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Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice
Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!
Marcia Brady, eldest daughter on television's The Brady Bunch, had it all—style, looks, boys, brains, and talent. No wonder her younger sister Jan was jealous! For countless adolescents across America who came of age in the early 1970s, Marcia was the ideal American teenager. Girls wanted to be her. Boys wanted to date her. But what viewers didn't know about the always-sunny, perfect Marcia was that offscreen, her real-life counterpart, Maureen McCormick, the young actress who portrayed her, was living a very different—and not-so-wonderful—life. Now, for the very first time, Maureen tells the shocking and inspirational true story of the beloved teen generations have invited into their living rooms—and the woman she became.
In Here's the Story, Maureen takes us behind the scenes of America's favorite television family, the Bradys. With poignancy and candor, she reveals the lifelong friendships, the hurtful jealousies, the offscreen romance, the loving support her television family provided during a life-or-death moment, and the inconsolable loss of a man who had been a second father. But The Brady Bunch was only the beginning. Haunted by the perfection of her television alter ego, Maureen landed on the dark side, caught up in a fast-paced, drug-fueled, star-studded Hollywood existence that ultimately led to the biggest battle of her life.
Moving from drug dens on Wonderland Avenue to wild parties at the Playboy mansion and exotic escapades on the beaches of Hawaii, this candid, hard-hitting memoir exposes a side of a beloved pop-culture icon the paparazzi missed. Yet it is also a story of remarkable success. After kicking her drug habit, Maureen battled depression, reconnected with her mother, whom she nursed through the end of her life, and then found herself in a pitched battle for her family in which she ultimately triumphed.
There is no question: Maureen McCormick is a survivor. After fifty years, she has finally learned what it means to love the person you are, insight that has brought her peace in a happy marriage and as a mother. Here's the Story is the empowering, engaging, shocking, and emotional tale of Maureen McCormick's courageous struggle over adversity and her lifelong battle to come to terms with the idea of perfection—and herself.
Marcia Brady, eldest daughter on television's The Brady Bunch, had it all—style, looks, boys, brains, and talent. No wonder her younger sister Jan was jealous! For countless adolescents across America who came of age in the early 1970s, Marcia was the ideal American teenager. Girls wanted to be her. Boys wanted to date her. But what viewers didn't know about the always-sunny, perfect Marcia was that offscreen, her real-life counterpart, Maureen McCormick, the young actress who portrayed her, was living a very different—and not-so-wonderful—life. Now, for the very first time, Maureen tells the shocking and inspirational true story of the beloved teen generations have invited into their living rooms—and the woman she became.
In Here's the Story, Maureen takes us behind the scenes of America's favorite television family, the Bradys. With poignancy and candor, she reveals the lifelong friendships, the hurtful jealousies, the offscreen romance, the loving support her television family provided during a life-or-death moment, and the inconsolable loss of a man who had been a second father. But The Brady Bunch was only the beginning. Haunted by the perfection of her television alter ego, Maureen landed on the dark side, caught up in a fast-paced, drug-fueled, star-studded Hollywood existence that ultimately led to the biggest battle of her life.
Moving from drug dens on Wonderland Avenue to wild parties at the Playboy mansion and exotic escapades on the beaches of Hawaii, this candid, hard-hitting memoir exposes a side of a beloved pop-culture icon the paparazzi missed. Yet it is also a story of remarkable success. After kicking her drug habit, Maureen battled depression, reconnected with her mother, whom she nursed through the end of her life, and then found herself in a pitched battle for her family in which she ultimately triumphed.
There is no question: Maureen McCormick is a survivor. After fifty years, she has finally learned what it means to love the person you are, insight that has brought her peace in a happy marriage and as a mother. Here's the Story is the empowering, engaging, shocking, and emotional tale of Maureen McCormick's courageous struggle over adversity and her lifelong battle to come to terms with the idea of perfection—and herself.
277 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Maureen McCormick
6 books30 followersMaureen Denise McCormick is an American actress, reality show participant, and recording artist. She is best known as a child actor who played Marcia Brady in the television series The Brady Bunch from 1969 to 1974.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 695 reviews
January 23, 2009
Occasionally, I read a book that I'm not wild about or that I don't quite "get", and then I find myself writing negative reviews and feeling a bit overcritical - like I think I would do SO MUCH BETTER at writing a book. This is compounded when I start worrying about how the author would feel if he or she read my review, and when the author has expressed some level of fragility already, I don't really know what to do.
You, my dear and lucky readers, are about to see this sort of discomfort first-hand, as I really did not love Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice.
As the title basically tells us, Here's the Story is the autobiography of Maureen McCormick. Or is it a memoir? What's the difference between an autobiography and a memoir, anyway? Hrm. Once again, I am displaying my profound intelligence in a review.
Further evidence of my genius is the fact that I grew up a big fan of the Brady Bunch. I've seen every episode. When I was in law school, I stayed up until the wee hours of the night for a full week just so I could watch the Brady Bunch marathon on USA or TNT or one of those other entirely awesome channels. Whether this is evidence of some serious fanhood or evidence of the fact that I probably should have noticed that I didn't really want to be in law school, I do not know. However, it does show my dedication to all things Brady.
