Garbo

[An] ardent and wise investigative portrait … Once Garbo steps in front of the camera, Gottlieb’s book comes gloriously into its own, a tour through a career offered by a shrewd, deeply perceptive docent, brimming with knowledge and insight … This is what we want film books to do–to send us to the work with sharper eyes and more open minds. –Mark Harris, The New York Times Book Review

Much has been written about Garbo over the years, but Gottlieb, a former editor of this magazine, has produced a particularly charming, companionable, and clear-eyed guide to her life and work … By the end of the biography, I felt I understood Garbo better as a person, without the aura of mystery around her having been entirely dispelled–and, at this point, who would want it to be? –Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker

Engaging and intelligent… [Gottlieb] perceptively depicts the paradox of Garbo’s sociality and reserve. –Mary Desjardins, The Washington Post

[Garbo] is great fun to read, providing a chatty, urbane overview and a lot of unabashed opinions. –Donna Rifkind, The Wall Street Journal

The why and wherefore of [Garbo’s] extraordinary life and career is masterfully told in Robert Gottlieb’s new book, Garbo, handsomely published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, with more than 250 splendid duotone photos, an extremely thorough filmography (including, unusually, production costs and shooting schedules, box-office grosses, profits, and losses)–all part of a terrific 100-page “Garbo Reader,” which concludes the volume and harks back to Gottlieb’s influential days as editor of The New Yorker, editor in chief of Simon & Schuster, and head of Alfred A. Knopf. –Peter Bogdanovich, Air Mail

A classic movie lover’s dream … Enriching his insightful reconsideration of Garbo’s life and career are wonderful photos, a selection of essays from the past, and anecdotes from those who encountered the enigmatic star … [Gottlieb] brings to life Garbo’s time and place–particularly Europe, Hollywood and America between world wars–and fills her story with other unique characters. It’s fascinating from beginning to end. –Douglass K. Daniel, Associated Press

A lively new appraisal of [Garbo’s] life and films … Gottlieb seems for this project to have consumed everything written in English about Garbo and her circle. –The Boston Globe

[An] astute and entertaining book. –The Economist

[A] searching and sensitive portrait of the actor … [A] perfectly paced account … [A] masterful look at an elusive Hollywood giant. –Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Gottlieb delivers a nuanced portrait of Swedish-born actor Greta Garbo … A searching life study that ought to rekindle interest in an unhappy yet brilliant artist. –Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

This comprehensive biography may be the final word [on Garbo] … Gottlieb’s research is so complete and his style so engaging that this book almost reads like an oral biography told through a singular voice … A brilliantly written and constructed portrait of a true icon of the cinema. –Library Journal (starred review)

Robert Gottlieb has been the editor in chief of Simon and Schuster; the president, publisher, and editor in chief of Alfred A. Knopf; and the editor of The New Yorker. As a writer, he contributes frequently to The New York Times Book Review and The New York Review of Books and is the author of Great Expectations: The Sons and Daughters of Charles Dickens; George Balanchine: The Ballet Maker; Sarah: The Life of Sarah Bernhardt; Avid Reader: A Life; and Near Death Experiences … and Others. In 2015, he was presented the Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

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