Word: stevenson
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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Frank McLynn's authoritative biography (Random House; 567 pages; $30) portrays the Scottish author of "Treasure Island" and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" as the frail, yet flamboyant hero of an extraordinary short life. An invalid born into a wealthy Victorian family ruled by a strict father, Stevenson grew into a romantic wanderer, searching for a climate his bleeding lungs could tolerate. "McLynn tells his story with grace and skill," says TIME critic John Skow. "Only a dull reader will finish this biography without heading for the library to search out a complete edition of Stevenson's marvelous...
Freud was booked solid. Sybil was shifting personalities. And Robert Lewis Stevenson was too busy mixing metaphors...
After the death of Mr. Coleridge, his widow, Katherine, descends upon the life of her step-daughter, Isobel (Juliet Stevenson.) Isobel's sister Marion (Penelope Wilton) convinces her sister to make room for Katherine in her graphic design business, which she runs with her boyfriend, Patrick. Isobel is uneasy given Katherine's destructive personality, and her disinclination to expand the business. Finally, Marion and her husband, Tom, (Alan Howard) provide the capital to transform the business from a two-person living room operation to a bustling corporate production. The aforementioned knifing scene is the turning point, when both the business...
...redeeming aspects of "The Secret Rapture" is Whalley-Kilmer's performance. She expresses the contradiction between Katherine's warped vision of the world and her ability to exude adamant sexuality. Juliet Stevenson interacts best with the other characters, though the script often presents her with unrealistic prerogatives and situations. Marion might have been the most believable character, but Penelope Wilton's performance suffers from her tendency to rely on hyperbole to express Marion's flaws...
...regard to stories of his infidelity in the White House. Indeed, she professed to be shocked by similar allegations by Paula Jones about Bill Clinton. But she had always been prim. Says Manchester: "She was appalled by Lyndon Johnson's earthiness. At one time he was talking about Adlai Stevenson, and Johnson said, 'You know, he squats to piss.' Jackie was horrified. She didn't know what to say. She was stunned...