On the surface, QUEEN MERYL by Erin Carlson seems to be a book designed to outline her career, film by film, punctuated by a little bit of stage work. It is only through the reading that you begin to get a picture of the complex human that is Meryl Streep. Reading about her life and the transition from student to actor to mega-star, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the fact that she owes some of her initial success to being in the right place at the right time. If you read about her childhood, even a brief summary, it becomes apparent that she was destined to be a performer.
From that point, Carlson begins to outline each film as Streep moves from role to role, explaining her reasoning for taking the role, some of what she did to prepare for the role, and the finished product. All this is set against a backdrop that shows mere peeks of her home life; a happy marriage, four well adjusted children, and an individual who seems to have unflagging energy. In addition, when her behavior with younger, lesser known and experienced talent is discussed, she comes across almost like a zen earth mother who senses what the person needs in order to give the best performance both for themselves and for Streep, and then sets about pulling that out of them.
Woven throughout the book is the information that is now becoming more available about how women are treated in Hollywood and in the performing world in general. There is information regarding the money, where women make a fraction of their male counterparts. In addition, you get an insight into what Streep thinks about why the movies that are made are chosen, and why she chooses the movies she does. It all swirls around her belief, which is supported by a good look around the industry, that movies are critiqued by men, therefore made for men. Men dominate the executive offices throughout the industry, and look at production from that point of view.
In contrast, Streep has often chosen movies that are about women, for women, and which will have an appeal to a female audience. She has frequently created her character in a way that has astounded those watching, both for depth and insight, and the result has been richer, fuller performances all the way around. Even when she was in movies that were less than stellar, there are precious few negative things said about Streep’s performance.
At its essence, this book is both an homage to Meryl Streep and an explanation of how she has worked tirelessly to improve the status of women in the acting world. She comes across as an avowed feminist in terms of demanding equal opportunity and equal pay for equal work. If the films discussed in this book are any indication, she has had a profound and lasting effect on how movie executives see the viewing public. She has flexed considerable muscle, in part because she has had considerable talent to back it up. All this she has done while maintaining a home life that sounds like something many women would envy including a solid relationship, children who have grown into responsible adults, and a reputation that is unique within her chosen field.
This is an interesting book, on many levels, particularly for anyone who is interested in how the world is changing in its views of women. Meryl Streep has had a huge impact on that within the entertainment industry, and that is highlighted in the book. It is a fascinating look at a complex human being who, when all is said and done, seems to have succeeded because she chose to do the “right thing” rather than the “politically correct” thing. Put another way, she has lead by showing you can be successful and follow your principles at the same time instead of sacrificing them in order to get ahead.
My thanks to Hachette Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital reader copy in exchange for an unbiased review. The opinions here are completely my own.

As a die-hard fan of Meryl Streep, I had to read this book. It was like having a nice long conversation with an old friend who shares the same views and ideas. I felt like I got to know more about Meryl Streep than what was in Wikipedia. Carlson has done an incredible job in getting to know the legend and put it out so beautifully in words for us. There is a perfect balance between early life and her career. It talks about her iconic roles, her hits, and flops, roles that evaded her and relationships with her colleagues in the show business.

Favorite Quote: "She was born to be bold. She was born to be brave. She was born to be a light in the darkness."

Also, I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Hachette Books for the advanced eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fans of film--and more specifically, the lady herself--will enjoy this biography of the incomparable Meryl Streep. Chapters cover her major roles, accompanied by photographs and black-and-white drawings. Streep comes across as a talented, driven, slightly prickly chameleon. She lacks the approachable lovability of a more cuddly Hollywood actress (Julia Roberts or Meg Ryan come to mind), but that's not necessarily a bad thing. After all, no one says male actors have to be likeable to be successful at their jobs. Carlson is clearly a fan, but uses a very clear lens to portray Streep.

I loved reading about Meryl's career and personal life. Such a talented and accomplished actress, and all around great human!

Thanks to Hachette Books and Netgalley for this ARC!

A well-researched history of Meryl Streep. A straightforward read that explores Streep's time on both the stage and in film. A great book for people who are movie buffs, pop culture fans and everybody who loves Meryl Streep.

