Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
William Morrow (2008), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 288 pages
Description
A behind-the-scenes memoir by the actress best known for her portrayal of Marcia Brady describes the painful disparity between her on-screen persona and her real life, recounting the dark secret that overshadowed her relationship with her mother and siblings and her own struggles with depression, addiction, and eating disorders.
User reviews
LibraryThing member maggieball
This was loaned to me by an enthusiastic friend who told me that Maureen's story was very similar to the one I wrote in Sleep Before Evening. I found the book, which I read in a few days, pretty cheesy, cliche ridden, and superficial (she should have gotten a better ghostwriter), but despite all
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that, it was engrossing enough to distract me away from Salman Rushdie for a while, and there's a kind of open sincerity in Maureen's prose that is engaging enough. Show Less
LibraryThing member 24girl
"Marcia, Marcia, Marcia." Oh how this line has plagued Maureen McCormick for years. Inside this book Maureen shares her life in shocking detail. To outsiders she was perfect. Cute, smart and stylish with the talent to match. To outsiders she was Marcia Brady. But few people were privy to the real
From her humble beginnings as the voice of the Chatty Cathy Doll to her impressive win on Celebrity Fit Club, Maureen's life is chronicled with nothing held back. "Haunted by the perfection of her television alter ego, Maureen landed on the dark side, caught up in a fast-paced, drug-fueled, star-studded Hollywood existence that ultimately led to the biggest battle of her life."
I'm amazed at how open Maureen was in this book. As she learned later in life, being open and sharing was the solution to bringing her the peace she never had growing up and even into adulthood. Her story of triumph over the demons that tore her live apart for so many years is encouraging in so many different ways. I highly recommend reading this book especially if you were a Marcia Brady fan or even just casually knowing the character as I did.
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person with real fears who spent a lot of time literally hiding in closets to escape her demons. From her humble beginnings as the voice of the Chatty Cathy Doll to her impressive win on Celebrity Fit Club, Maureen's life is chronicled with nothing held back. "Haunted by the perfection of her television alter ego, Maureen landed on the dark side, caught up in a fast-paced, drug-fueled, star-studded Hollywood existence that ultimately led to the biggest battle of her life."
I'm amazed at how open Maureen was in this book. As she learned later in life, being open and sharing was the solution to bringing her the peace she never had growing up and even into adulthood. Her story of triumph over the demons that tore her live apart for so many years is encouraging in so many different ways. I highly recommend reading this book especially if you were a Marcia Brady fan or even just casually knowing the character as I did.
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LibraryThing member goldiebear
I found this book to be quite engrossing. Who knew Marcia Brady was a cocaine addict. Yes, the book was also very sad. I think Maureen McCormick is probably still pretty messed up, even though she tried to tie the book up in a happy ending. I am not so sure I buy it. I did however like that she
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really barred all this memoir. I really found it fascinating. The only complaint I had was that chronologically she jumped around a lot. I had a hard time keeping track of what year it was. She would tell a story about something that happened in the 1984 and then a few paragraphs later would talk about something that happened either earlier or later and then come back to 1984. Other than that, I was actually impressed with her writing. Every easy to read, yet again, very engrossing. For anyone who likes the Brady Bunch or is even interested in the 1970’s or who just likes a good memoir, I would recommend this. Show Less
LibraryThing member camelama
I had high hopes for this book, after reading a great book by Alison Armigon (Nellie Oleson on Little House), but ugh. It felt like 600 pages of "I did cocaine with this person, then cocaine with this person, stole cocaine from that person, did cocaine in that room, did cocaine in this room, had
Definitely not a "read before sleep" book, it will give you nightmare about cocaine and elder abuse.
I just can't recommend this book. It needed a LOT more editing and a great ghostwriter.
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sex with this person for cocaine .... " We get it. You were addicted to cocaine, yous lept around. All that, and yet very little talk about actually being on the set of Brady Bunch and acting and her interactions with her coworkers, what it was like to be a child actor, etc. And the book feels like it just tailed off into randomness and then was cut off due to lack of paper somehow. Very awkward. Definitely not a "read before sleep" book, it will give you nightmare about cocaine and elder abuse.