With such intense Brady love, it pretty much breaks my heart to tell you that I didn't enjoy this book. It wasn't horrendous, but it wasn't a page-turner, either. I even found myself referring to it as That Damn Marcia Brady Book. Without revealing any secrets that you don't already know, I will sum up the book for you:
Maureen McCormick had a weird family (then again, who doesn't?). She found out a family secret while she was Marcia Brady, and she was scared and freaked out and nobody really helped her work through it. She was a bit obsessed with her weight. She was a bit obsessed with what people thought of her. She got hooked on cocaine. She loved loved loved cocaine. She went to parties. Famous people were there. She thought the famous people were groovy. She did more cocaine. She screwed up some acting gigs because she loved cocaine more than acting. Then she found God. Then she found her husband. She had a baby. More weird family shit went down. She got fat (gasp! She once weighed OVER ONE HUNDRED FIFTY POUNDS! As someone who would love to weigh 150 again, F you, Maureen.) Her mother died. She went on Celebrity Fit Club. She decided to write a book. She still worries a lot about what people think of her. She has been through a lot. It is hard being Maureen McCormick. It is hard overcoming a cocaine addiction. It is hard being Marcia Brady. Did she mention how hard it is to overcome a cocaine addiction? And did she mention that Sammy Davis Junior was at a party that she went to once? Families can be cruel. The End.
And now, I will resume feeling guilty for writing mean things about a book written by someone who really cares what people think of her. To counterbalance this guilt, I will say the things I liked about the book:
1. I appreciate people who write honestly about their struggles.
2. I especially appreciate people who write candidly about their mental health issues - particularly depression - because I think that increased openness about depression will help to remove some of the stigma surrounding it.
3. I still love all things Brady.
4. I like hearing about people overcoming their problems. What's not to love about the story of someone who hits rock bottom, climbs back up, and ends up feeling pretty happy?
5. Dude. She's Marcia Brady.
You, my dear and lucky readers, are about to see this sort of discomfort first-hand, as I really did not love Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice.
As the title basically tells us, Here's the Story is the autobiography of Maureen McCormick. Or is it a memoir? What's the difference between an autobiography and a memoir, anyway? Hrm. Once again, I am displaying my profound intelligence in a review.
Further evidence of my genius is the fact that I grew up a big fan of the Brady Bunch. I've seen every episode. When I was in law school, I stayed up until the wee hours of the night for a full week just so I could watch the Brady Bunch marathon on USA or TNT or one of those other entirely awesome channels. Whether this is evidence of some serious fanhood or evidence of the fact that I probably should have noticed that I didn't really want to be in law school, I do not know. However, it does show my dedication to all things Brady.
With such intense Brady love, it pretty much breaks my heart to tell you that I didn't enjoy this book. It wasn't horrendous, but it wasn't a page-turner, either. I even found myself referring to it as That Damn Marcia Brady Book. Without revealing any secrets that you don't already know, I will sum up the book for you:
Maureen McCormick had a weird family (then again, who doesn't?). She found out a family secret while she was Marcia Brady, and she was scared and freaked out and nobody really helped her work through it. She was a bit obsessed with her weight. She was a bit obsessed with what people thought of her. She got hooked on cocaine. She loved loved loved cocaine. She went to parties. Famous people were there. She thought the famous people were groovy. She did more cocaine. She screwed up some acting gigs because she loved cocaine more than acting. Then she found God. Then she found her husband. She had a baby. More weird family shit went down. She got fat (gasp! She once weighed OVER ONE HUNDRED FIFTY POUNDS! As someone who would love to weigh 150 again, F you, Maureen.) Her mother died. She went on Celebrity Fit Club. She decided to write a book. She still worries a lot about what people think of her. She has been through a lot. It is hard being Maureen McCormick. It is hard overcoming a cocaine addiction. It is hard being Marcia Brady. Did she mention how hard it is to overcome a cocaine addiction? And did she mention that Sammy Davis Junior was at a party that she went to once? Families can be cruel. The End.
And now, I will resume feeling guilty for writing mean things about a book written by someone who really cares what people think of her. To counterbalance this guilt, I will say the things I liked about the book:
1. I appreciate people who write honestly about their struggles.
2. I especially appreciate people who write candidly about their mental health issues - particularly depression - because I think that increased openness about depression will help to remove some of the stigma surrounding it.
3. I still love all things Brady.
4. I like hearing about people overcoming their problems. What's not to love about the story of someone who hits rock bottom, climbs back up, and ends up feeling pretty happy?
5. Dude. She's Marcia Brady.
January 19, 2022
I grew up with the Brady Bunch. I loved that show, and every ridiculous Brady-related followup (like the recent “A Very Brady Renovation” on HGTV!) and when they eventually make "A Very Brady Nursing Home" I'll be watching that as well.
This book though...oy, where to start. I enjoyed listening to Maureen McCormick's narration, it was like hearing a beloved older sister read to you. So that's one good thing that I can say. Also, I'm happy for her that she kicked her epic cocaine habit, maintained a long marriage, raised a beautiful daughter, and enjoys a strong Christian faith.
But on the other hand, a LOT of deeply unflattering and dysfunctional information is included in this story. I so often I wonder WHY the hell do people want to put all this stuff out there? There is so much I would be happier never to have known. Anyway, I wish Maureen and her family well and thanks for all the memories.
This book though...oy, where to start. I enjoyed listening to Maureen McCormick's narration, it was like hearing a beloved older sister read to you. So that's one good thing that I can say. Also, I'm happy for her that she kicked her epic cocaine habit, maintained a long marriage, raised a beautiful daughter, and enjoys a strong Christian faith.
