4.26

5

Feb 25, 2015

Listened to this with Mom and Dad on the way to Dad's surgery (he's doing really good now).. I am the only bookworm of the three of us but we all love Carol so they didn't mind when I put this on instead of music.

Comfort read for mom and me.. Dad didn't say much but I caught him smiling a few times.

Good Medicine this one is:).
----
*upping my rating :)*
*Minor edits to original review*
~~~~
Original read: March 6th-15th 2015
Re-read: April 22nd-30th 2016 (need comfort reads)
Third Re-read: January 2017 Listened to this with Mom and Dad on the way to Dad's surgery (he's doing really good now).. I am the only bookworm of the three of us but we all love Carol so they didn't mind when I put this on instead of music.

Comfort read for mom and me.. Dad didn't say much but I caught him smiling a few times.

Good Medicine this one is:).
----
*upping my rating :)*
*Minor edits to original review*
~~~~
Original read: March 6th-15th 2015
Re-read: April 22nd-30th 2016 (need comfort reads)
Third Re-read: January 2017
4th re-read: June 2018

Can I adopt Carol into my family?:) Would still highly recommend, got myself the physical version of this as well.



This book still lifts my spirits... started it again when I was having a black mood and fell right back into listening to Carol relate her stories :)

Some are still my favorites and some still have me tearing up... the ones about Carrie as well, especially after reading Carol's other book. One person I would have loved to know.

Carol is right about one thing... if she had been trying to make it today as a young woman, those same incredible opportunities would not have happened today, like it did back then... sad really :( The modern world is so impatient in some things anymore.

Hope Mom and I get to meet Carol one day :)
----

Original review :

A lovely collection of reminisces from Carol's life. She's had, as Carol as said herself, quite the run. All the things she has accomplished are amazing and impressive.

Some of her stories were so funny, I found myself thinking about them while at work and home. I purposefully dragged this one out because I didn't want it to end...it was such a wonderful time:).

Hearing Carol narrated it upped the enjoyment. Like with John Barrowman, I felt as if I was sitting on the couch listening to Carol tell her stories.

A couple favorites:
Carol's stories about Lucille Ball
When she scared off a mugger when she was walking home alone.
The time she caught Carrie in a fib
Tim Conway and the "mummy picture" on his license

Her Grandma in the cab ride to Carol's home at the time.. that poor cab driver HAHA.

And a beautiful/sad story about Carol bonding with a young fan... I won't say more as not to spoil ya...

"I'm not crying, your crying"

The ending of the memoir also got to me.. poignant and wonderful but sad also, have your tissues ready. I wanted to reach out and hug that lady.

Would recommend, a lovely journey:) ...more

3

Sep 17, 2015

3.5 stars


Carol Burnett

Carol Burnett is probably one of the best known and most popular television personalities. Reruns of her old variety show can still be seen on cable TV.

Carol Burnett had amiable, but alcoholic, parents and was raised in the Hollywood area by her grandmother.


Young Carol Burnett

Early in life Carol realized she wanted to be an entertainer and, with talent and drive, became a very successful comedian, singer, and actor. Along the way Carol acted in stage plays, TV shows, and
3.5 stars


Carol Burnett

Carol Burnett is probably one of the best known and most popular television personalities. Reruns of her old variety show can still be seen on cable TV.

Carol Burnett had amiable, but alcoholic, parents and was raised in the Hollywood area by her grandmother.


Young Carol Burnett

Early in life Carol realized she wanted to be an entertainer and, with talent and drive, became a very successful comedian, singer, and actor. Along the way Carol acted in stage plays, TV shows, and movies. She was a regular on the Garry Moore TV variety show for years and then had her own TV variety show for 11 seasons.


Carol Burnett with Garry Moore (left) and Durward Kirby

Carol was also married three times, had three daughters, and met entertainers and show business personnel of every kind.


Carol Burnett and her first husband Don Saroyan


Carol Burnett and her second husband Joe Hamilton


Carol Burnett and her third husband Brian Miller

This book contains a variety of anecdotes about all aspects of Carol's life. Some are funny, some are touching, and some are sad. One of my favorites is a story about Carol and four other young, struggling, would-be actresses pooling five dollars each to buy an orange 'community dress' for auditions - bright colors being necessary to catch the director's eye. When Carol lost a part to another gal in an orange dress she switched to yellow.

Carol talks about how thrilled she was to meet Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant and about an hour-long telephone conversation she had with Marlon Brando while she desperately needed to pee. Carol tells tales about doing shows with Julie Andrews and Beverly Sills, and of course the regulars on her TV show - Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, and Lyle Waggoner. There are lots of anecdotes about actors, and singers, and playwrights, and directors, and so on that Carol knew, but the book never comes across as name-dropping.


