| Description |
1 online resource (xiii, 334 pages) : illustrations |
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text file rda |
| Contents |
Maps -- I. The Dohenys -- 905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills -- II. The Warners -- 1801 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills -- III. The Garlands -- 22368 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu -- IV. Jennifer Jones -- 1400 Tower Grove Road, Beverly Hills -- 22400 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu -- 22368 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu -- V. The Steins -- 1330 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills -- Biographical Notes. |
| Summary |
"An epic, mesmerizing oral history of Hollywood and Los Angeles by the author of the contemporary classic Edie; Jean Stein influenced the art of oral history in her groundbreaking book Edie : American Girl, an indelible portrait of Andy Warhol 'superstar' Edie Sedgwick. Now, in West of Eden, Stein turns her lens toward the city Sedgwick came from--Los Angeles--and a mythic cast of fortune hunters and aspiring moguls whose quests for fame and power destroyed many along the way. West of Eden, a work of history both grand in scale and intimate in detail, tells the stories of five larger-than-life individuals and their families, each one representing different aspects of Los Angeles and the American dream. There is Edward Doheny, the Wisconsin-born oil tycoon whose corruption ruins the reputation of a United States president and leads to his own son's violent death. Jack Warner, the son of Jewish Polish immigrants, joins with his brothers to found one of the world's most iconic film studios. Jane Garland, the troubled daughter of an aspiring actress, can never escape her mother's schemes. Jennifer Jones, a young actress from Oklahoma, wins an Academy Award at twenty-five but struggles with despair despite her fame and glamour. Finally, Stein chronicles the ascent of her own father, Jules Stein, an eye doctor born in Indiana who transforms Hollywood with the creation of an unrivaled agency and studio. These chapters paint a panoramic picture of outsiders pinning their hopes on Los Angeles--then watching as the shadow of those dreams envelopes their loved ones, especially their children, and the city itself. Decades in the making, West of Eden depicts a land of absurdity and treachery in the tradition of Raymond Chandler, Nathanael West, and Joan Didion. As she did in Edie, Stein weaves the personal recollections of hundreds of people into an astonishing tapestry of voices telling the saga of a place like no other. Advance praise for West of Eden: 'In times past, in an effort to capture the edge and feel of Hollywood during its golden age of glamour and noir, Nathanael West, Raymond Chandler, Carey McWilliams, and Joan Didion stretched language and genre to their limits. Jean Stein and West of Eden belong in this company'--Kevin Starr, former California State Librarian and author of California : A History"-- Provided by publisher. |
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An oral history of five outsider families who rose to power and fortune in Hollywood and Los Angeles traces their humble origins, the dreams that inspired their ambitions, the setbacks that challenged their achievements, and their enduring legacies. |
| System Details |
Requires Boundless App. |
| Subject |
Oral history -- California -- Los Angeles.
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Overdrive -- Ebook.
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Manners and customs. |
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Oral history. |
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Social conditions. |
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Los Angeles (Calif.) -- Biography.
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Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.) -- Biography.
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Beverly Hills (Calif.) -- Biography.
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Los Angeles (Calif.) -- History.
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Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.) -- History.
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Beverly Hills (Calif.) -- History.
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Los Angeles (Calif.) -- Social life and customs.
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Los Angeles (Calif.) -- Social conditions.
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California -- Beverly Hills. |
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California -- Los Angeles. |
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California -- Los Angeles -- Hollywood. |
| Genre |
Electronic books. |
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Biography.
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History.
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Biographies.
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| Other Form: |
Electronic reproduction of (manifestation): Stein, Jean. West of Eden New York : Random House, [2016] 9780812998405 (DLC) 2015022411 (OCoLC)908517292 |
| ISBN |
9780812998412 : $60.00 |
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0812998413 : $60.00 |
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