But on the other hand, a LOT of deeply unflattering and dysfunctional information is included in this story. I so often I wonder WHY the hell do people want to put all this stuff out there? There is so much I would be happier never to have known. Anyway, I wish Maureen and her family well and thanks for all the memories.
October 27, 2008
Look what I checked out today! People Magazine just wasn't enough for me . . .
UPDATE: I'm on page 66, and it's crystal clear that Marcia Brady and Maureen McCormick are not the same person. For instance, Marcia's favorite Monkee is Davy Jones; Maureen's favorite Monkee is Peter Tork.
FINISHED IT sort of. Not enough Brady gossip; not enough humor; too much god and plodding five-word sentences.
UPDATE: I'm on page 66, and it's crystal clear that Marcia Brady and Maureen McCormick are not the same person. For instance, Marcia's favorite Monkee is Davy Jones; Maureen's favorite Monkee is Peter Tork.
FINISHED IT sort of. Not enough Brady gossip; not enough humor; too much god and plodding five-word sentences.
January 24, 2009
I knew from reviews that this book wouldn't exactly be the fluffy fun of Barry William's Growing Up Brady, but I was surprised by the openness Maureen McCormick laid out here. Very little of the book is directly Brady-related, but it's a interesting look at a former child star struggling with Hollywood issues and family demons at the same time.
July 30, 2010
As a lover of the tv show The Brady Bunch I really wanted to read Maureen McCormick’s memoir. For some weird reason I just figured her life was pretty much like Marcia Brady’s but it turned out to be the complete opposite. This was one of the reasons why she wrote the book so she could tell the real story which was nothing like her character Marcia’s. It was a quick read with interesting tidbits but also a whole lot of sadness that’s still going on in her life.
It starts out with some very horrible old family secrets that always come back to haunt her. She goes on to talk about her life as a child actress and eventually landing the role that people will forever identify her with: Marcia Brady the oldest daughter of the Brady clan. Turns out she hated being remembered for only being Marcia even though she enjoyed being on the show. There are some juicy tidbits on the actors who played the Brady’s but most of the book focuses on the trials and tribulations in her life. She talks about her lovers, life as a washed up actress and how hard that was for her as well as how a lot of people still tried to help her get back on her feet during some very dark times. It’s a wonder she lived to tell the story because she’s been through some frightening things from paralyzing drug addiction to abortions, depression and messed up family members. The book is generally well written and has a very readable down to earth style though the drug addiction phase of her life was a little long. She seems to be very open and forthright about a lot of aspects of her life. She gives the impression that she’s reached 50 now and to hell with it all this is my life like it or not I don’t really care.
The story starts and ends with the Brady’s as the framework however when you look at her life you can’t help but wonder how she managed to get to where she is in one piece. An uplifting story that shows that with the help of people who truly love you (her husband should be canonized) anyone can change if they really want to.
It starts out with some very horrible old family secrets that always come back to haunt her. She goes on to talk about her life as a child actress and eventually landing the role that people will forever identify her with: Marcia Brady the oldest daughter of the Brady clan. Turns out she hated being remembered for only being Marcia even though she enjoyed being on the show. There are some juicy tidbits on the actors who played the Brady’s but most of the book focuses on the trials and tribulations in her life. She talks about her lovers, life as a washed up actress and how hard that was for her as well as how a lot of people still tried to help her get back on her feet during some very dark times. It’s a wonder she lived to tell the story because she’s been through some frightening things from paralyzing drug addiction to abortions, depression and messed up family members. The book is generally well written and has a very readable down to earth style though the drug addiction phase of her life was a little long. She seems to be very open and forthright about a lot of aspects of her life. She gives the impression that she’s reached 50 now and to hell with it all this is my life like it or not I don’t really care.
The story starts and ends with the Brady’s as the framework however when you look at her life you can’t help but wonder how she managed to get to where she is in one piece. An uplifting story that shows that with the help of people who truly love you (her husband should be canonized) anyone can change if they really want to.
July 17, 2017
I read this book because I was a huge Brady Bunch fan when I was a kid, and because I thoroughly enjoyed Growing Up Brady by Barry Williams. I realized as I started the book that only a portion of Maureen McCormick's autobiography would be about the TV show that made her famous, but the book was a disappointment from start to finish. McCormick's memories of The Brady Bunch were either rehashes of previously published anecdotes from the show or were so vague that I got the impression she remembers very little about shooting The Brady Bunch and wrote that section of the book based on accounts she'd read from other cast members.
I was surprised to read about McCormick's struggles with drugs and depression; she seems very fragile and I'm glad she seems to have a supportive network of friends and family members around her. I applaud her honesty in opening up about her own struggles, however I cringed as she 'told all' about each of her family members. While I felt confident that McCormick wrote about her husband and daughter with their approval, I felt that she shared far too many private details about her parents and siblings -- and in the end, it seemed that she did so in an effort to publicly defend her elder abuse claims against her brother.
What really killed this book for me, though, was the book's ending -- not really a spoiler since it doesn't give anything else away about the book. She wrote of a recent humanitarian trip she took to Africa, where she met a 14-year-old girl who was the sole provider for her four brother and sisters after both parents had died of AIDS. The girl struggled to make ends meet, and the family often had to skip meals because she couldn't afford to buy food. McCormick hugged the girl and the two had an emotional moment together. The girl had a tremendous impact on her, she wrote, and I waited for McCormick to reveal that she had found a way to help the girl and her family and lift them from their dire circumstances.
Nope.