The cast of the Carol Burnett Show: Tim Conway, Harvey Korman, Carol, Lyle Waggoner, Vicki Lawrence

Carol also talks about her marriages and raising her three children. For a long time Carol was married to Joe Hamilton, the producer of her variety show and father of her three daughters. An array of stories in the book revolve around raising the girls - dealing with their little fibs, their naughty behavior in restaurants, etc. A sad anecdote talks about Carol's daughter Carrie struggling with and dying from lung cancer.


Carol Burnett and her daughters

I thought the book was interesting and entertaining though not as laugh out loud funny as I expected. I'd recommend it to folks interested in celebrity memoirs.

You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.... ...more

5

Dec 02, 2016

This is a wonderful collection of stories from Carol. Expect no muck-racking or trash talking about other celebrities-Carol is too classy for that. You can expect to learn more about her variety show, all of her guests and co-stars, and a little about her family and her life growing up. There are very few sad moments or stories here, but that was just fine with me.

Highly recommended in audio form for fans of the Carol Burnett show.

5

Mar 30, 2011

At the end of each episode of her eponymous show, Carol Burnett would sing "I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together," a short tune written by her then-husband and executive producer Joe Hamilton, and then tug her ear as a reminder to her gran that she was thinking of her. The lyrics are, in part, as follows:

I'm so glad we had this time together,
Just to have a laugh, or sing a song.
Seems we just got started and before you know it
Comes the time we have to say, 'So long.'

There's a time you put aside At the end of each episode of her eponymous show, Carol Burnett would sing "I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together," a short tune written by her then-husband and executive producer Joe Hamilton, and then tug her ear as a reminder to her gran that she was thinking of her. The lyrics are, in part, as follows:

I'm so glad we had this time together,

Just to have a laugh, or sing a song.

Seems we just got started and before you know it

Comes the time we have to say, 'So long.'



There's a time you put aside for dreamin',

And a time for things you have to do.

The time I love the best is in the evening
I can spend a moment here with you.



When the time comes that I'm feelin lonely,

And I'm feelin' ohooooo - so blue,

I just sit back and think of you, only,

And the happiness still comes through.

Though The Carol Burnett Show was before my time, my mother was is a huge fan of Ms. Burnett so I've been familiar with her since childhood. Of course, it certainly doesn't hurt that she played Miss Hannigan in one of my childhood movie addictions, Annie. I knew of Burnett's humor but I was in the dark about most of her work and her personal life, so when I saw my sister rate This Time Together highly and sing its praises, I moved it higher on my to-read list. I plowed through this audiobook, listening to Burnett tell short anecdotes about her life. The time she was on her favorite soap opera, All My Children, and Elizabeth Taylor dressed up as a cleaning woman for a scene and surprised Burnett, who had no idea and had to play it off. The time she and Julie Andrews pretended to make out in a hotel hallway to surprise their friend, only to have Lady Bird Johnson be the one to catch them. The time she had to do her infamous Tarzan yell to confirm her identity in order to buy stockings at Bergdorf's when she forgot her ID. The otherworldly bond she had with a young girl dying of cancer. I listened to her tell her own stories over the last few days and then I watched some of the corresponding clips from her show and her television specials that I could readily find online. The last one I watched was the final ten minutes or so of The Carol Burnett Show, in which she gets autographs from her costars, talks about why she was bowing out when the show had been renewed for a twelfth season, and then she sings the closing song. Cue the silent tears running down my face. I know how much those years and those people meant to her after spending about five or six hours with her through her audiobook so it made me, an absolute bystander, imagine what she must've been feeling at that moment.

This Time Together isn't a memoir, rather it is a collection of what I imagine must be 2-4 page stories. They generally follow a linear timeline and it often one person will be lifted from a prior story and then an offshoot will occur, creating a natural flow.

Carol Burnett is a class act. She was (is?) somewhat shy and awkward and oh-so starstruck by many celebrities who I'd consider her equals in the fame department. She blubbered and forgot her husband's name when she met John Steinbeck. She stepped in paint and ran away when she was introduced to Jimmy Stewart. It is apparent from her stories (and in her voice) that she has genuine respect for the work people do but probably even moreso, for what they are like as a person. At one point in the book, she tells of meeting a young girl who is dying of cancer and the special bond the two of them formed in a very short period of time, after which Burnett discusses her feelings about the universe. As the book goes forward, passing through time, the stories become less hilariously entertaining and more a reminder that Burnett is a real person in her late seventies. Several times during This Time Together, pivotal life events are glossed over or relegated to a one sentence mention--her two divorces come to mind. However, when it comes to the death of her daughter, an entire story is included. I felt a bit of a disconnect in the flow at that point but it would've been impossible to not include such an earth-shattering experience in a book of reflections. She ponders whether she'd like to be young again and thinks about how great a shake at it she's had. I can't help but agree. On the scales, the happy memories seem to far outweigh the sad ones and that's really all we can ask for.

