Some of Me: Autobiographische Notizen

by Isabella Rossellini

Isabella Rossellini, hevorgegangen aus einer der berühmtesten Künstlerehen des 20. Jahrhunderts – ihre Mutter war Ingrid Bergman, ihr Vater Roberto Rossellini –, und als Filmschauspielerin und Photomodell selbst ein Weltstar, hat mit ihrer 1997 erschienenen Autobiographie ein literarisches Kabinettstück abgeliefert, das wir jetzt in unserer Literaturreihe neu auflegen. Some of Me war und ist ein Glücksfall, nicht nur in der Gattung der Künstlermemoiren. Originell, provokant, sprühend vor Witz und entwaffnender Selbstironie gibt Isabella Rossellini eine ebenso amüsante wie inspirierende Vorstellung weiblicher Lebenskunst. Spielerisch hält sie die Balance zwischen den vielen Rollen ihrer Künstlerexistenz und ihres Privatlebens als Tochter, Schwester, Geliebte, Ehefrau, Muse und Mutter. Und meisterlich versteht sie mit der Lust und Last zu jonglieren, die ein Image bigger than life mit sich bringt.

Isabella Rossellini, die 1952 in Rom geboren wurde und seit ihrem 19. Lebensjahr in New York lebt, hat bei Schirmer/Mosel drei weitere Bücher veröffentlicht und 2013 die große Monographie über ihre Mutter, Ingrid Bergman. Ein Leben in Bildern, herausgegeben.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Autobiography, Biography Memoir, Film, Italy

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini is an Italian actress, filmmaker, author, philanthropist, and model. Rossellini is noted for her brief career as a Lancôme model, and for her roles in films such as Blue Velvet and Death Becomes Her.

Reviews

[Steven Godin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful memoir. Whenever I have thought of Rossellini in the past my mind is immediately honed in on her character of Dorothy Vallens in David Lynch's Blue Velvet. This book now gives me something else to strongly remind me of her, and not just the unforgettable images of being violated by Dennis Hopper's utterly terrifying Frank Booth. (What a film that was by the way!). Rossellini not only opens up intimately about her family, childhood, love life, modelling and film career, but also speaks candidly about sex, science, pets, and adoption; amongst other things. As memoirs go; and I've read quite a lot of them, this one was pretty unconventional - including dialogues with her dead relatives, which just made me like it even more. And, like any good memoir, it wouldn't be complete without a nice scattering of photographs - here, they range from old black & whites to modern Vogue covers. Not a page is wasted - no bullshit. Just great all round. Like it says inside the cover - It's a thing of beauty. Like the author herself.

[Kinga · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Isabella (and her mom) nevertheless I didn't expect to like this book this much. I enjoyed it greatly. It's well written, funny, entertaining but most importantly honest. We can get a real picture of this beautiful lady who is not afraid to admit she sometimes lies, exaggerates or invents stories. She speaks openly about some episodes of her life, I especially liked the one about adoption. Although I clearly see that she didn't like the way Lancôme treated her (who would?) she doesn't use this book to trash on the company but to encourage women to face their age. I loved the imaginary conversations with her ghosts and I laughed out loud at some of her stories. Very refreshing reading that left me with wanting to read more about and from Isabella Rossellini. A must for all fans :-)

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up on a whim. It was way cooler than I expected. Her father was a famous film director, she was married to Martin Scorsese, and she dated David Lynch for 5 years, she imagines them and her mother talking to each other. Which is pretty interesting.
Then her talking about modeling kind of really seemed like P.B. Randolph's practice of 'posism'.

[Mary Karpel-Jergic · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and lively romp through the earlier years of Isabella Rossellini's life. Writing this in her forties, I wonder how she may have changed in the subsequent years. I'd be interested in her 60 year old view of her life and world.

This is a disarming read. Rossellini, at the very beginning tells you that she is a liar, prone to 'coloratura'. Later in the book she admits to needing to tell the truth after she has lied. So as the reader you are left a little nonplussed. Can you believe everything that she says. However, all autobiographies would probably be guilty of the same thing except there is no explicit mention of the possibility.

There are also the imaginary running conversations between dead relatives and herself and later between them and her living ex-husbands. She uses this as a device I think, to convey the impressions that have informed her personal philosophies and to share these interesting people's views. It does the trick.

Her modelling and acting career is discussed and she appears to be candidly honest about herself and the industries that she has been involved with.

Lots of things in her life are covered and she manages to do this succinctly. It's an easy read but I consider it to have depth. The deaths of her parents are not particularly mourned in this book but their absence and her loss is weaved rather delicately throughout the narrative. She conveys a sense of the mystery of life and clearly has a resilience that can navigate her through the darker times. "Whatever I find that is positive, however thin and faint, I will hang on to it and, like threads in fairy tales, use it to come out of the woods".

