The Diana Chronicles
by Tina Brown
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Book Reviews of The Diana Chronicles
Book Review: Good for what it is
Summary: 3 Stars
Let's be honest here...this book is total tabloid trash. Admittedly, I knew that going in, so I was pretty pleased with it. This biography of the late Princess of Wales is full of juicy gossip from a variety of sources (some much more reliable than others). Author Tina Brown portrays Diana as a disturbed and calculating woman who was a master at media manipulation. At the same time, accounts of what life was like for Diana behind the scenes during her marriage to Prince Charles generate a lot of sympathy for her. It's a very sad story, and even though this book is total celebrity gossip, it still left me feeling like I know more about the Princess than I ever did before. The one thing that really bugged me about the book is that Brown tried to insert herself into the story whenever possible, which was annoying. It was all "this happened right after I was named editor of 'Vanity Fair'" or "I was there when Diana wore that scandalous dress." Who the heck cares?! Talk about Diana, not yourself! Anyway, for those who enjoy reading about the British Royals, this is definitely a book to add to your list.Book Review: I thought there were no new Diana perspectives left . . .
Summary: 5 Stars
until I picked up Tina Brown's Diana Chronicles. What a damn good read. What a damn good writer. I still don't know if it's the writing style; the near insider's viewpoint; empathy for the protagonist, but the combo makes this, in my humble opinion, the Diana book to bring to the desert island.
I guess this book gave me some sympathy for all concerned. It tempered the urge to cast Diana as the Sainted Victim and the Windsors as the Evil Perps. Without excusing anyone, Brown's opus hits the right note with its sly asides when zinging the bad behavior of the central characters.
This is a tragic, human story. It's played out in palaces, limos, yachts, jets, in front of the predatory media and the glib gossip industry. Take all that away and it's an all too common story - a brilliant, fragile, mentally disturbed woman's quest for love is thwarted by insecurity, callousness, indifference, adultery, entitlement and ultimately, her own recklessness.
Book Review: I really, truly didn't think it was possible, but when I finished the book, I loved and admired this golden Princess EVEN MORE.
Summary: 5 Stars
I hesitated to read this book. Even once I bought it, I put if off for months. I mean, I love Diana SO MUCH it kind of hurts to read about her. Let her rest in peace. And besides, what could this book possibly have to tell me about my beloved heroine that I didn't already know??? But once I opened the cover, I couldn't put it down. I was completely sucked into and enveloped by Diana's luxurious, heart-wrenching, rule-breaking world of love and tragedy. I didn't want the book to end. I really, truly didn't think it was possible, but when I finished the book, I loved and admired this golden Princess EVEN MORE. The book was filled with new insights, info and titbits that every other book and magazine article is lacking. Tina Brown has filled in the missing pieces of Diana's tangled, bittersweet story and made sense of it all - and most of all, she gave us a better grasp of Diana's radiant humanity that has always lurked beneath the royal façade. A must read.Book Review: May be the best Diana book yet! A must for all Dianaholics.
Summary: 4 Stars
From the moment I saw Diana and Charles appear on TV to announce their engagement, I was a Dianaholic. I followed every event in her life, through the sad disintegration of her marriage and her shocking death.
I liked this book because it not only gave a thorough background of Diana's life and family, but it tried to be fair and balanced, which the majority of writing on this subject does not even pretend to do. Diana was not a saint and Brown does not sugar coat her faults. But after reading this book you have a picture of the Princess as a genuinely good person who at a very young age entered a life that few of us can begin to imagine. It is tragic that the Royal Family was unable to appreciate her qualities or to help her mature. Both England and the world would have been a better place if Diana were still here.
Book Review: If you're a Diana fan and have read all the others, read this one too! If you haven't read anything else, this one is the best.
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is written from the hand of someone who not only knew Diana, but also knew her world. Tina Brown gives the reader a thorough insight into the life of Diana as a young girl and the strange, inverted life of a young woman born to priviledge working as a cleaning woman and nanny. Such was the life Diana lived as a young woman. This book is not gossipy or coy, but seems truthful, factual and very straight forward.
If you are a Diana fan, and were held spellbound by the courtship, marriage, and celebrity of the most famous woman in the world - and don't be ashamed if you are - this book is a must read. I give it five stars for the very good writing mechanics, for the thououghness of Ms Brown's research, and the empathy she has for her subject.