This book, specifically this audiobook, is for the people who love hearing people tell stories, for those curious about the personalities of many movie and television stars, and especially for people who realize the importance of preserving memories and life experiences for friends, family, and posterity's sake. It was an absolute pleasure to listen to, so for that, I'm giving it 5/5 stars. I can only aspire to be the lovely person Carol Burnett is.

Watch a video I couldn't embed here at The Readventurer. ...more

5

May 09, 2015

How many of you reading this recall The Garry Moore Show? I grew up watching it and still recall it for it's humor (as a kid the musical numbers were mostly of lesser interest). Mr. Moore gave a lot of people a start, people whose names you'd recognize but none was funnier than a woman who became a regular on the show. This program was my own introduction to Carol Burnett.

Here we have a memoir that will leave you laughing and wishing for more. If (like me) you recall Garry Moore as well as the How many of you reading this recall The Garry Moore Show? I grew up watching it and still recall it for it's humor (as a kid the musical numbers were mostly of lesser interest). Mr. Moore gave a lot of people a start, people whose names you'd recognize but none was funnier than a woman who became a regular on the show. This program was my own introduction to Carol Burnett.

Here we have a memoir that will leave you laughing and wishing for more. If (like me) you recall Garry Moore as well as the Carol Burnett show and maybe even saw Carol in other rolls (for instance Once Upon a Mattress) this book will probably also leave you with a bit of melancholy for times...and humor...gone by.

I once heard Ms. Burnett note that the writers she worked with in a more recent format had trouble writing for her (and Tim Conway and Vicky Lawrence...etc.). Beside that it seems the "variety show" is a thing of the past. No TV network is going to shell out the bucks it would take to air a quality variety program when people will watch "reality TV" and amateurs on shows where they hope they will end up being the next star to be famous for 15 minutes.

So, recommended. No matter who you are some of Ms. Burnett's stories will break you up and her insights into "showbiz" are worth the read.

Highly recommended. ...more

3

Sep 14, 2016

I was watching Annie with my little one the other day and within minutes, I was shaking my head. How could any actress even attempt to play Miss Hannigan after Carol Burnett's performance. It wasn't just that it was funny. In fact, it may not be a lot of people's cup of tea because it is so broad, as is her style. It was that Carol Burnett decided that her character was going to play this silly, comedy musical, as if it was a melodrama. She was Joan Crawford at her long-suffering, martyr best!!! I was watching Annie with my little one the other day and within minutes, I was shaking my head. How could any actress even attempt to play Miss Hannigan after Carol Burnett's performance. It wasn't just that it was funny. In fact, it may not be a lot of people's cup of tea because it is so broad, as is her style. It was that Carol Burnett decided that her character was going to play this silly, comedy musical, as if it was a melodrama. She was Joan Crawford at her long-suffering, martyr best!!! It takes a lot not to be upstaged by a cute, curly-haired urchin, an adorable furball, and a bunch of overproduced, "Look Ma! I'm actin'ovah heeeyah!" sing and dance numbers, but Burnett shone. I, for one, only had eyes for her.



Having said that, people looking for super candid memoirs in This Time Together might be a bit disappointed. This is more a collection of "bits", some of them funnier than others (Carol tackles computers! Carol is confronted by a grumpy restaurant hostess!) than a sincere, shared insight into her unconventional upbringing, marriages, or behind the scenes experiences from the set of her TV shows and movies. To be fair, she may have already explored that territory with her first memoirs, which I have not read. Still, overall, this book is at times humorous, surprising, and, when she talks about her daughter, very emotional.

Perhaps the most surprising tidbit I learned from This Time Together concerns one of my favorite comedy moments of all time, and apparently voted the funniest scene on television by some association or other: The Gone with the Wind Parody where Carol, as a Scarlett clone, makes her grand entrance on the staircase wearing the recognizable, green, velvet drape dress, except this one comes complete with the curtain rod still inserted behind her neck and shoulders and tassles on her hat and belt. All this time, I thought it was just another of the brilliant ideas that made Burnett's TV variety show so memorable and unique but lo and behold it was exclusively the brain child of fashion designer Bob Mackie! And here I was thinking he was (in)famous merely for all those Vegas show-girly, outrageous, 1980s, Oscar get-ups that Cher strutted in on the red carpet. He should have gotten an Emmy for the Burnett show!


...more

3

Mar 28, 2019

Fluffy Audio Candy

Lovely little inside look at historic Hollywood, almost like listening to your grandmother tell tales from her youth ... if your grandmother was a Hollywood icon.

I'd never actually watched or seen Carol Burnett in movies or TV until I looked up some old clips after finishing the book. Not something I'd normally gravitate to, this was a bookclub pick and ended up being better than expected.

Warm hearted and pleasant this book is an enjoyable listen as Carol reads it herself. I Fluffy Audio Candy ????

