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List Price: $15.00 | | Publisher: Simon Spotlight Entertainment
Salesrank: 97385
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| Our Price: $8.59 |
| Used Price: $5.25 |
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| Media: Paperback |
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Editorial Review:
Madonna up close, by the brother who knows her better than anyone.
Christopher Ciccone's extraordinary memoir is based on his forty-seven years of growing up with, working with, and understanding the most famous woman of our time, who has intrigued, scandalized, and entertained millions for half a century.
Through most of the iconic star's kaleidoscopic career, Christopher played an important role in her life: as her backup dancer, her personal assistant, her dresser, her decorator, her art director, her tour director.
If you think you know everything there is to know about Madonna, you are wrong. Only Christopher can tell the full scale, riveting untold story behind Madonna's carefully constructed mythology, and the real woman behind the glittering façade.
From their shared Michigan childhood, which Madonna transcended, then whisked Christopher to Manhattan with her in the early eighties, where he slepton her roach-infested floor and danced with her in clubs all over town -- Christopher was with her every step of the way, experiencing her first hand in all her incarnations. The spoiled daddy's girl, the punk drummer, the raunchy Boy Toy, Material Girl, Mrs. Sean Penn, Warren Beatty's glamorous Hollywood paramour, loving mother, Mrs. Guy Ritchie, English grande dame -- Christopher witnessed and understood all of them, as his own life was inexorably entwined with that of his chameleon sister.
He tangled with a cast of characters from artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, to Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Moss, Demi Moore, and, of course, Guy Ritchie, whose advent in Madonna's life splintered the loving relationship Christopher once had with her.
The mirror image of his legendary sister, with his acid Ciccone tongue, Christopher pulls no punches as he tells his astonishing story.
Life with My Sister Madonna is the juicy, can't-put-it-down story you've always wanted to hear, as told by Madonna's younger brother.
Life with My Sister Madonna Reviews:
A Work of Preternatural Genius 
2009-11-26 - A deeply human glimpse inside American Royalty. Chris Ciccone is a witness to history, and this is his story. Magnificent, chilling, divine.
Enjoyable Look At Her
2009-10-31 - I am one who doesn't see why there is all this anger against Christopher for writing this book. Other bios have been written about other people and those same critics don't care.
I have to say I was not surprised by anything in the book. They had their falling out when she "outed" him publicly and he didn't want her to. We read about her stiffing her own brother for thousands of dollars, really, who is surprised? We read about her publicity-affair with Warren Beatty, and of course he tells us she was always fascinated by classic movie stars. The way she rips off every dead female celebrity, it's no shock to hear that she used to sit around with Chris watching these movies. Fans said they wouldn't buy the book "out of respect" but you know they did! She appears to always have been a snotty brat.
If you are a fan, even a casual fan, you'll like Chris's bio. It's a good look at the past, of a self-called icon. Buy it if for no other reason than to help the poor guy out. He'll never get it from his sister.
This book leads to disillusionment with fame, fortune, and Madonna.
2009-09-01 - Let me just say I am a Madonna fan, but lately she has done and said things that have truly disenchanted me. Hard Candy was very disappointing. Some of her actions and comments in the past year alone have turned me off even further. I couldn't quite figure out why I was starting to feel this way about someone I adore. I ended up buying the audio version of this book to get a better idea of Madonna the person.
This book does not disappoint, in fact, it's probably one of the best books ever written about Madonna. As some would like to believe, Christopher does not throw his sister under a bus, but does take her down a couple notches. He reveals how self-centered, egotistical, and controlling she can be. Christopher does not play the victim, but does let it be known that he gets sucked in by the fame and fortune.
Nevertheless, their relationship fell apart because she treated him like a servant, did not pay him what he was worth, and surrounded herself with sycophants, and she had Guy Ritchie who Ciccone made clear he disliked intensely. I think the reason why Madonna is beginning to crack, is because she has created a fantasy world, and everyone around her is afraid to tell her otherwise. She has separated herself from family; which in the end is never a good idea.
What is most disturbing about Madonna's behavior, that Christopher reveals, is that nothing is sacred when it comes to advancing her career and image. She has notoriously used people. She staged the visitation to her mother's grave during the Truth or Dare documentary. There is also strong insinuation that she half-heartedly adopted those children and is playing humanitarian to exploit and compete with Angelina Jolie. Nevertheless, with all her faults, she is still an admirable person who can be loving and caring, and does deserve all that she has earned. Christopher's book is a very well rounded view on Madonna the person.
Couldn't put it down! 
2009-08-18 - I read this in 1.2 days. I lost myself in it. It had me up til 3:00 AM!
I guess it isn't only us normal civilians that have siblings problems.
I really truly love Madonna's work, and especially her Ray of Light album shows great growth and maturity on her part. But this book really opened up my eyes
to her self-absorption and insensitivity. Wait until you find out how she treated her brother, and how cheap she was with her own sister!
The book shows that no matter how rich you become, you might not feel financailly secure, and no matter how famous you become, you nonetheless might not always feel loved.
The author, her brother that worked for her many years, gives her the benefit of the doubt often, but nonetheless vents his frustration. Imagine living a life in which no one wants to know about you, but rather only about your famous sister?
Self Serving and Pathetic 
2009-08-16 - The book is interesting in his descriptions of events in Madonna's life, but nauseating in his constant self pitying. He writes the book as if Madonna owes him something and is so insensitive not to support him further. It appears she gave him several opportunities to succeed and he still remains thoroughly ungrateful. Not an easy read as I became increasingly tired of his rants on Madonna.