Instead, McCormick told us that in the act of hugging that girl, she 'found herself.' 'It turned out I was perfect-" she writes of her life-changing realization, 'perfect in my imperfections!'
This final story put the whole book in perspective for me. I had just read three hundred pages of whining from a woman about her mediocre acting career, her mood swings, her body image, her mean relatives, her drug problems, and the way people still INSIST on calling her Marcia Brady. Is it any wonder that when she met someone who was truly in need, McCormick could only think about herself?
Skip this book. I wish I had.
I was surprised to read about McCormick's struggles with drugs and depression; she seems very fragile and I'm glad she seems to have a supportive network of friends and family members around her. I applaud her honesty in opening up about her own struggles, however I cringed as she 'told all' about each of her family members. While I felt confident that McCormick wrote about her husband and daughter with their approval, I felt that she shared far too many private details about her parents and siblings -- and in the end, it seemed that she did so in an effort to publicly defend her elder abuse claims against her brother.
What really killed this book for me, though, was the book's ending -- not really a spoiler since it doesn't give anything else away about the book. She wrote of a recent humanitarian trip she took to Africa, where she met a 14-year-old girl who was the sole provider for her four brother and sisters after both parents had died of AIDS. The girl struggled to make ends meet, and the family often had to skip meals because she couldn't afford to buy food. McCormick hugged the girl and the two had an emotional moment together. The girl had a tremendous impact on her, she wrote, and I waited for McCormick to reveal that she had found a way to help the girl and her family and lift them from their dire circumstances.
Nope.
Instead, McCormick told us that in the act of hugging that girl, she 'found herself.' 'It turned out I was perfect-" she writes of her life-changing realization, 'perfect in my imperfections!'
This final story put the whole book in perspective for me. I had just read three hundred pages of whining from a woman about her mediocre acting career, her mood swings, her body image, her mean relatives, her drug problems, and the way people still INSIST on calling her Marcia Brady. Is it any wonder that when she met someone who was truly in need, McCormick could only think about herself?
Skip this book. I wish I had.
February 15, 2009
Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! ;^) No one can accuse McCormick of showing herself in a flattering light in her memoir. Here is someone who had a promising future, found out as a teenager that her mother had syphilis, and seemingly never recovered from the "secret shame" of it. That's what McCormick seems to want us to believe. It gave her low self-esteem, she eventually turned to cocaine and there went 25 years of her life.
The "Brady" part of the memoir was interesting, but the remainder of the book was just sad, in a pathetic way. Given the prevalence of drug usage in '70s and '80s southern California, and McCormick's self-disclosed predisposition to addiction and mental health problems, she probably would have had the same 25 years (maybe worse) even if she had not been Marcia Brady.
McCormick seems like she is a nice enough, friendly person in her writing, but by the end of the book, I just didn't like her very much. She just left the taste that she is one of those friends whose life is always drama, who is constantly taking/needy and never strong enough to give.
Truth be told, I bought the book because it was 50% off at B&N and it's Marcia Brady! ;^)
The "Brady" part of the memoir was interesting, but the remainder of the book was just sad, in a pathetic way. Given the prevalence of drug usage in '70s and '80s southern California, and McCormick's self-disclosed predisposition to addiction and mental health problems, she probably would have had the same 25 years (maybe worse) even if she had not been Marcia Brady.
McCormick seems like she is a nice enough, friendly person in her writing, but by the end of the book, I just didn't like her very much. She just left the taste that she is one of those friends whose life is always drama, who is constantly taking/needy and never strong enough to give.
Truth be told, I bought the book because it was 50% off at B&N and it's Marcia Brady! ;^)
February 12, 2009
I deal, on a daily basis, with what might be politely termed "medically-resistant clinical depression." What this means, really, is that no combination of medications has ever really helped -- and the one that came closest had horrific side effects.
The reason I provide this prologue is that I derive a great deal of help from reading books about other people who cope with depression -- and Maureen McCormick's memoir is just that. She writes frankly about feeling that she always needed to be as perfect as her character, Marcia Brady. About her attempts to self-medicate with cocaine, alcohol and food -- and about the control she felt while purging with bulimia. She writes about her struggles through her marriage and as she coped with elder abuse in her family (her middle brother toward her father).
McCormick does not pull any punches as she talks about the lows of her life ... the kinds of things that she struggled for so many years to hide. Learning about the complex woman behind a TV character that so many people still adore, in a well-written package, was both entertaining and educational.
The reason I provide this prologue is that I derive a great deal of help from reading books about other people who cope with depression -- and Maureen McCormick's memoir is just that. She writes frankly about feeling that she always needed to be as perfect as her character, Marcia Brady. About her attempts to self-medicate with cocaine, alcohol and food -- and about the control she felt while purging with bulimia. She writes about her struggles through her marriage and as she coped with elder abuse in her family (her middle brother toward her father).
McCormick does not pull any punches as she talks about the lows of her life ... the kinds of things that she struggled for so many years to hide. Learning about the complex woman behind a TV character that so many people still adore, in a well-written package, was both entertaining and educational.
August 27, 2010
My husband and I seldom go to Big Lots, but we happened to go to one near Home Depot. We didn't find what we were looking for, but I saw this book for $4 as we were leaving the store and decided to buy it. I thought it would be a fun read, a gossipy book about making The Brady Bunch.
