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Nostalgia Isn't What It Used to Be
English, French (translation)
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
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About the author
Simone Signoret
13 books8 followersSimone Signoret was a French cinema actress often hailed as one of France's greatest movie stars. She became the first French person to win an Academy Award, for her role in Room at the Top (1959). In her lifetime she also received a BAFTA, an Emmy, Golden Globe, Cannes Film Festival recognition and the Silver Bear for Best Actress.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 5, 2014
Completely different from usual movie biographies that mostly serve as narcissistic celebrations of vanity,this one is a memoir of one actual artist who had something interesting to say. The name of Simone Signoret might not be so well known today by kids who are fed on celebrity gossip, but during 1950s and 1960s she was one of the biggest international movie stars and often used her fame to openly confront injustice - in tandem with her husband Yves Montand, Signoret would petition, sign and use her name to protest against than current political regimes (her signature would be next to Simone de Beauvoir, Marguerite Duras, Jean-Paul Sartre and biggest names of french public life). Never a member of any party (and often criticized for her political involvements) Signoret was always provocative, intelligent and compassionate - and ironic enough to be aware that any time she would visit a prison or join a street protest, some would see it as a photo opportunity. As a first european actress who won "Oscar" she is also surprisingly clear-headed about her professional success and laughs at mistakes.
I had read this book long ago, when I was much younger and my curiosity was mainly focused on what she had to say about her husband affair with Marilyn Monroe - today I am older and far more interested about everything else Signoret had to say. How difficult was to be jewish and deprived of work during WW2. Her early life and how it blossomed and changed once she met Montand who was her life partner in every meaning of the word - she writes far more about him than about herself, clearly she is delighted with his success far more than with her own.
How they both travelled trough Eastern Block and met Khrushchev, Tito, local politicians and her impressions of them - and how it all basically blocked her entry to U.S. where she finally got opportunity to work in Hollywood and international recognition. Endearingly free of typical movie star's anecdotes but full of interesting perceptions about people around her, political opponents, cowards and hypocrites, Signoret lived dignified life and her memoirs are brave, inspiring read.
Memories of WW2:
"The battle for Arnhem was in a full swing. We were sandwiched between Allied and German armies. Than, for two or three days we lived without friends and without enemies - except for one, a poor fifteen or sixteen year old boy who hid in the woods. He got riddled with a shot from local commando; they had gotten together twenty or so guys to shoot him down and drag him into town hall as a trophy. He died in his oversize uniform like a little dog."
"We take no orders or instructions. We move when the heart is stirred."
I had read this book long ago, when I was much younger and my curiosity was mainly focused on what she had to say about her husband affair with Marilyn Monroe - today I am older and far more interested about everything else Signoret had to say. How difficult was to be jewish and deprived of work during WW2. Her early life and how it blossomed and changed once she met Montand who was her life partner in every meaning of the word - she writes far more about him than about herself, clearly she is delighted with his success far more than with her own.
How they both travelled trough Eastern Block and met Khrushchev, Tito, local politicians and her impressions of them - and how it all basically blocked her entry to U.S. where she finally got opportunity to work in Hollywood and international recognition. Endearingly free of typical movie star's anecdotes but full of interesting perceptions about people around her, political opponents, cowards and hypocrites, Signoret lived dignified life and her memoirs are brave, inspiring read.
Memories of WW2:
"The battle for Arnhem was in a full swing. We were sandwiched between Allied and German armies. Than, for two or three days we lived without friends and without enemies - except for one, a poor fifteen or sixteen year old boy who hid in the woods. He got riddled with a shot from local commando; they had gotten together twenty or so guys to shoot him down and drag him into town hall as a trophy. He died in his oversize uniform like a little dog."
"We take no orders or instructions. We move when the heart is stirred."
October 6, 2017
My favorite autobiographies are bell hooks’ Bone Black: Memories of Girlhood, Langston Hughes’ The Big Sea, Swanson on Swanson, and Mary Astor’s My Story. And now I’ve added Nostalgia Isn’t What it Used to Be to my list. I am absolutely in love with Simone Signoret. What a hell of a woman she was; not a movie star, but a working actor who cared about her family and about people. A wonderful and honest storyteller who showed you her strength simply by showing her weaknesses. I rate this a million stars.
December 30, 2020
By the time I reached the end of this memoir, what I admired most about Signoret is that she seemed to have the courage of her convictions.
But I wasn't sure whether or not I would post an actual review of this book. I found myself at an overall loss re: what to say. I wondered if the average American now remembers who she was. Even at the height of her fame, Signoret wasn't (in America) perhaps among the most well-known of actors. Notwithstanding her multi-award-winning role in 'Room at the Top' (for which she even won the Oscar), she rarely made a film in the English language.
Though I'm certain she will remain widely revered in France (and justifiably so), it's possible that most Americans more readily recall her husband (Yves Montand). He's the guy who the press claimed had a 'wild' relationship with Marilyn Monroe. Signoret's own version of that 'scandal' is notable for its clear-eyed candor and its so what?-brevity. She considered Marilyn a friend throughout. (Signoret and Montand were the same age. They married in 1951 and were married when Signoret died in 1985. Montand followed her in 1991.)