Lovely little inside look at historic Hollywood, almost like listening to your grandmother tell tales from her youth ... if your grandmother was a Hollywood icon.

I'd never actually watched or seen Carol Burnett in movies or TV until I looked up some old clips after finishing the book. Not something I'd normally gravitate to, this was a bookclub pick and ended up being better than expected.

Warm hearted and pleasant this book is an enjoyable listen as Carol reads it herself. I know 110% I would not have enjoyed this as much reading it, as I wouldn't have gotten to hear her trademark Tarzan yell, or felt the emotion in her voice as she discussed the death of her daughter.

Overall an enjoyable book, but not much point other than to recount random incidents in Carol's life. This felt more like vignettes that weren't included in her (I'm assuming from the synopsis) more autobiographical 1986 book: One More Time: A Memoir.

I appreciated her candor, quick wit, and the tone and cadence of her delivery. Not surprisingly, this book was nominated for a 2011 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album.

TL; DR — A book about the good old days, not much substance. ...more

5

Feb 20, 2018

I had a lovely time with Ms. Burnett once again. She has lived a fun and eventful life.

5

Jun 17, 2012

Probably the best thing I can say about This Time Together is this: I stopped reading for two days, right before the end, because I didn't want it to be over.

Like many people, I grew up watching The Carol Burnett Show, and I still count many moments of that show as some of the funniest I've ever seen on television. How many TV programs make you laugh 'til you're breathless? Hers managed to do that all the time. This memoir was pretty much as perfect as any fan could hope. It was as if Carol Probably the best thing I can say about This Time Together is this: I stopped reading for two days, right before the end, because I didn't want it to be over.

Like many people, I grew up watching The Carol Burnett Show, and I still count many moments of that show as some of the funniest I've ever seen on television. How many TV programs make you laugh 'til you're breathless? Hers managed to do that all the time. This memoir was pretty much as perfect as any fan could hope. It was as if Carol were sitting next to you at dinner, telling you all of these wonderful stories.

There are stories to make you laugh: Tim Conway "hiding" from Cary Grant; Carol getting fired from her first job because she didn't want someone's experience of seeing Strangers on a Train to be ruined; Carol becoming an accidental penpal of Joan Crawford.

There are stories to make you cry: the little girl stricken with cancer, who forms an unexpected and important bond with Carol; Carol's daughter Jody meeting Ray Charles, the love of her life; the death of Carol's daughter Carrie.

And there are stories to inspire: how Carol and her friends put on a show and started their own careers (seriously, it was just like a Mickey and Judy movie!); Carol's landmark lawsuit against a tabloid (the first time a celebrity had sued a tabloid and won); and my favorite: the time that Carol summoned the energy of Barbara Stanwyck and other tough lades so she could "fire" Harvey Corman.

If you've ever been a fan of Carol Burnett and her impressive, funny, wonderful performances, check this one out. You won't be disappointed. ...more

5

Apr 12, 2011

Why I bought it? I actually didn't buy this one. A friend recommended it highly and lent it to me on CD.

Synopsis: Carol Burnett tells humorous vignettes and memorable moments from her life starting at her childhood and continuing through her rise to fame and beyond.

What I thought? There's a reason I'm breaking my regular schedule for this. I LOVED it. I highly recommend listening to this one. Carol Burnett narrates. She tarzan yells, sings, chuckles, and you chuckle along. It's completely Why I bought it? I actually didn't buy this one. A friend recommended it highly and lent it to me on CD.

Synopsis: Carol Burnett tells humorous vignettes and memorable moments from her life starting at her childhood and continuing through her rise to fame and beyond.

What I thought? There's a reason I'm breaking my regular schedule for this. I LOVED it. I highly recommend listening to this one. Carol Burnett narrates. She tarzan yells, sings, chuckles, and you chuckle along. It's completely enchanting. It took me back to watching her show as a little kid. If you are a fan of Carol Burnett, you will love this. If you've never heard of her, you will still get a kick out of her stories. Her first experience with a mugger had me dying laughing. There are serious moments, too, and I cried a few times--then again, it's easy to make me cry.

My Rating: ***** out of 5, for the CD at least. I think it would be the same for the book.
My daughter's rating: **** (she said no one takes a kid seriously if they rate something a 5--so take her seriously--she'd never heard of most of the names Carol throws around and still really enjoyed it.)

Cleanness Score: 4 out of 10, There was a little mild swearing, and a couple places where she talks about adult topics but nothing obscene. My 16 year old listened to most of it with me. ...more

5

Mar 04, 2018

My life, especially my childhood, was made infinitely better by Carol Burnett.

My dad was an alcoholic and my mom the sweetest, most loving person you could ever hope to meet. Together we waited with great anticipation for the weekly Carol Burnett Show to air. When I learned that she, too, was the child of an alcoholic (in her case, her mom), I loved her even more for it.

