Truly, Madly: Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier, and the Romance of the Century
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- Create Date：2022-03-28 11:21:41
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Stephen Galloway
- ISBN：1549173510
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Summary
In the spirit of Furious Love， a sweeping Hollywood biography of the passionate， turbulent marriage of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh based on new research， including exclusive access to uncovered correspondence and interviews。
In 1934， a friend brought fledgling actress Vivien Leigh to see Theatre Royal， where she would first lay eyes on Laurence Olivier in his brilliant performance as Anthony Cavendish。 That night， she told her friend that he was the man she was going to marry。 There was just one problem: she was already married， and so was he。
MADLY is the biography of a marriage， a love affair that still captivates millions， even decades after both actors' deaths。 Vivien and Laurence were two of the first truly global celebrities – their fame fueled by the explosive growth of tabloids and television， which helped and hurt them in equal measure。 They seemed to have it all and yet， in their own minds， they were doomed， blighted by mental illness which transformed their relationship from the stuff of dreams into a living nightmare。
Author Stephen Galloway takes readers on a bewitching journey as he studies their turbulent relationship， one that lasted through some of the world's most unstable decades as the duo fled war， struggled with the loss of fame， and rebuilt their lives again and again。
In 1934， a friend brought fledgling actress Vivien Leigh to see Theatre Royal， where she would first lay eyes on Laurence Olivier in his brilliant performance as Anthony Cavendish。 That night， she told her friend that he was the man she was going to marry。 There was just one problem: she was already married， and so was he。
MADLY is the biography of a marriage， a love affair that still captivates millions， even decades after both actors' deaths。 Vivien and Laurence were two of the first truly global celebrities – their fame fueled by the explosive growth of tabloids and television， which helped and hurt them in equal measure。 They seemed to have it all and yet， in their own minds， they were doomed， blighted by mental illness which transformed their relationship from the stuff of dreams into a living nightmare。
Author Stephen Galloway takes readers on a bewitching journey as he studies their turbulent relationship， one that lasted through some of the world's most unstable decades as the duo fled war， struggled with the loss of fame， and rebuilt their lives again and again。
Reviews
Toni
，
This meticulously researched novel depicts the life and marriage of Vivian Leigh and Laurence Olivier。 I never considered them a classic Hollywood love story， so this was a interesting read。 Perfect for anyone who is a fan of old Hollywood。
Tom O’Leary
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This painstakingly researched biography of combustive， lusty， explosive relationship and marriage between actors extraordinaire Sir Lawrence Olivier and Vivian Leigh is thorough to the point of exhaustion。 A little more humor would have gone a long way， though the two subjects were admittedly often humorless。
Christina （Confessions of a Book Addict）
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What a powerful and moving biography of a such a memorable Hollywood couple！ It broke my heart that Vivien had to deal with her bipolar disorder during a time where medicine， as well as people， didn't quite understand it fully and there weren't as many ways to treat it。 Such a tragic story， but fans of Old Hollywood will delight in Galloway's depiction of a bygone era。 Full review to come。 What a powerful and moving biography of a such a memorable Hollywood couple！ It broke my heart that Vivien had to deal with her bipolar disorder during a time where medicine， as well as people， didn't quite understand it fully and there weren't as many ways to treat it。 Such a tragic story， but fans of Old Hollywood will delight in Galloway's depiction of a bygone era。 Full review to come。 。。。more
Diane Hernandez
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I love Vivian Leigh， the actress。 But now， after reading Truly， Madly， I admire her courage in going all out for her dreams despite serious mental health issues。Vivian and Laurence Olivier had a real love story—not just a Hollywood romance。 And， unfortunately， not all real-life stories have a happy ending。 However， I did learn a lot about the acting profession in the twentieth century as well as about the actors themselves。Truly， Madly is an intriguing true-life tale of passion， drive， and movie I love Vivian Leigh， the actress。 But now， after reading Truly， Madly， I admire her courage in going all out for her dreams despite serious mental health issues。Vivian and Laurence Olivier had a real love story—not just a Hollywood romance。 And， unfortunately， not all real-life stories have a happy ending。 However， I did learn a lot about the acting profession in the twentieth century as well as about the actors themselves。Truly， Madly is an intriguing true-life tale of passion， drive， and moviemaking。 4 stars！Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Saltygalreads