I read this biography free and early thanks to Net Galley and Hachette Books.

I have enjoyed Streep’s movies and her feminist moxie since the first time I saw her, and so I figured this would be a good fit for me. Sadly, there’s nothing new here at all. There’s no depth of analysis, no stories of inner struggle or insight into her development. The overall tone is uniformly adulatory, which is fine as far as it goes; I don’t enjoy seeing a journalist do a hatchet job on a performer, so if she has to lean in one direction or another, I’m glad it’s on the positive side. But once again—I have seen every single thing in this book (the half that I read) somewhere else already. I knew about the friction between Streep and Dustin Hoffman (who is also a great favorite of mine,) and I knew she takes roles that show strong women. I knew she wanted to sing, and she did it in Mama Mia. Readers that have followed this actor’s career over the decades with a magazine article here and there can’t expect to cover new ground. It’s shallow and superficial for the most part, and for me, the only good thing is that I didn’t pay for this book.

Streep’s fans that haven’t followed her career in the press may find more joy than I do here; nevertheless, my advice is to read it free or cheap if you decide you want it. It will be available to the public September 24, 2019.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

"Nobody remembers the armies that anybody held or the bridges built or the railroads built. People are remembered for their artists and we have to support the arts" Alexander Haig

Synopsis:
This is a comprehensive book about the living legend Meryl Streep. It goes from the days she started acting up to our current time 2019. It talks about her iconic roles, her hits and flops, roles that evaded her and her relationships with her colleagues in the show business.

Book Structure:
The book is 320 pages long and consists of 19 chapters and an epilogue. Every chapter is about a chapter in the life of the legend. Every chapter represents a specific period in her life and a specific iconic role with the mention of other events and films. End of the book the author also provided all the sources she used.

Pros:
- The author Erin Carlson has made extensive research to present us with all this book that has extensive information. Information including, what Meryl said about some of her colleagues or what those colleagues said about her and her important life decisions. She also provides all the sources she used in neatly organized notes at the end of the book.

- Despite being a big Streep fan I still did not know all about her relationships with her colleagues like why she disliked Dustin Hoffman (for the right reasons). And the nature of her friendship with Cher, her opinions about other celebrities, and some of her political views. These are all new information to me.

- I like the title the author chose for this book "Queen Meryl" and the cover picture is so gorgeous. The book has also some very beautiful illustrations showcasing Meryl in her iconic roles. Every chapter starts with one of them.

Cons:
- One thing that the book did not shed any light on was the funny rivalry that happened between Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock during the awards season in 2010. The two ladies loved by millions turned the whole thing into a comedy show that every fan of them loved. There was also that famous smooch between them when they were tied for best actress at the Critics' Choice Awards! Sandra has even left Meryl a voice mail saying "You've got to watch your back. I'm gonna cut you. I'm gonna take you down"! And then Meryl on her part sent Sandra some dead orchids telling her to die! I would have loved to read more about all that.

Final Thought:
If you are a Meryl Streep fan this book is a must read and own. No matter how much you know about her or read things about her, there are still many things that you will get know here. Queen Meryl: The Iconic Roles, Heroic Deeds, and Legendary Life of Meryl Streep will be published on September 24th, 2019 so don't forget to grab it then.

"I highly recommend having Meryl Streep play you. She plays all of us better than we play ourselves, although it's a little depressing knowing that if you went to audition to play yourself, you would lose out to her. Some days when I'm having a hard day, I'll call up Meryl and she'll step in for me. She's so good people don't really notice. If I call her the end of the day to find out how I did and it's inevitably one of the best days I've ever had!" Nora Ephron

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a free digital advanced reading copy of the book in return of this honest and unbiased review.

Chronicling the life of Meryl Streep from childhood through her most recent role in The Post, Queen Meryl: The Iconic Roles, Heroic Deeds, and Legendary Life of Meryl Streep depicts how truly loved and respected she is by those who have worked with her, along with her loving public. The book gives fans a fantastic view into the personal context of Meryl's choice of roles and her guiding philosophies, even touching on the roles she took that didn't quite hit the mark with her expected box office gold. The author, Erin Carlson, has a great voice in her writing, which gives the book great readability. Her passion for Meryl and her roles are really on show, which added greatly to my enjoyment of the book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who's a fan of Meryl, or any one with an interest in film history.