I was surprised and shocked to read of her battle with scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine. She endured invasive and painful treatment over a period of a year to correct this.

I was also touched by the way she wrote about her adoption of her son Roberto.

There is slight mention of a rape and a beating but she doesn't provide any further detail of this.

I think that beneath much of this book lies Rossellini's grappling with mortality.

"Eternity is not the endless succession of centuries (as Isabella thinks) but time that doesn't move."

[Molly Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very quick read, and some wonderful insight into the lives of Isabella and her "larger than life" parents.

[Cedar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple, honest and a beautiful memoir, she simply tells her story, daughter of famous actor and a famous director. I think she is a beautiful woman with a beautiful soul.

[Irene Xandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

3 stars for the content, 1 star for the humorous style of writing and 1 extra star coming from my subjective take on anything to do with Ingrid Bergman
Charming book, as the lady herself, like a breath of fresh air, offering an inspiring train of thoughts, accompanied by a contagious roar of laughter.
It's always touching to see how much she keeps her dear ones alive in her heart and mind (even as voices from beyond!), together with all the efforts she made publicly to preserve their memory and their work.
Another highlight of the book is how she explains cinematic concepts through simple words, imagery and feelings. All while imagining the dialogue between different filmmakers, first and foremost daddy Roberto Rossellini, proof of her vivid imagination and histrionics.

[Nina Di Salvo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isabella Rossellini, a delightfully quirky, curious, beautifully strange mortal goddess/film prodigy, wrote a seriously WONDERFUL autobiography. .
.
.
Light of heart, observant, and seriously hysterical, Isabella never takes herself too seriously in this truly candid look into her life as Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rosselini’s daughter, a twin, and an individual, inherited fame, paving your own path, beauty, aging, adoption, dating some of the most iconic men in cinema... I could go on, it sounds like a recipe we’ve all heard before but Isabella’s presentation of her curious, extraordinary, truly original life is something to be applauded. What a lady. Strongly recommend this book and if anyone wants to borrow it (and endure all of my under-lining and inked commendation, LOL) feel free!

[Constance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ms Rossellini is an icon which I think she doesn't like to be called. I worked for Lancome during her heyday. Her photos were everywhere & most girls in my profession wanted to be her, including me.

I think I was expecting more of what I'm not sure. I found the dead conversations with past family members quite tedious. There was repetition throughout.

I'm glad I own a copy albeit a very used library copy from Better World Books. I will continue to watch her lifestyle go along at her pace & treasure my Lancome days.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and interesting personal chats from Isabella (and some of her dead). I picked it up because she was everywhere promoting Conclave (which I saw 3 times as well as read the book) so YouTube eventually fed me old interviews from talk shows from when this book was published. I've got to admit I knew nothing about several of her personal relationships and had forgotten just how stunning she was. I've always thought photos of my mom when she was young remind me of Isabella.

[Margo Lund · Rating 2 out of 5]

It reads almost like a series of self reflective journal entries - some parts were interesting and funny, especially the one about losing her a**hole uncle's urn - and not really being bothered about it, because he was an a**hole. (Some of me) is an accurate title for this coffee table read. It's pretty bare bones and minimal.

[Freyja Vanadis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mostly loved this book. I love the pictures of her, with and without her family, and I enjoyed reading about her life. What I didn't care for were the imaginary conversations she claimed to have with people who weren't there, like her ex husbands and deceased relatives. After a while, I just skipped over those.

[Annestone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like being in her extraordinary head. This book defies logic and is completely delightful. Yes there are some stories about her famous parents and husbands and modeling gigs, but mostly there's the woman thinking, and it's authentic and heavenly. Oh, and really cool pictures.

[Heaven Claussen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adore this book just a wonderful read

[Sarah Frog · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I was as beautiful as she is. She has an amazing life. After I watched her in Blue Velvet I bought this book. It was a great read.

[Ew Lake · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a pleasant surprise. Love discovering others who are passionate and artistic yet practical and orderly. : )

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first autobiography I ever read and there are some pieces of advice I learned from her story that I still take along with me on my own journey through life.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was great to hear about some from famous parents having such a no non-sense upbringing.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my favorite women. this book is thoughtfully and well written, entertaining, and informative.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating account of Rossellini's life rife with fiction, fantasy, and some actual facts.

[Christiane Alsop · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply love this book.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this quick auto bio. by the daughter of Ingrid Bergman. Full of photos.

[Ruth B · Rating 5 out of 5]

lucid.