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For their adoring fans， Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier were the epitome of Hollywood glamour and passion。 They loved each other recklessly and with abandon， threw themselves intensely into their acting roles， and lived a wild life of parties， champagne and jetsetting。 They lived to excess and left carnage in their wake， including each other once their passion was spent。Stephen Galloway chronicles their adventures and follies together in Truly， Madly。 I found myself questioning how much their For their adoring fans， Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier were the epitome of Hollywood glamour and passion。 They loved each other recklessly and with abandon， threw themselves intensely into their acting roles， and lived a wild life of parties， champagne and jetsetting。 They lived to excess and left carnage in their wake， including each other once their passion was spent。Stephen Galloway chronicles their adventures and follies together in Truly， Madly。 I found myself questioning how much their problems arose from the fantasy world of acting， alcohol， the constant travel and grueling schedule， as well as the experience of living in a fishbowl with their entire lives as public property， and the topic of gossip columns from Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons。 Naturally this was the worst imaginable lifestyle for Vivien Leigh， eventually diagnosed with Manic Depressive Disorder。 The toll this illness placed on both actors over the years was oppressively high。The author researched his topic meticulously， which shines through in the long list of sources and references。 I felt like I knew these legends of the Silver Screen much better after I finished it， while obtaining an insider view of the backstage during a golden era of Hollywood。 If you are fascinated by this era， then definitely pick up this book！I so enjoyed reading this and many thanks to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy。 。。。more
Susan
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I don't know， what is it with books these days？ All of them so full of errors。 This is the second book in a row where I've found errors that could have been easily and simply checked on the internet。 In the last book the author called the police officer in the OJ Simpson case Mark Foreman instead of Fuhrman。 In this one the author wrote that Joan Fontaine was Olivia de Havilland's older sister。 She was not。 She was a year younger than Olivia。 How can I， with merely a high school diploma， know th I don't know， what is it with books these days？ All of them so full of errors。 This is the second book in a row where I've found errors that could have been easily and simply checked on the internet。 In the last book the author called the police officer in the OJ Simpson case Mark Foreman instead of Fuhrman。 In this one the author wrote that Joan Fontaine was Olivia de Havilland's older sister。 She was not。 She was a year younger than Olivia。 How can I， with merely a high school diploma， know this crap off the top of my head and professional editors and publishers can't be bothered？Anyway， enough ranting from me。 The book was entertaining enough although the writing was very florid and melodramatic in places and had what Larry or Vivien were thinking at any given moment which is impossible to know。 But at least it was a subject that I liked。 。。。more
ScavengedReads
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With no knowledge of who Vivien Leigh of Laurence Olivier were， this book grabbed my attention because the cover is stunning and promised romance。 Once I started reading I recognized some of movies the two had each worked on， of course I know Gone with the Wind， but not well enough to have named the lead actress， that's really where my knowledge base was coming in to this。For all who love the glamour of old Hollywood and want to delve into the real life horrors that many women faced behind that With no knowledge of who Vivien Leigh of Laurence Olivier were， this book grabbed my attention because the cover is stunning and promised romance。 Once I started reading I recognized some of movies the two had each worked on， of course I know Gone with the Wind， but not well enough to have named the lead actress， that's really where my knowledge base was coming in to this。For all who love the glamour of old Hollywood and want to delve into the real life horrors that many women faced behind that exterior or are huge fans of these two， Truely， Madly is a very detailed and well told history that doesn't shy away from the reality of living with a mental illness back then。For others who are less familiar with old Hollywood and the players， this may not be the place to start that journey。 。。。more
Keishia
