My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
Sarah Bernhardt embodied -- and indeed, in many ways, invented -- the persona of the superstar actress. During her life and after her death, she was constantly the center of a swirl of drama, attention, controversy and emotional display, both on and off the stage--and she did everything she could to keep the swirl swirling, fanning the winds and the breezes in all possible ways.
The one thing that cannot be denied about her is her extraordinary ability as an actress. Even George Bernard Shaw, who despised the florid, romantic, highly emotional style of Bernhardt and her contemporaries, admitted her power to hold the audience. For him, despite his antipathy toward her style, she still had the power of "making you admire her, pity her, champion her, weep with her, laugh at her jokes, follow her fortunes breathlessly and applaud her wildly when the curtain falls...."
In 1907, at the age of 63, with many, many highly successful performances--both on and off the stage--behind her, she wrote this autobiography. In it, she shares her stories, her feelings, and even her fantasies, which do sometimes replace her memories, vividly and with great personal presence. She wrote in French and this English text was published at the same time. She intended to write a second volume, but never did so. The English text is by an anonymous translator; it was probably done in a hurry and has its faults, but it is the translation published in Bernhardt's lifetime.
It is a book that takes us back to a time when live theatre was the dominant mass medium of the entire world; when a woman performing French plays in French commanded English- and Spanish-speaking audiences around the globe; when there was a unanimity of spirit and taste between playwrights, actors and audiences utterly lacking in our modern world.
Enjoy!
Author - Sarah Bernhardt.
Narrator - Robert Bethune.
Published Date - Thursday, 19 January 2023.
Location:
United States
Description:
Sarah Bernhardt embodied -- and indeed, in many ways, invented -- the persona of the superstar actress. During her life and after her death, she was constantly the center of a swirl of drama, attention, controversy and emotional display, both on and off the stage--and she did everything she could to keep the swirl swirling, fanning the winds and the breezes in all possible ways. The one thing that cannot be denied about her is her extraordinary ability as an actress. Even George Bernard Shaw, who despised the florid, romantic, highly emotional style of Bernhardt and her contemporaries, admitted her power to hold the audience. For him, despite his antipathy toward her style, she still had the power of "making you admire her, pity her, champion her, weep with her, laugh at her jokes, follow her fortunes breathlessly and applaud her wildly when the curtain falls...." In 1907, at the age of 63, with many, many highly successful performances--both on and off the stage--behind her, she wrote this autobiography. In it, she shares her stories, her feelings, and even her fantasies, which do sometimes replace her memories, vividly and with great personal presence. She wrote in French and this English text was published at the same time. She intended to write a second volume, but never did so. The English text is by an anonymous translator; it was probably done in a hurry and has its faults, but it is the translation published in Bernhardt's lifetime. It is a book that takes us back to a time when live theatre was the dominant mass medium of the entire world; when a woman performing French plays in French commanded English- and Spanish-speaking audiences around the globe; when there was a unanimity of spirit and taste between playwrights, actors and audiences utterly lacking in our modern world. Enjoy! Author - Sarah Bernhardt. Narrator - Robert Bethune. Published Date - Thursday, 19 January 2023.
