Thursday, January 3, 2008

Rene Angelil Unauthorised Biography - Book Review

Rene Angelil: The Making of Celine Dion: The Unauthorized Biography
by Jean Beaunoyer, Jean Beaulne, Don Wilson (Translator)
Publisher: Dundurn Press
Pub. Date: March 2004

For almost twelve years, Jean Beaulne was a member of the Baronets "the Beatles of Quebec" along with Rene Angelil. In this book, he has collaborated with writer and journalist Jean Beaunoyer to tell the untold story of Rene Angelil and Celine Dion.



Previously unknown details of Rene Angelil''s personal and professional life are
revealed in this unprecedented investigation into the man who orchestrated one of the foremost successes in the history of show business.


This bio covers Rene's childhood in Montreal, his gambling, his health problems, and
his perfectionism and absolute control over his clients. To me he seems to be a
Svengali. Even more so when he married his client. The gambling really put me off. That Rene chooses not to control or quit gambling. For Celine to marry a gambling man, that to me screams Svengali.

I realise that the above statement is harsh, but that's the feeling I got when I finished reading the book. There are some very good details, on his previous marriages, his kids, his family, his relationships with others in the music industry, his relationship with celine, and anything else you might want to know. The book is well written, but with a lot of details. Some personal opinions creep in by Beaunoyer occasionally. Beaulne wrote some small extra chapters on other big music industry names as they came up in the narrative.

I read this book for the Memoir (In their Shoes) and the Canadian Book Challenges.

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