Home › Books › It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin
It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin
by
14/99
Critics' Rating Index
2/99
Readers' Rating Index
n/a
Scholars' Citation Index
84/99
Volume of Reviews
83/99
Volume of Reader Ratings
Sign in to add to your shelf, rate, or review this book.
About This Book
The first comprehensive biography of Jane Birkin—actress, singer, and legendary style icon—and her profound cultural impact, from the "acerbic, culturally astute, and genuine" (The New York Times) author of the instant New York Times bestseller Glossy.Jane Birkin was synonymous with chic. Her effortless style and artistic legacy have been immortalized through her music and film career. And, of course, she was the inspiration behind one of the world's most coveted bags, the Hermès Birkin. But who was the real woman behind the it girl? Now, New York Times bestselling author Marisa Meltzer sheds new light on Birkin's enigmatic life and explores her profound influence on generations in a rigorously reported biography unlike any other. It Girl paints a vivid portrait of Birkin and her profound legacy, from her early years in 1960s London to her rise as a beloved celebrity in France, detailing personal challenges, her relationships with creative powerhouses, and the duality of her public and private selves. Based on interviews and deep archival research, Meltzer reveals the nuances of Birkin's her famously tempestuous romantic relationships, life with her three famous daughters, and the creative energy that drove her. It Girl tells the story of her indelible impact on femininity and style, and how what we think of as French girl style grew from her. Far from being just a muse, Birkin is at last given her well-deserved due.
Reviews
"Marisa Meltzer's biography of Birkin doesn't really break new ground ..."
"Meltzer captures the sense of carelessness — intentional and benign — that marked Birkin's life ..."
"Still, Meltzer takes care to depict Birkin as a loving if permissive mother, and some of the book's most evocative scenes capture Birkin with her daughters ..."
"Throughout the book, a tension arises between the story that Birkin told about her life, and how Meltzer interprets that story ..."
"An affectionate and appealing account of the young Englishwoman who became a French icon."
"Birkin's surviving daughters and friends, who might have offered a more intimate glimpse of her, did not cooperate with Ms."
"For Birkin, getting older meant a kind of invisibility, a prospect that at once unnerved and elated her ..."
"While Meltzer's biography gives us so much, she leaves room for others to try to tease out Birkin's internal monologue, one full of contradictions that both break her muse status and let us relate to her struggle."
Preview
Reader Reviews
0 reviewsSign in to write a review.
No reader reviews yet. Be the first!