True Myths: The Life and Times of Arnold Schwarzenegger(施瓦辛格)

From Publishers Weekly
"Somewhere between the simple truth and the possible souping-up... lies the wonderful zone of the True Myth," writes British film critic Andrews in his unauthorized biography of iconic superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger. As a hardbody, actor, businessperson, restaurateur, Republican and Kennedy-by-marriage, "Arnold," as Andrews calls him throughout, seems a perfect subject to deconstruct in this vein. Andrews, an admitted Arnold fan, attempts to explore notions of fame and ambition by tracing the life of the man who rose from rural Austria to become a hulking, prizewinning bodybuilder, then a powerful figure in American entertainment and politics. Focusing on discrepancies in versions of well-known Arnold anecdotes, Andrews suggests that the actor is the malevolent maker of his own myth. It's hardly a shocking idea in the world of Hollywood PR machinery, and the author's lack of firsthand access to the star rarely makes these accusations ring true, or even interesting. Elsewhere, Andrews relies on previous bios to psychoanalyze Arnold's bodybuilding fixations and his relationship to his stern father. As he chronicles Arnold's weightlifting competitions, film work and marriage, Andrews rarely gets under the surface of his subject. Goofy chapter titles such as "Conan the Workaholic" and "Arnold Cybernegger" do little to crack the surface of his monolithic subject, either. Photos.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
Every Republican's favorite action movie star comes alive in this revealing biography by a British movie critic who well balances a fan's interest and cynicism about Hollywood press agentry on "Ah-noldt." Strange to think now, but at one time Schwarzenegger's accent was thought a bar to stardom. Through ingenious role selection, however, the accent became part of his shtick, much as Jerry Lewis' early adenoidal whine was part of his. A lot of trial and error preceded stardom, but the role of Conan the Barbarian made a star out of the bulging oddity Schwarzenegger was in the documentary Pumping Iron. In preparation for Conan, a voice coach labored to make Schwarzenegger intelligible, and even then, the student still confused some German and English sounds, such as those for the letter b: he repeatedly ordered "crap cocktail" for lunch. Eventually the studio cut most of his dialogue, thereby giving birth to the silent, impassive acting persona he then developed. Definitely a cut above the usual Hollywood bio, this one entertains as it informs. Mike Tribby --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.