I was more interested in reading about Signoret's politics than her stage / screen life. Her actions in that regard were illuminating; they were based on what she experienced as a child in Occupied France. That harsh reality caused her to become generally circumspect in her politically related decisions and behavior; a trait she shared with Montand. The two of them were largely misperceived as Communists though their worldview ran along diplomatic lines of altruism. They were hesitant to take sides (esp. ones that would be misunderstood) and, for that reason, often refused dinner invitations from world figures. ~ which is why her detailed account of her inadvertent (and long) evening with Khrushchev is fascinating; overall, he didn't seem to intimidate her.
What I also admired about this woman is the way her professional career mingled with her sense of good taste as well as her politics. She translated Arthur Miller's allegory for McCarthyism, 'The Crucible' - which she performed onstage with Montand, and the two of them spearheaded a French-language film version since Hollywood studios were too cowardly to tackle 'open' criticism of McCarthy.
In her memoir, Signoret does not spare herself. She takes herself to task for professional and personal mistakes. ...I got a little lost at some points in the book - when she was describing either specific political events / personages in France or some of the schisms / factions she spoke of in relating her work experiences in Eastern Europe. But if I didn't understand everything to the letter, I understood what was necessary... and I understood what drove her. I like her spirit.
But I wasn't sure whether or not I would post an actual review of this book. I found myself at an overall loss re: what to say. I wondered if the average American now remembers who she was. Even at the height of her fame, Signoret wasn't (in America) perhaps among the most well-known of actors. Notwithstanding her multi-award-winning role in 'Room at the Top' (for which she even won the Oscar), she rarely made a film in the English language.
Though I'm certain she will remain widely revered in France (and justifiably so), it's possible that most Americans more readily recall her husband (Yves Montand). He's the guy who the press claimed had a 'wild' relationship with Marilyn Monroe. Signoret's own version of that 'scandal' is notable for its clear-eyed candor and its so what?-brevity. She considered Marilyn a friend throughout. (Signoret and Montand were the same age. They married in 1951 and were married when Signoret died in 1985. Montand followed her in 1991.)
I was more interested in reading about Signoret's politics than her stage / screen life. Her actions in that regard were illuminating; they were based on what she experienced as a child in Occupied France. That harsh reality caused her to become generally circumspect in her politically related decisions and behavior; a trait she shared with Montand. The two of them were largely misperceived as Communists though their worldview ran along diplomatic lines of altruism. They were hesitant to take sides (esp. ones that would be misunderstood) and, for that reason, often refused dinner invitations from world figures. ~ which is why her detailed account of her inadvertent (and long) evening with Khrushchev is fascinating; overall, he didn't seem to intimidate her.
What I also admired about this woman is the way her professional career mingled with her sense of good taste as well as her politics. She translated Arthur Miller's allegory for McCarthyism, 'The Crucible' - which she performed onstage with Montand, and the two of them spearheaded a French-language film version since Hollywood studios were too cowardly to tackle 'open' criticism of McCarthy.
In her memoir, Signoret does not spare herself. She takes herself to task for professional and personal mistakes. ...I got a little lost at some points in the book - when she was describing either specific political events / personages in France or some of the schisms / factions she spoke of in relating her work experiences in Eastern Europe. But if I didn't understand everything to the letter, I understood what was necessary... and I understood what drove her. I like her spirit.
December 23, 2008
This was one of the best autobiographies I have ever read. A tremendous actress who led an amazing life away from the theatre and screen.
October 30, 2020
LOVE THIS BOOK! I started it for research on the Cafe Flore, for my next book, and ended up making it my favorite bedtime read. Lush. Brilliant. Wonderful!
January 15, 2021
Intelligence, that's what she's got going for her, plus humor, good sense, warmth and a fine lyricism; plus a marvelous story beautifully told.
December 30, 2017
Un pizzico d'invidia...
Un libro godibilissimo, una storia vera, la "sua" storia, quella di Simone Signoret, moglie di Yves Montand, attrice un pò per caso, un pò per necessità. Attraverso eventi che hanno segnato la storia, quella con la "S" maiuscola, Simone si muove con leggerezza, senza quel divismo sfrontato che caratterizza le star di oggi. A cena con Picasso, ad una festa a casa di Gregory Peck, ospite di Jane Fonda, il tutto come se facesse parte di una quotidianità naturale. E poi l'incontro con Krushev, il visto americano a lungo atteso durante il maccartismo, il tour in Unione Sovietica al fianco di Montand, il Vietnam e l'Algeria, il '68 francese, la notte degli Oscar e tanto altro ancora. Una summa di cinema, teatro, storia, politica, evoluzioni interiori ed esteriori, a volte spettatrice a volte artefice del corso degli eventi. Una testimonianza autentica e dimessa di una vera signora del cinema come nella vita.
