Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century

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Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century

3.77 of 5 stars 3.77 · rating details · 1,409 ratings · 299 reviews

The definitive story of Hollywood's most famous couple

He was a tough-guy Welshman softened by the affections of a breathtakingly beautiful woman; she was a modern-day Cleopatra madly in love with her own Mark Antony. For nearly a quarter of a century, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were Hollywood royalty, and their fiery romanceoften called "the marriage of the

...more

The definitive story of Hollywood's most famous couple

For the first time, Vanity Fair contributing editor Sam Kashner and acclaimed biographer Nancy Schoenberger tell the complete story of this larger-than-life couple, showing how their romance and two marriages commanded the attention of the world. Also for the first time, in exclusive access given to the authors, Elizabeth Taylor herself gives never-revealed details and firsthand accounts of her life with Burton.

Drawing upon brand-new information and interviewsand on Burton's private, passionate, and heartbreaking letters to TaylorFurious Love sheds new light on the movies, the sex, the scandal, the fame, the brawls, the booze, the bitter separations, and, of course, the fabled jewels. It offers an intimate glimpse into Elizabeth and Richard's privileged world and their elite circle of friends, among them Princess Grace, Montgomery Clift, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Peter O'Toole, Michael Caine, Marlon Brando, Rex Harrison, Mike Nichols, Laurence Olivier, Robert Kennedy, Tennessee Williams, NoËl Coward, John Huston, Ava Gardner, the Rothschilds, Maria Callas, and Aristotle Onassis. It provides an entertaining, eye-opening look at their films, their wildly lucrative reign in Europe and in Hollywoodand the price they paid for their extravagant lives.

Shocking and unsparing in its honesty, Furious Love explores the very public marriage of "Liz and Dick" as well as the private struggles of Elizabeth and Richard, including Le Scandale, their affair on the set of the notorious epic Cleopatra that earned them condemnation from the Vatican; Burton's hardscrabble youth in Wales; the crippling alcoholism that nearly destroyed his career and contributed to his early death; the medical issues that plagued both him and Elizabeth; and the failed aspirations and shame that haunted him throughout their relationship. As Kashner and Schoenberger illuminate the events and choices that shaped this illustrious couple's story, they demonstrate how the legendary pair presaged America's changing attitudes toward sex, marriage, morality, and celebrity. Yet ultimately, as the authors show, Elizabeth and Richard shared something priceless beyond the drama: enduring love.

Addictive and entertaining, Furious Love is more than a celebrity biography; it's an honest yet sympathetic portrait of a man, a woman, and a passion that shocked and mesmerized the world.

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Hardcover, 500 pages

Published 2010 by HarperCollins

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Jun 13, 2013 Jessi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: six-stars-your-a-superstar

This couple was epic
FUCKING EPIC.

liz taylor richard photo: Liz and Richard ed16.jpg

I was born in the early 80's so other then catching some of their movies "Liz and Dick" were just some famous people who got married and then divorced. I had no idea the drama "Le Scandale" how could my mother not tell me of this gold mine of epic gossip and decadence? That's what mothers are for to fill you in on what you missed when you were not alive, I do ask that she keep to the important stuff but she missed this bit and when I called her on it she shru...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Julia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: new-to-me-2013, non-fiction, 2013-completed

I read this book for a guilty pleasure, and found it interesting, if not compelling, and averagely written, with a few moments that made me cringe (for the writing, separate from the lives being described). But hey - it was a guilty pleasure.

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Jun 16, 2012 Greta rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, guilty-pleasures

I really enjoyed this book. It shows the pathos of the couple but maintains a respectful distance. I found myself more curious of Elizabeth's Taylor's background and how it contributed to her difficulties. I felt that I understood more clearly Richard Burton's background and how it contributed to his difficulties and triumphs.I am going to research and find a good biography on Liz Taylor...as I feel compelled to know more about her life and how it shaped the woman and lover she became. This book...more

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Aug 22, 2010 Bookmarks Magazine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sept-oct-2010

Offering up "Brangelina" as the 21st century's lackluster answer to "Liz and Dick," critics likened the contemporary pair to I Love Lucy's Fred and Ethel Mertz. Those unfamiliar with "the brawling Burtons" will find juicy anecdotes in abundance here, but Furious Love rises above mere celebrity gossip by humanizing the mythic couple, taking readers deep into their A-list world of conspicuous consumption and private pain. Despite some repetitive, clich

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Dec 27, 2012 Louise rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, entertainers

This book merely scratches the surface of a complex relationship. The authors tell this story of fame and excess. One of the themes is that in leaving his wife and two daughters to marry Elizabeth (and participate in her extravagant lifestyle), Richard made a Faustian deal. Another theme is that their joint projects reflected the status of their relationship.

