Enchantment: The Life of Audrey Hepburn

Second only to the Barry Paris biography, this is a great portrait of the incomparable iconic Audrey Hepburn. D.S. sheds new light on the shadowy background of A. H.’s fascist father as well as her clever, resourceful, and very brave mother the Baroness van Heemstra. With a background like hers, it is no wonder that Audrey was driven to achieve and perform to the level she did. Highly recommended and extremely informative.

The book arrived when I was convalescing from an illness and thus was was a special treat as it was a biography about Audrey Hepburn. The author is thoughtful and writes clearly and with sensitivity. I am fascinated with detailed protraits of aspect's of Audrey Hepburn's character; portraits of her friendships and loyalty and longevity in friendships. Insights into her family are fascinating as well as insights into her family in Holland. In the book I read new information about her work with UNICEF. Every once in a while there are edifying and instructive vignettes about her character such as the fact that Miss Hepburn offered to do her own ironing for her clothes for The Gardens of the World series. What actress of her stature would make such an offer? I guess because Audrey Hepburn was almost so singularly genuine and vulnerable I had an ambivalent reaction to some gossipy aspects of the book. Though tales of who she might have been romantically vulnerable to at a difficult point in her life are interesting, because of her own over-arching nobility of character it left me feeling sad that the author felt it necessary to include such material. We have all made mistakes in life and all have experienced things we'd like to be able to explain from our perspective. We all have experienced things we'd prefer to remain undiscussed. In one or two instances I felt: "She's not here to defend herself. Does this have to be in the book?" In the main I found the book thoughtful and interesting especially because I always feel there is so much I can learn from Audrey Hepburn about how to be a person.

Spoto is an excellent biographer. I have since added one more of his to my library and contemplating three others. Audrey is as interesting off-stage or -camera as on-stage/camera. Meek probably best describes her; she was neither explosive nor sycophantic but typically quietly defiant. She could communicate "We are going to do it THIS WAY," without being obnoxious of violent, merely polite but intransigent. She was no prima donna, just firm in her attitudes toward privacy and family, both of which were very important to her.The book is a good mix of humor, sadness and raw fact about a rather private person and her personal and professional lives. It's divided in time segments right up to the end, covering film/stage appearances within given segments allowing the reader to gauge her progress as a person and as an actress. There's rarely a dull moment in either facet of Audrey. I really enjoyed the format and content of the book and you probably will, too!

All through the reading of this book I felt uncomfortable about it's title. I would prefer to use the title of Exquisite ~ one of the last words of the book. I suppose someone could say they were enchanted by Miss Hepburn, or perhaps another could have found her enchanting, but she herself was the farthest thing from being enchanted. She was, first and foremost, honest ~ perhaps even exquisitely so. And there is another word required, too: Miraculous. Surely, given the tribulations of her childhood, the lack of anything resembling love from her parents, Audrey must have been a foundling, a miracle sent to Earth to get our attention and then teach us what is real.

The book will be thoroughly enjoyed by those who love Audrey Hepburn but for those who have lesser feelings will find this a flawed piece. At times disjointed with bits of information or anecdotes strewn at random, the book does, however, portray the perfect Miss Hepburn in a more realistic manner. She was more sensuous and sexual in life than one could imagine from the life generally conveyed through her roles and media coverage.

I loved this biography from the moment I read the 1st words. It was well researched and compact, not meandering through her life but clearly bringing out the qualities of a highly professional and talented actress. I was truly enchanted with the story of Audrey’s life and her truly unique personality. Highly recommend!

This was a well-written biography of an enchanting lady. I have read other biographies that were written before her death, but this one did include numerous details (about her affairs and her last relationship) that were not mentioned in previous books. The writer did not gloss over her faults but helped the reader to understand why she was basically an insecure person. As beautiful as Audrey was, it doesn't seem that she was happy except when she was with her children or helping the needy children of the world. I was slightly disappointed that there were not more pictures.

This is definitely one of the best "Go To" biographies of Audrey Hepburn. Donald Spoto has great creds. Highly recommended if you're an Audrey Hepburn fan.

What a fascinating woman! If the last sentence of this book doesn’t cause a tear or two to well up, then you must be heartless!

For some reason I thought this was a coffe table book. That's probably my fault, I'm still disappointed though because I already have plenty of biographies of her. Too bad.

Audrey Hepburn is my role model! I have only had a cursory look at this book but it looks really delightful. It arrived promptly and was very well packaged. Something to savour when I have a little time to spare.

It is an eye opener book. It proves that tough people lasts not tough times!

Somewhat dull prose for a fascinating subject.