Top reviews from the United States

• 

  Rich F

  5 out of 5 stars

  Verified Purchase

  Arnold re-emerges to tell his side...

  Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2018

  Format: Kindle

  More than thirty years after I first read "Shadowland", and after seeing Arnold vilified and his work discounted in the intervening period, I jumped at the chance to read his latest entry into the Frances Farmer saga. Structured as a long interview, this new book details his initial interest in Farmer's career and the mechanics of constructing and publishing his original work. I found this material fascinating and indeed, I read this new treatment in one sitting. Arnold details the creative process involved in producing "Shadowland" for publication, from his initial inspiration at seeing one of her films to the resulting publicity tour after the book is finally in print. Arnold describes the optioning of his work for a film production, which resulted in the famous unsuccessful lawsuit that began the attacks on Arnold's reputation. Finally, and perhaps most interestingly, in "Revisited" Arnold relates how his life was affected by the fall-out from "Shadowland", as for many years he was unwilling to discuss Farmer in any capacity.

  Much of the animosity toward Arnold is of course the result of his claim in "Shadowland" that Farmer was lobotomized during her confinement at Western State. He simply made this up, his detractors say, to guarantee publication and stimulate sales when no proof exists that Farmer underwent the procedure. Worse, Arnold was a Scientologist using Farmer's sad tale to attack the psychiatric community as a whole. A long internet article by one critic attacked Arnold for minor mistakes in Farmer's filmography, when the book was written before such information was readily available for research on the web.

  In "Revisited" Arnold explains and "defends" himself as much as he sees fit. He was never a Scientologist. The framing device of the prologue was included at the publisher's request. He made a few factual errors in Farmer's story because yes, even working journalists can be mistaken from time to time. His research suggested to him that Farmer had been lobotomized so he went forward with that possibility. Because of the uncertainty about the lobotomy, Arnold's book is now dismissed as "fiction" and described as a novel on Wikipedia. But Arnold charted her actual career, he interviewed her contemporaries, he provided the details of her various commitments. The book for the most part deals with fact not conjecture. Arnold describes the various attacks on him by the Farmer cultists who seek to "reclaim" her story as their own, all with an almost admirable detachment. He seems to understand and accept his place as both villain and gatekeeper.

  See moreSee less

  One person found this helpful

  Helpful

  Sending feedback...

  Thank you for your feedback.

  Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

  Share

  Report

  Sending feedback...

  Thanks, we'll investigate in the next few days.

  Sorry, We failed to report this review. Please try again
• 

  00xuser

  5 out of 5 stars

  Verified Purchase

  I like the way Arnold is sticking by his story

  Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2018

  Format: Kindle

  I like the way Arnold is sticking by his story. In this edition I was able to learn why Lois Kibbee pulled out of a book deal with Frances. Frances had lost large parts of her memory and couldn't contribute enough about her own life history for the book. All Frances had was her mother's old scrapbook, etc., and some clippings. She probably did not know what had happened to her. I believe Arnold was right about the lobotomy. Why else would Dr. Freeman have come to her ward and seen her in a private area?

  I also learned about Edith and her failure to visit Frances in the asylum. Why, therefore, would I buy and read any of Edith Farmer's book(s)?

  See moreSee less

  Helpful

  Sending feedback...

  Thank you for your feedback.

  Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

  Share

  Report

  Sending feedback...

  Thanks, we'll investigate in the next few days.

  Sorry, We failed to report this review. Please try again