It's no surprise, then, that I gave this book 5 stars. I admire Carol, and I'd love to be her friend. I'd like to tell her My life, especially my childhood, was made infinitely better by Carol Burnett.

My dad was an alcoholic and my mom the sweetest, most loving person you could ever hope to meet. Together we waited with great anticipation for the weekly Carol Burnett Show to air. When I learned that she, too, was the child of an alcoholic (in her case, her mom), I loved her even more for it.

It's no surprise, then, that I gave this book 5 stars. I admire Carol, and I'd love to be her friend. I'd like to tell her just how much she has meant to me, and what she meant to my mom too. The night she was on, we'd laugh hysterically at the antics of Carol, Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, and the guests, and mom would drool over Lyle Waggoner.

Thank you, Carol, from the bottom of my heart. ...more

5

Oct 26, 2014

I adore Carol Burnett!!! My sister and I both do. Growing up we couldn’t wait for Saturday night to roll around and the privilege of staying up late to watch “The Carol Burnett Show” featuring Vickie Lawrence, Harvey Korman, and Tim Conway. Zany skits – elaborate musical numbers – colorful costumes – a live orchestra and audience – and headliner guest stars. So many laughs. So many great memories, lying on funky-orange shag carpet, chins propped in our hands, eyes glued to the old Magnavox I adore Carol Burnett!!! My sister and I both do. Growing up we couldn’t wait for Saturday night to roll around and the privilege of staying up late to watch “The Carol Burnett Show” featuring Vickie Lawrence, Harvey Korman, and Tim Conway. Zany skits – elaborate musical numbers – colorful costumes – a live orchestra and audience – and headliner guest stars. So many laughs. So many great memories, lying on funky-orange shag carpet, chins propped in our hands, eyes glued to the old Magnavox console television with rabbit-ears aloft.

Sadly, wholesome, high-quality variety shows are a thing of the past. For that matter, wholesome television shows of any flavor are hard to come by. Unless you count reruns.

Perhaps that’s why I enjoyed This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection so immensely. Rather than simply reading about Carol Burnett, it felt more like a cozy get-together with her, reminiscing down memory lane as she regaled cameo snippets of family life, Broadway experiences, random (and often bizarre) encounters with strangers, Harvey and the gang, favorite skits, marriage, a few sad times, and loads of laughs. More than once I interrupted my husband’s reading with my snaffling (laughing/snorting) like a hyena.

Here are some of my favorite snippets:

"Walking Alone at Night in New York City" (The iconic Tarzan-yell and self-defense finesse.)

"Viewer Discretion Advised" (How one little clue on “Password” changed game-show formatting from live broadcasts to taped.)

"Bob Mackie" (Industrious and imaginative, designing up to fifty dresses weekly - And who could forget the hilarious curtain-rod-dress???)

"Julie, Mike, Nichols, and the Lady in the Elevator" (Pajama shenanigans, Mary Poppins, and Lady Bird Johnson)

"Rumplemayer's and the Mean Hostess" (Peg leg fashion, dress-code revenge)

"A Girl Name Kathy" (One of two bittersweet chapters that reminded me how precious the gift of life truly is)

More than all of the above, however, the epigraph penned by Carol’s daughter in 2001 is beyond compare, perfectly describing Carol’s life and calling:

“Our legacy is really the lives we touch, the inspiration we give, altering someone’s plan – if even for a moment – and getting them to think, rage, cry, laugh, argue . . . Walk around the block dazed . . . More than anything, we are remembered for our smiles, the ones we share with our closest and dearest, and the ones we bestow on a total stranger, who needed it RIGHT THEN, and God put you there to deliver. – Carrie Louise Hamilton, December 2001

Five - heartwarming and humorous - Cameo-Memoir-Stars down memory lane........
...more

4

May 11, 2010

My parents gave my sister and me a Kindle for Easter which I could go on and on about. Aside from being a wonderful gift, one of the best parts about it is that they are linked. If one of us buys a book then it pops up on all four devices. Another great perk seems to be that I'm going to read books that I wouldn't have ever picked up on my own like this one.

While I remember watching The Carol Burnett Show as a kid, it must have been in re-runs because it went off the air the year I was born. My parents gave my sister and me a Kindle for Easter which I could go on and on about. Aside from being a wonderful gift, one of the best parts about it is that they are linked. If one of us buys a book then it pops up on all four devices. Another great perk seems to be that I'm going to read books that I wouldn't have ever picked up on my own like this one.

