What do You think about Cybill Disobedience: How I Survived Beauty Pageants, Elvis, Sex, Bruce Willis, Lies, Marriage, Motherhood, Hollywood, And The Irrepressible Urge To Say What I Think (2000)?
I wouldn't call myself a HUGE Cybill Shepherd fan, but I did watch and enjoy Moonlighting, and I was mildly curious about her life. Cybill's story is certainly interesting, and from the looks of it, she certainly didn't "play it safe" with this book. She shares the good, the bad, and the ugly - about herself, and everyone else. There are a few references to people that she doesn't give names to, but there are plenty that she does name: including Peter Bogdanovich, Bruce Willis, Christine Baranski, Orson Welles, and Elvis Presley (to name a few). She gives her whole story, from early childhood to present day. And she gives a LOT of explicit details. In fact, it was one of the most sexually explicit books I've read. In general, it was probably more than I ever wanted to know about her, but it did hold my attention, and it's likely to be a memoir I won't soon forget.
—Kitty
I thought it would be fascinating to learn more about Cybill especially her time on Moonlighting because I am a big Bruce Willis fan. This book was very disappointing. I found it hard to keep reading but willed myself to finish the book. Cybill often comes often as long winded explaining things in boring detail that really don't need to be explained. She talks some about her co-stars on different movies and television shows but doesn't really reveal anything surprising about them. She seems whiny towards the end when she is talking about her television show "Cybill" and this is where she really looses my interest. She talks in great lengths about many different producers, directors, and writers leaving the show and blaming her but she makes it seem like their claims are baseless and she wasn't the problem. I would say skip this one!
—Aliree Paul
This has happened to me before. I pick up a celebrity autobiography, the celebrity in question being someone that I've always liked for one reason or another. With Cybill Shepherd, she has always seems very smart, and funny, and politically aware and savvy. (But I've had this exact same thing happen with Rosie O'Donnell, Patti Lupone, the list goes on and on). I read the book and discover, ok, this person (let's say Cybill) may in fact be smart and funny and politically aware, but WOW, she is an incredible narcissist and I find it shocking that she choose to write a book about herself and be so honest (and so lacking in self awareness) about what a dysfunctional and unpleasant person she seems to be. Noone seems to get along with you and you think its them? Always?? You sleep with married man after married man (or man after man while you are in committed relationships) and then say, oh well, you know how I am, or something to that effect. Every new bit of information that was gleaned from this book was sad or gross or both. Well written, lots of gossip, but just didn't enjoy spending that time in Cybill's company.
—David Jay