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“A sweeping and heartbreaking Hollywood biography about the passionate， turbulent marriage of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh。”💫Truly， Madly is out TODAY 3/22/2022！💫Stephen Galloway does an excellent job in delivering an epic but tragic love story。 You can tell that he has done his research which I truly appreciate because as someone who did not know of either individuals， it was easy to put together and see the lives that they’ve lived without worrying that something was fabricated or put out “A sweeping and heartbreaking Hollywood biography about the passionate， turbulent marriage of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh。”💫Truly， Madly is out TODAY 3/22/2022！💫Stephen Galloway does an excellent job in delivering an epic but tragic love story。 You can tell that he has done his research which I truly appreciate because as someone who did not know of either individuals， it was easy to put together and see the lives that they’ve lived without worrying that something was fabricated or put out of context。As extraordinary and messy Larry and Vivien’s lives were， it was also quite solemn。 For Vivien to have lived her life going undiagnosed with a mental illness， not receiving the help and care that she so desperately needed was heartbreaking。 During a time when mental illness was either ignored or unknown depending on who you ask， instead of being helped， she was often ridiculed and seen over the top and plain old crazy。 My heart broke for her as the story and her life progressed。I commend Stephen Galloway for being compassionate towards Viven and her mental illness， when you can clearly see she was spoken to and treated so harshly for something out of her control。Thank you so much @grandcentralpub for my gifted copy。 。。。more
Queen B
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The last time I read a biography of anyone was probably when it was required reading in high school。 But 2022 is the year of new books for Queen B， so a biography of a love story sounded like a perfect addition to my TBR。Truly， Madly is the story of classic film stars Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier。 Their story felt like a real-life romance novel…except we then see the parts that we don’t always see in fiction。 As much as Truly， Madly was about their intense and passionate love for each other The last time I read a biography of anyone was probably when it was required reading in high school。 But 2022 is the year of new books for Queen B， so a biography of a love story sounded like a perfect addition to my TBR。Truly， Madly is the story of classic film stars Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier。 Their story felt like a real-life romance novel…except we then see the parts that we don’t always see in fiction。 As much as Truly， Madly was about their intense and passionate love for each other， there was so much more that cannot be ignored。Ambition， ego， jealousy， and mental health， Truly， Madly focused on so much more than their romance。 It was well written and heavily researched， and including their letters and quotes of others made it feel more realistic—as if I was there with them as it occurred。The in-depth exploration of Vivien’s mental illness， later to be diagnosed as bipolar disorder， was so interesting and heartbreaking at the same time。 How gut wrenching it must be to realize that the sparkle and brilliance that once drew Olivier in， was the same reason of the distance between them at the end。Truly， Madly didn’t end with the happy ending that fiction would have given us， and that makes it even more profoundly sad， and yet， it’s memorable。 I might have to revisit more biographies in the future。Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the review copy！ 。。。more
Kate
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Truly， Madly is a fantastic deep dive into one of old Hollywood’s most infamous couples - Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier。 Vivien， known for her stellar performance as Scarlett O’Hara， was suffering from bi-polar disorder; but unfortunately for her， a post World War 1 era world didn’t understand mental health or the mental illness she’s suffered from。 Her co-workers would often speak of her “fits” treating her as if she were a spoiled actress or unhinged， rather than recognizing her illness fo Truly， Madly is a fantastic deep dive into one of old Hollywood’s most infamous couples - Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier。 Vivien， known for her stellar performance as Scarlett O’Hara， was suffering from bi-polar disorder; but unfortunately for her， a post World War 1 era world didn’t understand mental health or the mental illness she’s suffered from。 Her co-workers would often speak of her “fits” treating her as if she were a spoiled actress or unhinged， rather than recognizing her illness for what it was - something she couldn’t help。 She would continue to go untreated for decades。 While the affair between Vivien and Lawrence began as something beautiful， mental illness and the weight of their lies turned it into something of nightmares。 Eventually marrying in in 1940， they seemed to be chasing that early spark from their affair days。 To this day the world of Hollywood still discusses their larger than life love; and the very clear signs that Vivien was suffering。 Galloway does an absolutely fantastic job at bringing you into their world， sharing their ups and downs， and shedding a light on the importance conversation of understanding mental illness。 Our world has clearly come a long way since the 30s and 40s; but there is still so much left for us to understand。 I was given an ARC of this story to read; but thoughts and opinions are all my own。 Thank you to @GrandCentralPub for the chance to read this book！ 。。。more
