From Library Journal
Garelick (comparative literature, Univ. of Colorado) finds the birth of the modern celebrity in the "dandy" of 19th-century France and England. From Mallarme to Madonna, Oscar Wilde to Jackie O, Balzac to the Artist Formerly Known As Prince, the self-constructed cult personality figures of the past two centuries share many of the same traits. When the cultural tradition of the dandy merged with the erotic icon of the female stage performer, the modern star was born. Electronic mass-media only served to further distance the performer from the audience and the world in general. The richly annotated title's somewhat narrow, albeit interesting, focus makes this purchase more suitable for academic libraries, especially those collecting in the fields of entertainment, the arts, and cultural studies.?Jeffery Ingram, Newport P.L., Ore.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Choice
"Original and indeed fascinating.... Intelligently argued and elegantly written."