There was some of that in the book, but Maureen's family life while she was working on the show was anything but ideal. Her parents and three brothers had a lot of problems they were trying to resolve. After the show finished, she had a serious problem with drugs that led to many other problems in her life. The book ended up to be a surprising story of drug recovery and hope. Maureen and her husband have been married for more than 20 years and have a wonderful daughter.
One of her brothers was a special needs child. He ended up in an institution when his parents could no longer care for him. One of her two other brothers married and had children and leads a normal life. The other one has severe mental and emotional issues.
Now that I have finished this book, I am going to send it to my daughter. Even though she barely knows who the Bradys were, it might help her to see that almost any personal difficulties in life can be overcome.
There was some of that in the book, but Maureen's family life while she was working on the show was anything but ideal. Her parents and three brothers had a lot of problems they were trying to resolve. After the show finished, she had a serious problem with drugs that led to many other problems in her life. The book ended up to be a surprising story of drug recovery and hope. Maureen and her husband have been married for more than 20 years and have a wonderful daughter.
One of her brothers was a special needs child. He ended up in an institution when his parents could no longer care for him. One of her two other brothers married and had children and leads a normal life. The other one has severe mental and emotional issues.
Now that I have finished this book, I am going to send it to my daughter. Even though she barely knows who the Bradys were, it might help her to see that almost any personal difficulties in life can be overcome.
May 1, 2013
First of all, Maureen McCormick is some one I would love to sit down and just talk with. This woman has been to hell and back and somewhere in between, she met Jesus.
Her memoir is a sometimes painfully honest look at her life from birth till 50. Nothing seems to be left out - not even her family's crazy streak. It is open, fulfilling, embarrassing and inspiring.
So why only 3 stars? Because, sadly, it's also poorly written. This story deserved so much more than this disorganized, non-chronological collection of thoughts and memories that read like a young teen's journal. A young druggie teen's journal, but still. This book is a great example of a tale that should have been ghost written or done interview style.
But it has heart and truth. And it's a story worth reading, in my opinion.
Oh and to everyone giving it bad reviews because it didn't have enough "Marcia" in it, Marcia was a character and Maureen McCormick is a person. Perhaps you should have read what the book was about first.
Her memoir is a sometimes painfully honest look at her life from birth till 50. Nothing seems to be left out - not even her family's crazy streak. It is open, fulfilling, embarrassing and inspiring.
So why only 3 stars? Because, sadly, it's also poorly written. This story deserved so much more than this disorganized, non-chronological collection of thoughts and memories that read like a young teen's journal. A young druggie teen's journal, but still. This book is a great example of a tale that should have been ghost written or done interview style.
But it has heart and truth. And it's a story worth reading, in my opinion.
Oh and to everyone giving it bad reviews because it didn't have enough "Marcia" in it, Marcia was a character and Maureen McCormick is a person. Perhaps you should have read what the book was about first.
February 9, 2015
Although I imagine that few people would consider “The Brady Bunch” to be great television, there is little doubt that the series was habit-forming. One of the key characters was Marcia Brady, the teenaged role model that many either wanted to be or to date. (My raging hormones were more directed toward Mrs. Peel of “The Avengers,” but I will admit that Marcia was on my radar.)
As we’ve learned through the subsequent years, The Bradys were something of a dysfunctional family behind the scenes with romances abounding, Eve Plumb parading around nude in the dressing room, and Florence Henderson displaying her body’s charms at a casual pool party. Then there was the “tell all” account of the Brady years by Barry Williams, GROWING UP BRADY. So, it’s no surprise that there would be interest in learning more about “Marcia Brady’s” perspective.
Very little new information emerges from the writer about that period in her autobiography which is much less a “tell all” and more a “mention some things.” The result felt like listening to a celebrity speaker at a convention who throws out interesting tidbits. The stories were of interest, but it didn’t feel as if I was a confidant to what was going on which is achieved in the best autobiographies.
However, that feeling of disappointment soon went away as the writer described life after the cancellation of the series. First, I learned that the writer could be considered the poster child for the term “high maintenance.” Many disturbing incidents follow her in the post-Brady years, most of them the result of her own behavior, until they spiral out of control. The story of her descent into darkness and her eventual clawing her way back from out of it is very involving. Everything recounted here was new to me and I felt great empathy for her struggles. For the latter two-thirds of the book, I was gaining insight.
Aside from the paucity of Brady revelations, the story suffers from one other problem. A major episode of family turmoil that is highly involving was unresolved at the end of the book, leaving a huge cliffhanger. I was surprised that the publisher did not suggest delaying the release until these events wrapped up. It created a hole at the end that left me unsatisfied.
That said, there is still much to recommend the book, especially for people struggling with negative self-images and dysfunctional families. It also underscores that change is best initiated through the individual, and that hesitating to seek help because of embarrassment can result in a person hurting for much longer than is necessary.
As we’ve learned through the subsequent years, The Bradys were something of a dysfunctional family behind the scenes with romances abounding, Eve Plumb parading around nude in the dressing room, and Florence Henderson displaying her body’s charms at a casual pool party. Then there was the “tell all” account of the Brady years by Barry Williams, GROWING UP BRADY. So, it’s no surprise that there would be interest in learning more about “Marcia Brady’s” perspective.
Very little new information emerges from the writer about that period in her autobiography which is much less a “tell all” and more a “mention some things.” The result felt like listening to a celebrity speaker at a convention who throws out interesting tidbits. The stories were of interest, but it didn’t feel as if I was a confidant to what was going on which is achieved in the best autobiographies.
