Mommie Dearest

Some women make terrible mothers and some girls make impossible daughters. The "unconditional" love of the mother wasn't there. Its really sad when rich people adopt children and then hire other people to raise them. Why keep adopting kids and then send them off to boarding school? And to a Convent when they really displease you? This girl, no matter how unruly she may have been, did not deserve this.

Happy to have the book after the show Feud renewed my interest. Wasn't in perfect condition, but it's 30 years old, so much better than I expected it to be. And it arrived a week and a half sooner than noted.

Wonderful, interesting book, and even though I watched the movie three! times I enjoyed the book even better. I highly recommend. I admire the author Christina Crawford... For her strength, her honesty, her wisdom, her beauty and her achievements! Very inspiring. A beautiful soul of a growing child and a grown women looking back at her life as an adopted daughter by a cruel famous mother.... How did she survive it?... And here she is sharing her story with us. Beautifully written.

the store.com has not been disappointing.....The only gripe is you've gotten a little slower...

I will order from the store.com....I have enjoyed everything I have ordered....My wife is the main person who orders and absolutely love the store.....Doris and Arsenio

Highly entertaining and shocking. Completely different from the film. The film ignores many facts, such as that Crawford adopted four children which she was horrible to and they never recovered as adults. Emotional and physical abuse that today would have had her in prison. Great read.

I purchased and read Christina Crawford's memoir of life with her movie-star mother Joan when it was first published thirty-two years ago. I was not all that impressed. Some of her tales smelled like fish even back then; all we had was Christina's word. She offered no corroboration, which probably helped her case at the time, since Bob Thomas's biography of Joan Crawford came out about the same time, and while there were some incidents of abuse recorded in Thomas's book, none of them appeared in Christina's, and vice versa. Then the film came out, and played fast and loose with the facts even more: two of the legendary "night raids" were merged into one incident (the infamous "wire hangers" scene and the beating with the can of cleanser); Crawford uses an axe to cut down the tree in the film; in Christina's book it was a saw. And perhaps the worst thing about the film was that despite having Christina's name on it, a considerable amount of the material used actually came from Bob Thomas, and some of it was pure fiction.

When the Twentieth Anniversary Edition came out, I was mildly curious but the reviews were terrible so I didn't bite. Then I came across this Thirtieth Anniversary Edition, and upon seeing that it had a higher page count than the original, I thought I'd satisfy my curiosity.

I should not have wasted my money; the book arrived from a firm calling itself Seven Springs Press; both the shipping address and the return address were handwritten in magic marker, and the book contains an autograph by Christina on the flyleaf. So I did a little Googling; apparently Seven Springs press is a firm CREATED BY Christina Crawford in order to publish this book and apparently the Twentieth Anniversary Edition ten years previously. Really, if there was any doubt as to Christina's motive in writing this thing in the first place, it just disappeared in my mind.

As for the book itself, I don't know who Christina had helping her when she wrote the original, but apparently she attempted to do this one on her own. And the results are, in a word, disastrous. For one thing, the abuse stories do not dovetail with the original; in many places the wording has been changed around a bit to no apparent purpose. There is some new material here; a few people from Christina's childhood wrote brief commentaries, and Christina herself added a lot of detail to her years as a struggling actress in New York. But it does not amount to all that much at the end of the day. I mean, it's INTERESTING, to be sure, but really nothing new is brought to the table.

However one HUGE lie on Christina's part did jump out at me that no one seems to have ever picked up:

Christina talks early on in the book about mixing drinks for her mother's dates while she was dressing (this was before she was shipped off to boarding school so she would have been under ten years old). She claims that one evening she opened the door and was terrified to see a half-naked bald man in gypsy pants at the door and when she ran to her mother in terror Crawford supposedly explained that his name was Yul Brynner and he was making a film called THE KING AND I and must have come from the studio in his costume.

One word: IMPOSSIBLE.

If Christina went off to boarding school at ten, that would have been 1949. THE KING AND I did not even open on BROADWAY until 1951 and it ran until 1954.

The film was not released until 1956, so the earliest Brynner would have been in Hollywood filming would have been 1955. Joan Crawford married Alfred Steele on 9 May 1955 and Christina makes it very clear that until the whole family goes off to Europe for Christmas of that year, she had not been home for more than a year and a half. Besides which, even had she been home (which she makes clear in HER OWN WORDS that she was not), I hardly think a sixteen-year-old Hollywood brat would have been fazed by an actor showing up in his costume even if it were just a loin cloth.

That whole thing totally escaped me for years but it just jumped out at me. IMHO Christina Crawford pulled off a massive hoax on the public. Crawford was known to be temperamental and OCD and she did have a drinking problem but almost none of the abuse allegations gibe with other Crawford biographies written around the same time (after Crawford's death).

The worst thing about this book by far, however, is the editing. The original was published by the venerable firm of William Morrow & Co and as a result has the polished look that one expects from a published work. Christina did this one on her own, and apparently did her own editing too, because from an editorial stand point, this thing is absolute trash: hyphens appear where they are not called for ("over-whelmed" for example), and the words "lose" and "losing," as in "lose weight" and "losing patience," are misspelled with double Os ("loose; loosing") EACH AND EVERY TIME THEY APPEAR. A fifth grader could have done better. There's more, but you get the picture. I worked in publishing for years, and no self-respecting publishing firm would allow any book to be published with so many unconscionable errors in editing. If Christina herself did the editing, all I can say is her expensive education did not serve her very well; the woman cannot even write a simple declarative sentence.

Reading this piece of trash, I came to what to my mind is an inevitable conclusion: to be brutally frank, all this woman is doing is trolling for money; it's always been about money, and all the worse because she is attempting for the third time to trade on allegations that she never made until after her mother was dead.

