Liberace was a well-known performer when I was growing up. He really did have a flamboyant personality on stage, but I never realized how he impacted others in show business. I really enjoyed reading Scott's book about his personal relationship with Liberace. I felt as though he opened the doors of the lavish mansions that Liberace owned, and said "come on in, I'm going to give you a tour, and tell you all about my life with Liberace." Overall, I got the feeling that Scott never lost his affection for Liberace. As a result, his book appears more genuine. The problem with this "tell all" is that it was written about a year after Liberace died. Had Scott waited until now to write this (and for Liberace's friends and family to die off), I think we would have got a much more juicy in depth protrait of the man.Scott focuses on his life with Liberace: their excessive spending, Liberace's flamboyance, Scott's plastic surgery, his addiction to drugs, their break-up largely because of it, and the lawsuit that ensues afterwards. Basically, all stuff we already know or can easily look up online or can watch in the Michael Douglas/Matt Damon biopic (which I must say is much more interesting and entertaining than the book by leaps and bounds).Instead, the book skirts around the main issue I think everyone who reads this wants to know: How big of a freak was Liberace? Scott repeatedly mentions Liberace's insatiable sex drive, his addiction to porn and enormous porn collection, and his kinky sexual desires yet he never goes into detail. I wanted stories of raging parties with naked poolboys attended by Hollywood's most closeted. I wanted thinly veiled allusions to other in-the-closet gay stars. I wanted to know more about Scott and Liberace's sex life. Scott mentions he has an aversion to anal sex but he never says if it's being a top or bottom or both. He never says what exactly they did do in the bedroom. Obviously, Scott was doing somthing right if he and Liberace remained faithful to each other for close to five years.Scott mentions how private Liberace was largely in part of his fear of being found out as gay. So much so, that he's basically a hermit. In turn, Scott exercises the same in writing this "tell all" by keeping everything we want to know about Liberace privateScott's story is sad but yeah, I wanted the dirty dirt on a dirty old queen. You won't get that here.
What do You think about Behind The Candelabra (2013)?
Interesting private life behind the public facade. But really, did people believe he was straight?
—tin
unimpressed by both the book & characters: egotistical, hypocritical & manipulative.
—lorraine
Not super great. It really high lights the discrimination against gay performers.
—sankar
Right down to the nitty gritty. Just the way I like it. Juicy!
—GorjussTeyra