While I remember watching The Carol Burnett Show as a kid, it must have been in re-runs because it went off the air the year I was born. Even without much of a frame of reference I still enjoyed her stories of the people she worked with, her family, and her interaction with various famous people through the years. The TV variety show is pretty much a relic of the past and this show really gives you some good insight into how hard they worked. When the cast of Glee was on Oprah a few weeks ago she was talking about how they are the hardest working show in Hollywood right now. I don't want to knock them (because it really is an amazing show) but Burnett and company put them to shame with original music, comedy, costumes, and dancing every single week in front of a live audience. Their costume designer (someone who is still pretty famous and got his start there) would have to do up to 50 different costumes a week! Aside from the content, I also liked how this book was written in short and to the point stories. She either lacks the ego that gives her the need to go on and on and on (like I'm doing here :)) or she had a great editor. Actually, very little of the book is about her. She is gracious and kind with her words, especially to those who contributed to her personal success and the success of the show. There is a new Facebook campaign for her to host Saturday Night Live (a la Betty White) and I would love to see if she still "has it".
...more

4

Oct 20, 2016

Carol Burnett is an icon in comedy and this collection of short anecdotes about her life in the business, her family, and her friendships was really interesting and fun. Nothing too deep here, she has other memoirs on the meat and potatoes of her life. This was mostly fun with a couple of heart breakers thrown in for substance. She is a really amazing person!

4

Jan 07, 2011

Carol Burnett is one of my heroes, someone who I remember clearly from when I was very little. I often imagined being related to her, as a Patrick to her Auntie Mame. What can I say; I’m one of 11 kids, and I had dreams of a charming and singular exit from destitution. Before my dad married my stepmother, who controlled our Zenith console like a despot ruler, I got to pick one television program a week; it was always The Carol Burnett Show.

This memoir is a collection of cute, funny stories about Carol Burnett is one of my heroes, someone who I remember clearly from when I was very little. I often imagined being related to her, as a Patrick to her Auntie Mame. What can I say; I’m one of 11 kids, and I had dreams of a charming and singular exit from destitution. Before my dad married my stepmother, who controlled our Zenith console like a despot ruler, I got to pick one television program a week; it was always The Carol Burnett Show.

This memoir is a collection of cute, funny stories about Carol’s upbringing and showbiz life. The thing is, in her writing, she is just as genial and funny as she was in her program, which ran for 11 years. Carol has never been salacious or gossipy, so readers shouldn’t expect a lot of dirt. In fact in one story about a corpulent actress who ate an entire cake in front of the cast, offering none to no one – the performer apparently had “a sweet tusk” – Carol flatly refuses to give names. She gives enough hints that you can guess, but you might be wrong. That’s about as scandalous as our redheaded comedienne gets.

I am reminded about Carol Burnett’s earlier memoir One More Time, where she talks about her alcoholic parents and her lively but pessimistic grandmother (the one she pulled her earlobe for at the end of every Carol Burnett Show). In that book, Carol was more willing to share about her private life, its pains, the questions she asked herself. In this one, the 76-year-old actor and singer foregoes the delving to do what she does best: entertain.

By the way, Carol Burnett is having a small resurgence of visibility. Along with this book and a successful one-woman touring show, she’s had a recent guest spot on the popular TV show Glee. She plays the persnickety mom to evil cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch). Personally, I’m hoping we see much more of Carol, both on television and elsewhere.
...more

3

Nov 30, 2016

+Reto Popsugar #28. Escrito por un comediante+

I was lucky. I had the opportunity to watch old reruns of Carol Burnett 's show on tv. I don't remeber a particular thing about it, but my mom and I used to watch her, and have fond memories of her. I very much doubt that the new generations know her though. Pity. I still marvel how incredible talented were the old artists. They could act, sing, dance... amazing. To make people laugh is incredible hard. A lot of my friends are artists - musicians, +Reto Popsugar #28. Escrito por un comediante+

I was lucky. I had the opportunity to watch old reruns of Carol Burnett 's show on tv. I don't remeber a particular thing about it, but my mom and I used to watch her, and have fond memories of her. I very much doubt that the new generations know her though. Pity. I still marvel how incredible talented were the old artists. They could act, sing, dance... amazing. To make people laugh is incredible hard. A lot of my friends are artists - musicians, dancers, but comedian? that's hard.

If you are looking for sob stories or juicy details personals details, this is not your book. It's more anecdotal than biographical. She talks about her early years, since Broadway to tv, movies, and many, many, artists, comedians, and singers, writters, and colleagues. And her friends, and some litle bits about her family and daughters.

For example, asking help from Eddie Foy Jr, dripping wet , wearing different galoshes.
EDDIE: You sing?
ME: Kind of ... I'm pretty loud.
EDDIE: Dance?
ME: I can jitterbug.
EDDIE: Well, maybe I could get you an audition here for a chorus replacement.
ME: But I don't read music, and I really can't dance.
EDDIE: (eyeing his dressing room, wiping his neck with the towel) Okay, you can't read music and you can't dance. Then ... what?
ME: Well, I'm not good enough for the chorus, so I guess I'll have to have a featured role.
There was a long pause before he gave me the phone number of his agent, wished me luck, and made a beeline for his dressing room. The fact that he didn't laugh me right out of the theater proves the point that Eddie Foy was, indeed, a helluva swell guy.