Joan was an incredibly sick and controlling woman, a true Jekyll and Hyde- she was an alcoholic pill-popper, sadistic, spiteful, jealous, paranoid, cold and unconcerned, emotionally and physically abusive, and an all-around piece of garbage to her two oldest adopted children. Just out of control. In an interview Christina said that her younger brother Christopher got abused more than she did. As cruel as she was to Christina, Christina still loved her and was there for her whenever she was needed, especially during Joan's final years when she was stumbling and bumbling around drunk and couldn't make television appearances because of it. Joan got so bad off that people had to line her bed with chairs so she wouldn't fall out of bed onto the floor.

I don't see how this book could have been any better and I have nothing negative to say about it. Christina's a straightforward person and I really like that personality type. I like her even more after watching old interviews with her. She opened herself up to strangers, let them into her personal life and took a whole lot of criticism for it since many people, those who knew Joan and the public and even her younger twin sisters, say Christina fabricated the abuse.

I'll leave you with this, which either came from Joan, her mother or brother (I can't remember which) and was told to Christina during her childhood: When Joan was a young child living on a farm in Kansas she squeezed multiple chicks to death.

First of all, I read the hardcover edition of this long ago and do not remember all the typos and grammatical/style errors (it’s/its was misused repeatedly) that I came across in the kindle version. I remember a more well-written book from years ago, so maybe something got lost in the digital translation. That’s mostly the reason for only three stars.

Is it all the truth? No one but Christina Crawford would know the answer to that now, but I don’t think anyone would make up a story like this and then spend the next forty-plus years as an advocate for children and families. If it were a lie, I think she would have taken the money and notoriety and went elsewhere with her life. There are plenty of people who’ve vouched for her, and while we all have a way of embellishing the wrongs of the past with the passing of time, I tend to believe her for the most part.

Christina Crawford bared her soul in this memoir, revealing the dark side of what I would say was Joan Crawford's mental illness. The movie did not do justice to the book, smoothing over the abuse. I read the book before seeing the movie, so I could see how Hollywood tried to soften Joan Crawford's harsh character. Other bios that mention Joan, Mickey Rooney's in particular (LIFE'S TOO SHORT), also describes her bazaar behavior. I applaude Christina's bravery in telling the truth. I plan to read her sequel, SURVIVOR.

Sometimes people assume the author was just making things up out of spite because it seems so bizarre.

Just look for "pathological narcissism" or "pathological narcissistic personality disorder" or "narcissistic mother" or "narcissistic mothers" on the web. You will encounter personal stories from ordinary non-famous folk that will give you a glimpse into what kids do experience in such situations. Narcissism is a spectrum, and actors are often on the spectrum for obvious reasons. A little narcissism is harmless, but Joan sounds like she was on the pathological end of the spectrum, or at least had some other personality disorder with similar problems. She probably had other issues also to explain the erratic behavior.

But don't doubt for a minute that those kids were abused. You don't have to be set on fire to be seriously damaged by an abusive parent. Just the wildly fluctuating behavior, unpredictability, and constant verbal abuse (humans are verbal animals, words cut deep despite the nonsense about sticks and stones especially from parents) can traumatize a child and have long-term effects.

The fact that the younger children say they never witnessed any of it is meaningless. Some children are more resilient than others, and it is not uncommon for the abusive parent to focus the abuse on certain children and treat others kindly ("the scapegoat vs. the golden child"). Children in the same family may not witness the abuse for various reasons (done behind closed doors, age gap, protection of the younger children by a nanny or by boarding school or a new rational spouse, etc.) A friend discovered as an adult that his father had routinely sexually molested both his sisters - neither sister knew the other one was also abused, and their father had threatened each girl that he would start on her sister if she did not keep quiet about it. That's how secretive abuse can be.

I can't be alone in having still remembered issues with my parents. Here's the best medicine for getting over our lingering aches and pains. Joan Crawford subjected her kids to an emotional (and physical) meat-grinder. None more than her first of four (adopted) children, the author of this story. Hollywood is a make-believe world and Ms. Crawford always played her publicity-driven role to the hilt. The children were well-rehearsed props whose lives, from infancy, were totally orchestrated and managed. Apart from her public persona, there was a private and chilling women who terrified and abused her children starting with Christina.

You might ask, "Why read this dreadful story about a psychotic, aging film star's hideous treatment of her children?" Don't if you had loving, nurturing parents who always and from the very first supported your desires, your behavior, your hopes and dreams. Well, for the rest of us, MOMMIE DEAREST details a far darker nightmare than we ever imagined or suffered thru. The troubling details are all there to show us any of our trials were, in fact, trivial. Try constant verbal abuse, savage beatings, denials of food for a hungry child, even an assault so vicious a family friend had to rescue the author from being choked to death by her mother.

In many ways, Christina Crawford's MOMMIE DEAREST has zero appeal to the average reader of ANY genre ... including me. But thirty plus years of chatter about it (I'm told even a movie} convinced me to take a look. For me, one thing to say.

Read this book.

Nearly everyone has heard of Christina Crawford's book "Mommie Dearest", first published in the fall of 1978, which was then turned into a hit Paramount film in 1981 starring Faye Dunaway. To say that Christina was faced with harshed criticisms after the book's publication is an understatement. Not only did Christina bring child abuse issues to the forefront while detailing abuse can happen to those in Hollywood as the children of celebrities, she also depicted a beloved Oscar-winning actress as a drunken, controlling, mentally unbalanced woman who cared more about her public image than she did about her first two adopted children. Christina even faced several death threats when she was doing the book's publicity tour as ardent Joan Crawford fans rallied together to stop Christina from telling her story, reasoning their idol's name was being tarnished, while at the same time perhaps being faced with their own issues on child abuse.

I am a Joan Crawford fan. I love her. Ask anyone who knows me. My home is filled with photos of Joan in my home. I even have an autograph letter of Joan's that grace's my office wall that I purchased on an auction site for a great deal of money. I still, however, unlike many Joan Crawford enthusiasts, believe Christina's allegations about her mother. I believe you can still admire someone and love their work, but at the same time you must realize none of us in this world are perfect, and Joan, from the countless books and articles I have read about her, was far from the impeccable woman she projected.

