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Amazon review of "Spotlights & Shadows: The Albert Salmi Story"
A Bittersweet Life, March 9, 2004
By Emily (Brooklyn, NY)
If you want to read a well-written. well-researched, and interesting biography about one of the most talented and versatile actors of the 20th Century, then this book is for you.
Right from the start, a particularly appealing aspect of the format is the interweaving of Ms.Grabman's narrative with Mr. Salmi's autobiographical notes (discovered after his untimely death), thus allowing the reader to hear the subject speak in his own voice while his biographer provides relevant comments and background for his recollections. This alternation of author's text with subject's memoirs is beautifully executed, and even after his notes run out, Ms. Grabman has gathered enough material on her own to continue the story of Mr. Salmi's life journey, including interviews containing revealing and insightful reminiscences by many who traveled the road with him for a while along the way, both personally and professionally.
What emerges is a picture of a complex but deceptively simple man,dedicated to the quest for, and often achieving, excellence in his craft, whose personal life was largely devoted to enjoying family and friends while shunning the ostentatious trappings of fame. He comes across as an extremely likeable human being, warm, gentle and generous in both his professional and personal relationships. That is why, in sharp contrast to this characterization, Mr. Salmi's sudden and violent death becomes all the more incongruous and hard to comprehend, but if you're looking for lurid details and wild speculations, you won't find them in these pages. Instead, Ms.Grabman has chosen to treat the circumstances surrounding the tragic event with sensitivity and restraint, while at the same time by no means diminishing the facts of the matter nor the search for meaning behind Mr. Salmi's desperate final act.
It goes without saying that this book is a must-read for Albert Salmi fans, some of whom might be as surprised as I was to learn of his Brooklyn upbringing and early years of study with Lee Strasberg at the legendary Actors Studio. I also highly recommend it to readers in general, to biography buffs in particular, and to drama students specifically as there is quite a bit of interesting film and theater history to be found here. You also won't want to miss the selection of great photos.
Buy this book! You won't regret it.
By Emily (Brooklyn, NY)
If you want to read a well-written. well-researched, and interesting biography about one of the most talented and versatile actors of the 20th Century, then this book is for you.
Right from the start, a particularly appealing aspect of the format is the interweaving of Ms.Grabman's narrative with Mr. Salmi's autobiographical notes (discovered after his untimely death), thus allowing the reader to hear the subject speak in his own voice while his biographer provides relevant comments and background for his recollections. This alternation of author's text with subject's memoirs is beautifully executed, and even after his notes run out, Ms. Grabman has gathered enough material on her own to continue the story of Mr. Salmi's life journey, including interviews containing revealing and insightful reminiscences by many who traveled the road with him for a while along the way, both personally and professionally.
What emerges is a picture of a complex but deceptively simple man,dedicated to the quest for, and often achieving, excellence in his craft, whose personal life was largely devoted to enjoying family and friends while shunning the ostentatious trappings of fame. He comes across as an extremely likeable human being, warm, gentle and generous in both his professional and personal relationships. That is why, in sharp contrast to this characterization, Mr. Salmi's sudden and violent death becomes all the more incongruous and hard to comprehend, but if you're looking for lurid details and wild speculations, you won't find them in these pages. Instead, Ms.Grabman has chosen to treat the circumstances surrounding the tragic event with sensitivity and restraint, while at the same time by no means diminishing the facts of the matter nor the search for meaning behind Mr. Salmi's desperate final act.
It goes without saying that this book is a must-read for Albert Salmi fans, some of whom might be as surprised as I was to learn of his Brooklyn upbringing and early years of study with Lee Strasberg at the legendary Actors Studio. I also highly recommend it to readers in general, to biography buffs in particular, and to drama students specifically as there is quite a bit of interesting film and theater history to be found here. You also won't want to miss the selection of great photos.
Buy this book! You won't regret it.
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Please look around. To the left of your screen you'll find the newest and most popular authors on this site (thumbnail pictures).
On our site you’ll find up-to-date book reviews, upcoming author and book lover events, and the personal pages of numerous talented published authors!
We also have an active chat room where you can mingle with the authors and discuss your favorite books with book lovers like yourself. Every week we hold a special "chat" with one of the most popular new authors here.
New authors and book lovers are joining everyday and we’re all excited to be a part of this great new site! We look forward to meeting you and sharing some great books!
Not exactly what you were looking for? Try visiting one of our sister sites at:
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Check out those GREAT book trailers (right side of page down at the bottom)!
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