For those who like to glimpse the rich and famous there are tales of jewelry, yachts, royalty and fabulous entertaining. For Liz'n'Dick afi...more This book merely scratches the surface of a complex relationship. The authors tell this story of fame and excess. One of the themes is that in leaving his wife and two daughters to marry Elizabeth (and participate in her extravagant lifestyle), Richard made a Faustian deal. Another theme is that their joint projects reflected the status of their relationship.

For those who like to glimpse the rich and famous there are tales of jewelry, yachts, royalty and fabulous entertaining. For Liz'n'Dick aficionados there is the retelling of the story, photos, Richard's letters to Elizabeth and two poems. For those who are looking for some understanding of the two lovers, there is very little.

The book is like fast food/empty calories. It's a quick and engaging read. Most of the book is filled with stories love, jealousy, guilt, alcohol, beautiful people and conspicuous consumption. There is little focus on the character of the two principals. Why does Elizabeth not try to help Richard's efforts to dry out when she knows the consequences of the status quo? Why does Richard continue flirting when he knows this can destroy what he claims is most dear? Between their marriages to each other, why did they each marry a very conventional partner? We're told of their love of family life, but the partying is excessive and the children are in Hawaii or boarding school and not much present.

It may be that the authors are too close to Richard's cooperating widows to analyze what they told them. For instance, Richard's acceptance of Papa Doc Duvalier invitation to Haiti is said to be for anonymity. This leaves me unsatisfied since there are a lot of places where he could live anonymously that would fit with what one might assume was Richard's sense of social justice. A little digging or analysis might have yielded the same conclusion, or maybe not, but "anonymity" is accepted and printed as fact. This example comes at the end of the book so it is fresh in my mind, but the book is filled with unturned stones like this. The only personal aspect that receives any significant treatment is the pull of Richard's roots, which this is pretty safe ground.

The drama of this relationship keeps you reading. Despite some repetition, it is a page turner. One highlight is the group of never before published letters from Richard to Elizabeth. His expression of his thoughts and feelings is every bit as compelling as his work on the stage.

I recommend this as an entertaining read, but if you're looking for depth, this is not the book. (less)

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Jun 14, 2012 Lex rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow! What a book!!

I actually read this biography of the great marriages of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton as research. I'm writing my second fiction novel and as I've always been captivated by the Taylor/Burton romance as seen in Cleopatra, I am basing the two main characters' love affair off events and circumstances from the "Liz-n-Dick Show." Theirs (Taylor and Burton's) is a duo romance, a real love between Elizabeth and Richard and the public persona and dog-and-pony show of Liz and Dic...more Wow! What a book!!

I actually read this biography of the great marriages of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton as research. I'm writing my second fiction novel and as I've always been captivated by the Taylor/Burton romance as seen in Cleopatra, I am basing the two main characters' love affair off events and circumstances from the "Liz-n-Dick Show." Theirs (Taylor and Burton's) is a duo romance, a real love between Elizabeth and Richard and the public persona and dog-and-pony show of Liz and Dick. It is a beautiful, raw, but tragic heartbreaking romance that would have survived except for fame, paparazzi, and booze!
Written because of Taylor's worry "that Richard Burton's name and legacy were in danger of being forgotten..." after a theatre major told the authors she was shocked to know that Elizabeth Taylor had been married to the eccentric director Tim Burton (439)! ...Um, no dear! Go back to school!
The story begins with the 1960's classic epic Cleopatra, a film that was doomed from the moment Elizabeth Taylor signed on to the picture. Taylor's never-ending health issues halted production, causing the her two main co-stars playing Cesaer and Mark Antony to be recast due to scheduling conflicts.
In came Richard Burton, the Welsh man who drank like his own soul was dying of thirst yet who could recite Shakespeare in his epic voice even though he was completely sloshed. Who could have known that by the newcomer Burton signing onto the motion picture would change celebrity and fame forever?! Their love affair shocked the world, had fans clawing for them in surging mobs, and was even condemned by the Vatican!
The sadness of it all is Burton's constant downfall. His battle with alcohol never ended no matter how many doctors told him he'd kill himself with the drinking he was doing every day starting after breakfast. Taylor's constant ailing health was such a strain on their marriages and his heart because, as you read, he truly loved her. Then, he held himself responsible for his favored brother's accident that left the older brother-turned-father-role-model paralyzed and eventually led to his death. Add on top of all that the constant hounding of fans, paparazzi, and shutterbugs who couldn't get enough of the couple. Arguably one of the greatest actors, particularly because of his resounding Welsh voice, drank himself to death because of personal guilt and an overwhelming lifestyle that eventually even he couldn't top.
The book is a sincere and truthful account from various sources, including the late Dame Elizabeth Taylor herself, about the affair, the marriage, the divorce, the second marriage, and the second divorce. It is filled with much detail and interesting facts that never leave the reader bored... but how could one be reading about the never not exciting Taylor/Burton romance??
If you enjoy biographies, check out Furious Love. It is an eye-opening account of Hollywood's first mega couple!

