1920

Most people associate Joan Crawford with her roles in the 40s, 50s and 60s, but what they usually forget is the fact that she was, originally, a true-blue 20s gal.

Yes, you read that right. Before the world saw her getting slapped by Ann Blyth (Mildred Pierce, 1945) or kicked in the head by Bette Davis (Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, 1962), she was just like any flapper during the Roaring Twenties: young, wild and free.

Joan was the epitome of a real jazz baby in the 1920s. The period also had Clara Bow, Louise Brooks, Colleen Moore and many others, but Joan rose to the top when she portrayed Dangerous Diana in Our Dancing Daughters (1928). The role reflected her off-screen persona and showed the audience what real flappers are like— always dancing, always partying… but still decent.

(From the film Our Dancing Daughters, 1928)

She’s also remembered as the young flapper who’s always dancing in night clubs (one of them being the famous Cocoanut Grove), Charleston-ing her way to many, many trophies— proof that she is the one and only Charleston queen.

(With her Charleston trophies, 1926)

Even the famous F. Scott Fitzgerald took note of Joan’s embodiment of the free-spirited flapper. According to him:

Joan Crawford is doubtless the best example of the flapper, the girl you see in smart night clubs, gowned to the apex of sophistication, toying iced glasses with a remote, faintly bitter expression, dancing deliciously, laughing a great deal, with wide, hurt eyes. Young things with a talent for living.

Let’s not forget the young, vibrant, and energetic All-American dame that Joan was before. She truly is one of Hollywood’s (and America, in general) legendary flappers.

20spub13oct99

Happy blogging (and fangirling!)

(All photos from Joan Crawford Best. GIF by Theodora Fitzgerald)

(Photo: examiner.com)

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

Published by Bantam Press (2009)

Synopsis: Lara Lington has always had an overactive imagination, but suddenly that imagination seems to be in overdrive. Normal professional twenty-something young women don’t get visited by ghosts. Or do they?

When the spirit of Lara’s great-aunt Sadie—a feisty, demanding girl with firm ideas about fashion, love, and the right way to dance—mysteriously appears, she has one request: Lara must find a missing necklace that had been in Sadie’s possession for more than seventy-five years, because Sadie cannot rest without it.

Lara and Sadie make a hilarious sparring duo, and at first it seems as though they have nothing in common. But as the mission to find Sadie’s necklace leads to intrigue and a new romance for Lara, these very different “twenties” girls learn some surprising truths from and about each other. Written with all the irrepressible charm and humor that have made Sophie Kinsella’s books beloved by millions, Twenties Girl is also a deeply moving testament to the transcendent bonds of friendship and family.

– goodreads.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At first, I hesitated to borrow this book from a friend. I have a fairly-wide collection of books; from hardbound novels to the paperback ones, from self-help books to Holocaust reads. But, much to my dismay, I haven’t finished a single book in that collection since 2008 or 2009, the time I read Katie.com (by Katharine Tarbox) and finished it within one day. That fact alone made me vow to myself that I will read ALL the books in my shelf first before borrowing from others. But golly, when my friend offered me this book, I just threw my promise away and said yes.

Turns out, I made a really great decision.

(Yeap, that’s the book. 🙂 The owner covered it with cute magazine pages to protect the real cover)

I super love this book because it’s witty, light, and it somehow took me to one of my favorite eras: the 1920s. After watching Singing In The Rain, I’ve always been fascinated with the 20s— the fashion, the entertainment, the people— and, somehow, I wish I was born during that time. I think that was one of the most fabulous periods in history.

I’m not gonna make this review long, though.

All I wanna say is that this book haunted me for, I think, a week after finishing it. The story (minus the ghost) is really close to reality and I felt like I was with Lara the whole time. Her accidental love story with Ed is just too adorable. 🙂

But my favorite character is Sadie, not just because she’s a 1920’s girl, but also because of her humor, “never say never” attitude, and her 105 years of wisdom. She has lived her life with grace and poise, amidst the tragic points of her history. She was abandoned as an old woman, but never felt inferior nonetheless. She is just amazing.

This is my first Sophie Kinsella novel, and in fairness, I’m looking forward to read her other books. 🙂 This made such an impression to me that I’m thinking of buying my own copy soon! Just in case I felt the urge to reread it, at least I have a paperback of my own. 😉

I’m running out of words to describe this novel. I just love it to bits! Like Katie.com, this story will forever linger in my mind and heart. Surely, I’ll recommend this to others.

And oh, this is not scary at all! Sadie’s appearance as a ghost is more of a funny and entertaining thing than spooky. 😉

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Check out Goodreads.com for other reviews about this book. 😉 And oh, add me! –> http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13103134-jane-castandiello 🙂