However, that feeling of disappointment soon went away as the writer described life after the cancellation of the series. First, I learned that the writer could be considered the poster child for the term “high maintenance.” Many disturbing incidents follow her in the post-Brady years, most of them the result of her own behavior, until they spiral out of control. The story of her descent into darkness and her eventual clawing her way back from out of it is very involving. Everything recounted here was new to me and I felt great empathy for her struggles. For the latter two-thirds of the book, I was gaining insight.
Aside from the paucity of Brady revelations, the story suffers from one other problem. A major episode of family turmoil that is highly involving was unresolved at the end of the book, leaving a huge cliffhanger. I was surprised that the publisher did not suggest delaying the release until these events wrapped up. It created a hole at the end that left me unsatisfied.
That said, there is still much to recommend the book, especially for people struggling with negative self-images and dysfunctional families. It also underscores that change is best initiated through the individual, and that hesitating to seek help because of embarrassment can result in a person hurting for much longer than is necessary.
April 21, 2009
Yeah I watched the Brady Bunch, and yeah I saw Marcia Brady resurface on Celebrity Fit Club, so yeah I read her book and find out where in the heck she was between the ages of 18 and 50. Now that I know, I'm not sure I'm any better for it.
Drugs, promiscuity, abortion, never ending whining and fussing. This book has been written a thousand times over and many of those times with a more compelling story, better writing, fewer rambling/random sentences, and a lead character readers actually felt sorry for. I had a tough time finding any sympathy for Ms McCormick. Truth be told, I felt worse for her mother and her husband--two people who hung in there and took whatever kicks Maureen doled out year after year while offering her unconditional support.
So Maureen was a needy, self-centered whiner for 30 years and now she's all better at age 51. It got her a book deal, so all wasn't lost, right?
Drugs, promiscuity, abortion, never ending whining and fussing. This book has been written a thousand times over and many of those times with a more compelling story, better writing, fewer rambling/random sentences, and a lead character readers actually felt sorry for. I had a tough time finding any sympathy for Ms McCormick. Truth be told, I felt worse for her mother and her husband--two people who hung in there and took whatever kicks Maureen doled out year after year while offering her unconditional support.
So Maureen was a needy, self-centered whiner for 30 years and now she's all better at age 51. It got her a book deal, so all wasn't lost, right?
April 27, 2023
I enjoyed reading this book and learning about Maureen McCormick. So many lives destroyed or almost destroyed in Hollywood by drugs. Sad, very sad. I never would have thought that she was among the many.
November 9, 2008
I was a huge Brady Bunch fan when the popular show was first shown on air back in the early 1970s. Maureen does talk a little bit about the show. However, the book is an autobiography about her life. Maureen became typecast as Marcia Brady, the eldest daughter of the fictional family. On the show, she was perfect, pretty, and sweet. But in reading this book she still seems like she was and is pretty and sweet, but maybe not so perfect. Maureen had to come to terms with not being so perfect in real life. She had numerous family problems for one thing. After the show aired, Maureen had problems in getting good parts, since she was typecast as Marcia Brady. Maureen didn't seem to have a problem with being associated with her alter ego, except she felt a bit let down that she could not be as perfect as Marcia Brady. She suffered from depression. For years, she became a cocaine addict. She had two abortions. She still did some acting and it was obvious many people cared about her, but it wasn't until years later that she was ready to seek some help. After finally getting away from cocaine, she had a serious relationship and got married. She is still married and has a healthy beautiful daughter out of that marriage. However, she expresses how difficult she was to her husband with her many mood swings. Eventually she sought out therapy and also antidepressants. From there, she discusses her loving relationship with her mother, and her mother's sad death from kidney cancer. Maureen also expresses the big litigious estate mess that resulted after her mother's death due to her brother Kevin's paranoia. It was interesting to read about Maureen's dysfunctional family, considering the irony in the ordinary Brady family. I found Maureen's book to be very moving. I think Maureen is brave to share her story. She ends her book stating how she finally came to terms with "Marcia Brady." Marcia, being so perfect, was an image hard to live up to in real life. However, it looks like Maureen turned out okay in the end. I wonder if her daughter will be interested in acting, but if so, hopefully she will have a better time of it. Maureen does say how lucky she was that the media didn't jump down on her in the old days, as it does today on other young performers (such as Britney Spears). So, although Maureen got to deal with her problems privately for the most part, she now shares them on her own terms.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2009
Recently I got my sons watching "The Brady Bunch" and was feeling nostalgic, so I checked out Maureen McCormick's recent memoir. It was like cotton candy...sweet, but ultimately not very satisfying. McCormick briefly talks about her life as Marcia, but mostly the book is about her wild life and dysfunctional family.
Post-Brady, McCormick dabbled in cocaine, bulimia, promiscuity, and spousal abuse. She comes across as a bit of a spoiled brat at times. At the same time, her mother was tortured because she had contracted syphillis at birth and bore horrible shame throughout her life. One of her brothers essentially went wacko and took over her father's life, while shutting out Marcia and her brother. Granted, McCormick does endure some sad experiences.
But. Much of the book is filled with self-pity. Her husband is long suffering. She spends a good deal of her life cursing her Marcia role...and also feeling sorry for herself because she can't get any good acting work. After portraying Marcia, she felt that Hollywood wouldn't give her a break.
At the same time, I kept reading for nostalgia sake. I loved "The Brady Bunch" as a kid...even though viewing it now, I see it is such a throw-back! Apparently McCormick was embarrassed to be on such an uncool show, especially when the much cooler "Partridge Family" came out (also a fave of mine)!