Joan herself was abused as a young girl, first by her mother then various school teachers. It is well documented as well in book and video form that Joan suffered her fair share of physical punches from various lovers over the years. Often those who have been abused turn into physically violent individuals. It is also well-known that Joan had mental issues that went untreated right up until the time of her death because those who loved her, as well as various business associates, were too afraid to confront her about these issues, afraid they would be dismissed from Joan's life.

What also happens in families where abuse exists is that the parent who is doing the abusing often attacks certain children where the others are never touched or shouted at which explains Christina's sister's claims that they were never "touched". Still, one documented interview with one of the Joan's twins in 1981 states that, "Mother never touched us. Sure you'd get a swat once in awhile, but none of the physical beatings my sister talks about". This would be referred to as denial because whenever a parent physically hits a child it is abuse plain and simple.

Due to "Mommie Dearest'" enormous success and poularity Christina has rereleased the book for a "30th Anniversary Edition". Christina knew there were many who had never read the original book upon its initial release and she knew the importance that her own personal horror story is to those who may have suffered the same torture. This edition features over 100 new pages omitted from the 1978 book edition along with new photos, as well as a chapter from individuals who have come forward to state they saw the abuse Christina claims happened to her.

Yes, we must love our stars and respect them, but we must also realize actors are human beings with frailties and shortcomings that we all possess. Ignoring that cardinal rule is giving credence to celebrities to do whatever they want to do which is not only a disservice to them but to everyone in the world at large. Perhaps if someone had indeed confronted Joan about her abrupt upbringing of her kids she would not have the reputation she has today.

I did a little research and found there is considerable corroboration to the Joan of Christina's book. For instance, June Allyson who lived down the street was invited to visit Joan and had a frightening experience. As Joan talked (ENTIRELY about herself the whole hour) she made Christina sit in silent shame in her beautiful party dress holding an elaborately wrapped birthday present. For some absurd infraction, Christina wasn't being allowed to go to a birthday party and had to sit in silence and perfectly still for the entire duration of the party which she was forbidden to attend. June Allyson was SO creeped out she never came back again. There are similar witnesses as well.

I've read the "20th anniversary edition," as well as the original edition and the follow-up that this individual wrote 10 years later. The overall tone of this story can be described as very salacious and interesting (in that same over-the-top way that "Peyton Place" was entertaining) in some passages but also very flawed and rather one-sided. If I had to sum up this book in one word it would be "tragic." But I am not going to sit and summarize why this book is so offensive (been there, done that). Like a transcontinental tsunami, this story has caused tremendous devastation. The line separating fact and fiction has been forever erased when this story was first told more than two decades ago. There are several interesting facts and fallacies that have been promulgated because of this book... The individual that wrote this book was sued for defamation by one of Joan's other daughters and lost the case in the early '90s. Moreover, for at least 10 years prior to her passing Joan had zero contact with the person that wrote this book. Joan brought-up her niece that lived with her both before and after the individual that wrote this book came into her life who only had good things to say about her. In addition to her niece, Joan's own daughters have always said how terrible it was for their mother to be vilified. Joan was a pioneer for alternative families, being one of the very first ladies to adopt a child as a single parent in the state of NV. The individual that wrote this book sold all movie rights to Paramount then collectively blackballed the movie because the producers refused to allow her the chance to write the screenplay. Originally the reason why I chose to read this story many years ago is the same reason why most people read it; for the the rumors and the second hand gossip that found a new home in this book. But the reason why I chose to reread this story is because it is so associated with Joan. It is one very tiny part of her life. There are so many important traits about Joan that readers never learn from this book because this book only paints a slanted and inaccurate picture. Yes, Joan was a flawed person. She had her weaknesses. But who among us doesn't? And who among us not only lived through the Great Depression and World War II, but, who also thrived? Joan personified the American woman. May she rest in peace.

This is absolutely one of the best non fiction books from the 20th century. Christina starts with background of her childhood, the neighborhood, and inside the home of Joan Crawford. She describes in detail the cruel punishments, the abuse, the boarding schools, and her life as a young adult.
The letters sent to her while she was in boarding school are chilling and painful. Christina survives a loveless childhood and brings the reader into her current life and new marriage. This is a must read. I wish I could give it more stars.

I'm willing to concede that Joan Crawford was not a good mother to Christina. She was certainly controlling and maybe she was abusive - I don't know. While the descriptions of abuse in this book are certainly colourful, Christina really hits her stride when she's complaining about the little things. At Christina's first professional acting performance, Joan gave her acting tips rather than gushing about how wonderful she was (acting tips from a renowned professional actress - huh!) Joan whisked the family off to Europe for an extended vacation, complete with beautiful outfits and sumptuous meals - yes but why can't it always be like this, Mommie Dearest? When Christina was a child, Joan beat her in a swimming race instead of letting her win. Joan wouldn't let them keep the thousands of Christmas gifts sent by strangers each year, although they did have to say thank you. Mommie Dearest wouldn't pay the school fees, preferring to fob the teachers off with donations of priceless artworks. Mommie Dearest was shocked and upset when 11 year old Christina initiated a sexual encounter with a boy at school. Yes, I'm sure a good mother would have taken that in her stride.

Christina comes across as a perennial child, dazzled by her own importance, who has never forgiven Mommie Dearest for stealing the limelight. This is an entertaining read, although it reveals more about the author than the subject. If Christina really wanted to step out of Joan's shadow, she could have changed her surname. Or achieved something in her own right.

At the same time, there are some interesting insights into young Lucille, the daughter of a laundress, who was fiercely determined to rise above poverty and become "somebody" - that somebody proved to be glamorous and dedicated actress Joan Crawford (her name derived from a "Name That Star" competition) who wrestled her demons behind closed doors. She was clearly a better mother to her younger daughters who refute much of the Mommie Dearest legend.