I just can't recommend this book. It needed a LOT more editing and a great ghostwriter.
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LibraryThing member mcelhra
Did you know that September 26, 2019 was the 50th anniversary of the airing of the first episode of The Brady Bunch? In honor of that, I plumbed Maureen McCormick’s Here’s the Story from the depths of my TBR shelf to read.BradyBunchtitle
As you probably know, Maureen played Marcia Brady on The
The main thing I learned about Maureen is that she did a lot of cocaine. Like A LOT. It actually gets kind of repetitive, reading about this one time she was super high on coke and this other time she was super high on coke, etc. However, I admire her candidness. She is not afraid to share the mistakes that she’s made and there were other major ones besides her drug abuse. I was also surprised at how screwed up her family is. Her brother basically kidnapped and brainwashed their elderly father. That was quite a saga that had me feeling angry and sad on her behalf.
Maureen doesn’t go into too much detail about her time on The Brady Bunch. There are a few anecdotes but it’s more of a recitation of the timeline. I imagine that was because she can’t remember much of it being that she was so young and it was such a long time ago.
I think this book will appeal to those of us who grew up watching The Brady Bunch (I watched reruns of it after school) and have a certain nostalgia for it. If you didn’t, I don’t think this book will interest you that much.
As you probably know, Maureen played Marcia Brady on The
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Brady Bunch. She will be forever associated with that iconic role. The book starts before she was born, with the marriage of her mother and father. It goes up through to her time on Celebrity Fit Club in 2007, which was right before this book was published.The main thing I learned about Maureen is that she did a lot of cocaine. Like A LOT. It actually gets kind of repetitive, reading about this one time she was super high on coke and this other time she was super high on coke, etc. However, I admire her candidness. She is not afraid to share the mistakes that she’s made and there were other major ones besides her drug abuse. I was also surprised at how screwed up her family is. Her brother basically kidnapped and brainwashed their elderly father. That was quite a saga that had me feeling angry and sad on her behalf.
Maureen doesn’t go into too much detail about her time on The Brady Bunch. There are a few anecdotes but it’s more of a recitation of the timeline. I imagine that was because she can’t remember much of it being that she was so young and it was such a long time ago.
I think this book will appeal to those of us who grew up watching The Brady Bunch (I watched reruns of it after school) and have a certain nostalgia for it. If you didn’t, I don’t think this book will interest you that much.
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LibraryThing member Nitestar
The Brady Bunch was a show that I discovered only in reruns as I was a little young when it first aired. By the time I did watch it, I was in my teens and thought the whole show was a bit of a joke and could not understand its cult following - however, over the years, it somehow kept resurfacing
As soon as I started reading, I absolutely fell in love with the pace, the tone and the overall story being told. The first thing I noticed (and was eternally grateful for) was that although Maureen does touch on her childhood, she does not go on and on about it for half the book. She basically gives us the highlights (which includes some surprising facts about her siblings and her parents) and then moves on to her early career. Yes, she does spend some time on her "Brady days" but tends to gloss over some of the key elements that I believe would have been fun to read. She does go into quite alot of detail about the "crushes/kissing/fondling" that happened among the Brady kids, but I would have liked to hear more about the dynamics behind the scene - that did not necessarily relate to the teenage lust that seemed to be rampant. I would have like to find out more about the chemistry of the actors, some funny onset stories would have been nice. There is a minimal amount of this type of thing - it seems as though the Brady kids were all about "teenage lust" which is okay - but I felt there could have been a little bit more substance here. Besides which, somebody is going to have to explain to me why every girl (including Maureen) had a thing for Greg? I mean, the guy is really average looking in my opinion!!!
However, what comes after the Brady years is really where you find the heart and soul of Maureen McCormick. Its going to be hard for me to write this review without giving away any of the spoilers, but I had NO IDEA just how far down she fell before she found the strength to pick herself up. To her credit, she exposes every raw nerve in this memoir and makes a point of saying that SHE alone is responsible for the situation(s) she got herself into. I have to say that she must have had a fairy godmother looking over her - because she really got herself into some horrible situations.
The writing here is exceptional and we get a very clear picture of just how screwed up Maureen was. When she talks about her meeting with her future husband, you can actually feel the tone of the writing change - there is hope and love in the writing.
