Priscilla Beaulieu PresleyBesprekingen

I read this book because I saw the Elvis movie (2022). I was very curious to learn more about Elvis and this was a pretty good book information wise. It was well written and heartfelt. I did find myself sympathizing with Priscilla and Elvis. I pulled from this that their life together was stressful, disconnected and passionate. I do believe that they loved each other, they just couldn't make it work. All in all a good read.

This was a book that made me re-evaluate my perspective of Elvis Presley. I grew up on his music, went to see Graceland as a kid, and watched his movies with my Mom. This book changed the way I looked at him, his music, and his character. I had heard stories about him when I was younger but most of it had been over his love for collecting badges and his favorite peanut butter and banana sandwiches.

When my Mom picked up this book, I was eager to read it. I wanted to know how Priscilla lived with Elvis, how their relationship had started, and what made it end. All of this I was eager to read.

Looking back, I saw Elvis was not a great person of character. He was controlling of his wife, made her dress a certain way, and believed once she gave birth he could not touch her anymore. He went on to have numerous affairs even going as far as to flaunt them in the newspapers. He did not care whether he hurt her feelings or not.

No matter how much you spin it - Elvis was a horrible human being. He did not care for anyone except himself (there was an exception to this equation as he adored his mother, Gladys, beyond all measure).

Priscilla tries to spend a romantic relationship with Elvis but it is anything but. She might love him, the lifestyle he could provide her, and the daughter they had together, but he kept her eyes in rose-colored glasses and in a bubble I doubt she realized he had placed her in. When he met her, she was young, impressionable and he was something new and shiny in her life. I think, because of this, she never realized that he was the one controlling the puppet strings he had placed on her.

Final Thought:
I wish I could say I liked this book, but that would be an entire lie.

Wow, this was creepy...

It was interesting to me to read Priscilla's view of their relationship.

Though I recognize Elvis's professional accomplishments and contributions to music, I do not consider myself a true Elvis fan. However, I received a box of books from a friend and the box contained 3 different books about Elvis. This is the second of the three that I have read.

This book was written by Elvis's one time wife and the mother of his daughter, Priscilla Beaulieu Presley. As such, she has an intimate view of a stretch of Elvis's life, yet it is tinged with her later realizations about how he molded her and manipulated people. Not knowing much about Elvis leaves me not knowing what is fact and what is only her perception.

I had not realized that when the two met, she was only 14 years old--a young age and certainly an age where she could be as impressionable as she makes herself out to be. It's sad that neither of them could sit down to discuss the problems in the marriage and work out a compromise as these problems came to light. Instead, it became a festering volcano that eventually spilled over and resulted in their divorce.

Hooooo boy, this was a doozy. Now, I'm a huge Elvis fan - I have his name tattooed on my arm for Pete's sake. But I know that he had his own problems and demons, and that he never wanted to actually address those problems, which contributed to his downward spiral and death in 1977. What I didn't fully know were the details of Elvis and Priscilla Presley's courtship and marriage. Of course, it goes without saying that I took Priscilla's account with a grain of salt - not that I think she was outright making things up, but I'm sure there are things that were embellished or left out for the sake of the story, and for the sake of Elvis's memory.

Even so, their relationship - and Elvis himself - were not always presented in the best light. Priscilla admits that their relationship (while filled with love), was not healthy. First of all, they started dating when she was 14 (he was 24), and that's just weird. Elvis was able to mold Priscilla into his perfect woman, train her to be the perfect wife (one who was there for him whenever he needed her, had no other job or hobbies to distract from him, offered no opinions, and who always looked her best). Then there was the pills: sleeping pills, diet pills, uppers, all which contributed to Elvis's declining health and mental state (Priscilla said she took those pills as well, but claimed to have stopped after one particularly frightening, pill-fueled encounter with Elvis). Despite all the bad times (and there seemed to be mostly bad times), Elvis did have his moments of genuine love, affection, and generosity.

All that I have read so far about Elvis has been taken from biographies or accounts from members of his Memphis Mafia. It was interesting to see him from Priscilla's point of view, someone who met him and was deeply in love with him at such a young age, then had the veil lifted from her eyes as the years of manipulation and emotional turmoil continued. It's a shame that someone so talented just could not get out of his own way.

I read this when it came out in paperback. It delves deeply into Elvis and his lifestyle.I liked it for the most part. I learned alittle "too much" about Elvis and Priscilla and have never looked at him the same way since.
If you want to learn abt Elvis on a personal level, this is the one to read, written by Priscilla, no 2nd hand or gossip page versions.

While the book is not particularly well written, it did hold my interest. As a child who lived in a small town; attending Saturday afternoon movies was the highlight of the week. The movies of Elvis Presley were a treat to look forward to. And, when I was nine years old, he was my first love. I remember the songs that were sung by this incredibly handsome man. And, in particular, Blue Hawaii was my favorite.

I grew up and moved on, still news regarding his concerts, his marriage to the beautiful, young Priscilla, and then his death from a heart attack, most likely fueled by prescription drugs, were all news worthy events that I followed through the teen magazines.

This is the story of Elvis through the eyes of his very young conquest, then 14 year old Priscilla. She moved often, and as a military child, she learned to adapt. When the magnetic Elvis set eyes on her, she could not help but follow. And, while her parents had grave reservations, still they allowed her to move from Germany to Graceland when she was only 16.

Throughout the story of his temper fits, his obsession with guns, his need to consume heavy duty amounts of narcotics, and his constant need to be surrounded by his core group, Priscilla continued to love him.

They had one child, a little girl Lisa. The parenting was on the shoulders of Elvis. As Las Vegas multi million dollar contracts for shows drawing large sold out crowds, he was away much of the time.

She gave up her young life for a man who dominated and controlled, still after she grew up and found a sense of identity and left him, she continued to love this enigmatic man.

Containing lots of fluff, still the book is worth reading.

I found this book at a sale and even though it is an older book, I heartily recommend your getting a copy from your local bookstore if you are an Elvis fan. Or know of one, because this book tells it all as known only by a wife and mother of his child. Priscilla Beaulieu Presley was an American living in Germany, although my understanding was that she was German. The fact was that her father was a military man stationed in Germany and thus the family wast there at the same time that Elvis was assigned his army deployment to that country. Much is told of how Priscilla lost her own identity and became what Elvis fashioned her out to be. Being of that generation, women were still thought of as a possession to the man, so at her young age, she blindly followed.
His drug use, which was thought to start later in life, was always abundant, and Priscilla herself indulged for awhile. Having two affairs to get emotional needs met are also discussed. I see that the media made a story of a man who did many things wrong psychologically(slept with his mother...no sex) and had many 'friends' always around him...a little boy afraid to grow up. His life may have been different if the movie industry hadn't tempted him and his manager had not gotten him to do so many terrible movies. He was a wonderful singer, but not managed well. His death was inevitable, with his life style, but how sad to end it so desperately and with no thought to his daughter and what she needed in a daddy.

I heartily recommend this book for those who have not heard the 'whole story' of Elvis and his life.

What were her parents thinking!!!

My daughter and I were in the gift shop after touring Graceland during our Mother's Day trip and thought this would be the perfect airplane book. It was perfect... easy to read, with just enough juicy details to help "flesh out" what we had learned about Elvis during our tour.

i read this book when it first came out it's still one of my favorites

The writing is not so great, basically an 8th grade reading level, but hearing Priscilla's story is gripping. I read this book in a matter of hours.

A very fast read for me. I thought it was fasinating to see how their relationship started and flourished. You get to learn a lot about Elvis and how he lived.

You could tell Priscilla really loved him; and still does to this day.