An ordinary parent calls the headmaster of the ritzy boarding school their child attends and receives a glowing report of good marks,speaks briefly to the child,and says goodbye. Joan Crawford calls the headmaster and interrogates the poor woman into telling her Christina and Christopher's every move,berates Christina for wearing her coat to a chilly classroom because she didn't heed a simple warning, orders her to wear only the coat and nothing else,and sends someone to take away all of Christina's clothing. The headmaster refuses to allow Christina to go about in just a coat which has only one button mind you, so Christina is left with the clothes on her and a single dress. Her shoes wear out eventually and the headmaster has to buy her a new pair out of pocket. Christina goes home for a visit and is nearly STRANGLED by Joan, saved by a maid,and threatened with Juvenile Hall for being "incorrigible" despite wearing the marks of Joan's assault. Christina is not a liar. She is incredibly brave. If I were her I would be dancing on Joan's grave!

While this book is certainly an interesting read and I suspect that there is basis for Christina Crawford's claims of child abuse, I'm not 100% sure that Joan Crawford's behavior would have been considered full out child abuse during the time it occurred. As a baby boomer, I remember the discipline in my home and the homes of friends. In the glorious '50's, temporal punishment was often considered quite acceptable. So I can't say that I really view this tome as an indictment against child abuse per se. My advice is that if you are looking for a classical case study of child abuse, SKIP THIS BOOK. However, if it is your intention to read about the complexities involved in grabbing the proverbial gold ring and then losing it, THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ.
What is interesting about this book are the ups and downs of Joan Crawford's career and her tenacious and single minded efforts to revive it during the slumps and maintain it during the high points. Her unconventional take on morality amd social propriety make me wonder if Joan was really acting during some of her more manic roles or if art was simply imitating life. Even winning an Academy Award as that mother of all mothers Mildred Pierce proved to be a temporary bandaid while she imitated her fantasy life as a mother. Later she was dealing with poor roles, and was relegated to parts which related to her own mid-life crises.
Aside from the legendary 'no wire hangers' anecdote, this book reflects the sad state of affairs that was Joan Crawford's life as she began her ultimate descent from super stardom since most of the tales of serious abuse appear to have coincided with the most trying moments related to her career. A favorite anecdote in the book relates to J.C.'s assuming her daughter's saop opera role. As a pre-teen viewer I watched the great star and I was convinced she was clearly losing her grip on reality even back then. The backstory as to how she assumed that role is far more interesting than her bizarre performance.
When I started writing this review, I kept thinking that I was a tepid Crawford fan at best. That's false. I buy everything that is published about her, I have most of her movies, and I know her life history. The truth is that there are actresses I like better, but JC definitely was more interesting and complex in life than she ever was in the movies. This woman was a lot of things, but never boring. That's why I keep coming back.

One of the first "tell-all" celebrity books, Mommie Dearest is the gold standard and paints a vivid picture of an abusive celebrity parent.

At first, I felt sorry for Christina Crawford. Then, after high school graduation, she had the freedom to cut off all ties with her mother, but she remained and kept in touch with her mother all the way through to the end of her life. Then, I didn't feel sympathy for her. She, although a victim through and through, became an enabler, letting her mother to use her as she saw fit. That's why the last 100 pages of Mommie Dearest was such a drag. Christina endlessly repeats the same points in almost every chapter, making it so obvious that she was the one who lost control of her life by doing nothing about it but continuing the same pattern of behavior.

As for Joan Crawford, she will always be the quintessential example of an abusive parent. Also, she was a fake person with an array of easily diagnosable disorders and is a gigantic joke, using everybody to further her career and projecting a totally fabricated media-friendly image of herself. Honestly, as I have seen some of them, her movies have mostly sucked. The quality of her acting has always been of the soap-opera kind. It's impossible to separate Joan Crawford from her Mommie Dearest persona.

That's why I am glad the book came out with a follow-up of the famous movie with Faye Dunaway. Joan Crawford would have blew a gasket to the point of declaring war on everybody, but had she lived today in this Internet age, I think she would have been the most infamous pinata of them all. Christina Crawford won at the end because she exposed her mother for who she really was.

Faye Dunaway's Joan Crawford was just brilliantly acted, giving the performance of her career. She was perfect in Network, Bonnie and Clyde, and Chinatown, but she understood Joan Crawford, read the book, became her, and lived and breathed like her. She understood and knew it. A lot of people made fun of her and the movie, but I thought it was a brilliant example of what parent abuse looked like; the book did a great job of amplifying it. It's unfortunate that all people could think of it is "No...wire...hangers!" They are completely missing the point.

All in all, Mommie Dearest is something else.

Joan Crawford was a taskmaster with an incredible and often highly annoying level of self-discipline and native intelligence, particularly about the nature of human beings. Ultimately a very different person from the one that entered Hollywood as MGM had to tame her wild streak. As she could only ever do something at 110%, she would become the personification of self-discipline when that was what the studio asked of her. That was what they asked of all their stars but she took it to another level. It would have taken a special kind of patience and connection to remain in her life as a husband or lover. The children had no real choice and it would have been difficult.

She has admitted to not being the kind of person that probably should not have had children, or have been married despite being a hopeless romantic (Bette Davis and Barbara Stanwyck were bizarrely similar and both made similar remarks about children and love, and each had estranged children). But aside from claims that simply could not have happened without a time machine, the people who knew Joan Crawford best paint a picture of a genuinely thoughtful and incredibly generous person. Often that generosity and charitable donating was the only time she did something outside of the public eye, anonymously. The true person behind the invention. They never saw an anger problem, or a true drunkard, as so many actors of that age had struggled with booze. None of her friends or husbands or lovers who wrote or spoke about her ever saw her drunk, or angry. Her daughter could get none of them to testify on her behalf.

If you are the type of person interested in finding the truth in something or someone, it becomes clear fairly early on that the sheer amount of evidence to the contrary speaks far louder than this book does. And the very best sources are outside of the various and typically sensationalized Hollywood biographies. Most get the same basic facts wrong about not just Joan Crawford, but Hollywood as a whole. Books by friends, lovers or husbands that might only provide small snippets of their history with Joan Crawford are far more valuable at piecing together who she actually was, and what that home life was like with her children.