Maureen McCormick needs to be commended for writing an honest, raw memoir. She could easily have gone the other way and written some bubblegum account of her life. Writing memoirs are always tricky because you can't or won't divulge other people's involvement in your life and Maureen has done an excellent job of keeping the focus on her and not on the "other" celebrities that she talks about in her book.
I read alot of these types of books and I can't encourage you enough to run to the bookstore for this one.
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and despite myself, I got to know a little bit about each of the Brady kids. When I saw that Maureen McCormick was publishing her memoirs, I thought it would be interesting to read as I always thought she was the most interesting character on the show - and always felt that there was alot lurking behind the "good girl, hair of gold Brady".As soon as I started reading, I absolutely fell in love with the pace, the tone and the overall story being told. The first thing I noticed (and was eternally grateful for) was that although Maureen does touch on her childhood, she does not go on and on about it for half the book. She basically gives us the highlights (which includes some surprising facts about her siblings and her parents) and then moves on to her early career. Yes, she does spend some time on her "Brady days" but tends to gloss over some of the key elements that I believe would have been fun to read. She does go into quite alot of detail about the "crushes/kissing/fondling" that happened among the Brady kids, but I would have liked to hear more about the dynamics behind the scene - that did not necessarily relate to the teenage lust that seemed to be rampant. I would have like to find out more about the chemistry of the actors, some funny onset stories would have been nice. There is a minimal amount of this type of thing - it seems as though the Brady kids were all about "teenage lust" which is okay - but I felt there could have been a little bit more substance here. Besides which, somebody is going to have to explain to me why every girl (including Maureen) had a thing for Greg? I mean, the guy is really average looking in my opinion!!!
However, what comes after the Brady years is really where you find the heart and soul of Maureen McCormick. Its going to be hard for me to write this review without giving away any of the spoilers, but I had NO IDEA just how far down she fell before she found the strength to pick herself up. To her credit, she exposes every raw nerve in this memoir and makes a point of saying that SHE alone is responsible for the situation(s) she got herself into. I have to say that she must have had a fairy godmother looking over her - because she really got herself into some horrible situations.
The writing here is exceptional and we get a very clear picture of just how screwed up Maureen was. When she talks about her meeting with her future husband, you can actually feel the tone of the writing change - there is hope and love in the writing.
Maureen McCormick needs to be commended for writing an honest, raw memoir. She could easily have gone the other way and written some bubblegum account of her life. Writing memoirs are always tricky because you can't or won't divulge other people's involvement in your life and Maureen has done an excellent job of keeping the focus on her and not on the "other" celebrities that she talks about in her book.
I read alot of these types of books and I can't encourage you enough to run to the bookstore for this one.
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LibraryThing member KPW
Being the same age as Marcia Brady, I obsessively watched the Bunch each week, then lamented how Marcia had it all, and what was wrong with me that I didn't. I've said over the years that MB f-ed me up, but can you image how being MB would F you up? Well, Maureen McCormick lays it out all clearly
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what being Marcia did to her (okay, she blames it more on her family than on Marcia, Marcia, Marcia, but I know the truth). Under that wholesome pretty face is one hot mess. While finding God & Prozac helped her beat her drug habit, she continues with other forms of OCD. Overall, I think I'd like her as a friend, if she's really beyond throwing her princess tantrums. Show Less
LibraryThing member Meggo
Maureen McCormick has gone through a lot in her life, and seems to now be in a good place, with a loving husband and daughter. Her road to this point, however, was a long and complicated one, full of insecurity, bulimia, drug addiction, and neuroses. While I empathize with the struggles that she
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faced, it is somewhat difficult to be completely supportive of her success with the opportunities she was given. I found by the end of the book that I was no longer rooting for McCormick, because she turned into a self-righteous god-fearing woman who was somehow less interesting and less empathetic. I am sure she is very nice in person, but I don't need to read about her. Show Less
LibraryThing member purplg8r
I grew up watching Brady Bunch re-runs, so I was excited to read this book. I had no idea that Maureen went through so many hardships. I guess I was naive, but I thought she was more Marcia-ish. This story shows that she had a completely different life outside of what was seen on the screen.