Kimberly
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Review featured at www。books-n-kisses。com4。5 Hearts What a great book for any fan of Hollywood’s “it” couple。 I have been a fan of Vivien Leigh’s since first seeing her in Gone With The Wind and probably that is where most fans will say they know her from。 Laurence Olivier is best known for his stage performances and movies like Wuthering Heights and Spartacus。 Having started as an affair while both married they eventually married each other， suffered through miscarriages， time apart for filming Review featured at www。books-n-kisses。com4。5 Hearts What a great book for any fan of Hollywood’s “it” couple。 I have been a fan of Vivien Leigh’s since first seeing her in Gone With The Wind and probably that is where most fans will say they know her from。 Laurence Olivier is best known for his stage performances and movies like Wuthering Heights and Spartacus。 Having started as an affair while both married they eventually married each other， suffered through miscarriages， time apart for filming and what would later be diagnosed as bi-polar disorder that was too new to be named but Leigh suffered from。 Their relationship was one of romance， passion and tumultuous times。 The book is very thorough and very well researched。 You can tell the author wrote from a love of the actors。 I enjoyed so much of this book。 Sometimes it was a bit wordy and a bit like a lecture but the information is worth the read。Disclaimer:I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Kristen Bookrvws
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This was a really entertaining read and to be honest， not what I expected！ I guess I was expecting: 1。more of a cut and dry history and 2。 that the romance would be central to the story。 However this book was more about Laurence's and Vivien's careers over time。 It was almost like reading two parallel stories that at times mirrored each other but didn't necessarily cross。 There was a lot of information about Old Hollywood itself and the pair's relationships with various directors， actors， produc This was a really entertaining read and to be honest， not what I expected！ I guess I was expecting: 1。more of a cut and dry history and 2。 that the romance would be central to the story。 However this book was more about Laurence's and Vivien's careers over time。 It was almost like reading two parallel stories that at times mirrored each other but didn't necessarily cross。 There was a lot of information about Old Hollywood itself and the pair's relationships with various directors， actors， producers， etc as well as their experiences filming and acting in famous pictures and plays。 As the book goes on it becomes more about the pair（ I guess since their acting careers were slowing， especially Vivien's） however I think the core of the book is more about each person's relationship with their career rather than each other。The story is written in a passive， past-tense language so it feels almost like we are hearing gossip from a friend about people we both know。 （ie "Vivien had been feeling xyz" rather than "Vivien felt"）。 It made the history a lot more palatable and felt more like "story-telling" than biography。 As far as critiques I think the book got a bit muddled in fun facts。 I personally love some interesting fun facts but feel they can kind of bog down a story， especially if they are not particularly relevant to core。 I do feel that the book could have been much shorter if there were less of those facts throughout but appreciated them nonetheless。This next critique really depends on whether the book is thought by the author and publisher to be an "traditional" history or not。 Throughout the book the author raises hypothetical question， especially when it comes to how Vivien or Laurence /might/ have felt about something they never commented on。 For example， Vivien's miscarriages。 It's said that they were quite private about this and did not share how they were feeling， especially Vivien。 But the author would raise a hypothetical questions such as "could her actions in this circumstance been a reflection of her grief， etc？" As human beings we can assume how a traumatic thing might have affected someone but if there is no proof or documented expression of those feelings we really can never know for sure。 So it seemed like the questions were there to more so keep the reader embroiled in the narrative。 I don't think it took anything away from the book necessarily but it is not something that is typically done （or at least I am not familiar with）。