Language:
English
Chapter 1
Duration:00:00:14
Chapter 2
Duration:00:04:45
Chapter 3
Duration:00:05:05
Chapter 4
Duration:00:03:34
Chapter 5
Duration:00:01:23
Chapter 6
Duration:00:04:58
Chapter 7
Duration:00:05:02
Chapter 8
Duration:00:04:56
Chapter 9
Duration:00:05:00
Chapter 10
Duration:00:05:33
Chapter 11
Duration:00:04:24
Chapter 12
Duration:00:05:10
Chapter 13
Duration:00:04:52
Chapter 14
Duration:00:04:59
Chapter 15
Duration:00:05:07
Chapter 16
Duration:00:03:18
Chapter 17
Duration:00:06:33
Chapter 18
Duration:00:04:58
Chapter 19
Duration:00:04:59
Chapter 20
Duration:00:04:58
Chapter 21
Duration:00:05:52
Chapter 22
Duration:00:04:15
Chapter 23
Duration:00:04:54
Chapter 24
Duration:00:05:00
Chapter 25
Duration:00:05:22
Chapter 26
Duration:00:04:33
Chapter 27
Duration:00:05:04
Chapter 28
Duration:00:04:55
Chapter 29
Duration:00:05:01
Chapter 30
Duration:00:05:16
Chapter 31
Duration:00:06:24
Chapter 32
Duration:00:03:25
Chapter 33
Duration:00:08:08
Chapter 34
Duration:00:01:43
Chapter 35
Duration:00:05:00
Chapter 36
Duration:00:04:59
Chapter 37
Duration:00:05:00
Chapter 38
Duration:00:04:44
Chapter 39
Duration:00:05:28
Chapter 40
Duration:00:04:49
Chapter 41
Duration:00:05:05
Chapter 42
Duration:00:04:55
Chapter 43
Duration:00:04:56
Chapter 44
Duration:00:05:03
Chapter 45
Duration:00:07:50
Chapter 46
Duration:00:07:05
Chapter 47
Duration:00:04:59
Chapter 48
Duration:00:04:57
Chapter 49
Duration:00:07:29
Chapter 50
Duration:00:07:31
Chapter 51
Duration:00:04:59
Chapter 52
Duration:00:05:05
Chapter 53
Duration:00:03:38
Chapter 54
Duration:00:06:17
Chapter 55
Duration:00:04:58
Chapter 56
Duration:00:05:03
Chapter 57
Duration:00:05:00
Chapter 58
Duration:00:06:34
Chapter 59
Duration:00:03:25
Chapter 60
Duration:00:04:55
Chapter 61
Duration:00:05:03
Chapter 62
Duration:00:05:00
Chapter 63
Duration:00:04:57
Chapter 64
Duration:00:04:56
Chapter 65
Duration:00:04:59
Chapter 66
Duration:00:05:04
Chapter 67
Duration:00:04:53
Chapter 68
Duration:00:05:06
Chapter 69
Duration:00:04:58
Chapter 70
Duration:00:04:59
Chapter 71
Duration:00:04:59
Chapter 72
Duration:00:05:11
Chapter 73
Duration:00:04:45
Chapter 74
Duration:00:06:03
Chapter 75
Duration:00:03:59
Chapter 76
Duration:00:04:57
Chapter 77
Duration:00:05:14
Chapter 78
Duration:00:07:10
Chapter 79
Duration:00:07:33
Chapter 80
Duration:00:05:03
Chapter 81
Duration:00:05:12
Chapter 82
Duration:00:04:45
Chapter 83
Duration:00:04:57
Chapter 84
Duration:00:05:02
Chapter 85
Duration:00:05:03
Chapter 86
Duration:00:04:56
Chapter 87
Duration:00:04:57
Chapter 88
Duration:00:05:04
Chapter 89
Duration:00:04:54
Chapter 90
Duration:00:04:58
Chapter 91
Duration:00:05:04
Chapter 92
Duration:00:05:08
Chapter 93
Duration:00:03:55
Chapter 94
Duration:00:05:57
Chapter 95
Duration:00:04:56
Chapter 96
Duration:00:05:00
Chapter 97
Duration:00:05:04
Chapter 98
Duration:00:05:06
Chapter 99
Duration:00:05:11
Chapter 100
Duration:00:04:34
Chapter 101
Duration:00:05:00
Chapter 102
