Sharon Osbourne Extreme: My Autobiography (2006) - Plot & Excerpts
Excellent. I read A LOT of bios- especially rock and celebrity... but I never read one that I connected with so personally, or was so sad to finish. I just want to have coffee with Sharon every morning.... in another life, perhaps.Painfully honest about her struggle as the wife of an addict. I am the wife of an alcoholic, and I have read a lot of books about addiction and/or addicts. But none other has touched my heart so deeply. If you love an addict- spouse, child, friend, etc- and have found other accounts to not exactly portray your pov, try this one. I am a similar smart-ass, no-back-down personality to Sharon, I think. But I often feel others think my commitment to my husband is viewed as a weakness. Like, if I was so tough, I would "just leave".... this aspect of living with an addict is a central theme of Sharon's book. So also is the guilt brought on by considering cutting lose someone who has a real disease, when all of your own success was built on their back.But, dont get me wrong-- this is NOT a whiny wallowing version of being an addicts wife. It is an account of owning your part, and remaining faithful, while maintaining to the end a position of fighting for an addict until they are either in remission or gone. I may some day see my husband finish himself off... but it wont be without me fighting him every step of the way...It was also a story of hope, in that- at the time of it's finish- Ozzy was 2 years clean, and her son 3 years. Sharon's story reinforced my belief that my way may not be the AlAnon way, but it is MY journey... not conducive to the choices of others, but not "wrong" either.
I have always thought Sharon Osbourne was an interesting person. Now, after reading her book, it is confirmed. She is an amazing person. Her life was nothing short of an adventure. Her father was a manager in the music industry out of the UK. He was not the ideal father. He was a scammer, a cheat, a mobster and he used Sharon so he could run his crooked business under the radar. Her mother was not any better. Even though her husband cheated on her and treated her worse than a 2-bit whore, she defended him over Sharon several times throughout her life. I didn’t realize how experienced Sharon is in the music business. She meets Ozzy when she was in her early 20’s. They become great friends. They become romantically involved when he is still married. It’s a rocky road, but Ozzy does eventually divorce his wife and marry Sharon. Sharon talks a lot about Ozzy’s addictions and the violence that ensues. She is very open and honest in her writing. I admire her for that. A few things that stand out in my mind after reading this book. Sharon and her family must have lived in 50 different. I swear they are moving to a new house in every chapter. They bounce between LA and England. Sharon gets robbed. Not just once but SEVERAL times. You would think they would learn and get an alarm system or safes or something. Sharon has spunk and seems like a fun person to be around. I enjoyed this book and I’m glad I read it
What do You think about Sharon Osbourne Extreme: My Autobiography (2006)?
I never read autobiographies but someone left this on our bookshelf at work and I thought I'd give it a go. Being the age that I am, I know more about Sharon's children then I do about her or Ozzy. This left me absolutely amazed by the life that she has lived. I feel that this doesn't paint Ozzy in a very flattering light at all. He was an alcoholic, a drug abuser and prone to beating up his wife but Sharon still seems to paint him as a victim who is totally unaccountable for his actions. This is am entertaining read that shows how Sharon has become as strong as she is.
—ReaderSP
This was really interesting, and definitely actually written by Sharon Osbourne. If there was a ghost writer involved, it was a great one, because her voice comes through loud and clear and the book's incredibly engaging. Her childhood was really fascinating, and although I knew that she was Ozzy's manager, I didn't understand how deep in that business she had been, or how insane her family was. I also didn't realize that their marriage was so abusive (she goes out of her way to say that she was part of the problem, but her poor coping skills -- throwing things when she gets mad, for example -- don't really exist on the same plane as him trying to choke her to death or punching her in the head whenever he remembers she threw a party without asking him first). She is much, much more forgiving than I would want anyone I cared about to be, both to Ozzy for his abuse/cheating/drugging/drinking, and to her father, who threatened her and her children's lives, stole from her, trashed her to her husband and the press, and yet she takes responsibility for his welfare when he gets old.Quick read, and as celeb memoirs go, one of the more interesting, informative, and candid ones I've read.
—Vicki
I will be honest and admitt the only reason I ended up reading this book, was because I was on holiday and read all my books before it was time to go (truely hate it when that happens) so I tried one of my friends ... well I can say I asctually loooved it! .. I had no idea the live Sharon Osbourne lead prior/during her earlier life with hubby Ozzy!It's a truely remarkable story, one at times seems fictional, but definatly a good read, to look into the life of others and find just how different people's lives are. I think one of the reasons I liked the book so much was due to the amount of honesty layed out on the pages; it makes you feel a certain way when you read it .. All I can say is for me it was a good read,(I don't no maybe it was the extreme heat-but I enjoyed it)I wont spoil anything for anyone wondering about the events that occure inside the book; all I will say is there has been a lot of drama in Sharon Osbourne's life.
—Levi Jenkins