Joan Crawford was, in fact, a humanist. The woman who is often cited as "fake" and always acting was in fact, impossibly human. She was herself 110% and could only ever be that. Flaws and all.

4 Stars because it's captivating, but as others have said, Joan makes it so. Were this a book about a girl who was adopted by a wealthy UN-famous mother, it wouldn't be half as interesting, nor would the "abuse" seem half as great. Christina wasn't beaten or molested, she was treated strictly and punished when she didn't obey. When Joan felt she couldn't control her she took things away from Christina and ultimately sent her away to schools. I do believe that, in outline form, the book is truthful. I'm willing to accept, as others have said, that Joan wasn't "Mother of the Year". But I also believe that these were stricter and harsher times in terms of how parents tried to raise kids--almost everyone I know from my parent's generation talk how they got either the "hickory switch" or "the belt" when they were bad. Today, that would warrant a visit from Child Services! So in some respects I think it was the times. I don't think Joan was a malevolent person but I do think she was a control freak and slightly neurotic. I think that she may have perceived the natural unruliness of children as a rejection of her authority & control, in short, which may have set off her neurotic fear that she was going to slip, to backslide, that only by exerting complete control over her environment could she keep from going back to where she came from.

I'm not saying any of this is acceptable. But it would have been nice, while reading "Mommie Dearest", to see Christina make some effort to understand her mother in a compassionate way. The tone of the book is unrelentingly bitter and spiteful, and eventually Christina undermines her own credibility with her one-sidedness. An attempt to take at least one charitable look at Joan might have convinced me I could trust that her other perceptions are not distortions.

No one will ever know to what extent the allegations in "Mommie Dearest" are true or untrue, so arguing those points is pointless! In the end, the people who want to believe it will believe it, and the ones who don't, won't. If it's true and it's helped people, then hooray for Christina and the people it helped. If it's not true then still hooray for the people who benefitted by reading it, but not hooray for Joan or for Christina's kharma.

I deeply admire Christina Crawford's courage in writing "Mommie Dearest". She performed a great service by breaking her silence and speaking out about the terrible abuse she suffered at the hands of one of Hollywood's biggest stars. That being said, I would say that from a literary point of view this book is unexceptional. The most interesting part of the book occurs at the beginning, where Crawford describes in detail the shocking actions of her adoptive mother. Later on, however, the narrative gets bogged down. The details of Christina's life have the ring of truth, partially because of their mundane quality. We read the ins and outs of her troubles with Joan, and eventually it gets a little dry. Perhaps I am reacting to the very depressing quality of the book overall. All I know is that by the end I was skimming quite a bit. I would recommend this book to someone who is intensely interested in the subject of child abuse, or who has a fascination with celebrity life. However, for other readers, I would suggest skipping this book and reading "One Child" by Torey Hayden, or "They Cage the Animals at Night" By Jennings Birch.

4 Stars because it's captivating, but as others have said, Joan makes it so. Were this a book about a girl who was adopted by a wealthy UN-famous mother, it wouldn't be half as interesting, nor would the "abuse" seem half as great. Christina wasn't beaten or molested, she was treated strictly and punished when she didn't obey. When Joan felt she couldn't control her she took things away from Christina and ultimately sent her away to schools. I do believe that, in outline form, the book is truthful. I'm willing to accept, as others have said, that Joan wasn't "Mother of the Year". But I also believe that these were stricter and harsher times in terms of how parents tried to raise kids--almost everyone I know from my parent's generation talk how they got either the "hickory switch" or "the belt" when they were bad. Today, that would warrant a visit from Child Services! So in some respects I think it was the times. I don't think Joan was a malevolent person but I do think she was a control freak and slightly neurotic. I think that she may have perceived the natural unruliness of children as a rejection of her authority & control, in short, which may have set off her neurotic fear that she was going to slip, to backslide, that only by exerting complete control over her environment could she keep from going back to where she came from.

I'm not saying any of this is acceptable. But it would have been nice, while reading "Mommie Dearest", to see Christina make some effort to understand her mother in a compassionate way. The tone of the book is unrelentingly bitter and spiteful, and eventually Christina undermines her own credibility with her one-sidedness. An attempt to take at least one charitable look at Joan might have convinced me I could trust that her other perceptions are not distortions.

No one will ever know to what extent the allegations in "Mommie Dearest" are true or untrue, so arguing those points is pointless! In the end, the people who want to believe it will believe it, and the ones who don't, won't. If it's true and it's helped people, then hooray for Christina and the people it helped. If it's not true then still hooray for the people who benefitted by reading it, but not hooray for Joan or for Christina's kharma.

I deeply admire Christina Crawford's courage in writing "Mommie Dearest". She performed a great service by breaking her silence and speaking out about the terrible abuse she suffered at the hands of one of Hollywood's biggest stars. That being said, I would say that from a literary point of view this book is unexceptional. The most interesting part of the book occurs at the beginning, where Crawford describes in detail the shocking actions of her adoptive mother. Later on, however, the narrative gets bogged down. The details of Christina's life have the ring of truth, partially because of their mundane quality. We read the ins and outs of her troubles with Joan, and eventually it gets a little dry. Perhaps I am reacting to the very depressing quality of the book overall. All I know is that by the end I was skimming quite a bit. I would recommend this book to someone who is intensely interested in the subject of child abuse, or who has a fascination with celebrity life. However, for other readers, I would suggest skipping this book and reading "One Child" by Torey Hayden, or "They Cage the Animals at Night" By Jennings Birch.

If you have come from am abusive or troubled home you will be able to take something away from this book that will be empowering. I was especially touched by Christina's want of a special friend who would love her and that she could love, lassie.

