Alfred Hitchcock directed over fifty movies. Many of them immediate box office hits like Psycho, To Catch a Thief and Rebecca. Some missed the mark, and some savaged by critics that could have ended his career.
Edward White does an excellent job of weaving Hitchcock’s personal life and career. He manages to separate the rumors from facts but including both.
Hitchcock always thought of himself the way White labeled his first “life”: The boy who could not Grow Up. He created a trope of a cameo in each project. He was a hotel guest leaving his room as Tippi Hedren entered her room. A poster boy for a weight loss program on a newspaper floating by the characters in “Life Boat.”
He found his soul mate in Alma Reville and, along with his daughter, Patricia, referred to them as the gang of three. Alma was an amazing cook, and this led to calorie-loaded, five course meals and expensive wines. This led to health problems for both later in life.
However, in today’s world, he would have been called out. For being sexist and racist. His heroines had to be blonde, who looked virginal. He trashed Latin women and Marilyn Monroe for faces that “showed too much sex.”
He would also have been a target for the “Me Too Movement” since actresses and staff now accuse him of sexual harassment. They never spoke out when the incidents happened because of bribes and threats.
The male writers who were successful on their own, such as John Steinbeck, Evan Hunter and others were constantly asked to change the script until it got a “Hitchcockian” feel. Some had their work rewritten after they left the project.
His career that spans from 1919 to 1976. There there is no doubt that his love of movies never waned and was always looking forward to his next project.
I would recommend this book. A biography of a man, his career and family with world history thrown in. It includes film evolving with additions – sound, color, television. 50 years of industry changes and Alfred Hitchcock weathered them all.
It is also a tale of never giving up and holding on to a vision.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy for my honest review

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this free audiobook in exchange for an honest review. The print copy of this book is available now, and the audio is available 6/3/21!

This biography on Hitchcock by Edward White was interesting in the way it is laid out--each chapter covers a facet of Hitchcock's personality and work, with twelve chapters total. While I have not seen all of his films, or even most of them, I am a big fan of the ones I have seen. I'm a big fan of biographies relating to film--actors, directors, creators, etc...you name it. I found this one to be informative and interesting because there was so much I did not know about Hitchcock...and not all of it was pleasant or puts him in a good light. The main issue that I had with this book is due to the way my own brain likes to process biographies. I prefer them to be presented in a mostly linear/chronological manner. This one, since it is divided uniquely, jumps around a bit. It's truly not the worst, my brain just prefers things a certain way! 🙃

Qarie Marshall narrates cleanly and clearly. He does a good job. His voice reminds me so much of the narrator for the older Forensic Files series that I was honestly expected to be listening to the discovery of lots of murder throughout...so that was interesting.

Overall, while I enjoyed this and learned a lot of new information, I think I would have perhaps engaged more with the structure had I read the physical copy!

{DNF}
This was not what I wanted out of a Biography and analysis. The book was good, but not what I wanted. Thank you for the opportunity to read this.

I jumped at the chance to renew my professional respect for Alfred Hitchcock

Posted on May 24, 2021 by michellelovatosbookreviews, world's first book color commentator, book reviews with a twist

I am glad that I could not pick up my college degree without learning about the genius of Alfred Hitchcock. I went to one of those community colleges that allowed me to take art-related classes to learn the fascinating subject of human history. It was fun and instilled in me a life-long desire to relate life and art.
My respect for Hitchcock and his career is immense. If I could siphon off a tiny piece of that strange genius Englishman’s talent, I might somehow ooze a bit of his classic dry humor and terrifying ability to understate horror.
Available on audio, e-book, or hardcover, this fascinating biography approaches the life and career of Alfred Hitchcock from 12 different viewpoints. Each viewpoint showcases various parts of Alfred Hitchcock’s life and how that facet influenced his professional artistic career.
Like his movies that continuously questioned its viewer’s perception of reality, so too did Hitchcock’s life question the sanity of human nature. Like everyone else’s, Hitchcock’s career was heavily influenced by his upbringing in England during World War II. Hitchcock’s film, The Birds imitated the terror of Nazi bomber planes swirling in over the English sky during his youth to replace innocence with a landscape of destruction and horror.
White looks at Hitchcock through the eyes of a child, a murderer, the filmmaker, womanizer, fat man, an admired leader, family man, voyeur, entertainer, pioneer, Londoner, and man of God. Fascinating. White reveals layer upon layer of this man’s complicated through these chapters.
One of the drawbacks of audiobook versions is that I did not see the included 32-page photo album. The e-book and print versions of this title do, however, share this collection.
On a side note, I never did pick up my college degree. I gave birth to my third daughter instead. Though I can’t hang my darling child on my wall with a tassel, the exchange was well worth the effort and lifetime. I could go back and finish. My daughters continue their life-long encouragement. But why? I’d rather focus my time and efforts on writing a cozy mystery series.

