Rita Will: Memoir of a Literary Rabble-Rouser

by Rita Mae Brown

Book Overview

Rita Mae Brown recounts the drama of her life, from her rescue from an orphanage through the ups and downs of relationships and her career as a writer. One of the first openly gay celebrities in the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553378260
• ISBN13: 9780553378269
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Bantam
• Length: 512 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Great Book!

...I'm a tennis fan who was curious about the author's insights on Martina Navratilova. What I ended up with was a tremendously interesting and engaging book. Rita Mae Brown has perspectives and experiences unlike my own and I could not put the book down. I liked the parts about her family also. Certainly there are political messages here, but they are based on her own experiences and are not "preachy" or coming from someone who lives in theories only. If you are a fan of her books, this will be a big treat for you. If you don't know her, read this book for a different life perspective, particuarly about women's issues, including lesbian issues. If these issues offend you, or you don't like reading about them, then this book is probably not for you. It's not an integral part of the book, but it is there. The book is about a person. The book reads like you are talking to her, and she is very interesting. Also, I always suspected Billie Jean King was wretched personally, so I really liked the parts where my opinion is all but supported by someone in the know!This is an autobiography. Of course the book is about her. Dah! There are a few instances where she comes off a little haughty in my opinion, but I haven't published books or earned the money to have a farm in Virginia, and I didn't struggle through poverty for years to get there either, so I think she's entitled to a little license, folks. The only part I didn't like was when she discussed Fannie Flagg's former lover and only gave her a pseudonym with a vague but "see if you can guess" description. I'm a born gossip and love stuff like that! I think I figured out her hints, but I hate having to do that. It's such a silly exercise. Maybe that was the point in doing that, who knows. Anyone in the closet ought to read this regarding her depiction of Jerry Pfeiffer. I think the silliness of that lifestyle is well exposed simply by recounting the facts. Anyway, very good read!

what's true

After reading R.M. Brown's "Sudden death" and "Rubyfruit jungle", I simply had to know what is fiction and what is true in these books full of entertaining stories, I wanted to know more about the author. So I read her autobiography, which definitely made me become fond of her. Her books really deserve to be known by a wider public than only by fans of women's tennis!These funny, vividly told memoires and tricks of her childhood and youth, reminded me to my own life. They are written so hilariously and relaxed, it's a pure pleasure to read them. Often, my wife asked me why I was laughing, and I had to reread the scenes aloud. It's so interesting to learn about the life and customs of the simple people and the country in the southern states, and I like the morals behind the stories and the author's warm, earthy, lusty language.

Rabble Rousing Genius!

One of the greatest gifts a popular author can give their fans next to a "How To" on writing and style is an Autobiography. In her Memoir Ms. Brown pulls out all stops and allows the reader a unique window into her life allowing one to see what motivates her writing.It is no big surprise that some of her best books are snippets of the author's own life. Having read these works long before this creation my attention was pleasantly held in reserve as the pages leaped by me in high-volume page turning style. Others may have found this as a "re-read" of her past novels but I disagree and rather call it as a wonderful enhancement to the stories of her life as well as an humorous inspiration to me. No Rita Mae fan should be without this book on their shelf.

How can an autobiography NOT be self-involved?

Although I'm hesitant to write due to my bias- Ms. Brown is my favorite author- I had a hard time understanding the reviews that use words like 'egoist'. I would choose words such as 'self-confident', 'bold', and 'hilarious'. Cheers to Rita Mae Brown for her life, and for sharing her life story with us. I, for one, am appreciative. And, she cracks me up.

I really like this woman!

I already knew that Rita Mae Brown is one of the funniest writers alive today. I split my sides reading "Six of One", which remains my favorite. Now I appreciate just how intelligent, courageous, and resourceful she is. She dives right into life, and has played a part in some of our most tempestuous recent history. I found her analyses of the feminist movement, the gay-rights movement, "hollyweird" to be refreshingly candid and intelligent, as is her Southern working class viewpoint. I had a little trouble getting through the first part of the book, lists of names of people I don't know who aren't really described; but I found I couldn't put it down even then. I like this woman, and I appreciate her sharing herself and her opinions with me. There aren't too many people whose opinions I care to hear. I'm writing this because I found some of the reviews here shockingly petty and sniping. Here's a bit of heartfelt acclaim to tip the scales the other way.