Helpful Score: 4
Christopher Ciccone loves his sister, but after this bitchy, poorly-written book, Madonna will not likely welcome him back into her life. Her brother comes off as arrogant, but Madonna doesn't fare much better-nor do several other high profile people in their lives including Demi Moore and Guy Ritchie. Madonna is portrayed as a controlling workaholic who tends to use her sexuality to achieve her personal and professional goals rather than actually enjoying sex. Christopher was a big part of Madonna's career and life for many years, and though they are now estranged, her brother knows her more intimately than most, and he gives delicious insight into this pop legend.
Helpful Score: 3
Ok, I always figured Madonna was a bitch. Now I KNOW she is! Seriously, though, this book really isn't a tell all. Bottom line, Christopher Ciccone still loves his sister and this book is really more about their relationship than her career. They are somewhat estranged now but this is not some trashy tabloid type book. A little bit of dishing but not much. One thing I did learn, fame didn't turn Madonna into who she is now, it seemed she was that way even as a kid. Even if you aren't a hard core Madonna fan, which I'm not this was a very good book about an American icon.
Helpful Score: 1
Christopher Ciccone seems a little spiteful. All throughout the book he speaks of his love for Madonna and how she treated him not well at all. He speaks of injuries and health woes, and how she doesn't care about them except for the inconveniences they place on her and her life. He never tells stories about anything really kind she has done for him, yet later in the book, at the begininng of the true estrangement, he say the Madonna I knew and loved is gone. Um, no, she seems on par with the Madonna you have been speaking of for the previous 300 pages. He also goes on to speak of how she told him basically "I made you what your are today". Although he refutes that, you can pretty much see that even for her own personal gain aside, she did make him what he is and helped him meet people who would change his life. He also speaks multipe times of his cocaine use, but says its only on the weekends so how dare Madonna say that his is a drug addict?
This is basically a book full of "Madonna was bad to me" stories by a martyr.
This is basically a book full of "Madonna was bad to me" stories by a martyr.
Helpful Score: 1
So far, it seems this book is very poorly written. The timeline and his stories jump around a lot, and it just doesn't flow well.
Helpful Score: 1
I agree with the other reviewers, I got into the first chapter and realized I really don't care about Madge anymore, she is just not that interesting anymore and I have better things to read. Good Luck.
Helpful Score: 1
This book is not so much about Madonna, but about the relationship between a brother and a sister. A great read for anyone who has had to learn how to accept the people that they love for the people they are.
Helpful Score: 1
This book was an honest and enlightening look at one of the most influential and successful women in recent history, told through the eyes of her younger brother. I applaud Christopher Ciccone for having the courage to not only share with others the story of his tumultuous relationship with his famous sister, but for being so genuine about it. For anyone who loves biographies, is a fan of Madonna, or both, I highly recommend this book.
This book confirms what we all know...Madonna is completely self absorbed & narcissistic & apparently greedy. Christopher, (& obviously his co-writer & editor), are kind enough & smart enough to leave his life details at a minimum as clearly everyone reading this book wants the scoop on Madonna. I will say I put the book down after a few chapters & didn't feel the need to pick it back up for a month or two. I'm glad I did, as it became more interesting as the book went on. The interactions w/ other celebrities are simply fun to hear about.
I read this out of curiosity; I never could see Madonna as behaving like a normal person to anyone. I was not surprised about what I read..she's portrayed as a narcisstic bitch by her brother, whom she apparently treated like garbage. I about lost interest in finishing the book because he became a whiner about being treated so badly, yet continued to be at her every beck and call. I hope he has grown a spine since he wrote this!
I enjoyed this book as it was easy and dished out about the Material Girl. It was sad as well considering the two no longer speak and spent much of their adult lives together. Recommended for fun, gossipy read.
I read this quickly, enjoyed every minute of it. Now that I'm reviewing it, I want to be a snob and say it was gossipy, salacious, and disingenuous...well, of course it was!! Fun, fast read.
I listened to this book and enjoyed it very much. Madonna put her brother through so much! I hadn't really thought much about her but after this book I see her for what she really is.
this book was better than i thought it would be. yes- it reinforces what we believe madonna is- selfish, bitchy, manipulating, self righteous and and so not deserving. its just cool to hear it from her own brother who was with her from the start.
he's obviously very into fame and name drops constantly- half the time its not relevant, but its all he really has, other than his bitterness, so..can you blame him?
was this the best book ever? nope. was it a fast, juicy read- yep. worth the short time it took to read? yep.
he's obviously very into fame and name drops constantly- half the time its not relevant, but its all he really has, other than his bitterness, so..can you blame him?
was this the best book ever? nope. was it a fast, juicy read- yep. worth the short time it took to read? yep.
I feel so uneasy after finishing this book. Reading all the details of their relationship has left me feeling like a nasty voyeur. I'm a fan of Madonna and have been since I was 14 years old (21 years ago). I've always had the idea that she may be a difficult but I hoped I was wrong. I chose to believe she did what she had to do to gain fame, fortune and notoriety however, in my heart I also chose to believe she was a good person deep down. Well what a slap in the face I got as this book proved me wrong! Madonna is one ego driven, hypocritical narcissist. These 4 words sum her up completely. I cannot believe how cruel, unkind and utterly crazy she was with Christopher.
