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  • Barbra Streisand

  • Redefining Beauty, Femininity, and Power (Jewish Lives)
  • By: Neal Gabler
  • Narrated by: Peter Lerman
  • Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (3 ratings)

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Barbra Streisand  By  cover art

Barbra Streisand

By: Neal Gabler
Narrated by: Peter Lerman
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Publisher's summary

Barbra Streisand has been called the “most successful...talented performer of her generation” by Vanity Fair, and her voice, said pianist Glenn Gould, is “one of the natural wonders of the age.” Streisand scaled the heights of entertainment—from a popular vocalist to a first-rank Broadway star in Funny Girl to an Oscar-winning actress to a producer and director. But she has also become a cultural icon who has transcended show business.

To achieve her success, Brooklyn-born Streisand had to overcome tremendous odds, not the least of which was her Jewishness. Dismissed, insulted, even reviled when she embarked on a show business career for acting too Jewish and looking too Jewish, she brilliantly converted her Jewishness into a metaphor for outsiderness that would eventually make her the avenger for anyone who felt marginalized and powerless.

Neal Gabler examines Streisand’s life and career through this prism of otherness—a Jew in a gentile world, a self-proclaimed homely girl in a world of glamour, a kooky girl in a world of convention—and shows how central it was to Streisand’s triumph as one of the voices of her age.

The book is published by Yale University Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

©2016 Neal Gable (P)2024 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"A spirited and entertaining cultural appreciation." (New York Times)

"Fascinating and insightful exploration of what it means to be Barbra Streisand..." (Wall Street Journal)

"Fascinating details abound. . . . A worthy book." (Kirkus Reviews)

What listeners say about Barbra Streisand

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Very informative

I found the book to be very detailed and I overall enjoyed hearing about her story and journey. I did find it a bit long winded and had to return to it a couple of times. For a memoir, I think it's a really good book. The narration is also very clear and fits with the story. I would listen to the narrator again.

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Understanding Barbra

The author explores the uniqueness of this iconic performer. Barbra Striesand strives to be the best in her performances. She has been branded as difficult to work with and agrumentative. Her absent father, unsupportive mother, and step-father gave her the imperious to achieve success. Peter Lerman did a good job on the narration.

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