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Happy are those who respect the Lord and obey him. You will enjoy what you work for, and you will be blessed with good things. Psalm 128: 1-2

“In any discussion of Hitchcock’s murders, there is a blood-spattered elephant in the room - the shower scene.”

A wonderful and very well-narrated summary of Hitchcock’s personal and and professional life. I loved the way the chapters were laid out with individual themes, and there is so much interesting trivia here that even the most obsessive Hitch fan (maybe me) will not know. Extremely well-written, and dark, captivating, funny, and clever - so in other words, totally worthy of the man himself. I thoroughly enjoyed this!

Many thanks to NetGalley, author Edward White, and the publisher for this extremely well-researched and well-told retrospective.

The Twelve Lives of Alfred Hitchcock is the perfect introduction to Hitch's life and works. I found the audiobook really well done, I liked the narrator's voice a lot.

The book itself has a strong format. I loved getting to know more about Hitchcock's life and the stories that unfolded in his personal life behind the scenes of his iconic films. I would definitely recommend this to fellow film buffs!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book has a very interesting take on the biography format, which I really enjoyed. Instead of just laying out Alfred Hitchcock’s life (or film career) in a timeline fashion, it is instead separated into twelve chapters, each of which look at a certain aspect of Hitch’s personality, and the impact that had on his films. It is set up so the early chapters coincide more with his early life, and later chapters the later years, so it is somewhat sequential.

I found this format very engaging and liked to exploring how his films and television reflect some of these different personality traits. I didn’t know a lot about Hitchcock as a person before listening to this biography. The author lays out the good and the bad throughout the novel. I really enjoyed some of the deeper dives on the different films, whether it was casting choices, or filming techniques, or what drove Hitch to create certain films. One of my favorite chapters was “The Dandy”, which focuses on Hitchcock’s sense of style both as a person and in the design and costuming of his films.

I liked the narrator; I think this is an enjoyable book to either listen to or read. If you want to know more about a specific movie, this may not be the right book for you as you can’t just open up to a single chapter discussing The Birds for instance. Many of his films are discussed across different chapters, as more than one “life” was an influence in their creation.

This is a great read for movie buffs, and of course fans of Hitchcock. I realized as I was listening to this book that I’ve only seen a very small number of Hitchcock films (all of which I love), and it’s been many years since I caught a rerun of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. I definitely need to remedy that.

Thank you Netgalley for a free audio edition of The Twelve Lives of Alfred Hitchcock, in exchange for an honest review.

Edward White dives into the life and major work themes of the "master of suspense" Alfred Hitchcock. Each chapter examines different aspects of his life including his upbringing in England, the start of his illustrious career, controversy surrounding his methods and behaviors and the final chapters of his life. I have always been a film fan and you can not shy away from the impressive man who left such an influential mark on the industry that he created an entire genre, Hitchcockian, and yet I learned so many new facts about him from this book. I recommend this book for all film and Hitchcock fans and biography readers.

I received the audio edition narrated by Qarie Marshall. It is easy and enjoyable to listen to and Qarie is well spoken, I would listen to more of his work.

In The Twelve Lives of Alfred Hitchcock, which is out now (audiobook coming in June), film historian Edward White explores the Hitchcock phenomenon. The savvy author takes us on a deep dive beyond the mystique—what defines his genius, when it was invented, what it reveals about the man at its core, and how its legacy continues to shape our cultural world.

The book’s dozen chapters illuminate different aspects of Hitchcock’s life and work. Each of these angles reveals something fundamental about the man he was and the mythological creature he has become, presenting not just the life Hitchcock lived but also the various versions of himself that he projected and those projected on his behalf.