MOMMIE DEAREST is a difficult work to evaluate because it is extremely problematic in almost every possible way. The great, on-going issue surrounding the book is whether or not Christina Crawford's allegations of child abuse are true. This is a matter of heated debate, and those who actually knew Joan Crawford are sharply divided in their reaction--which, given her love-her-or-hate-her persona is hardly surprising. Whatever your actual opinion may be, at the end of the day every one must acknowledge at least one thing: MOMMIE DEAREST is extremely one-sided.
This is not to imply that child abuse can be excused under any circumstance, but the fact is that MOMMIE DEAREST doesn't place the abusive behavior it claims to expose in any legitimate context. Joan Crawford was herself a savagely abused, uneducated child who took control of her life and built a career that had few equals; it is hardly surprising, therefore, that she herself might have been an abusive parent with an almost hysterical need to control everything and everyone around her. But all we really learn of Joan Crawford from MOMMIE DEAREST is that she was controlling and abusive, for the book is a savage attack that reduces its target to something as one-dimensional as any 1930s shop-girl romance that Joan Crawford ever played.
Perhaps the single most regrettable thing about MOMMIE DEAREST is that it stands in the way of a legitimate biography that might get at the complete truth of Joan Crawford, who she was behind the movie star mask, and why she was the person she ultimately became. A thorough inspection and interpretation of Crawford's life from a disinterested and intelligent point of view would provide a very welcome balance to Christina Crawford's extremely sordid yet perversely fascinating tale--but MOMMIE DEAREST has so colored public thinking about Joan Crawford that it now seems impossible for any one to reach beyond it to the full truth.
In a literary sense, MOMMIE DEAREST has zero merit. Christina Crawford (or her ghost-writer, if some rumors are to be believed) is a sloppy writer with little style and still less sense of grammar and structure. Even so, and regardless of whether or not you believe any or all of Christina Crawford's allegations, it is a compelling read, for it appeals to the same animal instinct that forces us to gawk at horrific car wrecks: once you begin to read the book, your need to keep going becomes compulsive. Ultimately, I do have to recommend the book for sheer power and status as a pop-culture landmark--but I strongly urge you to keep your critical skills at the ready./GFT

This book is a truly fascinating unveiling of one of America's film legends. Christina Crawford tells the tale in a surprisingly objective way, only becoming angry and vindictive once or twice. Joan Crawford's methods of discipline and teaching are frightening and disturbing; the fear and obesiance people displayed toward her disgusting. Christina is a truly amazing human being and a talented writer. However, the book would be improved by more information on her brother and sisters. Also, she will sometimes give the impression of not speaking to someone for a while and then bring them up as if they were there all along. That gets confusing. Otherwise, this is a brilliant book.

I agree with a previous reviewer that abusive parents often do scapegoat certain children in the family as the target of their rage, and also that the passing of time can mellow them to the extent that the ones who did not bear the brunt of their mistreatment and cruelty have a different opinion than the ones who were abused. That explains a lot as to why Christina and Christopher Crawford were on the receiving end of their adoptive mother, Joan Crawford's anger and "disicpline", while the "twins" (which they actually were not), Cynthia and Cathy, have sworn that Crawford was not like how she was portrayed in the book that is the subject of this review, "Mommie Dearest".

It is hard to know what went on behind closed doors, and there are at least two sides to every story, but Christina presented hers and it is an eye-opener. We can't know how much of it was true, how much was exaggerated or blown out of proportion, or even what may have been understated. But many people did back up Christina, perhaps more than those who did not. What cannot be doubted is that Joan Crawford did use her adoptive children as part of her public image to a large degree, in order to present herself as a kind-hearted, loving person - Crawford lived for her public - often described as a fan's dream because she made sure every fan letter was answered. She needed to be in control, those who knew her have attested to that fact. Maybe it was due to her own dysfunctional and abusive childhood, and she clearly did strive for success. I don't think that Joan was an evil person, just a very disturbed and angry one. I think she loved those kids as far as she was capable, and that a part of her really did want to be able to give and receive the love she didn't get as a child. Unfortunately, life is not a movie and can't be written as if it is a movie script. With parenthood comes responsibilty, and not just financially speaking. She couldn't really handle the realities of motherhood, not just due to her demanding career, she didn't seem to have the patience or the emotional stability to deal with it, hence why she sent Christina and Christopher (and later Cynthia and Cathy) to boarding schools. The "hands-off" rearing was very common amongst Hollywood's elite in those days. Abuse was not discussed, and people looked the other way. Disicpline was the word used, even if it went too far. Many of those kids suffered emotionally from the distance and neglect. Let's not forget who was the adult and who was the child. I think the main problem is that some don't want to accept the fact that abuse happens in all walks of life and in different classes - or that money and success doesn't guarantee happiness, love and emotional security. I sense a lot of "rich kid" resentment from some of the reviews and opinions I see not only about Christina but other children of celebrities - just because they happen to have parents who were wealthy, successful and well-known does not mean that they were treated well, or felt loved. Crawford had a public image to maintain, and all abusive people have a facade they use to mask their brutalities and problems that they take out on vulnerable victims. Or that fans don't want to accept that their idols were less than perfect and human, with personality traits that were less than admirable. I'm not disputing that Joan Crawford was a legendary and talented actress, but that doesn't mean that she was a good parent. I think she tried to be all things to all people but not surprisingly, she couldn't do it. No one can.

The industry probably knew to some degree what was going on with Crawford, and probably what went on in other homes too - "Detour: A Hollywood Story" by Cheryl Crane (daughter of Lana Turner), "Uncommon Knowledge" by Judy Lewis (daughter of Loretta Young and Clark Gable), and "Going My Own Way" by Gary Crosby (son of Bing), will give you more of an idea. Hollywood has a dark side, and always has. Lana Turner told her daughter "We all knew about Joan. But nobody talked - the industry closed ranks." It wasn't out in the open like it is today. It's possible that some things in Christina's perspective were blown out of proportion, but even at that, her book did spread awareness about the world-wide problem of child abuse. It also shows something that was quite common among mothers and daughters in the entertainment industry - the mother sometimes becomes jealous and threatened by her daughter's youth (actresses of the time often lied about their date of birth and sometimes made their daughters dress younger than their ages in order to make themselves appear younger). I do think there is some truth in the view that Joan may indeed have had some type of mental illness and alcohol problem. There will probably always be unanswered questions and things that never will be public knowledge.