Works Cited:
Kasner, Sam & Schoenberger, Nancy. Furious Love:
Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century.
New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2010. Print (less)

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Aug 08, 2011 Happyreader rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bio-and-memoir

My mom and I were talking tonight about a fancy soiree I’ll be attending when my mom asked me, “What jewels will you be wearing?” After I stopped laughing (so not the fancy jewel type of gal), I replied, “I just finished reading about Elizabeth Taylor and all the jewels she got from Richard Burton.” My mother remembered all of those jewels well and agreed I’d come nowhere near replicating Taylor’s appearance at the Rothchild’s Proust ball with her hair encrusted with priceless jewels.

The jewels,...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Matthew Kresal rated it 4 of 5 stars

In a our current age of paparazzi and continuous scandals it's hard to believe that all that really began nearly a half century ago. It began with the turbulent love affair and marriages of actor Richard Burton with actress Elizabeth Taylor during the 1960's and 1970's. Together, they were two fine actors whose subsequent careers, and legacies, would be defined by them. While many books have looked at their lives, Furious Love by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger, looks at the relationship that...more In a our current age of paparazzi and continuous scandals it's hard to believe that all that really began nearly a half century ago. It began with the turbulent love affair and marriages of actor Richard Burton with actress Elizabeth Taylor during the 1960's and 1970's. Together, they were two fine actors whose subsequent careers, and legacies, would be defined by them. While many books have looked at their lives, Furious Love by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger, looks at the relationship that was known as "the marriage of the century" in its day and presents a new insight through numerous new sources. The result is an intriguing look at a familiar story.

The book covers the long story of Burton and Taylor from their first meeting in 1953 to after Burton's untimely death in 1984. From a first meeting in Hollywood to their reunion on the infamous set of Cleopatra, the book begins by covering their carters leading up to "le scandale" as it was called including Taylor's turbulent first three marriages. From there the book shows how the affair developed, how it destroyed their then present marriages and threatened to derail not only the film's all ready troubled production but their very careers as well. These sections are perhaps the book's most interesting as it brings to light new details of the beginnings of their relationship.

From there the book looks at the more familiar parts of their relationship. From the early successes of the marriage including Burton's celebrated performance in The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. His celebrated Hamlet on Broadway and their films together including Whose Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? (for which Taylor got a Best Actress Oscar in 1966) for example. Also included is their extravagant lifestyle, their different feelings on the fame that surrounded them in the lead up to the break-up of their first marriage. The book then goes with great depth into their re-marriage and subsequent (and permanent) re-divorce. The book's final chapters detail how their respective careers proceeded, including them co-starring together in the Noel Coward play Private Lives, before Burton's death in 1984. While these later sections are perhaps not as revealing as the earlier sections, they still make for intriguing reading nonetheless.

What separates this book from many others on the subject is the amount and variety of reference material in the book. These include not only the expected amounts of archival material from newspapers and magazines of the time, but a large amount of first hand material as well. This include material from memoirs and interviews with many of those who witnesses the affair first hand including Claire Bloom, John le Carre and Burton's daughter Kate. Perhaps the biggest surprises come from the extensive (and mostly unpublished) writings of Burton himself including two unpublished poems he wrote around the time he appeared in The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (exciting for someone who like myself is a fan of the late Mister Burton) and the unparalleled access that the authors had to the letters and unpublished manuscripts of Taylor herself which makes the book worth reading alone. These alone make this book and intriguing read in itself.