Some inconsistencies and gaps were obvious. In the photo collection, she has a photo of her family with the Clintons in the White House, but doesn't mention this incident in the book.
Overall, though, I enjoyed parts of the book and was not inclined to put it down--even though I was a bit embarrassed to be reading it!
Post-Brady, McCormick dabbled in cocaine, bulimia, promiscuity, and spousal abuse. She comes across as a bit of a spoiled brat at times. At the same time, her mother was tortured because she had contracted syphillis at birth and bore horrible shame throughout her life. One of her brothers essentially went wacko and took over her father's life, while shutting out Marcia and her brother. Granted, McCormick does endure some sad experiences.
But. Much of the book is filled with self-pity. Her husband is long suffering. She spends a good deal of her life cursing her Marcia role...and also feeling sorry for herself because she can't get any good acting work. After portraying Marcia, she felt that Hollywood wouldn't give her a break.
At the same time, I kept reading for nostalgia sake. I loved "The Brady Bunch" as a kid...even though viewing it now, I see it is such a throw-back! Apparently McCormick was embarrassed to be on such an uncool show, especially when the much cooler "Partridge Family" came out (also a fave of mine)!
Some inconsistencies and gaps were obvious. In the photo collection, she has a photo of her family with the Clintons in the White House, but doesn't mention this incident in the book.
Overall, though, I enjoyed parts of the book and was not inclined to put it down--even though I was a bit embarrassed to be reading it!
July 20, 2011
Just what I expected from a Maureen McCormick memoir. Nothing more. Nothing less. A solid 3 star, honest story about her life. She was brave to write this because she doesn't paint a pretty picture of herself. It was engrossing to read about her problems with drugs and her difficult marriage and her dysfunctional family. I was impressed with her perseverence in getting through some very tough times. But I have to say that the image that I still can't get out of my head is that of Eve Plumb walking around the dressing room naked and farting a lot. (I don't really remember if those to things happened simultaneously or not but that's the way it is seared in my memory forever!)
September 27, 2022
Sometimes I just like to browse random audio books and Libby and pic the first book I recognize. I've never been a huge Brady Bunch dan and I thought this might be interesting.
This is a solid 4.5! I had no idea her life was so crazy and complex.
This is a solid 4.5! I had no idea her life was so crazy and complex.
March 7, 2015
This book just seemed to get better and better the more I read. I was curious about what it was like to be on the Brady Bunch, but to me it seemed as if she had all but disappeared after that show despite being incredibly popular. I wondered where she had gone and why. This book more than answers that question. More than that, it leads right up to where she is today and the crisis she and the rest of her family are dealing with. Almost everything in this book was relatable in so many ways. To me this wasn't a story of a TV star living a life of privilege. It was a story of someone who survived the excesses of the 1970s and the cocaine of the 1980s, who didn't find out she suffered from depression until she was in her 40s. She seems to have dealt with every problem that the average American family faced or feared throughout those years. Her mother was a hoarder. Her father was brainwashed against her by her unaccomplished brother and taken and hidden where no one could find him. I or someone I know has faced all of this at one time or another. My neighbor overdosed on cocaine when I was little and the chapters about her addiction brought it all back to me, all the ugliness of the 1970s that we now choose to forget, all the families who feared for the life of one of their own because of drugs or abortions gone wrong. This story, to me, was the story of middle class America during these years. Every bit of it struck home. This is a great book.
June 15, 2012
I was like a lot of people suprised and blown away with this honest to the bone memoir of Maureen McCormick, alias Marcia Brady. I will certainly never look at The Brady Bunch the 70's sitcom in the same way ever again. I want to personally thank Ms. McCormick for writing this totally inspirational book. Watching The Brady Bunch while a teenager around the same age as Maureen, I thought she had it all, looks, confidence, wealth and happiness. I on the other hand felt the usual teenage angst of not being and having enough of everything. I now understand we had a lot more in common than I could ever possibly dream of. What Maureen McCormick has achieved is something other child stars, some famous, troubled movie actors and just plain folks rarely suceed in doing. She has separated herself from a persona that while useful for awhile no longer fits her. She has emerged like a butterfly from her cocoon and become her real self. If only Norma Jean Baker had been able to shed Marilyn Monroe, maybe she too would have been able to grow up like Maureen and become a full fledged personality. I am glad Maureen made it.
July 11, 2021
I’ve been rewatching The Brady Bunch, which lead me to Maureen’s book. Of course, I picked it up to hear the behind the scenes of The Brady Bunch and I wish there would have been more about this time period. It makes sense though that McCormick, who has spent most of her life trying to separate from Marcia, would choose to write more on her later life. However, for someone trying to distance themselves from a character, she writes just like Marcia. For example- Sharing how she once weighed *gasp* over 150 pounds. The writing was messy. The repetitive focus on her need for cocaine and her fear of syphilis gets to be a bit much. It is a very honest memoir though, even when it doesn’t paint herself in the best light. I give Maureen credit for writing about her personal and familial struggles so openly. She also has no issue name dropping which can be humorous. There’s a lot of heaviness here, but it’s also packed with nostalgia.
March 20, 2009
I'm very intrigued by the life of Marcia Brady.. or should I say Maureen McCormick. LOL Now, I was not even born when the original Brady Bunch was on tv, but I did watch many a re-run and LOVE the show and to read about Maureen's life and her drug habit is quite interesting and hard to imagine. I think this is a really inspiring story. Maureen really told all and was very open and honest about her struggles with drugs, family and relationships. I would definately recommend.
