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Edwards doesn't add anything new to the well-known story of Callas' tumultuous life, and she disagrees with Nicholas Gage's controversial assertion (in the book Greek Fire) that Callas bore Aristotle Onassis a son who died shortly after his birth in 1960. But the author lays out the familiar facts deftly, nailing each of the forceful personalities who shaped Callas' destiny, from the obsessively ambitious mother who pushed her into performing and denied her a childhood to Onassis, the great love of her life, who broke her heart after a nine-year affair when he married Jacqueline Kennedy. Most forceful of all is Callas herself, who transformed opera with the revelation that great singing became even greater when buttressed by great acting.
Callas' fanatical devotion to the libretto, her deep understanding of character, and her incomparable musicianship get as much attention from Edwards as her famous feuds (most notably with Renata Tebaldi), the diet that transformed her into a sex symbol, and the notorious cancellations that occurred with increasing frequency to match the worsening of her vocal problems, which eventually forced her retirement from performing. The result is an exemplary popular biography that judiciously balances juicy anecdotes with critical commentary, giving the general reader a colorful, poignant portrait of Maria Callas the woman without ever losing sight of Callas the visionary artist. --Wendy Smith
"Even those with little interest in opera or celebrity will be swept into this tale.... Edwards's riveting book is sure to prompt new interest in Callas's dramatic life." ---Publishers Weekly
"[Callas's] tumultuous life could be the subject of an opera, and Edwards negotiates it with the skill and ease of a seasoned conductor."---Booklist
Maria Callas, the prima donna who continues to mesmerize the world twenty-five years after her death, was born to Greek immigrant parents in New York City in 1923. Callas was a classic ugly duckling who struggled for years before transforming herself into a glamorous, almost mythical opera star.
From her early days as a poor, overweight singer with an undeniable yet uneven singing talent, to her physical and emotional breakdowns, and her passionate love affair with Aristotle Onassis, who would discard her for the widowed Jacqueline Kennedy---Anne Edwards brings readers a revealing portrait of the hardships, loves, and triumphs of Maria Callas.
Anne Edwards, who has been hailed as "the queen of biography" by Kirkus Reviews, is the author of many bestselling biographies, including Katharine Hepburn: A Remarkable Woman and Ever After: Diana and the Life She Led. She currently lives in Beverly Hills, California.
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