Furious Love is an intriguing look at a familiar story. Through its use of sources old and new (including fascinating new material from the writings of Burton and Taylor), the books adds new dimension to the love affair and marriages of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. For fans of Burton and Taylor, or those interested in how the modern age of paparazzi and continuous scandals began this book should make for an intriguing read. (less)

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Apr 14, 2011 Janet rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, had-to-buy, kindle

I've never been a particular fan of either Taylor or Burton's careers, nor especially interested in their romance -- but I was unexpectedly caught up in this excellent account of their passionate, enduring, ferocious love for each other. The author, who was given access to Taylor's letters from Burton, walked a nice line between revelation and discretion. We see both Burton and Taylor up close, warts and all, but always with a sense of affection and respect.

Kashner makes a plausible case for th...more

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Oct 13, 2010 Blog on Books rated it 4 of 5 stars

When Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger, authors of “Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and The Marriage Of The Century” mentioned to a college-age acquaintance that they were considering writing a book on the Taylor-Burton romance, the response was “I never knew Elizabeth Taylor was married to Tim Burton!” The writers were shocked, as was Elizabeth Taylor, who responded by giving the biographers access to nearly forty never-before-published letters and notes written to her by the l...more When Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger, authors of “Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and The Marriage Of The Century” mentioned to a college-age acquaintance that they were considering writing a book on the Taylor-Burton romance, the response was “I never knew Elizabeth Taylor was married to Tim Burton!” The writers were shocked, as was Elizabeth Taylor, who responded by giving the biographers access to nearly forty never-before-published letters and notes written to her by the late actor. “I don’t care what you write about me,” she told them, “…just as long as you honor Richard.” And, indeed, in addition to recounting the story of an explosive, larger-than-life love affair, “Furious Love” also serves as a poignant reminder of the enormous but tragically squandered gifts of the man who was once considered the greatest actor of his generation, heir to Gielgud and Olivier.

The saga begins in 1962, when the two were cast opposite one another in “Cleopatra,” the lavish production that would ultimately bankrupt Twentieth Century-Fox. Though she was only 26, Elizabeth Taylor had been a movie star for a decade and was on her fourth marriage, to singer Eddie Fisher. Burton, on the other hand, was primarily known as a stage actor and looking to make his mark in film. And despite having had a string of affairs, he was still married to his wife Sybil, who he swore he would never abandon. Though initially unimpressed with each other, the co-stars soon fell almost uncontrollably in love, triggering a huge public response the authors dub “le scandale”. From that point on the couple essentially developed dual identities. “Richard and Elizabeth” were dedicated to their craft, devoted to their children, and genuinely longed for a simpler life. “Liz and Dick,” however, provided endless fodder for the tabloids of the day with their outrageously extravagant lifestyle, their public break-ups and reconciliations and, of course, their well-known battles with pills and alcohol.

In fact, the title “Furious Love” could describe Burton’s and Taylor’s relationship with booze as aptly as it does their feelings for each other. Kashner and Schoenberger chronicle the couple’s astonishing levels of consumption in some detail, clearly illustrating the havoc wreaked by their years of alcohol abuse. Taylor managed to keep the ravages of her addiction at bay longer than Burton, whose health had utterly deteriorated by the time he finally succumbed to a cerebral hemorrhage at 58. Eventually, however, she would become the first celebrity to openly seek treatment at The Betty Ford Clinic.

As much as they were victims of their own destructive appetites, Burton and Taylor also came to find themselves on the wrong side of the generation gap that split Hollywood and the rest of the world in the ’60’s. As audiences embraced such anti-establishment films as “The Graduate” and “Easy Rider,” Liz and Dick, with their jewels, yachts, and furs seemed to symbolize all the phony glitz younger stars and their fans held in contempt. Early artistic triumphs such as “Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf” and “The Spy Who Came In From The Cold” were eclipsed by a string of high-paying potboilers the pair needed to make in order to maintain their multiple homes and extensive entourage. Their final performances together, in a touring production of “Private Lives” were, by their own admission, little more than self-parody.