August 17, 2009
well, when I watched the Brady Bunch, as a pre-teen, Marcia Brady was my favorite and i wanted to be like her. Little did I know the turmoil that was in her real life! I have to say, I was very surprised by all the drugs she eventually did! She did them for quite a while. I am glad that she straightend out and has a good husband. I have to admit, I'll never think of her in the same way though!
January 9, 2009
The beginning of this book was really interesting. The middle and end....a bit slower. Still, fun to get behind the scenes Brady facts.
February 1, 2021
I really feel like this didn't need to be written. It kind of felt like a pity party and was a very one sided account of her family life. This one wasn't for me.
October 5, 2018
Of course the very first thing that comes to mind in reviewing this is, "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia..."
How could it not?
I must admit this is not what I had expected, yet I really am unsure what I expected to be completely honest. I was aware as most people are of the difficulties many child actors have experienced and understandably so. Many have ended rather tragically. This phrase from close to the end of the book stood out for me, "I can honestly say I wouldn't wish to change a thing if it meant trading the person I am at this very moment for someone else." Having had a similar experience with my own recovery process it certainly resonated with me wholeheartedly.
This is not to say this book is about recovery and addiction solely because it is not, it is about a life process and the way in which the author discovered how to make that life the best it could be under- at times some very trying circumstance. This must not have been an easy undertaking for Ms. McCormick by any stretch of the imagination.
I'm still trying to come to terms with Marcia Brady using the 'F' word...
Seriously though, this is an engaging read of a life lived that is not so uncommon and as such could be of great help to others in similar situations .
Encouraging and insightful and definitely recommended.
How could it not?
I must admit this is not what I had expected, yet I really am unsure what I expected to be completely honest. I was aware as most people are of the difficulties many child actors have experienced and understandably so. Many have ended rather tragically. This phrase from close to the end of the book stood out for me, "I can honestly say I wouldn't wish to change a thing if it meant trading the person I am at this very moment for someone else." Having had a similar experience with my own recovery process it certainly resonated with me wholeheartedly.
This is not to say this book is about recovery and addiction solely because it is not, it is about a life process and the way in which the author discovered how to make that life the best it could be under- at times some very trying circumstance. This must not have been an easy undertaking for Ms. McCormick by any stretch of the imagination.
I'm still trying to come to terms with Marcia Brady using the 'F' word...
Seriously though, this is an engaging read of a life lived that is not so uncommon and as such could be of great help to others in similar situations .
Encouraging and insightful and definitely recommended.
September 30, 2019
Authentic, honest, raw, and open are just some of the words that come to mind when summing up Maureen McCormick's memoir. Like millions of Americans, I grew up watching The Brady Bunch. Like countless girls who watched that show, I wanted to be like McCormick's character, Marsha Brady. When this book first came out, I had a passing thought that I might want to read it, but then decided to shelf the idea in favor of 'deeper' books. Not until the recent HGTV airing of 'A Very Brady Renovation' did my interest return.
If McCormick wishes to disavow Brady fans that her real life self was a mirror of her onscreen persona, then she surely succeeded with this book. Within the pages of HERE'S THE STORY..., McCormick tells of her battles with family of origin troubles, mental illness, and drug addiction. While the writing isn't that of a professional writer, the reader may overlook that for the honesty that seems to jump off the page. Maureen McCormick came across to me as a likable, imperfect person, who has evolved to a place of acceptance in her life that was hard earned and won.
If McCormick wishes to disavow Brady fans that her real life self was a mirror of her onscreen persona, then she surely succeeded with this book. Within the pages of HERE'S THE STORY..., McCormick tells of her battles with family of origin troubles, mental illness, and drug addiction. While the writing isn't that of a professional writer, the reader may overlook that for the honesty that seems to jump off the page. Maureen McCormick came across to me as a likable, imperfect person, who has evolved to a place of acceptance in her life that was hard earned and won.
May 22, 2018
2.5 Stars -- This is a pretty salacious story about a girl named Brady. Maureen McCormick has written the story about her upbringing and foray into stardom in becoming Marcia Brady. Honestly, she should have followed her mother's advice and not told this tale. It's hard to have much respect for her after reading this. I know that child stars often end up with less than glamour live but telling all the seamy details seems to serve little purpose here. I admit, it was a quick read and it held met attention, but overall, not a book I'm likely to recommend.
August 5, 2021
I enjoyed listening to this book. I have loved the Brady Bunch and hearing the struggles that Maureen McCormick had with the television star Marcia Brady was very informative. I loved how real and vulnerable she was as she told her story. We look at celebrities as if they ate these characters and we never think they have their own personal struggles. I remember watching her on celebrity fit club. It was during the same time as I lost my mom.i felt like we were weight lost buddies. This was such a good book
June 23, 2018
I wish is was more about the years she was on the Brady Bunch and less about her struggles with drugs in the years that followed. I give her points for her honesty, and she really seemed to turn her life around in the end. I enjoyed seeing her on Dancing with Stars, and I'll always love Marcia and the Brady Bunch!
March 26, 2020
I am grateful to have come across this book in a time when I am having such difficulty staying focused. Maureen McCormick narrates her story, and I felt transported back to simpler times listening to her eventhough her life has not been simple. She is raw and brave and tells the whole truth without seeking pity.
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