The Divine Sarah

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com: thank you.

I was quite interested to see Sarah Bernhardt’s Art of the Theatre in an email from AudiobookBlast. I’ve known bits and pieces about The Divine Sarah, it seems by osmosis, from the art of Alphonse Mucha to legends of her Hamlet and so forth. I was looking forward to learning about her. I hoped it would be some cross between memoir and art instruction; I was looking forward to learning more about the actress and her experience of theatre in the nineteenth century.

There was some of that. I had a glimpse into the life of Miss Bernhardt, but just a glimpse; I had a taste of what it was like to become a thespian, to work as a thespian, in Europe over a hundred years ago – but just a taste. I would have loved more about her education at the Conservatoire; it was delightful to hear about the deportment classes, like a ridiculous version of Kabuki. I would have loved more about her performances – more along the lines of the fact that she had horrific stage fright unless in front of a hostile audience (like in Germany, where she made some bad choices for her performance). I loved her discussion of the almost schizophrenic-sounding ability to split off the character she was set to portray from her own personality: “I would dismiss Sarah Bernhardt to a corner and leave her to be a spectator of my new me.” She felt that she literally left her self behind in the dressing room.

I perked up when the “three Hamlets” came up, but either Mlle Bernhardt assumed whoever was reading her book knew what she meant or… no, that’s probably what it was. (They are, for the record, to perhaps save someone the Google: the black Hamlet of Shakespeare, L’Aiglon, the white Hamlet of Rostand, and Lorenzaccio, the Florentine Hamlet of Alfred de Musset.) She mused a brief while on the role, but I had hoped for more. I do love the comment that Hamlets are generally too well-fed and comfortable … although, really, it’s not like a wealthy, privileged young man whose troubles are pretty recent would have had the chance to wither away too much...

The tales of her career are made a bit less than enthralling by heavy reference to people – actors, authors, playwrights, artists – who were huge in her day and in France, but are at best obscure here and now. Name-dropping is less impressive when nobody knows what you’re talking about.

It was a bit difficult to get past prejudices the lady built up within her time period and her experience. Stout women waddle. You can’t be an actor if your proportions aren’t right. God help you if you’re ugly. “If the sacred fire burns in you, you will succeed” – unless your arms aren’t long enough.

Going wider: “Although all new ideas are born in France, they are not readily adopted there.” Because France, of course, is the center and focus of the world. (America (which here includes Toronto)? *delicate shudder* Though I have to say,“despotic enthusiasm” isn’t the worst description I’ve ever heard for this country …) So is theatre the epicenter of everything: “Our art is the finest, the noblest, the most suggestive, for it is the synthesis of all the arts. Sculpture, painting, literature, elocution, architecture, and music are its natural tools.” Pardon me while I go find an actor to kowtow to, in my natural station as subservient former art student.

If she liked you, you were golden, and could do no wrong. If she disliked you, God help you. If she liked you and then was disillusioned … oh dear. The lady held very strong opinions, and was free with them; “There are actors devoid of talent who are very successful.”

I wonder if it’s actually true that “all sports are injurious to the voice, especially sailing”.

It seems possible that autograph-seeking was invented expressly for the Divine Sarah: “One lady had the idea of producing her pocketbook and asking me to write my name. The idea spread like lightning.” Without Sarah Bernhardt, Comic-Con would be but a shadow of what it is.

So, this isn’t quite a memoir, or a book of acting instruction, exactly, though elements of both exist. What it resembled most was pulling up a seat next to an elderly prima donna and trying to follow along as she vented her opinions on her schooling, and kids’ education these days, and people she knew thirty years ago, and that time in Germany… An outpouring of words which outline the shape of Sarah Bernhardt and the space she filled in theatre, without adding color or dimensionality to the outline. The gap I was looking to fill will probably be better served by a biography. I’ll have to look into it one day. This only served as an appetizer.

The narration was quite good, though there were some awkward pronunciations: “Marseillais” became “Marsellay”; “infinite”, “dross”,”physiognomy” were all a bit off, and so on; “A” was always long. I believe one review complained about the narrator not being French, and I admit a genuine French accent might have enhanced the experience (given Miss Bernhardt’s ethnocentrism, especially).

While I couldn’t help raising eyebrows at some bits of the book, and was alternately fascinated and quite frankly bored in places, this quote was wonderful:

[The actor’s] walls are of cardboard and his mountains painted on canvas, his skies have their nights illuminated by a thousand little paper stars, suspended at the end of a thread and stirring with every puff of breath. His impregnable turrets are fashioned of millboard, and the axe which is laid to them and the bullet which pierces them are children’s toys. But the hand which holds these toys is the hand of a man electrified by splendid verse. The heart that rushes to the assault beats a charge as vigorous, as precipitate, as if a real enemy were in question. And for the public that is present, anxious, nervous, and transported, the turret might be of freestone; the sky the black firmament lit by its thousands of golden studs, and it is the faith of the actor holding the torch handed him by the poet that illumines every mind, every soul, and every sensibility.

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The Art of the Thaetre

This was a very good behind the scenes look at what goes on and what this actress ,in particular, felt while working in theatre.I enjoyed it a lot having worked behind the scenes at a theatre locally.Ms Bernhardt shares her views on many issues and what is expected in theatre life.
Kitty Hendrix does a wonderful job narrating this fascinating read!
"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."

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"I FEEL. I FEEL..."

