I read most of this book online and then the end at the bookstore during lunch! The pics were great. I somewhat wish I didn't read as much as I did. I liked idolizing Madonna and I don't like seeing her (whether true or not) in a negative light. I'm sure a lot of what Christopher wrote was true. And I'm sure some of it was probably false and/or exaggerated (considering the drug use). Nonetheless, I have mixed feelings about learning so much about my favorite pop star.

I think Christopher comes across as a delusional star-struck idiot. He should have established boundaries with Madonna from the start. What he won't put up with from Madonna the Superstar and what he will put up with from Madonna, his sister. Instead, he allows her to walk all over him, is in denial of being her biggest sycophant yesman and is in denial of his drug use. I'm sure he is talented but how can he tell or anyone else for that matter if he never separated himself from his sister, basking in the shadow of her success, hanging onto her coat strings for dear life?

Couldn't agree with the both of you more. I enjoyed the book, though the writing itself was not so great i.e. the awkward transitions, repetition, and typos. But it was interesting to get an insiders perspective on such a mysterious icon--one I've never known too much about but always wanted to know more. Pretty much everything he said about her extreme narcissism, constant need for attention, and false sense of entitlement I completely believe. A person does not get to that level of stardom without being a little bit crazy. One thing I didn't realize though was how CHEAP she is! If this really is true than I have to say I'm utterly disgusted with her selfishness when it comes to her massive fortune.

I'm sure that Christopher Ciccone embellished a lot of the story and painted himself the portrait of an angel when only a devil himself could write such a book about their own sibling; but I definitely believe that most of what he says about Madonna is true and it doesn't surprise me in the least.

But who said she had to be a saint? She never attempted to portray herself as one so to find any of this shocking would be ignorance. Madonna is QUEEN of the shock--been there, done that.

I hope these two egocentric snobs find each other once again because if they can't learn to love each other I don't know anyone else who could.

Yeah, I agree on her cheapness. I was blown away by the fact that she made her family pay for their plane tickets to her wedding and their incidentals once they got there but she paid for her maid to come. However, this may be Christopher's skewed, delusional perspective and perhaps Madonna made her sister pay for herself because she really didn't want her there, afterall she didn't invite her at first. Or that she made Chrisptoper pay for himself because she gave him too many handouts and he's a drug addict. Heck, I wouldn't give my drug addict brother any money either no matter how "recreational" his drug use is.

Though I still have a weird sense of admiration for Madonna...
It doesn't shock me Madonna was cheap- I think many rich people are. They can spend tons of money on silly things, but when it comes to dishing out to family and friends they see it as a red flag and just don't like to do it. I think she fully takes advantage of her brother, yet he has allowed her to.
I don't have any real negative thoughts as you all do towards Christopher. He has been caught up in drugs, but again, that's the world he is living in.
Rather than thinking poorly of him, that's one thing I admire about Madonna- with all the fame, she was stubbornly stuck on herself enough to do what SHE wanted to do and not fall in the cracks of big drug problems.
And though there were typos in the story, I think Christopher tried to tell the story as much as a person could in a neutral position. There are always two sides to the story, but he always tried to find the good in Madonna - his Love for her always seemed to prevail.
The end point I took from it was he always wanted to be close to his sister and he worked his butt off trying to maintain a respectable status. Madonna's way of showing her respect for him is not in the same line with how he wants to be respected (and her cheapness didn't help). So... on a different scale than the average family, they have their own set of family issues and that's pretty much it.