Why would someone of her wealth begrudge paying her brother a fair wage for his hard work? Not a high wage, I say a FAIR wage? Why would someone of her wealth not be supportive of her family? Telling her sister she could come to the wedding if she paid her own airfare and incidentals? The list goes on and on. When finally Christopher stands up to her and tells her what he thinks she wrongly assumes he's an addict. Wow, someone must be an addict/crazy/mentally ill to disagree with the queen of pop????!!!! Again, Madonna is a hypocrite. Yes he chose to stay and put up with her abuse but in my opinion he was just being there for her. He was hoping she would come around and realize how crazy she was acting. He was in essence giving her the benefit of the doubt but she let him down in a big way. Do I think Christopher made some mistakes along the way? Absolutely, but after reading this book you tell me if you wouldn't have after putting up with the ice queen for all that time!
I enjoyed the book. I'm glad I read the book. This book is not particularly well written (hence 4 stars instead of 5) but I don't think most people read a tell-all for that reason do they? If you want to know who Madonna is read the book. Granted we still don't know her 100% but the main gist is there, and frankly I don't want to know anymore. She's a horrible person! I feel cheated. I'm so sad the woman who gives the best show in town, the hippest music to dance to and a warm fuzzy feeling when I hear her on the radio, is such a cow.
As for Guy Ritchie, I don't feel he's the reason the siblings had a fall out. I think it's difficult for a lot of Americans to understand the British sense of humor (I'm from England) and I think Christopher can't begin to believe Madonna doesn't want to know him anymore just for her own reasons. It's easier for him to blame Guy.
What's sad is this whole situation; their toxic relationship needn't have come to this depressing outcome. They could have had a wonderful time together on the road to Madonna's stardom. Why did she feel the need to power-trip him at every turn? Why couldn't they co-exist and treat each other with respect? She was horrid to him, and truly I thank God Christopher wrote this book. She deserves every single stinging word he wrote. She deserves the pain it will bring her. And honestly she is a fool to be shocked that he wrote it. What did she expect??? Everyone else in her world signed a CDA, and you have to know so many other employees must have felt the way Christopher did but couldn't share their feelings.
I'm really pleased he has turned his life around and that this book is out there for the world to see. In my opinion there's nothing worse than being unkind. It doesn't cost a thing to be a good person and even if you justify it by saying she was under pressure that just doesn't cut it. Madonna went far beyond unkind. Mean, stingy and cruel is just unnecessary and so far from anyone I want to admire. The very last sentence in the book about the nature of family was the icing on the cake for me and a big kick in Madonna's teeth. She doesn't know the meaning of family and that's a shame. For someone who preaches about kabbalah and doing good, and blah, blah, blah from all her deep lyrical musings, she's a fake! She doesn't follow her own advice and yet preaches to the world what we should do when she's screaming abuse at her brother for wanting what's rightfully his?!?! Buy the book if you want to know who Madonna is but be prepared for the empty feeling that will follow as you turn the last page.
Why would someone of her wealth begrudge paying her brother a fair wage for his hard work? Not a high wage, I say a FAIR wage? Why would someone of her wealth not be supportive of her family? Telling her sister she could come to the wedding if she paid her own airfare and incidentals? The list goes on and on. When finally Christopher stands up to her and tells her what he thinks she wrongly assumes he's an addict. Wow, someone must be an addict/crazy/mentally ill to disagree with the queen of pop????!!!! Again, Madonna is a hypocrite. Yes he chose to stay and put up with her abuse but in my opinion he was just being there for her. He was hoping she would come around and realize how crazy she was acting. He was in essence giving her the benefit of the doubt but she let him down in a big way. Do I think Christopher made some mistakes along the way? Absolutely, but after reading this book you tell me if you wouldn't have after putting up with the ice queen for all that time!
I enjoyed the book. I'm glad I read the book. This book is not particularly well written (hence 4 stars instead of 5) but I don't think most people read a tell-all for that reason do they? If you want to know who Madonna is read the book. Granted we still don't know her 100% but the main gist is there, and frankly I don't want to know anymore. She's a horrible person! I feel cheated. I'm so sad the woman who gives the best show in town, the hippest music to dance to and a warm fuzzy feeling when I hear her on the radio, is such a cow.
As for Guy Ritchie, I don't feel he's the reason the siblings had a fall out. I think it's difficult for a lot of Americans to understand the British sense of humor (I'm from England) and I think Christopher can't begin to believe Madonna doesn't want to know him anymore just for her own reasons. It's easier for him to blame Guy.
What's sad is this whole situation; their toxic relationship needn't have come to this depressing outcome. They could have had a wonderful time together on the road to Madonna's stardom. Why did she feel the need to power-trip him at every turn? Why couldn't they co-exist and treat each other with respect? She was horrid to him, and truly I thank God Christopher wrote this book. She deserves every single stinging word he wrote. She deserves the pain it will bring her. And honestly she is a fool to be shocked that he wrote it. What did she expect??? Everyone else in her world signed a CDA, and you have to know so many other employees must have felt the way Christopher did but couldn't share their feelings.
I'm really pleased he has turned his life around and that this book is out there for the world to see. In my opinion there's nothing worse than being unkind. It doesn't cost a thing to be a good person and even if you justify it by saying she was under pressure that just doesn't cut it. Madonna went far beyond unkind. Mean, stingy and cruel is just unnecessary and so far from anyone I want to admire. The very last sentence in the book about the nature of family was the icing on the cake for me and a big kick in Madonna's teeth. She doesn't know the meaning of family and that's a shame. For someone who preaches about kabbalah and doing good, and blah, blah, blah from all her deep lyrical musings, she's a fake! She doesn't follow her own advice and yet preaches to the world what we should do when she's screaming abuse at her brother for wanting what's rightfully his?!?! Buy the book if you want to know who Madonna is but be prepared for the empty feeling that will follow as you turn the last page.