THE ART OF THE THEATRE was a poetic and dramatic narrative of Sarah Bernhardt. She was Chardonnay, a rite of passage, enigmatic, and while being a small woman, an icon of large magnitude. She was a complex woman who embodied art, especially the dramatic art. The theatre. I think she was a woman who carved her place within a man's world. She was sharp, smart, and minced no words. She told it like it was, the good and bad, the truth. When asked why she would rather play Hamlet than Ophelia she countered with the fact that she liked playing male roles for their intelligence. When describing why she preferred playing the role of Hamlet rather than that of Ophila, she stated that his was the most original yet the most simple. He seemed complex but had only one idea which was to avenge his father. She may well have described herself with those very words.

The advice she shares on acting such as stage presence, appearance, tone of voice, pronunciation, enunciation, and physical attributes is honest and timeless. When she discusses the will or willpower, I think she really nails it. "Willpower is the fundamental condition of success." An actor must abandon the whole 'self' and give the character a soul including heart, mind, and body. "A true actor realizes himself through passion and can't be natural unless he has the power to project himself."

I feel that Sarah Bernhardt is timeless and highly revered as an exquisite woman of the arts and taste. She's the saint of all things dramatic. Saint Sarah. I don't know how saintly she was but what I do know is that she knew her craft backwards, forwards and in between. While she was the most famous actress she was also the most beloved as can be shown by large crowds waiting to see her and waiting for her after a performance. I didn't know she'd had a bit of stage fright. This was an insightful narrative/bio of Sarah Bernhardt's notes and musings about what it takes to be an actor. This is a woman I would love to go back in time and meet. This is a fabulous audiobook that I would definitely recommend. It's a matter of style and taste but I loved it and Kitty Hendrix's performance made it all the more wonderful.

KITTY HENDRIX is the embodiment of Sarah in this story. Kitty reading Sarah is perfection. She took it to a whole other level of amazing while channeling Sarah herself. Kitty grasped everything this audiobook was about and projected it out into the world just as Sarah would have. This was a dramatic as well as impressive piece of work. She has a rich, even tone that adds sophistication to her work, making her a real stand out as a voice actor.

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Great actress recounts great actress.It w

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

It was time well spent. Some of Ms. Bernhardt's stories were fascinating. But I think I already knew too much about her to full appreciate the audio book.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

This isn't a book with a climactic ending. I already knew how Sarah's life climaxed.

Which scene was your favorite?

Every scene in which she displayed her brilliant talent and eccentricity. Sorry, no one scene stands out.

What else would you have wanted to know about Sarah Bernhardt’s life?

I'd like to know how she, how so many actresses, managed to remember so many lines in so many roles and could one be a great actress without such a memory. I would also like to know if she was aware that she would be regarded as the greatest actress of her time.

Any additional comments?

Yes, while I was not totally enraptured with the book, having read so much about Sarah, I was wildly impressed with the narrator. Obviously she brought her own considerable acting abilities to making the book even more compelling. She had a wonderful rich voice and great delivery. I might not have finished the book if not for the splendid narration.

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I had no idea that she was a Frenchwoman

Many thanks to the translator, or those of us who do not speak/read French would have been denied this experience. Renowned in her own time and still admired today, Mme Bernhardt intended this volume as added instruction to those who would act upon the stage. There is personal history related throughout, but the principles and cautions promoted remain thoroughly relevant to performers in any venue and time. Advice as to precepts of what we know as 'method acting', and involved memorization, as well as choosing roles in which one may shine rather than plod are no respecters of era or venue. This should be a valued read for high school or college level performers hoping for professional roles.
Further thanks to Ms Hendrix for her facility with French pronunciations. One has reason to believe that she absorbed and utilized the knowledge gained here to give an excellent audio performance which further enhanced the information therein.
This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast

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A window into a unique mind

I received this audiobook at no cost from the Audiobook Blast in exchange for an unbiased review.

Bernhardt was a unique individual. She was both a product of her time and an author of change. Anyone listening to this book should keep in mind the different world she lived in, and how such a world necessarily affected a different worldview. Her comments on actors' bodies seem uncharacteristic and overly dismissive next to her profound insights into artistry and artists. I enjoyed this book, though I had a very hard time separating the author from the subject matter.

Hendrix's narration fitted said author excellently. She did well with portraying Bernhardt's experiences and attitudes without coming off as overtly apologetic. I recommend this audiobook to anyone interested in the changing experiences of artists, particularly female artists, in the history of theater, and the development of a modern world stage.

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Interesting person, elegant voice

What did you like best about this story?

Kitty Hendrix' voice transforms Sarah into a vibrant person. Kitty doesn't limit herself to a mere narration, but breathes life into this story. Her voice has attitude, confidence and strength.

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A classic of theater literature, vividly rendered

As this book makes clear, Bernhardt had the highest of standards when it came to the art of acting. With this in mind, I think it is safe to say she'd be more than pleased with this audio edition rendered, as it is, so expertly by the very talented Kitty Hendrix. Excellent overall and highly recommended.

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Style, class, and a bit of 19th century attitude

What about Kitty Hendrix’s performance did you like?

Everything about her performance channeled Ms. Sarah Bernhardt as I would picture her. Although I didn't know much about the famous actress before listening, I felt that based on her statements, Ms. Hendrix spoke the way Ms. Bernhardt would have– with authority and class.

Any additional comments?

It's great to see this classic text in audio, and delivered by such a worthy professional. I hope to hear more from narrator Kitty Hendrix!

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A beautifully done narration of a rich book.

I can not say enough about this audio book.
Not only does the narrator deftly handle the theatricality of the language,....she allows us to become a living part of the amazing force of nature that was Sarah Bernhardt. Hendrix draws us in and holds us tight right until the end. Thank you, Audible.

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