Book Review: Audrey and Bill

Book: Audrey and Bill: A Romantic Biography of Audrey Hepburn and William Holden by Edward Z. Epstein

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Publisher: Running Press

Description:

Here for the first time is the complete, captivating story of an on-set romance that turned into a lifelong love story between silver screen legends Audrey Hepburn and William Holden.

In 1954, Hepburn and Holden were America’s sweethearts. Both won Oscars that year and together they filmed Sabrina, a now-iconic film that continues to inspire the worlds of film and fashion.
Audrey & Bill tells the stories of both stars, from before they met to their electrifying first encounter when they began making Sabrina. The love affair that sparked on-set was relatively short-lived, but was a turning point in the lives of both stars. Audrey & Bill follows both Hepburn and Holden as their lives crisscrossed through to the end, providing an inside look at the Hollywood of the 1950s, ’60s, and beyond. Through in-depth research and interviews with former friends, co-stars, and studio workers, Audrey & Bill author Edward Z. Epstein sheds new light on the stars and the fascinating times in which they lived.


Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Review:

There was something very intriguing about this biography that immediately had me hooked. It was like you were getting a birds eye view into Old Hollywood. Although focusing on Audrey Hepburn and Bill Holden from their personal lives and their careers, the making of Sabrina and their romantic interest with each other, it also provided an interesting insight into the Hollywood engine of cultivating stars. 

The format for Audrey and Bill alternates between describing the lives (and loves) of Hepburn and Holden, showing how their lives have paralleled and intersected as their careers started to wind down.

This was a very fascinating read. Although it did have a slightly tabloid feel to it (albeit a sophisticated one), the book didn't seem too salacious as it detailed all the various romantic entanglements Hepburn and Holden experienced together and with their other love interests.

This gives an unbiased look at these two actors and of Old Hollywood which showcased the good and bad. It removes the star from the pedestal and instead focused on people who were anything but glamorous and perfect but real nonetheless.

Fans of Old Hollywood may want to give this a read especially if they want a behind the scenes look into it. However, if seeing iconic stars as less than perfect is not your cup of tea then this may not be the read for you.