Read the book, and draw your own conclusions.

Christina Crawford's purportedly factual autobiography of her abusive mother Joan Crawford. A lot of people think this book is an outright lie that Christina wrote because her mother didn't leave her a thing after she died. I disagree. Before "Mommie" was published there was a biography of Joan (written by Bob Thomas I believe) which comes right out and says Crawford abused her children. Also quite a few people defended Christina when this came out saying it was all true. Since we now know that Crawford had serious issues this is all the more plausible. Also Christina managed, through this book, to single-handedly destroy her mother's goody two shoes image. So--I believe it all.

It starts off pretty dull and the supposed child abuse Christina and her brother Christopher went through isn't THAT bad--except for the night raids. Indeed Christina comes off like a spoiled brat at times. But, as she got older, the abuse stopped but vicious mind games began. Also Crawford shipped off Christina to boarding schools and had her work there for her keep. These chapters are compelling and pretty well-written. Then she sent her to a convent(!!!) where she became a virtual prisoner. It follows how Christina got over all these and carved a life for herself. The last chapter it seems she and her mother are getting along for years--only to have her mother completely write her off of her will.

So--I tend to believe every word (even if she overdoes it at times) and I find this a compelling well-written story about a woman who managed to come through a life of abuse.

When Mommie Dearest was written in the 1970s, many people seemed to think child abuse didn't happen in the homes of the rich and famous. Some disputed the things Christina said about her adptive mother, but people who knew Joan confirmed much of what was described in Mommie Dearest. Some things, such as the "night raids" were probably only witnessed by the children. Even if ( I said if) that was exaggerated, much of what Joan did was abuse, even when you consider people had different standards about discipline 50 years ago. For one thing, people were much less likely to intervene, I think, than they are today, especially when the abusive parent is rich and famous. I don't understand why another reviewer here said Joan paid for college-- I don't remember that part. Christina was out on her own very young. Just because Joan Crawford was famous doesn't mean she was a good person or a good parent, and it is not whining to let people know that.

Having said that, I only gave the book 3 stars. Mommie Dearest is not the best written book I have ever seen. I would have liked to have seen more depth, more understanding of why Joan was what she was, and how she became that way. Of course, Christina is not a professional writer, just someone who had to endure abuse that might have broken a lesser person.

Christina Crawford originally published "Mommie Dearest" in the fall of 1978. Immediately upon release the book went straight to the top of the New York Times Bestseller's List, where it stayed for many months. The book has sold millions of copies, both in hardcover and paperback, and Christina raised awarness for child abuse laws all around the globe. "Mommie Dearest" was the first book to ever depict a Hollywood actress as an alcoholic and abusive parent. The book destroyed Joan Crawford's reputation to shreds, but people dicovered, via the book, that child abuse doesn't always happen with the poor. Many have said that what Christina wrote was false, but over the years I have done much research on the legend of Joan Crawford: I love her. I believe she was probably the greatest actress that ever lived, but like so many people who were abused as kids (Joan was abused by both her mother and school teachers), the abusive parent grows up to be an abuser. Joan actually believed what she was doing to her children was the right way in rearing them. She would often discipline her children, but at times she went too far. People have come forward as witnesses, saying they saw the abuse or heard about it from reliable sources. Whatever the case, we will never know the real story as to what happened between Joan Crawford and her adopted daughter. Was Christina spoiled? I believe she was. She had everything Joan didn't have growing up, and once Christina became a teenager with her own thoughts and beliefs, that is when the trouble began.
"Mommie Dearest" is a fascinating book, the first of the Hollywood tell-all books. I only wish Christina had wrote the book while Joan was alive so Joan could have defended herself. However, according to Christina, the real reason the book was written was due to the fact Joan disinherited both Christina and Christopher. Christina felt that since people were going to wonder why Joan kept her two oldest children out of her will, they may wonder what they did to deserve such treatment. Many have said too the book was made because of money. Whatever the true story, "Mommie Dearest" is an amazing read. No one could ever make up such a story of abuse and survival at the hands of one of Hollywood's most powerful actresses.
"Mommie Dearest" has been published three times now; the second being in 1998 for the 20th Anniversary, which included pages that the original publisher kept out of the original edition, that mainly included Christina's adult years with her mother, and the third was published in 2008 for the 30th Anniversary. That edition, reportedly, has names of people who witnessed the abuse.
Faye Dunaway starred as Joan in the 1981 film "Mommie Dearest", that has gone on to be a camp classic in its own right. Dunaway gives a virtuoso performance, the best ever by any actress. Read the book and view the film and come to your own conclusion as to what really happened. My view is that yes abuse did take place, but I wonder if that abuse was as severe as we are led to believe. The problem that I have with the book is according to Christina she had reconciled with her mom when she had died, yet at the end of the book upon viewing Joan's body Christina states that it had been many years since she had seen her mother. You don't go years without seeing a parent and state upon their death that everything is perfect. Something doesn't jell here.

(For the record, I actually own and read the original 1978 book, not the 20th anniversary edition)

What a ride! This book is completely insane. Which doesn't mean I don't believe Christina. I do. I have friends whose parents are drunks and I have friends whose parents are just plain nuts. This kind of crap really does happen. The emotional manipulation especially -- the child constantly reaching, constantly feeling that if she does one more thing or something a little better that longed-for love and acceptance from mom will finally come, and the shattering that occurs when one realizes it never will. But someone should have mentioned to Christina that she is portraying herself in the same negative light as her mother.

At first I wondered, from the odd, melodramatic, ludicrously overblown writing, if Christina was doing some sort of James Joyce "Portait of the Artist" type thing, where each chapter is written as though it's by the age that it's about. But no, later I realized that Christina basically just has the emotional maturity of a middle schooler, and considering her upbringing, this is unsurprising. Still, where was her editor, to save her from this?