Like its subjects, “Furious Love” veers in tone from an almost scholarly seriousness to breathless gossip. These shifts, which sometimes occur from one paragraph to the next, can leave the reader feeling that one author has bumped the other aside in order to take over the narrative. Adding to this impression are occasional repetitions in the text, including one instance where a list of Burton’s late-career films appears twice on the same page. All in all, though, “Furious Love” is an intimate, intriguing portrait of two star-crossed lovers whose real-life personas were as fascinating and dramatic as any of the characters they ever portrayed. In short, it’s a book that would make a great movie. But nobody other than Elizabeth and Richard could ever play Liz and Dick. – David Nichols(less)

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Sep 15, 2010 RNOCEAN rated it 4 of 5 stars

"The definitive story of Hollywood's most famous couple
He was a tough-guy Welshman softened by the affections of a breathtakingly beautiful woman; she was a modern-day Cleopatra madly in love with her own Mark Antony. For nearly a quarter of a century, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were Hollywood royalty, and their fiery romance—often called "the marriage of the century"—was the most notorious, publicized, and celebrated love affair of its day.
For the first time, Vanity Fair contributing e...more "The definitive story of Hollywood's most famous couple
He was a tough-guy Welshman softened by the affections of a breathtakingly beautiful woman; she was a modern-day Cleopatra madly in love with her own Mark Antony. For nearly a quarter of a century, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were Hollywood royalty, and their fiery romance—often called "the marriage of the century"—was the most notorious, publicized, and celebrated love affair of its day.
For the first time, Vanity Fair contributing editor Sam Kashner and acclaimed biographer Nancy Schoenberger tell the complete story of this larger-than-life couple, showing how their romance and two marriages commanded the attention of the world. Also for the first time, in exclusive access given to the authors, Elizabeth Taylor herself gives never-revealed details and firsthand accounts of her life with Burton.
Drawing upon brand-new information and interviews—and on Burton's private, passionate, and heartbreaking letters to Taylor—Furious Love sheds new light on the movies, the sex, the scandal, the fame, the brawls, the booze, the bitter separations, and, of course, the fabled jewels. It offers an intimate glimpse into Elizabeth and Richard's privileged world and their elite circle of friends, among them Princess Grace, Montgomery Clift, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Peter O'Toole, Michael Caine, Marlon Brando, Rex Harrison, Mike Nichols, Laurence Olivier, Robert Kennedy, Tennessee Williams, Noël Coward, John Huston, Ava Gardner, the Rothschilds, Maria Callas, and Aristotle Onassis. It provides an entertaining, eye-opening look at their films, their wildly lucrative reign in Europe and in Hollywood—and the price they paid for their extravagant lives.
Shocking and unsparing in its honesty, Furious Love explores the very public marriage of "Liz and Dick" as well as the private struggles of Elizabeth and Richard, including Le Scandale, their affair on the set of the notorious epic Cleopatra that earned them condemnation from the Vatican; Burton's hardscrabble youth in Wales; the crippling alcoholism that nearly destroyed his career and contributed to his early death; the medical issues that plagued both him and Elizabeth; and the failed aspirations and shame that haunted him throughout their relationship. As Kashner and Schoenberger illuminate the events and choices that shaped this illustrious couple's story, they demonstrate how the legendary pair presaged America's changing attitudes toward sex, marriage, morality, and celebrity. Yet ultimately, as the authors show, Elizabeth and Richard shared something priceless beyond the drama: enduring love.
Addictive and entertaining, Furious Love is more than a celebrity biography; it's an honest yet sympathetic portrait of a man, a woman, and a passion that shocked and mesmerized the world."

****Rate this 4/5. A very thoroughly researched story of the love between Dick & Liz. I will alsways consider these two to be the love story of the century. I believe that Liz will love Richard Burton until the day she dies as Richard loved her until his own passing.(less)

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Jun 11, 2013 E.M. Bryant rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's odd to review someone's diary--especially when that someone is Richard Burton. So my rating seems almost silly.

But...

I couldn't help but hear Burton's sensational voice through every entry. From the long entries about food and wine/beer and scenic restaurants, to the shorter ones about animals or something funny one of the children said or did--it brought this man full-circle. It was not surprising that he was jealous or incensed of Taylor's Oscars, or that he felt to an extent that he bet...more

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Mar 22, 2011 Tonja rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found this to be a very interesting biography. I especially liked the extra info on Elizabeth Taylor. Being born in the '70's, I have a set idea about who she is, but without the back story of her past, career and marriages, I think my opinion was pretty one dimensional. I really knew very little about Richard Burton. When I visited Puerto Vallarta, I saw Casa Kimberly in Gringo Gulch which adjoined to Richard Taylor's house with a little bridge. The two houses were damaged by an earthquake, w...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Suzanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book blew me away! I have never read such a passionate love story. I can also say that I have never read such a story of mutual self-destruction. I don't consider myself to be overly romantic, but I do believe that everyone has a soulmate. Some people are lucky enough to find theirs. My parents were soulmates. I am forever grateful that they died together because I can't imagine one going on without the other. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton are such soulmates, but they also were the em...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Caroline added it · review of another edition