One famous name after the other appears in the book. Some really sorprising for me at least like Julie Andrews (a pratical joker!), Joan Crawford, and Lucille Ball, and Jimmy Stewart and Walter Mattheau, and Bernadette Peters, and litle stories about show business .



But, it's not really what I was looking for.

Es una pena que este estilo de humor de comedia que podia ser visto por toda la familia se haya perdido. Lo último que se vio en mi país fue lo que hacian los de "Jappening con Ja". Y las fantabulosas Gloria Benavides y Maitén Montenegro. No saben de lo que se perdieron, y lo poco que las aprecian. ...more

4

Jan 10, 2018

When I was younger my parents bought one of the anniversary specials of the Carol Burnett show on VHS. I was in absolute awe at how funny the show was, especially mesmerized by how often Tim Conway would destroy his other cast mates with his going off the script, and making stuff up. I found myself from then on a huge fan of this show, and the stars of it. So of course when Ms. Burnett came out with this book telling her life story, I could not wait to get my hands on it! I read it in 2 sittings When I was younger my parents bought one of the anniversary specials of the Carol Burnett show on VHS. I was in absolute awe at how funny the show was, especially mesmerized by how often Tim Conway would destroy his other cast mates with his going off the script, and making stuff up. I found myself from then on a huge fan of this show, and the stars of it. So of course when Ms. Burnett came out with this book telling her life story, I could not wait to get my hands on it! I read it in 2 sittings and had a big smile on my face pretty much the entire time. She wrote it with great wit, and honesty. She told embarrassing stories and was not afraid to make herself look silly. This is a great read for the fans of this actress, and the fans of her variety show. In my pile of books to read is the book she wrote about her variety show, and I know I will not be able to put that baby down either!! Now please miss Burnett will you do your tarzan yell for me? ...more

2

Oct 17, 2010

Let me start off saying I love Carol Burnett. I find her hilarious and a good actress to boot. This however was bland and boring. I guess its kind of not a biography, or really a memoir. What it is, is tiny stories about people in her life, certain events etc. Each chapter is a new one about a different person or event and is only 3-4 pages long.

This wouldn't be so bad if it were more advertised this way and if the stories were more interesting. She glosses over a lot of things. Saying, things Let me start off saying I love Carol Burnett. I find her hilarious and a good actress to boot. This however was bland and boring. I guess its kind of not a biography, or really a memoir. What it is, is tiny stories about people in her life, certain events etc. Each chapter is a new one about a different person or event and is only 3-4 pages long.

This wouldn't be so bad if it were more advertised this way and if the stories were more interesting. She glosses over a lot of things. Saying, things like, well this person died, and then this happened and then on to the next thing. I just felt like nothing really went together well, and each story mostly failed to entertain me.

This is not to say nothing about it was good. Carol is funny, some of it is charming and nice to know, but all in all, its not really worth it. ...more

4

Nov 01, 2011

Delightful, really. The lady knows how to tell a story. In this one she tells a lot of stories about the great variety of famous people she has had the pleasure to know as friends and co-workers. She is one class act.

Thanks to my sister's college roommate, I will always think of eye boogers when I think of Carol Burnett. For those of you who don't know, that's pronounced "AAH boo-GAHS."

5

Jan 14, 2018

Loved this book. It had its funny and tearful moments. I've always enjoyed her shows and now her book.

5

Mar 23, 2011

I've been wanting to write a review about this one for a while (I read it maybe a year-and-a-half ago), but haven't really been able to eloquently speak about how much I love Carol Burnett.

You know how every so often you come across someone who's, quite honestly, the nicest person you've ever met? I have a friend like this (Hi Sonnet!) who'll greet me in the morning with a, "Hey, Aileen! Aren't you looking fabulous today. You're so pretty! And wonderful! And I love you!" and other stuff that I've been wanting to write a review about this one for a while (I read it maybe a year-and-a-half ago), but haven't really been able to eloquently speak about how much I love Carol Burnett.

You know how every so often you come across someone who's, quite honestly, the nicest person you've ever met? I have a friend like this (Hi Sonnet!) who'll greet me in the morning with a, "Hey, Aileen! Aren't you looking fabulous today. You're so pretty! And wonderful! And I love you!" and other stuff that makes me laugh and blush, because I know she's kinda f***ing with me but is also being kinda serious. The sass lets her get away with being an honest-to-goodness-genuinely-nice person without any bitterness on my part. Even on my worst days, when I'm stomping around glaring at people for wearing the color blue or whatever it is that I'm irrationally angry at these days, she draws me out of it.

