Barbra Streisand

January 15, 2016
In the latest in the Jewish Lives series, an experienced biographer delves into Barbra Streisand's psyche. Early on, Gabler (Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination, 2006, etc.), two-time winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, establishes that he is not producing a detailed account of the singer/actress' life. Rather, he constructs a book-length biographical essay, filled with context about Streisand's Jewish persona as a hindrance and, eventually, in unexpected ways, as an aid to her professional successes. The author uses his stated goal as a partial explanation of why he never tried to interview his subject; his full explanation comes across as a series of rationales that weaken an otherwise admirable book. Born in 1942, Streisand harbored an urge to achieve stardom that seems nearly inexplicable considering the obstacles she faced. Gabler examines her childhood and adolescence with remarkable depth and skill given the book's format as part of a limiting series theme. Streisand achieved many of her goals while still a teenager, making the author's attention to her childhood and adolescence especially vital. At times, the author concedes certain ironies, as when Fanny Brice's daughter originally opposed casting Streisand as Brice in Funny Girl. "The girl who was always called too Jewish to play anyone but Jews was herself too Jewish to play a Jew who sought to temper her Jewishness," writes Gabler. Because Streisand's Jewish-looking face--particularly her large nose--figured prominently in the obstacles she overcame, Gabler is forced to deal with surface appearances, which leads to judgments that feel repetitive at times. When the author moves away from psychologizing to narrative reporting, fascinating details abound, such as the choosing of actor Omar Sharif, an Egyptian non-Jew, to play opposite Streisand in Funny Girl. The outbreak of war between Egypt and Israel nearly torpedoed that casting choice. A worthy book, particularly for readers unfamiliar with any of the full-length Streisand biographies.

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March 15, 2016

Part of a series dedicated to the Jewish experience, this biography of Barbra Streisand (b. 1942) addresses her life through the lens of her Jewishness and how her faith and culture affected her career. Building on extensive research, Gabler (Walt Disney: The Triumph of American Imagination) presents a highly focused view of Streisand's development as a woman and performer. She comes across as extremely driven and self-absorbed, with several anecdotes shared of the great lengths she went to in order to get ahead. This "pushiness" and fortitude is attributed to the singer/actress/director's heritage, the early loss of her father, her need to meet her mother's approval, her feelings of being an outsider, and more. Many theories are presented for her behavior and progress, but it is difficult to discern which, if any, of these factors really came into play. Owing to the author's more analytical concentration on Streisand's evolution, the personal and relatable details about her are often lacking. VERDICT Recommended for readers seeking an additional study of Streisand or who are interested in the lives of prominent Jewish men and women. For a more extensive account, see William Mann's Hello Gorgeous: Becoming Barbra Streisand.--Katie Lawrence, Grand Rapids, MI

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Starred review from April 1, 2016
In the latest superb title in the award-winning Jewish Lives series, Gabler, a distinguished film critic and biographer (Walter Winchell, Walt Disney), vitally anatomizes singer, actor, and director Streisand's unique accomplishments and far-reaching influence. As he tracks Streisand's remarkable rise from a poor, loveless Brooklyn childhood with an ugly-duckling complex, he emphasizes her bold embrace of her Jewishness in a time of overt anti-Semitism and her flagrant defiance of sexism. Her dream was to be a film star; the gift that paved the way was her sublimely expressive voice. Flaunting her unconventional appearanceshe was way ahead of her time in donning thrift-store finery and dying her hair blue and green, then evolving a strikingly exotic, glamorous lookStreisand, Gabler asserts, set a new, liberating standard for beauty defined by intelligence and talent. Analyzing her chart-topping albums and hit movies via behind-the-scenes revelations and astute interpretation, and sensitively illuminating her complex, difficult, quintessentially Jewish temperament, Gabler chronicles the vicious criticism Streisand endured as well as fervid, even overwhelming adoration. With unabashed appreciation for her tenacious refusal to be bullied by the entertainment establishment or the media, Gabler maps the fecund artistic and social ground that the brilliant and outspoken Streisand has claimed by doing things her way, decade after decade.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)