a big fan)and feel guilty about watching his films / buying his dvds....
Saw her on the news at the Naomi Campbell diamond thing and after reading this book I kn...more
Her mother was Jane in the old Tarzan movies. She was a friend of Dali's. Was married to Frank Sinatra. Has more children than Angelina Joli, and did it all herself. She is a strong, fragile, and willful person. The book was a so-so read until revelations about Woody Allen who has to be one of the more vile characters on the planet. I read this because Margaret Ann Comito loved the book, but MA is a devout Catholic. Oh, dear, it's all so complicated...the Catholic thing.
Finished today, and while I knew the Woody/Soon-Yi story, I'm filled with disgust anew, as I was just a teenager when that was all going down ... and a teenager in the middle of the country at that, but even I heard about it and was appalled. Her early life was less known to me -- her parents and marriage to Frank Sinatra. I absorbed this book in about a day.
I have always loved to read about the lives of others... just finished this one. It was a good and interesting read... amazing tidbits you find out about other lives. I can't even imagine what it was like to be a part of Sinatra's life... the list goes on. Glad to read how Mia rises about the dysfunctions and ultimately finds ways to give of herself to others.
Surprisingly well written. I didn't know much about Mia Farrow. She has an interesting ilfe. One of the reviews I read said that Farrow was a clear, concise writer--good for Frank Sinatra and Andre Previn, her first two husbands but not at all good for Woody Allen........
All in all, she had 14 children, some biological, mostly adopted.
All in all, she had 14 children, some biological, mostly adopted.
She's a fine writer, sure, but the most interesting (read: salacious) parts were the ones about the emotional masochism that was her relationship with Woody Allen. That dude was/is a hot Freudian mess. I had to put the book down for fear that I would never again be able to enjoy Hannah and her Sisters with a clear conscience.
Hands down the most interesting life ever. I was obviously very Woody-curious, but her family, The Beatles in India (her sister Prudence is Dear Prudence), her marriage to Sinatra and her love for the world and children were equally intriguing.
wow Woody Allen is wierder than i thought. and i wonder, because this is her perspective, what is the middle truth? anyway it was interesting to read about early Hollywood and her time in India and the Beatles and all.
After seeing her talk at the RMU Speaker Series recently I was quite impressed with her, and right away my impression of her as a flaky Hollywood star was dashed. She was so "real" and unassuming, and an eloquent public speaker. So, I went to the local library and ready her autobiography. She is also a very good writer and brought me right into her life.
During my obsession with Mia Farrow films, I decided to read her autobiography. I learned about her eccentric friends such as Dali, Frank Sinatra and lover Woody Allen. The book has great pics too.
Until reading this book, I had no idea that Mia Farrow was second generation Hollywood. Her life has been an unusual one, parts of which have not been as public as one might think. This memoir really depicts the star's unabashed desire to care for and raise children that have been left behind, but also portrays her extreme dependence upon older men. A byproduct of her father's early death perhaps?
Although I can say I never have been a fan of Woody Allen films, after reading this memo...more
Although I can say I never have been a fan of Woody Allen films, after reading this memo...more
I have to admit, this celebrity memoir is certainly interesting. She's had two lives worth of stuff happen to her, even when you disregard recent events. I didn't know she was second-generation Hollywood.
I was surprised to find my hands balled into fists while reading the last quarter of this book, which deals with the end of her relationship with Woody Allen. It is quite graphic in its details about Allen's abusive attitude towards their children. I wonder how one recovers from ...more
I was surprised to find my hands balled into fists while reading the last quarter of this book, which deals with the end of her relationship with Woody Allen. It is quite graphic in its details about Allen's abusive attitude towards their children. I wonder how one recovers from ...more
Once I started this book, I was mad when anything came between me and reading it.
If you didn't know that it was true... you'd never believe her tales.
If you didn't know that it was true... you'd never believe her tales.
I knew almost nothing about her life and didn't really care, but it came recommended and I did think it was interesting once I read it.
Great memoir. Before reading this book, I didn't know much about Mia Farrow; she was before my time. However, I heard an interview with her on public radio and it sounded interesting enough to read. I now count it as one of my favorites.
I have wanted to read this since it came out and it didn't disappoint! This woman has certainly lived a life, and omg Woody Allen is scum!
Very well-written autobiography. Mia Farrow has led an interesting life and made some surprising choices. I recommend the book.
awesome bio a well lived life. emotional roller coaster. The happiness and betrayal just leap off the page.
THE MOST well written book that I've ever read. I LOVE the way Mia Farrow writes...it just flows...
Don't read this if, in the future, you'd like to enjoy Woody Allen. This book was challenging.
Prior to reading this memoir, here is what I knew about Mia Farrow: married to Sinatra, Rosemary’s Baby, and one of Woody Allen’s muses.
Here is what I now know about Mia Farrow: second generation Hollywood, childhood polio, ashram with the fab four, adopted lots of children, Andre Previn, and the sordid details of Woody Allen and Mia’s children, including Soon-Yi Previn.
I thought her early years were interesting, but her relationships with men could only be classified a...more
Here is what I now know about Mia Farrow: second generation Hollywood, childhood polio, ashram with the fab four, adopted lots of children, Andre Previn, and the sordid details of Woody Allen and Mia’s children, including Soon-Yi Previn.
I thought her early years were interesting, but her relationships with men could only be classified a...more
view all 5 comments
yikes. from funny to 'I really shouldn't be reading this pregnant, my hormones are not happy.'
so that happened.
so that happened.
She is a beautiful writer and has lived an extraordinary life. Absolutely fascinating!
I learned a little too much about Woody Allen. She adopted 14 or 15 kids!
Desperate lives of talented dysfunctional Mia Farrow and Woody Allen.
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Maria de Lourdes Villiers-Farrow, known as Mia Farrow, is an American actress. Farrow has appeared in more than forty films and won numerous awards, including a Golden Globe award (and seven additional Golden Globe nominations), three BAFTA Film Award nominations, and a win for best actress at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. Farrow is also notable for her extensive humanitarian work...more
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