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imyourmausoleum's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.0
Confidential magazine was founded in the 1950s by Robert Harrison. This magazine is often considered the blueprint for celebrity gossip. People, In Touch, National Enquirer, and TMZ are some of the more modern versions of this magazine. I have to admit that I was taken in with these types of magazines in the grocery store checkout when I was a teenager. Now, I think they are trash magazines that intrude into people's lives. I never really considered the history of magazines like this before, but the book seemed interesting and was available to listen to for free on Audible Plus. Worth checking out if you are into this type of thing.
amusedmuse's review
4.0
More interesting than the core history of the trashy, gossip magazine "Confidential Confidential" itself is the historic context of publishing, privacy and liable laws that come into play. Well, for someone like me that was already familiar with the bones of the story of Confidential that added context made the narrative more interesting. Definitely worth reading for film history and celebrity culture nerds.
med_librarian's review
3.0
Before we had Gawker or the TMZ. Before even The National Enquirer, there was "Confidential." It came into being just as the studio system which had protected its movie stars from scandal for decades was waning. Using a network of service personnel, secretaries, etc., the magazine generally veered just the right side of the libel laws delivering a series of scandalous stories which were sometimes true, and sometimes not.
The book is a readable account of the history of the magazine's rise and downfall. I really really wish Goodreads let us do 1/2 stars because this is probably a 3 1/2 star book. The author veers off once or twice into territory that I wish she'd either expanded upon or truncated, but if you're at all interested in Hollywood history, this is a book you may want to read.
The book is a readable account of the history of the magazine's rise and downfall. I really really wish Goodreads let us do 1/2 stars because this is probably a 3 1/2 star book. The author veers off once or twice into territory that I wish she'd either expanded upon or truncated, but if you're at all interested in Hollywood history, this is a book you may want to read.
mxpiggy's review against another edition
funny
informative
medium-paced
3.75
I have a very niche fascination with mid-to-late-20th-century American pop culture, so Confidential Confidential was gripping for me personally. The book is written with a great deal of flair that makes for an engaging read. I would recommend listening to Confidential Confidential as an audiobook read by Donna Postel, whose delivery is lively, entertaining and fitting for the era the book discusses.
I will say that the book feels somewhat cumbersome at points, which may put off some readers, and did make it somewhat difficult for me to get into the book at points.
However, Confidential Confidential was an informative and entertaining read.
I will say that the book feels somewhat cumbersome at points, which may put off some readers, and did make it somewhat difficult for me to get into the book at points.
However, Confidential Confidential was an informative and entertaining read.
thecurbau's review against another edition
3.0
As others have mentioned, this is an interesting, albeit over-long look at the scandal magazines of the 1950s. There's some really fascinating information in here - the attempts to censor the mail is an interesting one - but it's delivered with just a few too many stories about the trials that took place due to stories.
It's a strange complaint - that is part of the history of the magazine, so therefore it's important to document, but that doesn't exactly make it engaging reading.
Ultimately, this one is for the curious readers out there.
It's a strange complaint - that is part of the history of the magazine, so therefore it's important to document, but that doesn't exactly make it engaging reading.
Ultimately, this one is for the curious readers out there.
asira's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.0
well written, engaging, informative
thuglibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
More of the history of the magazine and not an insider look at celebrities.