For this reader (or listener, as the case may be), the most interesting and absorbing chapters are the ones that reveal personality-driven observations about Alfred Hitchcock and probe into his near-invention of “the male gaze” on film (as well as observations on how he perceived himself). His weight, and how he felt about it, is scrutinized in The Fat Man chapter, while how he chose to dress that body is dissected in The Dandy. The Master of Suspense is at the center, but the book also goes into satellite discussions on the same. For example, The Dandy chapter delves into the history of dandyism from Beau Brummel to Oscar Wilde, even to Liberace, and then segues into Cary Grant’s tailor and his costumes in the films he did with Hitchcock.

Sexuality, perhaps, needless to say, factors in big in The Twelve Lives of Alfred Hitchcock. The author gives us a glimpse into the filmmaker’s own sexual inexperience, his marriage to Alma, his obsession with various “Hitchcock Blondes,” the influence of Sigmund Freud at the time, and much more. There’s a good bit about women were portrayed in his films, as well as homosexuality, death as a stand-in for sex, and the forbidden in general. Author White presents, but never judges, not even in the passages about Hitch’s outrageous treatment of Tippi Hedren. White brilliantly conveys context, both cultural and era-specific, to each problematic aspect of the auteur’s unique, multifaceted personality.

Like Hitchcock himself, the book is often humorous. Perhaps the best example of this is in the chapter that investigates the child characters in Hitchcock films, and how he related to, and directed, his young actors. There’s a story about how he got 7-year-old Billy Mumy to behave on the set of the TV series, Alfred Hitchcock Presents that will either have you giggling or shaking your head with disapproval.

The Twelve Lives of Alfred Hitchcock does examine each film, but within the context of the chapters’ themes, so it is not a linear, A-Z layout. White also takes delightful detours beyond film and into the Hitchcock “brand” with looks at his titular magazines, book series, TV shows, etc. There’s also a section on Hitchcock’s enduring influence on other creators—ranging from the expected (Brian De Palma) to the unexpected (Eminem).

This is an admirably researched and beautifully written tome, one that you may refer to over and over again. Qarie Marshall’s narration on the audiobook is clear, concise, and well-phrased. No surprise, since he is the voice of The Discovery Channel series I Shouldn’t Be Alive, one of the characters on 24: The Game, and Radio Host of NPR’s Morning Edition.

I used to love anything Hitchcock. Every day at 11 and 11:30, Alfred Hitchcock Presents on TV Land was a must for me as a kid. But in a recent conversation with my mom, I said, "I don't think I could enjoy him anymore, knowing what I know now about his treatment of female actors."

So when I saw this book on NetGalley, I read reviews to make sure that it didn't shy away from this side of Hitchcock.

I loved this book, and I loved the structure of it: each chapter centering on a different aspect of the famed director. I don't think that a straight timeline-based autobiography would work nearly as well. The whole time neither glossing over or making excuses for the more complicated aspects of his life and legacy.

Alfred Hitchcock was one of my favorite directors. I basically grew up watching his movies, TV show, and reading his magazine. I watched the TV shows on a television in my basement, and my friends would come over and watch with me when we were grade school age. They would usually be afraid to walk home after the show, and I would walk them home, as I loved suspense and was more intrigued than scared. When I saw this book on Netgalley's Audiobook list, I immediately requested it. Dreamscape Media was kind enough to approve my request. I truly enjoyed this book. The narrator, Quarie Marshall, was a perfect choice for this book;. He even sounded somewhat like Rod Serling at times. Even though I have seen movies about Alfred Hitchcock's life, he has still intrigued me, and this book definitely covered all the bases of everything Hitchcock. I thought it was clever to divide the book into 12 parts, and discuss the various parts of Hitch that made him tick. The research was extensive, to the point of being an excellent reference for anyone taking a film class and studying Hitchcock's films. I appreciated Mr. White's descriptions of the English sense of humor as well as the cultural references that Hitchcock seemed to stick to even after living most of his life in the US. The author's stories included quotes from actors and actresses that had worked with Hitchcock, and their general impressions of him which were all different, and interesting. The relationship that he had with his wife and daughter was described and it did seem that they were actually a very tight knit family. This was very different than the portrayal of his relationship with his wife in the 2012 biographical movie about him. Basically, Mr. White manages to explore the parts of the man and how these 12 facets of him reflected in his work. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in Hitchcock, or a student that is studying his work. Thank you, Netgalley and #Dreamscapemedia for the opportunity to preview this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is separated into twelve parts, starting from life to death with everything and anything in between. Hitchcock's layers are stripped down in each chapter, leaving nothing out. This book gives you every fact about his life, his work, his relationships and his quirks. Prepare yourself for a fact overload.
Alfred Hitchcock's films were a staple of my youth. I watch the Birds with my dad countless times, and will always think of it as the scariest movie ever made. I admired his films, but never knew too much about Hitchcock as a person, or director. After listening to this book, I dont think there is anything left to wonder.
I'm not sure if I would have liked Alfred. He was an egotistical, grumpy, glory hogging womanizer. But you don't have to like someone to appreciate their talent or genius. He was a pioneer of his time, and branded his style to become the thing of legends.
I read this book as an audiobook, and I'm glad I did. With insane amount of information pumped out, if I had been sitting with the book I would have walked away a few times. It was better to have Hitchcock's story told to me, like listening to a documentary. The narrator has a pleasant voice, maybe slightly monotone.

