Review by katlynng7 -- Barbra Streisand: On the Couch

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katlynng7
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Latest Review: Barbra Streisand: On the Couch by Alma H. Bond, Ph.D.

Review by katlynng7 -- Barbra Streisand: On the Couch

Post by katlynng7 »

[Following is a volunteer review of "Barbra Streisand: On the Couch" by Alma H. Bond, Ph.D..]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Barbra Streisand, On the Couch by Dr. Alma H. Bond is a fictional story told by Dr. Darcy Dale, a well-known psychiatrist who just as she is walking out of her office, ready to celebrate her birthday, the famous Barbra Streisand comes in and wants an immediate appointment. Dr. Dale has no idea what to expect but invites her in despite her plans. Barbra becomes a frequent patient as Dr. Dale tries to help the woman who has been going to many different psychiatrists for over thirty years. They delve into her childhood, how she was raised, her parents and school life. They talk about her insecurities and how they came to be and try to work out why she is still affected by her father’s death, as well as her time in the spot light. It is an interesting way to explore what the magnificent Barbra Streisand would be like in real life and what her struggles have been.

What I enjoyed about this book is that it’s a new way of writing about a celebrity instead of a normal biography. It is clearly fiction but the way Barbra is portrayed could make you believe in her personality. In the acknowledgements, Dr. Bond states that she has “stolen” many of Barbra’s comments from interviews that she has done. It makes for an interesting way to learn more about the life of Barba Streisand.

What I noticed first is that the tone of the book seemed forced to me. What I mean by that is when the author was writing the thoughts of Dr. Dale, they seemed out of place and like the author was trying to get more of Dr. Dale into the story. Honestly, I would have preferred the book to be completely dialogue. There doesn’t really need to be any insight from Dr. Dale other than to set up and end the book. The story is about Barbra Streisand and her time talking about her life.

Though I mention that I would prefer mostly dialogue in the story, I did have some problems with the dialogue of Barbra not being believable. Maybe it was because it was written in her accent and the way it looked didn’t seem right or it could have been because during long stretches of her dialogue, it sounded like it was Barbra writing the story, not like Barbra telling her story to another person. People don’t talk like they write. An example is on page 94, “’ I was so humiliated I couldn’t bear it a moment longer, so with tears running down my face, I ran away.’” This is Barbra telling Dr. Dale a story on the set of a movie. In my opinion, this sentence sounds less suited to actual dialogue than to Barbra writing the story herself.

Overall, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Despite the few issues I found with the book, I do think it is an interesting way to learn more about Barbra Streisand and her life before and after fame. I think that people who know Barbra Streisand and would like to know a little more about her, would enjoy this book. I think extreme Barbra fans who already know a lot about her, would be nit-picky about the details.

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Barbra Streisand: On the Couch
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DancingLady
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Post by DancingLady »

I agree with you that this book didn’t have a natural flow. I could tell that right from the sample. Personally I’m uncomfortable with the author putting words in the mouth of a real person, but I’m glad to hear your thoughts on this book.
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