the memoirs of Sarah Bernhardt

These intimate memoirs, written by oone of the great theatrical personalities of all time, give an engaging account of her brilliant career on the stage, as well as a fascinating glimpse into the tender and vulnerable growing - up years of the legendary bernhardt. Born in 1844, she spent much of her youth in a convent, where she showed an early flair of acting. While still in her teens she made her debut with the comediee francaise, where she gained a devoted following for her performances in many of the great classic and romantic dramas. She received royal treatment in london theatres and in 1880 made her first grand tour of america. Wherever she went , her presence was an event; she captivated audiences, dominated public attention and often incurred criticism for seeming to be more the showman, the exhibitionist, than the gifted actress she was. Not satisfied with stage success alone, and possessing a boundless energy that could not be confined, she tried her hand at everything - flying in balloons, riding live whales; she became an accomplished sculptor and painter and wrote numerous plays and a novel. The novel , in the clouds , is published here at the end of the memoirs for the first time in english. Because of her fame , her divers interests and her magnetic character, she encoutered many of the celebrated personalities of the day, recalling these in her memoirs. Flamboyant, formidable, indefatigable, charismatic -she was above all else a devoted professional whose motto was quand meme -despite all. With numerous personal photographs and illustrations,her memoirs provide a behind-the-scenes view of the early childhood and extaordinary coming of age, personally and professionally, of the indomitable sarah bernhardt..