• Furious Love

  • Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century
  • By: Sam Kashner, Nancy Schoenberger
  • Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
  • Length: 17 hrs and 36 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (171 ratings)

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Furious Love  By  cover art

Furious Love

By: Sam Kashner, Nancy Schoenberger
Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
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Publisher's summary

The definitive story of Hollywood's most famous couple.

He was a tough-guy Welshman softened by the affections of a breathtakingly beautiful woman; she was a modern-day Cleopatra madly in love with her own Mark Antony. For nearly a quarter of a century, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were Hollywood royalty, and their fiery romance - often called "the marriage of the century" - was the most notorious, publicized, and celebrated love affair of its day.

For the first time, Vanity Fair contributing editor Sam Kashner and acclaimed biographer Nancy Schoenberger tell the complete story of this larger-than-life couple, showing how their romance and two marriages commanded the attention of the world. And for the first time, in exclusive access given to the authors, Elizabeth Taylor herself gives never-revealed details and firsthand accounts of her life with Burton.

Drawing upon brand-new information and interviews and on Burton's private, passionate, and heartbreaking letters to Taylor, Furious Love sheds new light on the movies, the sex, the scandal, the fame, the brawls, the booze, the bitter separations, and, of course, the fabled jewels. It offers an intimate glimpse into Elizabeth and Richard's privileged world and their elite circle of friends, among them Princess Grace, Montgomery Clift, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Peter O'Toole, Michael Caine, Marlon Brando, Rex Harrison, Mike Nichols, Laurence Olivier, Robert Kennedy, Tennessee Williams, Noel Coward, John Huston, Ava Gardner, the Rothschilds, Maria Callas, and Aristotle Onassis. It provides an entertaining, eye-opening look at their films, their wildly lucrative reign in Europe and in Hollywood, and the price they paid for their extravagant lives.

©2010 Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about Furious Love

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Paul Boehmer needs more practice

Rarely am I dsappointed in a book AND the narrator (in this case Paul Boehmer).

The context of the book is only a step up - if that - from stuff we've read in 'D List' tabloids.

Paul Boehmer sounds like an inexperienced narrator (at least in delivering documentary) who is reading this book as practice. Perhaps with a few more tries he could have managed to get the job done well. He pays little or no regard to accentuating a quoted piece of text so that I could decipher that it's different from the rest. His tone of voice fluctuates at all the wrong times -leading me to believe something's going to be said, when indeed, he's already said it. This results in me feeling like I wasn't listening or paying close enough attention. But, alas, that is not the case. He's simply doing a poor job. I don't think I'll be able to listen to this book to its finish.

Listener, beware!

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Appauling bad narration

I was SO excited about this book, but the little voices that Boehmer does for Burton and Taylor are so offensively bad.... he makes Taylor out as a whiny school girl and Burton (whose voice and wit are arguably his best traits) as weak and soulless. Burton's words (ever the poet) are mangled and rhythmless in Boehmer's rendering.

Unfortunately the sample isn't a sample of the book, but of the opening credits- otherwise I could have avoided this unfortunate purchase.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

What a tragic love story.

Couldn't stop listening to this! What a tale of glamour, addiction, talent, ego, excess and passion. If it were fiction, no one would believe this story to be true. Such a pity they were never able to conquer their demons at the same time to make a go of it.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Paul Boehmer is Appallingly Awful as Narrator

Where does Furious Love rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is a fabulous read; I have the book itself. It is not to be missed.

What did you like best about this story?

The always timely story of two people who loved each other, sometimes "too much," in Elizabeth's words.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

He doesn't know how to pronounce words (i.e., Richard's birthplace (Pontrhydyfen), at one point he says that Elizabeth punched Richard in the "soldier," which I know is not correct, etc.), his version of Elizabeth's voice is awful and grating. Most of the women's "voices" are bad.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Hollywood melodrama of the highest caliber

Would you listen to Furious Love again? Why?

This book was very entertaining. It covered in great detail the beginning, middle and end of the Taylor-Burton relationship. It is interesting to note that these two might very well be responsible for our present day reality show oriented culture.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I enjoyed both Liz and Richard. She was a real survivor. He comes across as a very interesting, talented but fatally flawed individual.

Have you listened to any of Paul Boehmer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first story narrated by Boehmer I listened to. He was perfect for this story.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A great tale about passion and glamour.

Did Paul Boehmer do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

The book is the one you want to be as quickly as possible to be continued once you have put it aside. It is a good pastime, relaxing and entertaining. Could have had a stronger analysis of the characters but it may have reduce its enjoyment.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Insight into MEGAstardom

Would you listen to Furious Love again? Why?

I wouldn't listen to Furious Love again only because I don't think I have ever listened to an audiobook twice.

What did you like best about this story?

It showed the beginning of megastardom and the fascination with the private lives of celebrities even more than their work as actors. Just like reality stars of today (although they had talent) Liz and Dick began to take their stardom more seriously, I think, than their work.

Have you listened to any of Paul Boehmer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I havent- but I will say he does a tremendous job. He has a voice for every character. It puts you off for 2 minutes but after listening you really appreciate his enthusiasm for the characters and the story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me feel like I was in this 60's world of excess and appreciate how we have changed as a culture. There have always been stars, whether royalty or movie stars- we need them for inspiration, hope, escape.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Narrator makes this work

I loved this book. I might have taken it just as tabloid except for the effective narration. Paul Boehmer manages to "be" both Elizabeth and Richard without resorting to annoying voices. I was particularly struck with the power that Richard had with language which comes through in his letters and the delivery with a deeper voice and a lovely accent.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

One of the greatest love stories of our time

I have read most everything available on Liz and Dick, but this takes the reader right into the midst of the passion and tempest of a great love story. Love letters from Richard Burton to Elizabeth Taylor detail the agonizing bliss of their relationship, and explain why it ended all too soon. A great read!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Liz & Dick are still fabulous

I have been a "Liz and Dick" fan since the 60's. This book captures the intense fascination the media and public had for the Burtons. Part trashy, part tabloid, and part biography, this book does a wonderful job of giving us that glimpse of behind the scene details that still continues to titillate us in the 21st century. Paul Boehmer does an excellent job with the narrative, providing the reader with delightfully rich inflections and authentic English and Welsh accents .. at times actually sounding like Richard Burton. A must read for old Hollywood fans !

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1 person found this helpful