4.5 stars, to be more exact.

Biographies such as these are much easier to thumb through when the author's excitement is not only detectable, but feeling like the first draft must've had so many exclamation marks used that the symbol was rubbed off of Carlson's keyboard. QUEEN MERYL is touted as being in the same vein as the recent NOTORIOUS RBG, and I'd agree that such a statement is pretty spot-on (and also a great book, if you haven't read it). Streep's personal and professional life is recounted up until now in a reverent but colorful manner that, as you'd want from such works like this, cause you to rethink anything you *think* you know about the actress, and to embrace the beckoning to go and put her films on your streaming queue.

Carlson does a great job at reminding us of how lucky we are to experience Meryl's gift--she's such a mainstay on the Oscar lists that people forget that she's always contributing quality roles, without expectation, and, just as importantly, that her success (in terms of box office draw) isn't the sure bet those awards might incline one to presume comes with the territory.

Through the trials and tribulations, Carlson allows us to see what the legend saw as she approaches these her projects, and inserting that context--for me, at least--dramatically increases my enjoyment of a film (e.g. her working through grief whilst filming KRAMER VS. KRAMER).

Streep is a grand role model for all of us to follow, and Carlson's work here puts the actress front-and-center in a book that pops and, yeah, it's biased toward those who are pro-Streep, but let me just say this for any potential dissenters: She's called out people for decades ahead of their eventual professional demises/fall from grace (Woody Allen, for instance). The takeaway should be that, if Meryl doesn't like them, then they're probably not worth having around.

Anyway, I digress.

It's a great read with feel-good vibes. High recommendation. Many thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Books for the advance copy.

A lovely book about the wonderful Meryl Streep .We get to see her life as the most fabulous actress and her life the way she lives in the real world.Fans of hers will love this wonderful book about this American treasure. # netgalley #hatchettebooks.

i received an ARC from NetGalley for this book. I have always loved Meryl and now i love her more. The descriptions of her are actually how I, as a mere mortal, always assumed she was off camera! Glad i was not disappointed

This is a wonderful biography of Meryl Streep, who is an actress I love. I enjoyed learning more about her as a person. I think fans of Meryl will love this book. I highly recommend this book.

I would like to thank netgalleyand the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

I love Meryl Streep. when I tell you i love her, i mean i LOVE her. As an actor myself, Meryl Streep has brought me countless inspiration through her work and in her daily life. I wish i could live a life without social media, like Meryl. I enjoyed this book. It didn't grab me the same way as Michael Schulman's Her Again, but in Carlson's defense, this book is more about Meryl's work than her life. As a young actor, i look up to Meryl as a goddess of stage and screen, so i was pleasantly surprised to learn about the struggles of her career and the films she was in that i have not seen. In fact, the night I finished this book I immediately wanted to watch Julie&Julia for the millionth time. The next day, I started knocking the few off my list that I hadn't seen yet.
Carlson is a hilarious writer, and what makes this book so special is her specific voice and obvious admiration for its subject. I really enjoyed the "intermission" moments sprinkled throughout chapters and the very specific quotes Meryl said in relation to her films. The structure works really well.
The only issue I can foresee is that I think you need to really love Meryl to read this book. There is a lot of information packed in its pages. Seriously, i thought i had 20% of the book left but finished it faster because the last percentage was just a bibliography (which i appreciated).
Carlson is a brilliant, funny writer and her unique style serves Meryl's legendary status. Film lovers, actors, and anyone who loved Mamma Mia! will get a kick out of this book.

It is a fun read but some fact checking still needs to take place. For example, it’s mentioned that Gwyneth Paltrow was nominated for an Oscar for Emma. Gwyneth has only been nominated once which is the time she won. I imagine pop culture geeks like me are the main audience for this and noticing things like this can pull them out of the book.

I usually do not read non fiction/biographies but I had to read this because as the title says, Meryl Is Queen! This was a very interesting read, and I learned some things I did not know about her. I thought that this was easy to follow along with, and now I think I am going to have a Meryl movie marathon! Great read!