Shelves: american-literature, biography, movies, romance

Für dieses Buch, woran wohl kein Taylor-Burton-Enthusiast die kommenden Jahre vorbeikommen dürfte, hatten die Autoren Zugriff auf private Briefe aus dem Besitz der inzwischen verstorbenen Elizabeth Taylor. Sie hatte sich seit Richards Tod 1984 nicht mehr zu "Dick und Liz" - wie sie von der Presse getauft wurden - äußern wollen, sei doch zu Lebzeiten schon zu Genüge über sie berichtet worden. Und so wälzt sich das Buch durch Juwelen-, Yacht- und Jetkäufe, durch Saufgelage, Streitereien und Sex. K...more

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Aug 05, 2010 Lee Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed-not-bought

Everyone and no one should have a love like this. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton loved each other so much it ruined the both of them. Elizabeth, so used to being spoiled and petted, and so skilled at being famous, controlled their crazy, decadent life. They lived on a yacht (mainly to avoid taxes), sent their children to Swiss boarding schools, and spent money like water, on pets, furs, and gigantic pieces of jewelry. Richard, a poor Welshman who always found acting an unmanly and degrading...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

You cannot mention Elizabeth taylor without saying Richard Burton's name in the same breathe, they just went together, this book looked at the life they led together. They were massive stars in the 60s and were mobbed at every opportunity, they lived the life of gypsies though, which i think contributed to the break up of their marriage, living out of suitcases and on a yacht albeit a luxury one ! The money they earnt was amazing but by the same token they spent it and lived a Hollywood lifesty...more You cannot mention Elizabeth taylor without saying Richard Burton's name in the same breathe, they just went together, this book looked at the life they led together. They were massive stars in the 60s and were mobbed at every opportunity, they lived the life of gypsies though, which i think contributed to the break up of their marriage, living out of suitcases and on a yacht albeit a luxury one ! The money they earnt was amazing but by the same token they spent it and lived a Hollywood lifestyle the like of which is not seen today.They had a great attraction to each other a lot of it sexual, but Elizabeth had been a child star and had never lived a normal life always the pampered princess with her every whim being pampered to, she seemed to always marry yes men, apart maybe from Michael Todd, so when she meets Richard Burton the actor from the Welsh Valleys whose father was a miner the sparks fly, he was a serious actor and a womanizer. I knew she was famous for some of the jewels that Richard brought her but never how many and how much money he spent on them and how fantastic they were. They tried to live a normal life with the children although they never had any together ,they did adopt a daughter. Elizabeth suffered from different health problems all her life ,Richard was a heavy drinker and as their stars waned and they fell out of favour no longer commanding the big fees or the heavyweight hollywood productions, Burton turned more and more to drink,he was not a nice drunk. Their arguments became more serious, Elizabeths health problems worsened, and Richards eye started to wonder.They got to the stage where unable to live together they divorced but married again later unable to live without each other. It has been said they would have eventually got back together for the 3rd time, if Burton had not died, they were always in touch and had a deep affection for each other. I always felt sorry for Burtons last wife as it seemed she was written out of his life and everyone has forgotten about her, although to marry Richard Burton and stand in the shadow of Elizabeth Taylor is a hard act for anyone to follow.Elizabeth was the last true Hollywood star and lived her life as such, she will be remembered for her work for the Aids foundation at a time when everyone shunned the victims, as well as for her films, her beauty, her jewels and her never ending love affair with Richard Burton.(less)

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Feb 19, 2011 Frannie rated it 2 of 5 stars

I didn't know much about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's relationship but after reading an excerpt of Furious Love in Vanity Fair over the summer, my interest was piqued. After finishing Furious Love, my interest was still piqued because it was clear that the story of "Liz and Dick" is a really juicy one, but I'm sorry to say the book didn't do it justice.

Weak writing and editing distract me while reading a book, regardless of how interesting the subject matter is, and Furious Love sadly s...more I didn't know much about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's relationship but after reading an excerpt of Furious Love in Vanity Fair over the summer, my interest was piqued. After finishing Furious Love, my interest was still piqued because it was clear that the story of "Liz and Dick" is a really juicy one, but I'm sorry to say the book didn't do it justice.

