My Life at Grey Gardens: 13 Months and Beyond

I had seen the original Maysles Grey Gardens film and like many, became fascinated with this "cinema verite" story. I found this little book, written by Lois Wright very interesting as it is a true tale derived from Ms. Wright's diary of the 13 months she lived with the Beales at Grey Gardens. Her book covers the period of time from close to the end of the Maysles' filming through Big Edie's death. You learn more about what really happened after the Maysles ended filming in how they interacted, what was important to them and lastly, that there were people who wanted to help them (including Jackie Onassis). This book is written in a plain, honest style. There are typos and many grammatical errors however, I found it very worth reading for its daily reportage of happenings (big and small) and conversations. Sometimes it was frustrating because no further explanations are given of events but as this is a record of daily living, answers are not necessarily there, at that time. Lois Wright is a very intuitive and stoic character. There is great mystery and spiritual aspect in some of the things she speaks about. Lois Wright's attitude/writing is very non-judgmental and therefore her reporting objective. I found her book very insightful in trying to put the pieces together about the Beales. It was enlightening to know she and Doris were there for them when Big Edie died. This is a fine book of the behind-the-scenes but don't expect a literary masterpiece or projections from the author of what she thought the Beales were about. That is left for the reader but know that it is obvious that she loved them both.

Great read! Detailed story!

Jackie O's aunt and cousin lived in a Munster-type mansion in East Hampton. Edith Bouvier Beale (or 'Big Edie') was the sister of Black Jack Bouvier. Edie had a daughter, 'Little Edie', and both lived in harmony and dis-harmony in the ramshackle old house. Author Lois Wright, artist of questionable talent and palm reader, lived with the ladies for 13 months. The book is based on Wright's journal, which she kept during the 1970's. Big Edie, who was bedridden upstairs, had cats and the cats had fleas. Wright described the agony of the fleas, as well as raccoons climbing out of the ceiling (which Little Edie fed daily) and rats that jumped on the author and Little Edie on occasion. Wright wore boots and a hat 24/7 to ward off most of the critters. Newspapers were placed on beds, on floors, even in the Edies bathtub for the cats. Nevertheless, they were allowed to "go" where they pleased. If a cat or kitten died, Big Edie kept it on her bed for a couple of days, covered with a Kleenex. Contrary to past publicity, Jackie O and Ari stepped in and helped her relatives - Ari sending gifts, Jackie paying bills. The eccentricities of the three ladies are well worth reading about in this mesmerizing page-turner (Wright seemed a bit 'off' herself.) Just to let you be aware that there are DVDs available about Grey Gardens, starring the Beales, that are excellent. It brings Ms. Wright's pages to life, which completes their picture.

I will be honest, I found this hard to rate. It was a quick read, an engaging read. If you've scene "Grey Gardens" you can very much "hear" them as you read the book as the author captures their personality very well. So for those interested in the Beales, I would very much recommend it as it gives a nice glimpse into their life. But I think it is very much a "niche" type of book and you really need to have some background in the Beale's to appreciate it - which the book does not give, which is why I found it hard to rate. I would advise anyone thinking about reading this book to definitely either watch Grey Gardens or read up on it.... otherwise they will not get the full essence of it. Personally, I found Grey Gardens very hard to watch which is why I bought the book.... to understand them; it helped, a bit.

An absolute must-read for any Grey Gardens fan. I could not put this book down and did not want it to end. So much great behind-the-scenes information on the Beales, their family, house and lifestyle. You will have a new appreciation for the Grey Gardens story. Was very sorry to hear that the author passed away last year. Highly recommend!

I couldn't stop reading this book when I received it. I felt when reading this book I was there in grey gardens. This book gave alittle more then the other books I have read about Big and Little Edie, there was alot more details especially when Big Edie was dying. I understood the relationship that Big Edie and Little Edie had reading this book then all the others. They had a special love and understanding between the two of them. It was very touching. They didn't care what people thought about how they lived. I also understood why they were so paranoid about being robbed or kidnapped and kept themselves locked up behind closed doors. They were both full of life and loved to be center of attention. I have the DVD movie of the grey gardens documentary and various books but none of those books had in it what this book had there was more detailed information and other people who were a great part of Big and Little Edie life in grey gardens, these other people aren't mentioned in the documentary movie. All Grey Garden fans will enjoy this book. Its thumbs up for me!

Very informative

As a big fan of the original Grey Gardens documentary I am overjoyed to now have this book. It really adds weight to the film and provides more insight into the world of the two Eddie's and their family. A definite must for Grey Garden fans!

Love the book but also love Grey Gardens. Gives a very realistic reality to the situation.

Imprescindible para conocer más sobre esta increíble historia de las Beale. Muy bien de precio, con algunas fotos que no conocía, y entrega relativamente rápida. Buena experiencia!

Really enjoyed this book

Great insider info from Lois Wright. If you loved the Maysles documentary, you MUST read this. Lois still has a TV show on public television ..she's quite fascinating ! Anyway, get this book and read it ..you'll be pleased you did.