Let's Just Say It Wasn't Pretty

By: Diane Keaton

Narrated by: Diane Keaton

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

From Academy Award winner and best-selling author Diane Keaton comes a candid, hilarious, and deeply affecting look at beauty, aging, and the importance of staying true to yourself—no matter what anyone else thinks.

Diane Keaton has spent a lifetime coloring outside the lines of the conventional notion of beauty. In Let’s Just Say It Wasn’t Pretty, she shares the wisdom she’s accumulated through the years as a mother, daughter, actress, artist, and international style icon. This is a book only Diane Keaton could write—a smart and funny chronicle of the ups and downs of living and working in a world obsessed with beauty.

In her one-of-a-kind voice, Keaton offers up a message of empowerment for anyone who’s ever dreamed of kicking back against the “should”s and “supposed to”s that undermine our pursuit of beauty in all its forms. From a mortifying encounter with a makeup artist who tells her she needs to get her eyes fixed to an awkward excursion to Victoria’s Secret with her teenage daughter, Keaton shares funny and not-so-funny moments from her life in and out of the public eye.

For Diane Keaton, being beautiful starts with being true to who you are, and in this book she also offers self-knowing commentary on the bold personal choices she’s made through the years: the wide-brimmed hats, outrageous shoes, and all-weather turtlenecks that have made her an inspiration to anyone who cherishes truly individual style—and catnip to paparazzi worldwide. She recounts her experiences with the many men in her life—including Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, and Sam Shepard—shows how our ideals of beauty change as we age, and explains why a life well lived may be the most beautiful thing of all.

Wryly observant and as fiercely original as Diane Keaton herself, Let’s Just Say It Wasn’t Pretty is a head-turner of a book that holds up a mirror to our beauty obsessions—and encourages us to like what we see.

©2014 Diane Keaton (P)2014 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Behind the sterling movie credits and tomboyish wardrobe, we see a soulful and deep woman contemplating the narrative arc of her own life.”—Newsweek

“Delicious writing . . . This book is like a dishy lunch with the movie star you thought you’d never be lucky enough to meet. . . . Diane Keaton is in a class by herself and this book is good for the soul.”—Liz Smith, Chicago Tribune

“She’s talented, iconic, quirky . . . and wonderfully blunt. This is just a small sampling of the reasons we love Diane Keaton, and they all permeate the pages of her new memoir.”—Elle

LOVE her - not so much the book

What did you like best about Let's Just Say It Wasn't Pretty? What did you like least?

I very much liked Diane's tone and ability to portray an emotion, a situation or a vision. She is an excellent storyteller - too bad the story was a bit boring.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

May - but only because I'm a huge fan of hers.

Funny and Smart...

...which is not surprising because so is Diane Keaton! I especially enjoyed her perspective on things as a person who grew up in mid-century Southern California, an experience I share with her. I also share many of her interests but her points of view are unique to her and they make me reflect on my own attitudes and opinions. A treat!

Loved it over and over again!

Diane Keaton truly shines as she opens up about her day-to-day life as a mom, friend and movie legend. I listened to this audio book MORE than once. I was constantly smiling as she tells her stories in great detail. I can see her 'wall of prisoners'. Great job Annie Hall.❤️👍

Great woman and great audiobook!

Diane Keaton is my favorite actress. I think she is such a fun loving free spirit. I truly enjoy her truth telling in this book. I love that she is so open and candid with her thoughts and stories from her life. I really appreciate her taking the time to share some of what made her with the public.

Where's All The Dirt on Her Lovers?

Would you try another book from Diane Keaton and/or Diane Keaton?

Yes but I'd have to read more ABOUT it before I bought it. I thought she was famous for her Hollywood revelations. I didn't get much of that in this book.

Has Let's Just Say It Wasn't Pretty turned you off from other books in this genre?

No. I just need to get better about PREVIEWING books before I buy. This is one of a few that was not at all what I had expected. As a result, it is another of a few that I can't get through.

Which scene was your favorite?

I can't even recall. I feel I struggled with the book more that I enjoyed it. I kept waiting for the dirt on Hollywood but I don't recall getting any of that. Did I give up too soon?

Could you see Let's Just Say It Wasn't Pretty being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Not by what I've read so far. She's very repetitive over unnecessary topics.

Any additional comments?

Another disappointing book. :(

Always Liked Diane Keaton

She's such an original — funny, self deprecating, smart. Has known lots of interesting people and tells interesting stories about them. Did I get all the details I have no right to know? No, but that's a reflection of her loyalty and good taste.

Good but not what I had expected

Not quite what I had expected. But good. I had a hard time following a time line. I felt like she jumped around a bit. But still enjoyable.

Beauty through the eyes of Diane Keaton

Where does Let's Just Say It Wasn't Pretty rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I enjoy listening to Ms. Keaton, as I am a fan of hers.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ms. Keaton, of course, because she is why I purchased this book.

What does Diane Keaton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I love when a celebrity reads their own book, as it feels like she is speaking to you, as if you are a close friend.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, mostly because I listen late at night in my bed and have to eventually go to sleep.

Any additional comments?

I am interested in hearing more from Ms. Keaton

Fearless vulnerability

In between the folding my little kids laundry, finding time to work in that extra mile and meal planning, I found courage to romanticize my life in just five and a half hours. Diane Keaton gave me a gift, and she doesn’t even know it. I want to be her friend. Highly recommend listening to this treasure of a book.

Diane Keaton

If you could sum up Let's Just Say It Wasn't Pretty in three words, what would they be?

"Let's Just Say It Wasn't Pretty" was a reflection of how altered the public's perception of both fame and beauty have become. With the advent of reality shows and tabloid journalism,
that which is genuinely beautiful is portrayed as ordinary, and those who've been made "famous" are individuals who've done nothing for the improvement of the human race.

What did you like best about this story?

I thought Diane Keaton expressed quite accurately how distorted the concept of beauty has become, both in in the milieu of Hollywood, and in society in general. There are far too many people in Hollywood who are given reality shows and thereby made famous for nothing more than their own abhorrent behavior.

What about Diane Keaton’s performance did you like?

She depicted the the simplicity of days gone by in her youth when the world was a much different place in which to grow up.