There were also instances where the author's interpretation of a quote or an action was analyzed through more of a modern lens。 Or if not modern lens then maybe a journalistic one。 For example， there is a quote from Vivien to Laurence saying something to the effect of "there will be more good times。 Won't there？" The author interpreted this as ambivalence or uncertainty and then suggested that this was foreshadowing doubt about Laurence's faithfulness。 To me it seemed like this could have just been a turn of phrase in the era。 Perhaps， emphasizing the point or even reassuring Laurence that good times will come。I know I gave a lot of critiques but I did actually enjoy the book！ It was packed with information and I can say that I honestly learned a lot。 I also loved that it was very accessible。 Because of the way the author tells the story I felt like I knew Vivien and Laurence very intimately。 The author is obviously very knowledgeable about these two people and wrote about them as if he knew them personally。 You can tell he really did his due diligence in researching and that he really cared for the people he was writing about which requires a lot of skill and empathy。 I really enjoyed this memoir！Thank you grand central publishing for the advanced copy！ 。。。more
Jennifer
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This biography about Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier is a true gem for anyone who is a huge fan of the actors。 If you are not super into movies or the stage， and you are just a light fan of Leigh from her time in Gone With the Wind， this book might be too in-depth。I probably fell into the latter category， so it was a lot to get through for me。 It included name-dropping of practically every heavy-duty player in movies or British theater throughout the 20th century。 It was interesting to see how This biography about Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier is a true gem for anyone who is a huge fan of the actors。 If you are not super into movies or the stage， and you are just a light fan of Leigh from her time in Gone With the Wind， this book might be too in-depth。I probably fell into the latter category， so it was a lot to get through for me。 It included name-dropping of practically every heavy-duty player in movies or British theater throughout the 20th century。 It was interesting to see how Leigh's mental illness presented itself as the time went by。 They truly had a deep love story which is rare！Overall it is well-researched and very interesting， especially if， as mentioned， you are a super-fan。Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book。 。。。more
Krista
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I picked this book up because I didn’t know much about the two actors and was anticipating a gossipy， name-dropping portrait of a marriage and a glamorous time in Hollywood。 While it is that， this book is mostly a deeply sad look at how profound， untreated mental illness can ruin the lives of even the most sparkling of people。 Galloway is very compassionate in his portrait of Vivien。NetGalley provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。
Dannie
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Memoirs aren’t typically my thing。 Biographies aren’t typically my thing。 But i loved the way this flowed together， and how devastating painfully， raw， and real the storyline was。 No sugarcoating mental health issues。
joyce w。 laudon
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Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier were giants as actors。 Ms。 Leigh may be best known for playing Scarlet O’Hara in Gone with the Wind， while Olivier was a renowned Shakespearean thespian。 As can often be the case， this external glitter and glory did not fully reflect the actual lives of these two。This well-researched book， sometimes gossipy in tone， tells the story of the cataclysmic meeting and relationship of these two stars。 Just like a meteor （to keep an analogy going）， these two were on a c Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier were giants as actors。 Ms。 Leigh may be best known for playing Scarlet O’Hara in Gone with the Wind， while Olivier was a renowned Shakespearean thespian。 As can often be the case， this external glitter and glory did not fully reflect the actual lives of these two。This well-researched book， sometimes gossipy in tone， tells the story of the cataclysmic meeting and relationship of these two stars。 Just like a meteor （to keep an analogy going）， these two were on a collision course。What were the highs and lows for these two？ How did they meet， come together and live a life together？ Why did their relationship implode and what happened to each in light of this？ Read this title to find out。Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Cynthia Guerra
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Thank you NetGalley for the eARC。 I love Vivian Leigh and I love old movies and I had no idea any of this happened。 What a great trip into the life of these two！ Pretty scandalous for their time！ Its even scandalous in present time！ WOW
James