This is kind of what Carol Burnett is like in her books. She tries to make fun of herself (because it is a memoir), but it really doesn't work. Because you read about her stepping in paint when she fangirled Jimmy Stewart, or how she worked up from performing in agent's offices -- desperately trying to get a job, or how she dealt with alcoholics and drug addicts in her personal life, and you just get this sense of unflappable grace.

Is it a perfect memoir? No. There's no salaciousness here. There's no sordid stories where she outs people long-dead or reveals someone's deep, dark secrets. She recounts the stories of her shows, her friendships, and her family in a way that really makes it feel like time you've shared together.

Alright, I've fangirled enough. If you're having a bad day, pick this one up, cry, and you'll be okay.

(tugs one ear) I'm out. ...more

0

May 01, 2010

This Time Together, Laughter and Reflections, by Carol Burnett, narrated by Carol Burnett, produced by Random House Audio, downloaded from audible.com.

This book got me through a harrowing weekend laughing throughout. Here we have remembrances of people and events, and the back story to scenes for the Carol Burnett show which lasted eleven years and got 25 Emmys. We hear reminiscences of her friendships with Lucille Ball, Jimmy Stewart, Beverely Sills, Julie Andrews, (including a prank that she This Time Together, Laughter and Reflections, by Carol Burnett, narrated by Carol Burnett, produced by Random House Audio, downloaded from audible.com.

This book got me through a harrowing weekend laughing throughout. Here we have remembrances of people and events, and the back story to scenes for the Carol Burnett show which lasted eleven years and got 25 Emmys. We hear reminiscences of her friendships with Lucille Ball, Jimmy Stewart, Beverely Sills, Julie Andrews, (including a prank that she and Julie Andrews were planning which went wrong because the person who ended up seeing it was Lady Bird Johnson. We hear about the time Marlin Brando called her. She had never talked to him before, and she ended up on the phone with him for an hour, all the time having to go to the bathroom. Since Carol reads the book herself, it is really like listening to her talk to you in the living room. She laughs herself at the funny anecdotes. She was saved from a mugging when she issued her Tarzan yell, which she did for us again in the audio book. We heard about the sadness surrounding her daughter Carrie’s death, and we want to see all those shows again. A book to be savored more than once-especially as an audio book.
...more

5

Sep 25, 2018

I loved this book. Carol Burnett has been my idol since the age of 8. Funny and charming read.

4

Feb 08, 2016

This Time Together: Laughter & Reflection
Author: Carol Burnett
Audio Book
5.5 hours
Read by Carol Burnett

I usually don't listen to many audio books unless I'm going on a long drive by myself and need something for company. But when I saw this book on my local library's website, I knew this was one I needed to listen to instead of read. Carol Burnett telling her own stories....I knew it was going to be great!

I was not disappointed! Listening to this book was a joy! Burnett tells stories about This Time Together: Laughter & Reflection
Author: Carol Burnett
Audio Book
5.5 hours
Read by Carol Burnett

I usually don't listen to many audio books unless I'm going on a long drive by myself and need something for company. But when I saw this book on my local library's website, I knew this was one I needed to listen to instead of read. Carol Burnett telling her own stories....I knew it was going to be great!

I was not disappointed! Listening to this book was a joy! Burnett tells stories about her days as a struggling actress before she was discovered, then reminisces about her career. I think my favorite parts were the stories about performing The Carol Burnett Show before live audiences. It brought back so many memories of sitting in my parents' livingroom watching Burnett, Harvey Korman and Tim Conway performing their comedic magic. In my opinion, there has never been a funnier show on television. Their antics often had the live audience laughing uproariously, along with the cast members themselves.

Burnett also talks about her friendships with various celebrities including Lucille Ball, Julie Andrews, Cary Grant, and many more.

The anecdotes and stories she tells in this book are just delightful. If you are a Carol Burnett fan, I highly recommend the audio book version. Hearing her tell her stories just made the experience that much better.

P.S. - She does the Tarzan yell. :)))

My rating: 9/10
All ages ...more

3

Jan 29, 2018

I knew Carol Burnett was funny, but hearing her share anecdotes from her life -- and adding sound effects to them -- proved her to be quite hilarious. She made several different decades sound like such fun to have been in television and movies. Things have certainly changed a lot since those good ol' days. I'm glad I listened to this audio book about many of Carol's experiences in and around the entertainment business. She certainly has great timing, whether it be in her acting or sharing I knew Carol Burnett was funny, but hearing her share anecdotes from her life -- and adding sound effects to them -- proved her to be quite hilarious. She made several different decades sound like such fun to have been in television and movies. Things have certainly changed a lot since those good ol' days. I'm glad I listened to this audio book about many of Carol's experiences in and around the entertainment business. She certainly has great timing, whether it be in her acting or sharing personal stories.

Content:
* profanity
* expletives
* sexual content

Note: Not recommended for folks under eighteen years old, due to content issues.

I was not compensated for my honest review. ...more