Weak writing and editing distract me while reading a book, regardless of how interesting the subject matter is, and Furious Love sadly suffered from both. The pacing was weird - the story jumped back and forth chronologically and it lingered too long on certain points and didn't spend enough time on others. There was a heavy emphasis on the development of Taylor and Burton's romance - it takes up a significant part of the book - but the authors rushed through how it all unraveled. The writing also felt a little repetitive. The authors made the same points multiple times (I get it - they had a co-dependent drinking problem) and would explain who someone in their entourage was on one page and then on the next essentially reintroduce that same person.

All of these issues could have been fixed with a little more stringent editing, which is a shame because their story is just so great. Their life together was totally over the top. They were the original Brangelina - breaking up marriages, traveling the world, adopting children, spending incredible amounts of money... Fabulous is the first word that springs to mind. Even without the entourage and paparazzi surrounding them, their story would still be great because they clearly had a passionate and deep-seated love for each other. Furious Love includes a number of Burton's love letters, which were a great addition. The letters provide a fascinating look into his personality and it's through them, more so than the book itself, that I was able to understand their relationship. It's just too bad the book didn't live up to the story waiting to be told.

In a nutshell: Great source material, but the writing didn't do it justice. Two and a half stars.(less)

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Dec 30, 2012 Roopa rated it 4 of 5 stars

The beginning and the end are great. I went through a sort of mid-life crisis of my own with Liz and Dick towards the middle of this, but in the end, this was a great love story of more modern times. I still want to paper to pen (with stiff drink) and now I'm bit more distracted by that quaint little shop "Bulgari's". Richard and Elizabeth also bring a little more clarity and much more romanticism to the "difficult" loves in your life. Richard and Elizabeth's passion and dedication are impressiv...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Amanda R rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: biographies

This book was both excellent and terrible. The terrible part was the writing. The authors apparently haven't the slightest idea how to construct a paragraph, the chronology is all over the place, and a review of what foreshadowing actually is would be a good idea. (Hint: More subtlety is required.)

But, as I said it was also excellent, mostly because it contains ALL THE DRAMA. I can't think of any relationship more interesting and exciting and painful and dysfunctional than this one. I'm amazed...more

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Aug 26, 2011 Ellen Herbert rated it 3 of 5 stars

This mythic couple were part of the fabric of my childhood. Many an afternoon in the local beauty parlor was spent leaving through move mags while my gramma had her hair done and caught up on gossip. My mother admired Elizabeth Taylor and we all swooned over Richard Burton.

It seemed they lived a grand adventure complete with drama, illness, tragedy and passion. And lets don't forget the jewels.
I kinda wish I would have left them in the attic of my childhood. Reading about their excess was kind...more

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Sep 16, 2011 Annie rated it 3 of 5 stars

A fun biography of Taylor & Burton, but about 100 pages too long. I get that the authors might have wanted to exhaust the reader the way that Taylor & Burton were no doubt exhausted by their relationship, but it kind of went on & on...

I thought this was a topical read considering all of the talk surrounding Taylor's passing, as well as the planned tour and auction of her clothing in jewelry that's coming up. This provides interesting commentary and context. It also de-mystifies Eliza...more

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Jul 31, 2010 Bookworm1858 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, read-2010, hollywood-gossip

Furious Love by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger
Harper, 2010
438 pages
Non-fiction; Celebrity
5/5 stars

Source: A bribe from my mom to take my sister to see Eclipse

Summary: The legendary love affair of Liz and Dick although they preferred Elizabeth and Richard, with new insights based on their private letters.

Thoughts: LizandDick is a topic I didn't know much about (I'm actually more of a fan of Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier, a couple with quite a few similarities) so I was excited to dig in t...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Austin rated it 4 of 5 stars