Looking at various aspects of Hitchcock's personality, life and work, White keeps things mostly engaging, but some sections are duller than others. The low point, for me, was the section called "the Dandy," but it's debatable.

I liked the organization of this book in that it isn’t just in time order. Instead the author focuses on facets of Hitchcock’s personality and life.

It was particularly interesting to me to see the view of Hitchcock as he struggled with his weight and body image, and the world viewing him as a glutton. I feel this would be left out of conversations about him often because of the more “strange” and noteworthy facets of him taking the spotlight.

I would like to thank the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free ARC e-audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I listened to the audio book performed by Garie Marshall (Narrator). I think this was my first book narrated by him, and found his voice to be easy to listen to. There were a few stutters in the playback, but I suspect that was more the download/playback than the narrator's speaking voice, so I would certainly look for other books by this narrator.

Full disclosure - I LOVE Alfred Hitchcock movies! When I saw this book was being released, I immediately put it on my Wishlist, and was very excited to not only get approved for an ARC, but for the audio version. Though I've grown up watching Hitchcock's movies, TV shows and reading his magazine (for many years, it seemed to be the ONLY source of good mysteries and spooky stories!) , I never really looked into his actual life. After listening to this book, maybe he wasn't the greatest guy. But - what he could do with a story was magical. And, given the times he lived in, I don't really feel like it's right to judge him by today's life and standards.

I really enjoyed listening to this book, and I think I will look for a print copy when it comes out, as a reference for some portions about different movies I've really enjoyed - hearing the process behind the big scenes and story lines is just exciting to me.

I have no problem giving this a 4 star review. I would certainly recommend this book to Hitchcock fans or people interested in the history of movies and film making. Love him or hate him in his daily life, Hitchcock was a master for his storytelling.

My thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape for this excellent audio.

I have been a fan of Hitch since a child so requesting this audio was a no brainer for me!

Not only do you get biographical content on Alfred Hitchcock, but you hey psychological analysis of the films, the why, the how, the process of the creative genius. I did not like the parts of how he objectivefied some of the actresses to get the results he did, but otherwise, highly recommend. Good narrator.

This was a very well researched book that made me strongly dislike the subject of the research. I guess I shouldn't be surprised at what a very powerful man got away with many decades ago. The book itself is good, I just can't give it more than 3 stars because of how it made me feel.

***I was given a copy of the audiobook by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My entire life I’ve been a fan of Alfred Hitchcock, so I’m always skeptical when something about his life comes out. You hear bits and pieces of his life through movie, interviews and other books... but nothing compares to this book!

This is Hitchcock’s whole life in this beautifully
written book by Edward White and read by Qarie Marshall.

Even if you are not a Alfred Hitchcock fan, this book is for you.

Audiobook narrated by Qarie Marshall. Done clear and concise which made it very enjoyable to listen to.
50 years and 53 films. My favorite was Rebecca. Have you seen it? It was and still is a black and white film. That in my opinion is one of the greatest films I ever seen. I was a young adult and loved it.
Anxiety, fear, paranoia, guilt and shame are the emotional engines that drove his films. He was a son, brother, husband, father, grandfather. But first and foremost he was a talented director.
This book explores Hitchcock and the relationship with his films and:
• Women’s roles in his films
• His relationships with screenwriters
• His body image and the public
• His dedication to clothing
• voyeurism
• Catholicism
I throughly enjoyed this and recommend it if you love AH.
Thanks Dreamscape Media via Netgalley. I’ve voluntarily given my review.