LibraryThing member chutzpanit
Interesting book--I really didn't know much about any of the actual characters of the show so it was interesting to read in-depth details about a challenging life that has seemed to end on a positive role.
LibraryThing member alanna1122
I gave this a 3 star rating rather than the 2.5 it probably deserved because - well - I really enjoy reading Brady related stuff. So, for me it gets a .5 handicap.
I am not a Brady-o-phile but I like so many other people my age grew up with them in syndication and they were a large part of my
Marcia was never my favorite - but in my head she seemed like on and off-screen she was always the most together. This book but that misapprehension to rest. Turns out Maureen had some truly horrendous years following the end of the series and turned to hard drugs. It was surprising and saddening to hear how much she went through.
The book reads like a therapeutic project. She spills out all this bad stuff she has been hiding for reason of pride, career and family. There is not a lot of finesse to how her story is told .
I feel pretty certain she didn't use a ghost writer because the writing for the most part is really amateurish. Almost every chapter ends with a silly cliff hanger-y line like...
"He had to see it all - and boy, did he ever..."
"Neither of us knew it, but I was going to need more than I'd ever imagined."
It is a book only someone who has an curiosity about Maureen McCormick should seek out. It doesn't stand on its own in any other way. But with that caveat given - it is totally fine - take it to the beach or pool with you.
I am not a Brady-o-phile but I like so many other people my age grew up with them in syndication and they were a large part of my
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childhood memories. I have a fondness for all of them and a curiosity about how they all turned out. I read the book by Greg that came out years ago and thought this would be a fun read. Marcia was never my favorite - but in my head she seemed like on and off-screen she was always the most together. This book but that misapprehension to rest. Turns out Maureen had some truly horrendous years following the end of the series and turned to hard drugs. It was surprising and saddening to hear how much she went through.
The book reads like a therapeutic project. She spills out all this bad stuff she has been hiding for reason of pride, career and family. There is not a lot of finesse to how her story is told .
I feel pretty certain she didn't use a ghost writer because the writing for the most part is really amateurish. Almost every chapter ends with a silly cliff hanger-y line like...
"He had to see it all - and boy, did he ever..."
"Neither of us knew it, but I was going to need more than I'd ever imagined."
It is a book only someone who has an curiosity about Maureen McCormick should seek out. It doesn't stand on its own in any other way. But with that caveat given - it is totally fine - take it to the beach or pool with you.
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LibraryThing member BoundTogetherForGood
Maureen McCormick isn't Marcia Brady.
LibraryThing member bettyandboo
It's hard to believe that Maureen McCormick only played "Marcia Brady" on The Brady Bunch for five years. The Brady Bunch has become such a part of pop culture that it seems as if the series ran for much longer (syndication will do that, I guess).
Although each of the child actors and actresses who
Here's the Story gives a backstage look at McCormick's life before, during, and especially after starring on The Brady Bunch. Much of the publicity surrounding the book's release centered on the juicy tidbits she reveals within: the confirmation of her romance with Barry Williams, who played big brother Greg; the wild parties at the Playboy Mansion; the dates with Steve Martin and Michael Jackson. While I initially picked up this book because of these nuggets, that's not what the book is about.
Judging people on what we perceive them to be is a recurrent theme throughout the book. As a young girl, McCormick's father lectures his offspring around the kitchen table about judging others - a bitter irony in so many respects, particularly in regards to McCormick's parents' relationship, her own relationship with her mother, her view of herself, and of course, America's view of how life must be for Marcia/Maureen. She writes poignantly about her brother Denny, who is intellectually handicapped, and the harsh judgement that is inflicted on him by her friends who weren't allowed to stay overnight (for fears that Denny could be get violent) or when he hears people calling him a "retard" and asks his sister what that means. On a personal level, I would have liked to have read more of her experience and thoughts on having a sibling with special needs, but that's not what the book is about.
Ultimately, this is a book about the process of accepting yourself for who you truly are - not who or what society dictates that you are, even if you are Marcia Brady. Here's the Story is a fast read, made such because a good deal of the writing tends to stray into cliches and banality with frequent uses of "cool" and "hot." At times it seems as if Marcia herself is writing this memoir, especially when reading such passages as this, when discussing her romance with co-star Barry Williams.