The opening of “Furious Love” drops the reader in the middle of a pool party during the lavish “Golden Era” of Hollywood. One can easily picture rolling brown and green hills surrounding a cool-Crete pool deck that is littered with sun bathing beauties all lubricated by sun tan oil and alcoholic drinks. Among this oasis of nymphs strolled a newly imported twenty-eight-year-old Richard Burton spotted a fresh twenty-one-year-old Elizabeth Taylor and, well, the die was then cast for a wild, rocky,...more The opening of “Furious Love” drops the reader in the middle of a pool party during the lavish “Golden Era” of Hollywood. One can easily picture rolling brown and green hills surrounding a cool-Crete pool deck that is littered with sun bathing beauties all lubricated by sun tan oil and alcoholic drinks. Among this oasis of nymphs strolled a newly imported twenty-eight-year-old Richard Burton spotted a fresh twenty-one-year-old Elizabeth Taylor and, well, the die was then cast for a wild, rocky, and emotionally taxing saga of dozens of films, multiple awards, death, betrayal and, of course, sex. In Sam Kashner’s and Nancy Schoenberger’s saga of the romance that enthralled the world, we are given a front-row seat to the inside relationship of one of the biggest actresses in Hollywood and her marriage to a the son of a coal miner who had become one of the greatest Shakespearean actors ever and managed to translate the stage to the silver screen. The book ushers us along slowly through their initial affair (while both were married to other people), through their courtship, and the intimacies of their marriage some of which comes in at surprising candidness- all the while we ride the roller coaster of their passion for each other and, sadly, alcohol. Kashner and Schoenberer daftly use Burton’s diaries- along with interviews of friends and Ms. Taylor’s numerous writings- to give us a glimpse of a couple who is not only gifted, but cursed and the struggles they faced being married. The reader marvels at what this relationship brought the world: some of the greatest movies of the second half of the 20th century are a highlight while the arguable birth of the sensational media is a glowing low-light. The book is not a quick read nor is it a struggle as it slowly builds us into their relationship so that when the inevitable end comes, we feel strong pangs of hurt and sadness for both Ms. Taylor and Mr. Burton as their first marriage falls apart and subsequent brief remarriage does little to consul us. The book pays some homage to the death of the Old World of Hollywood that saw the demise of so many Golden Era actors and actresses and the birth of the rouge filmmaker that shaped Hollywood in the 1970’s and early 1980’s but the focus is Liz and Dick and their story is more than enough to enthrall anyone with enough basic knowledge of 1960’s Hollywood elite (or has access to IMDB).
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Jul 08, 2010 Alecia rated it 4 of 5 stars

I suppose I am now a "LizandDick" expert, having read this book and a previous biography of Elzabeth Taylor (Elizabeth Tayor, How to be a Movie Star) that emphasizes this period in her life, namely her love affair, marriage and remarriage to Richard Burton. I really enjoyed this book as well as the previous one. Furious Love gives a more fleshed-out portrait of Burton and includes some never beffore seen letters that were given to the authors.

Although this is a rather long book, I never lost int...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Diana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography

I only gave it three out of five stars, but you know, if you happen to be staying in a beach house on a rainy day? And there's no Internet or TV? This could be just the ticket. It's like having access to a big stack of outdated People magazines. Richard Taylor and Elizabeth Taylor were quite the scandalous love affair of their time, and the authors of Furious Love had access to Burton's diaries and letters as well as years' and years' worth of tabloid reports. They were astonishingly, powerfully...more

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Sep 27, 2010 Robin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobooks

I have been having a Liz Taylor-Richard Burton movie marathon since I finsihed "Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Marriage of the Century." I've been in awe of the Burtons since discovering Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. My friend David and I used to watch it over and over in college. I was shocked to learn that Liz was younger than I was when she made that movie - she just looked older thanks to makeup and wigs. I felt sorry for them having to live their lives constantly i...more

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Apr 07, 2011 Krista rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

A biography of the marriage of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Kashner makes the point, repeatedly, that Taylor and Burton's love affair was genuine and life-long. He seems a bit more interested in Burton's distorted psyche than Taylor's, but otherwise the book goes into excruciating detail to prove its case. My only issue is it sounds to me as if he is glossing over implied domestic violence between the two, and when he concedes Elizabeth Taylor's earlier marriage (to Mike Todd) included v...more

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Jun 23, 2011 Jamie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, biography

This book gets 5* for how much I enjoyed it, learned from it, and for pulling a tear from me at the end. What a passionate love story, one that never died as both were living. They were so in love with each other, yet, unable to totally make it work. The very definition of co-dependent, they loved each other, but were terrible for each other. Their liquor consumption was astounding. Both came at it from different angles but met beautifully in the middle. I love them both and just want to watch t...more

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Aug 07, 2010 Cheryl Seymour rated it 3 of 5 stars

The tempestuous marriage of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton is chronicled in this book. Know to the world as "The Burtons", they were considered royalty by Hollywood standards. The fights, drinking, break ups, and re-marriages are mentioned. For the most part, it a telling of the story in a way that is akin to people gossiping about one of Hollywood's greatest love stories. The writing could have been better and more objectivity could have been used when discussing the Burtons. As a fan of R...more

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