Elizabeth Taylor, A Passion for Life by Joseph Papa: book review

Elizabeth Taylor, A Passion for Life: The Wit and Wisdom of a Legend (2011) is about the movie actress. It is not a full biography of Elizabeth Taylor – it contains short historical passages, black-and-white photographs, a list of her marriages, and a list of her 56 films. The predominant focus is her quotes – quotes about childhood, marriage, motherhood, rehab, acting, beauty, aging, extravagences, and charitable work.

Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011) was born in England to American parents. With the onset of World War II, her family moved back to America. Taylor’s first movie in 1942 when she was 10 years old was There’s One Born Every Minute. It was National Velvet (1944) that catapulted her to movie fame when she was 12 years old.

She had four children during 8 marriages to 7 husbands – she married actor Richard Burton twice. The shortest marriage was 7 months to hotelier Conrad Hilton – her first marriage at 18 years of age in 1950. Her longest marriage was to actor Richard Burton from 1964-1974 and 1975-1976, whom she met on the set of the film Cleopatra (1963). All marriages ended in divorce, except her third marriage to Michael Todd in 1957, who was killed 13 months later in a plane crash. Her longest period unmarried was 10 years between John Warner (married 1976-1982) and her last marriage to Larry Fortensky (married 1991-1996).

There were no relationships that did not lead to marriage – if she dated them, she married them. One of her quotes is ‘I am a very committed wife. And I should be committed, too – for being married so many times.’

Of the men she starred with, her favourites were Richard Burton, Montgomery Clift, Clark Gable, Rock Hudson, Roddy McDowall, Spencer Tracy, and John Wayne. She was also known for her luxuries (art, food, diamonds, and houses), although she said the most accessible luxury was perfume.

It’s a short read, and more of a picture and quote book than anything else – not offering much new information – although there are insights about Taylor from her many quotes. It’s more of a gift book or for Taylor fans.

MARTINA NICOLLS is the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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