And don't be fooled by Christina's saying at the end that she's basically forgiven her mother. Anyone who has seen Christina on TV shows about her mom for the last 20 years knows that she is one bitter bitter lady.

The most ironic thing is that Christina is obviously just the flip side of her mother. Joan obviously thought of herself as the long suffering, martyred, giving mother who got no gratitude from her evil, selfish, ungrateful child. And Christina so obviously sees HERSELF as the long suffering, martyred, giving child who got no gratitude from her evil, selfish, ungrateful mother. Damn.

If you're looking for a thoughtful, sensitive portrait of growing up in an unpredictable household with an alcoholic parent, this is not the way to go. If you're looking for candy coated crack, you will RELISH this.

(PS: Was anyone else totally creeped out by how many men -- even apparently "good" men that Christina liked -- were purported to hit Joan? WTF is that about? I realize this was about 60 years ago and Joan was a pill, but ewwwwwwwww you horrible men.)

Christina Crawford's story has interested me ever since it first came out. I admire her for having had the courage to write it, and feel sad for all that she went through while growing up. I am glad to have the 30th anniversary edition, but am shocked by the bad editing...so many mistakes! This book should never have gone to press in this condition.

The three stars given in my review are because of its questionable accuracy. During my formative years, I had believed Christina Crawford's tale of abuse at the hands of her adoptive mother, Joan Crawford, but in recent years, I, like many, have questioned her motives.

The good thing about its publication is that it brought the issue of child abuse to wider public attention, although it is a difficult read.Hopefully, many abused children were rescued and helped because of this book.

But whether one believes Christina or not, the ultimate lesson from this book is as old as time: Be careful of who you envy because you never know what anyone's life is really like.

this is a very well written book Christina explains a lot about her life with her mother I just wish her brother before he passed away would have come across and discussed it also the movie from this book is absolute garbage over the years Christina became desperate so she wrote a second book it didn't do very well but then she ended up on the Larry King show and then I lost complete trust in what she said because she hinted miss Crawford may have killed her last husband I really was a shocked by that remark and then she tried to get money to do an off Broadway play and show actual film she said she had of her mother having sex when I heard this that was it for me get the book because it's wortha read but now I question it

This was the book most of us interested in personality disorders turned to first, and it will always be a classic. Looking back at it now after a second read, I see that there was a lot of the "lifestyles of the rich and famous" element here, which I suppose helped it to become popular when it first came out. Joan was a textbook borderline personality and this was my first exposure to the fact that others had grown up in ways that were similar to my own experience.

The golden age of Hollywood was not so golden. Some of Crawford's friends disputed Christina's book. In particular, Myrna Loy, Joan's friend since 1925, became one of her staunchest defenders in the aftermath of the book. Other stars such as Helen Hayes, June Allyson, Bette Davis, and Betty Hutton have verified some of the stories in Christina's book. Hutton had previously lived near Joan Crawford's Brentwood, California, home and has stated that she saw the children during or after various moments of abuse. On the internet there are many pictures of Joan and Christina and they seem friendly. I believe like many abusive parents she mellowed with age. This book is a horrible indictment of the old Studio System. Louis B. Mayer and the blue suits in the Thalberg bldg at MGM knew the children's plight but hushed it up.

Their is a lot of controversy around this book. Honestly after reading this book, I felt that it was true, but now I watched the movie, I felt that I don't think so anymore. I believe that Christina was angry that she was disinheired and she wanted to get the last word.
This book was very well written with alot of good stories. If those stories are true.

If it were possible to give negative stars I would have.

The adopted daughter of Joan Crawford, a movie actress from the 20's to the 70's, Christina Crawford clings to her desperation to ride her mother's coat tails into fame and fortune. The book chronicles the authors childhood and ends with a bitter will reading where Chirstina and her adopted brother Christopher were left nothing while their two adopted sisters (Cathy and Cindy) made out well. Enraged by her failure to inherit her mother's estate, Christina ruins forever the reputation her mother built, by writing this tell-all book; having it printed after her mother's death.

The story line is shallow at best and sadly, too many people read this book and gulp down every word. Pooooor Chirstina. If the reader is smart enough to realize, the "abuse" Christina, a lazy child furious at not being handed everything in life on a golden platter, was commonplace punishment methods used by parents of the time. Joan Crawford busted her hump working and was understandibly stressed at being a single mother of four adopted children in a time where a single woman adopting was unheard of.

While child abuse is a real problem and by no means excusable, this book fails miserably to paint a story of a long undeserved suffering of a child. Was Joan Crawford perfect? Were her parenting techniques always right? Of course not, she was human. If you want to compare this waste of paper to a REAL story of child abuse; I suggest reading A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive or House of Evil: The Indiana Torture Slaying (St. Martin's True Crime Library). If the people involved in the book were not famous, this book would not get the hype that it does. Mommie Dearest is nothing more than a gossip rag trashing a mother who refused to let her privileged children grown up spoilt rotten.

I always have questioned the total authenticity of her recollections because if this story was completely true, Christina would have included her 2 younger sisters instead of leaving them out like they never lived in the house. Without meaning to, Christina has made her mother an immortal legend with her books that just don't stop coming!
Did Joan's attempted strangulation realy cause her stroke decades later? Joan Crawford was a very beautiful & talented woman on screen. Too bad she could never take character roles as she aged but insisted on being the femme fatale long after she looked the part.
Christina has been divorced 3 times, had a midling career as an actress & never had or seemed to want to become a mother herself. Is this Joan's fault from the grave?
I read somewhere Christina is planning a stage review about her mother & herself. Enough already! Joan's fans are dying out due to age so eventually no one will care about her wire hangers etc. anymore. Enjoy her films on TCM.

As a mother of adopted children, I would be interested to have this book reviewed through the eyes of an expert on Attachment Disorder. I cannot defend Joan Crawford; neither can I say her adopted daughter is a liar. But I can say from first hand experience that an adopted child often deals with attachment issues of varying degrees. Without healthy attachment from the adoptee, the adoptive Mom can become the target for all sorts of rage and fabricated stories intended to destroy her.