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this book is great。 here is an amazon link to it if you want check out https://amzn。to/3htzwoT this book is great。 here is an amazon link to it if you want check out https://amzn。to/3htzwoT 。。。more
Paul Vogelzang
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I'll be speaking with author Stephen Gallaway for my Smithsonian Associates interview series and am excited after reading this wonderful book。 I'll be speaking with author Stephen Gallaway for my Smithsonian Associates interview series and am excited after reading this wonderful book。 。。。more
Holly Browning
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Insightful read for fans of Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier。 They were the golden couple of the theatre。 Both dynamic and passionate， this book chronicles their relationship from beginning to the tragic end。 Loved how the author's knowledge of mental illness shed light on what was truly happening to Vivien and how it affected both of their lives and their ties to each other。 #netgalley #goodreads #trulymadly #stephengalloway Insightful read for fans of Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier。 They were the golden couple of the theatre。 Both dynamic and passionate， this book chronicles their relationship from beginning to the tragic end。 Loved how the author's knowledge of mental illness shed light on what was truly happening to Vivien and how it affected both of their lives and their ties to each other。 #netgalley #goodreads #trulymadly #stephengalloway 。。。more
Teri
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Beginning with Anne Edwards' excellent biography of Vivien Leigh in 1997， I have read several joint biographies of the Oliviers。 Happily， with some new material and insights from contemporaries of both who are still living， this book holds its own with previous offerings。 The author has done some research into mental illness which sheds greater light on Leigh's personality and issues; the book also benefits from the fact that science has made strides in understanding manic depression。 It does se Beginning with Anne Edwards' excellent biography of Vivien Leigh in 1997， I have read several joint biographies of the Oliviers。 Happily， with some new material and insights from contemporaries of both who are still living， this book holds its own with previous offerings。 The author has done some research into mental illness which sheds greater light on Leigh's personality and issues; the book also benefits from the fact that science has made strides in understanding manic depression。 It does seem as if the author， while duly charting Olivier's rise to greatness， fails to adequately appreciate Leigh's talent; after all， the woman won the most coveted role of all time， as well as two Academy Awards for Best Actress， in addition to her lauded stage work。 Occasionally I was left with the impression that the book attempts to convey that "she could have been great had mental illness not intervened。" Discussion of Leigh's roles often transitions into her mental health issue; if anything， this condition should be a cause for even greater respect for her skills and endurance， and investigation into how much her condition influenced her portrayals of characters such as Scarlett， Cleopatra and Blanche DuBois。 However， overall， I appreciated the well-rounded portrayal of this couple and the author's research into the sad factors that ended the fairy tale。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this book; the opinions conveyed are my own。 。。。more
Ali Bunke
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Truly， Madly is an impressively researched memoir that peeled back the glamour around two of acting's iconic figures， Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier。 This book exposed the all-encompassing love that overtook both of their lives and provided them with so much happiness。 It also delivers a clear portrayal of what life was like out of the public eye and how their love for each other was ultimately not enough。 Childhood trauma， jealousy， drinking， pride， mistrust， mental health， and more go into Truly， Madly is an impressively researched memoir that peeled back the glamour around two of acting's iconic figures， Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier。 This book exposed the all-encompassing love that overtook both of their lives and provided them with so much happiness。 It also delivers a clear portrayal of what life was like out of the public eye and how their love for each other was ultimately not enough。 Childhood trauma， jealousy， drinking， pride， mistrust， mental health， and more go into the surreal story of their lives。 The book is full of quotes from friends and colleagues who knew the couple， which added to the depth of the narration。 We learn of the backstage happenings during some of the biggest films of that time such as Gone With the Wind。 I found this book engrossing and would recommend it to those who enjoy memoirs。Thank you， NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with the arc。 。。。more
Nancy
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