"There was so much electricity between us that I felt the hair on my arms stand up every time we got close to each other on the set. I thought about Barry even when I had scenes with other guys. I used to ask myself how I could ever look in eyes other than his liquid blues and feel such love.
Gag me with a spoon, for sure.
The most gripping parts of this book comes in the last several chapters. The reader feels McCormick's pain as she discusses her mother's death and the family dynamics playing out in the aftermath. Unlike on a sit-com, there's no easy resolution to these messy and emotionally painful issues.
I liked this book more than I thought I would, and give it 3.5 stars (out of 5). Would recommend reading if you're a Brady Bunch fan, but moreso as an interesting read about the struggle for self-acceptance on all levels.
Although each of the child actors and actresses who
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portrayed the Brady kids became closely identified with his or her character, America (and a good deal of Hollywood) seems to find it most difficult to separate Maureen McCormick from Marcia Brady. Hence the rationale for writing this book. Life in the Brady household was picture-perfect ... and whatever problems or crises erupted were easily solved within the episode. And nobody was more perfect and more idolized than Marcia.Here's the Story gives a backstage look at McCormick's life before, during, and especially after starring on The Brady Bunch. Much of the publicity surrounding the book's release centered on the juicy tidbits she reveals within: the confirmation of her romance with Barry Williams, who played big brother Greg; the wild parties at the Playboy Mansion; the dates with Steve Martin and Michael Jackson. While I initially picked up this book because of these nuggets, that's not what the book is about.
Judging people on what we perceive them to be is a recurrent theme throughout the book. As a young girl, McCormick's father lectures his offspring around the kitchen table about judging others - a bitter irony in so many respects, particularly in regards to McCormick's parents' relationship, her own relationship with her mother, her view of herself, and of course, America's view of how life must be for Marcia/Maureen. She writes poignantly about her brother Denny, who is intellectually handicapped, and the harsh judgement that is inflicted on him by her friends who weren't allowed to stay overnight (for fears that Denny could be get violent) or when he hears people calling him a "retard" and asks his sister what that means. On a personal level, I would have liked to have read more of her experience and thoughts on having a sibling with special needs, but that's not what the book is about.
Ultimately, this is a book about the process of accepting yourself for who you truly are - not who or what society dictates that you are, even if you are Marcia Brady. Here's the Story is a fast read, made such because a good deal of the writing tends to stray into cliches and banality with frequent uses of "cool" and "hot." At times it seems as if Marcia herself is writing this memoir, especially when reading such passages as this, when discussing her romance with co-star Barry Williams.
"There was so much electricity between us that I felt the hair on my arms stand up every time we got close to each other on the set. I thought about Barry even when I had scenes with other guys. I used to ask myself how I could ever look in eyes other than his liquid blues and feel such love.
Gag me with a spoon, for sure.
The most gripping parts of this book comes in the last several chapters. The reader feels McCormick's pain as she discusses her mother's death and the family dynamics playing out in the aftermath. Unlike on a sit-com, there's no easy resolution to these messy and emotionally painful issues.
I liked this book more than I thought I would, and give it 3.5 stars (out of 5). Would recommend reading if you're a Brady Bunch fan, but moreso as an interesting read about the struggle for self-acceptance on all levels.
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LibraryThing member meacoleman
Maureen McCormick is my favorite Brady Bunch member and I applaud her telling her story in such a candid way. But OMG, what a depressing story! I know she's found her way and is hopeful but I struggled through the book. I agree with other reviewers: she doesn't say much about her Brady Bunch
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experience or go into much detail about other acting experiences, but focuses instead on her struggles with addiction and mental health. The book is well written; I'm sure she speaks for many child stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member LadyRakat
More interesting than what I thought it would be. The beginning was a little slow but it does speed up, pun intended! Apparently. Maureen was/is very different than Marcia. The book details her journey to separate the two and the issues that comes up with that. Mental illness and drug addiction
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plays a part. Of course, there is a lot of celebrity name dropping but they are part of her story. Show Less
Physical description
288 p.; 6.34 inches
ISBN
0061490148 / 9780061490149