Duration:00:04:58
Chapter 103
Duration:00:04:58
Chapter 104
Duration:00:04:59
Chapter 105
Duration:00:04:59
Chapter 106
Duration:00:04:59
Chapter 107
Duration:00:04:17
Chapter 108
Duration:00:05:45
Chapter 109
Duration:00:05:08
Chapter 110
Duration:00:04:49
Chapter 111
Duration:00:05:11
Chapter 112
Duration:00:03:36
Chapter 113
Duration:00:06:10
Chapter 114
Duration:00:05:41
Chapter 115
Duration:00:08:41
Chapter 116
Duration:00:05:01
Chapter 117
Duration:00:04:58
Chapter 118
Duration:00:05:17
Chapter 119
Duration:00:05:00
Chapter 120
Duration:00:05:24
Chapter 121
Duration:00:04:24
Chapter 122
Duration:00:04:59
Chapter 123
Duration:00:05:09
Chapter 124
Duration:00:04:49
Chapter 125
Duration:00:05:10
Chapter 126
Duration:00:04:50
Chapter 127
Duration:00:04:53
Chapter 128
Duration:00:06:03
Chapter 129
Duration:00:04:24
Chapter 130
Duration:00:04:31
Chapter 131
Duration:00:05:03
Chapter 132
Duration:00:05:03
Chapter 133
Duration:00:04:53
Chapter 134
Duration:00:05:08
Chapter 135
Duration:00:03:21
Chapter 136
Duration:00:02:42
Chapter 137
Duration:00:04:57
Chapter 138
Duration:00:04:57
Chapter 139
Duration:00:06:43
Chapter 140
Duration:00:03:24
Chapter 141
Duration:00:05:04
Chapter 142
Duration:00:04:49
Chapter 143
Duration:00:05:04
Chapter 144
Duration:00:04:56
Chapter 145
Duration:00:03:33
Chapter 146
Duration:00:06:42
Chapter 147
Duration:00:05:21
Chapter 148
Duration:00:04:44
Chapter 149
Duration:00:04:49
Chapter 150
Duration:00:06:28
Chapter 151
Duration:00:03:33
Chapter 152
Duration:00:05:13
Chapter 153
Duration:00:05:59
Chapter 154
Duration:00:04:16
Chapter 155
Duration:00:03:44
Chapter 156
Duration:00:05:23
Chapter 157
Duration:00:05:19
Chapter 158
Duration:00:02:43
Chapter 159
Duration:00:05:50
Chapter 160
Duration:00:04:09
Chapter 161
Duration:00:05:03
Chapter 162
Duration:00:05:49
Chapter 163
Duration:00:04:02
Chapter 164
Duration:00:07:18
Chapter 165
Duration:00:02:58
Chapter 166
Duration:00:04:57
Chapter 167
Duration:00:05:02
Chapter 168
Duration:00:05:26
Chapter 169
Duration:00:06:33
Chapter 170
Duration:00:03:07
Chapter 171
Duration:00:04:57
Chapter 172
Duration:00:04:58
Chapter 173
Duration:00:05:05
Chapter 174
Duration:00:07:08
Chapter 175
Duration:00:02:39
Chapter 176
Duration:00:05:06
Chapter 177
Duration:00:04:53
Chapter 178
Duration:00:05:11
Chapter 179
Duration:00:04:20
Chapter 180
Duration:00:05:27
Chapter 181
Duration:00:05:16
Chapter 182
Duration:00:04:48
Chapter 183
Duration:00:05:02
Chapter 184
Duration:00:04:52
Chapter 185
Duration:00:05:00
Chapter 186
Duration:00:04:59
Chapter 187
Duration:00:05:05
Chapter 188
Duration:00:04:55
Chapter 189
Duration:00:03:52
Chapter 190
Duration:00:06:11
Chapter 191
Duration:00:05:10
Chapter 192
Duration:00:06:49
Chapter 193
Duration:00:02:54
Chapter 194
Duration:00:05:02
Chapter 195
Duration:00:05:00
Chapter 196
Duration:00:04:43
Chapter 197
Duration:00:03:36
Chapter 198
Duration:00:06:23
Chapter 199
Duration:00:05:07
Chapter 200
Duration:00:05:08