Un libro godibilissimo, una storia vera, la "sua" storia, quella di Simone Signoret, moglie di Yves Montand, attrice un pò per caso, un pò per necessità. Attraverso eventi che hanno segnato la storia, quella con la "S" maiuscola, Simone si muove con leggerezza, senza quel divismo sfrontato che caratterizza le star di oggi. A cena con Picasso, ad una festa a casa di Gregory Peck, ospite di Jane Fonda, il tutto come se facesse parte di una quotidianità naturale. E poi l'incontro con Krushev, il visto americano a lungo atteso durante il maccartismo, il tour in Unione Sovietica al fianco di Montand, il Vietnam e l'Algeria, il '68 francese, la notte degli Oscar e tanto altro ancora. Una summa di cinema, teatro, storia, politica, evoluzioni interiori ed esteriori, a volte spettatrice a volte artefice del corso degli eventi. Una testimonianza autentica e dimessa di una vera signora del cinema come nella vita.
May 6, 2023
A compelling memoir intertwining the artistic, political and personal lives of Signoret, Montand and their compadres, from the pre-mid to post-mid French and European 20th century. Signoret, in a way both authoritative and nebulous, shares her story her way of accompanying Montand on a Russian and Eastern European tour; her early experiences during World War II; her impressions of those who are true companions on the journey and poseurs; and, of course, the inextricable connections and enmeshments of art and politics in 20th century France and Europe. Her chapters on the Hollywood time are both delightful and bittersweet; the characters that fill her memory leap brilliantly from the page. Her epilogue is definitive in elucidating the ephemeralness of memories; how one's history is really made of shadows. Exemplary.
April 7, 2019
"C'était une reine. Elle a sorti la France de ses gonds, elle l'a faite internationale. " ― Marguerite Duras
"Je ne peux pas jurer que j'ai été d'une sincérité totale en affirmant que je n'ai pas de nostalgie. J'ai peut-être la nostalgie de la mémoire non partagée..." ― Simone Signoret
Une autobiographie extraordinaire.
"Je ne peux pas jurer que j'ai été d'une sincérité totale en affirmant que je n'ai pas de nostalgie. J'ai peut-être la nostalgie de la mémoire non partagée..." ― Simone Signoret
Une autobiographie extraordinaire.
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April 24, 2010Une autobiographie sous forme de question réponse, trouvée par hasard dans une bouquinerie, il me faisait de l'oeil..
October 11, 2012
Prachtig mooi mens! Geweldige actrice!
March 1, 2018
Larger than life. What a life.
March 1, 2023
Review : Toen ik in 1976 in Le Gard du Nord in Parijs aankwam viel mijn oog op een boek met de prachtige titel Nostalgie n’est plus ce qu’elle était. Bovendien was het ook nog de eerste autobiografische roman van de Franse heldin van het witte doek Simone Signoret. één van mijn grote favorites toen én nu. Moest ik in een hemel geloven, dan was ik er toen…In Parijs op een terras mateloos genieten van dit boek.
Onlangs trof ik in de bibliotheek een Nederlandse vertaling van het boek en ik was terug in de hemel….alleen was het nu in Antwerpen dat dit boek mij opnieuw in vervoering bracht. In dit prachtige en openhartige werk, vertelt ze over haar vreugdes en verdriet en laat ze zich ook kennen als politiek activiste, echtgenote en moeder. Ook haar reis naar Rusland en haar ontmoeting met Nikita Chroesjtsjov komen aan bod. Een boek dat ik kan blijven herlezen.
Onlangs trof ik in de bibliotheek een Nederlandse vertaling van het boek en ik was terug in de hemel….alleen was het nu in Antwerpen dat dit boek mij opnieuw in vervoering bracht. In dit prachtige en openhartige werk, vertelt ze over haar vreugdes en verdriet en laat ze zich ook kennen als politiek activiste, echtgenote en moeder. Ook haar reis naar Rusland en haar ontmoeting met Nikita Chroesjtsjov komen aan bod. Een boek dat ik kan blijven herlezen.
April 3, 2022
È un opera lunghissima e a tratti estenuante. Indubbiamente bisogna dare merito di essere ben scritta ma nel contempo in certe parti tratta argomenti poco interessanti. Un libro comunque godibile solo fino a poco prima della fine dove davvero diventa a mio parere oltremodo poco stimolante. In complesso troppo lungo per i miei gusti, avrei preferito un opera più condensata
December 26, 2017
Längtan är inte längre vad den varit, 1976
June 1, 2013
Met veel plezier gelezen. Alleen, er komen wel érg veel namen en situaties uit onder andere de Franse, Russische, Griekse politiek en cultuur aan bod die ik niet ken. Vaak zocht ik die op (weet nu heel veel meer dan ik deed), maar als ik dat bij alle namen had gedaan, was ik nog een paar maanden aan het lezen geweest. Toch, een goed geschreven levensverhaal van en over een boeiende vrouw.
January 10, 2017
autobiografie door en van een van de grootste actrices
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews