Melissa's Autobiography

I was on amazon today and I thought about MG new book that wasn't written. Now instead of saying the date of publication (which had passed) it says "Out of Print--Limited Availability."

Maybe it defaults to that after a while, obviously it wasn't written. I know I might be disappointed by some aspects of the book if published, but so few people talked about being on the show for so long, 3 books but a lot of main characters. I must say, out of all the TV shows at the time, very few print interviews were done then for LHOP.

I would have loved if "Albert" wrote one, he had an interesting start with his brother.

Wow Dave, that's cool. Let us know what he replies to you.

Davetucson wrote:

Funny you should say that. Just yesterday I tweeted Patrick and suggested he write a book and call it
"Matt and Me" about the little house years. Would really be an interesting read...........

Should've suggested "Me and Matt." You know actors and their egos.

When you are in more episodes you get top billing!
Besides, Patrick said Matt was flat out the best actor he ever
worked with.......................

I hope he thinks about it although a decade ago might have been better. They have publishers for small books, I think there are enough LHOP fans to have a good first print, but without the drama of Hollywood, some might not want it. I would though!
Fingers crossed

Davetucson wrote:

littlehouselover wrote:

I was on amazon today and I thought about MG new book that wasn't written. Now instead of saying the date of publication (which had passed) it says "Out of Print--Limited Availability."

Maybe it defaults to that after a while, obviously it wasn't written. I know I might be disappointed by some aspects of the book if published, but so few people talked about being on the show for so long, 3 books but a lot of main characters. I must say, out of all the TV shows at the time, very few print interviews were done then for LHOP.

I would have loved if "Albert" wrote one, he had an interesting start with his brother.

Funny you should say that. Just yesterday I tweeted Patrick and suggested he write a book and call it
"Matt and Me" about the little house years. Would really be an interesting read...........

Indeed! And I wish this book would be written. I'll be the first one to purchase it....

Vanesa

I'd read any cast member's book. Heck, I even read Shannen Doherty's "Bada$$." Would absolutely LOVE another book by MG and a book by Karen Grassle!!

Or a book by a male cast member!!

On a Walton's forum, they were wondering why LHOP never had the reunion shows or specials they did, it was just as popular and their theories, I didn't agree with. Once was the demographic now was too "young" and didn't care, they were seeing it for the first or second time, and the other suggestion was we were too docile, too quiet. They said, "We must make more noise!" Maybe another was the cast cared more.

I don't know why such a popular show was given such a short shrift, re the fans never had anything on TV in 30 years. but I know we loved it as much as some loved the Walton's. The days for a good TV movie are gone, too many gone or too old, but a "Where are they now" type of special, maybe as part of the movie hype.....still would be nice, just to hear them talk about what they liked, favorite show, etc. A tribute to cast that have passed on.
MASH did a special, a round circle of cast members, they did it very well, just enough talk, nostalgia, clips, etc. I wish they could do the same.

I read a free sample on my kindle last night. I was shocked by her honesty of her jealousy over Jonathan coming and her portrayal as the "perfect child/baby". Well, not too perfect, she said at 4 or 5, when they brought him home, her mother caught her slapping him across, the face, "left, right, left right" as she put it. She stopped her but it was obvious she went on, she didn't want him there.
Feeling jealous is one thing, but that behavior is another. She never said, "that changed later". The sample ended a chapter later though. I read it a long time ago, but forgot that part.

Oh! Poor Jonathan! Why did she do it? Simply jealousy? It's too bad. One think is to be jealous and another slapping someone systhematically that way...

And didn't she stay that things changed later in their lives? That could mean that Melissa doesn't like her adopted brother even TODAY?

Vanesa.

Vanesa wrote:

That could mean that Melissa doesn't like her adopted brother even TODAY?

Vanesa.

Hmm...maybe so...might be why we don't hear anything about him?

Yes, for the show, I expect they kept up appearances, but it does seem something wasn't quite right somwhere, did she talk about Sara either in her book very much?

Don't remember her talking about her much

melissa talks mainly about one thing........
HERSELF

yes

I don't recall her mentioning her TV brother Albert either..I guess it was all about her. It would have been nice to hear about a few other people outside of the Brat Pack.

Yeah,It would have been nicer if she talked more about LHOTP.

Davetucson wrote:

melissa talks mainly about one thing........
HERSELF

Too true...

Vanesa.

littlehouselover wrote:

The days for a good TV movie are gone, too many gone or too old, but a "Where are they now" type of special, maybe as part of the movie hype.....still would be nice, just to hear them talk about what they liked, favorite show, etc. A tribute to cast that have passed on.

I could never figure out why they didn't do a 'Where are they now' Little House show. It's not like they didn't have actors with juicy enough lives! Makes no sense.

littlehouselover wrote:

MASH did a special, a round circle of cast members, they did it very well, just enough talk, nostalgia, clips, etc. I wish they could do the same.

Yes, and Happy Days had a similar format, and it was done very nicely. At least some of the LH cast has reunited at some Laura Ingalls events here and there. That's better than nothing, but still would have been nice to have something televised.

littlehouselover wrote:

Yes, for the show, I expect they kept up appearances, but it does seem something wasn't quite right somwhere, did she talk about Sara either in her book very much?

Yes, she spoke of how much she adored Sara. She was like a 'pseudo mom' to her from the very beginning...she considered her her own living doll! No jealousy there...I think Melissa was at the perfect older age to have an infant brought into the house. I think the fact that Jonathan came in as an adopted child at 4 or 5, and close to her own age, was a breeding ground for contemptuous feelings for MG. I'm trying to put myself in a young adopted child's shoes here. You are the center of the universe for a long time, and then your parents bring home a younger kid, and they choose a boy. Am I not special enough? Am I not cutting the mustard somehow? I don't profess to know what it's like to be an adoptee, but I think it makes total sense that she was slapping him up as soon as he arrived, lol! It's a shame though, and I certainly do feel sorry for Jonathan.

sweetkrissy2011 wrote:

Yeah,It would have been nicer if she talked more about LHOTP.

I understood that this particular book was meant to be about her life more or less outside the show, and the issues and obstacles she had to climb. This was cathartic for her and I didn't fault her for that. What I had a big problem with was the way in which she told her story....it came off as crass and too desperate to be 'un-Laura-like'. I wanted to reach through the book and shake her and say, "Ok Melissa, we get it! You are NOT Laura! No need to beat us over a stick with that fact!"

I thought her Little House centered book was supposed to come out awhile ago? What happened to that, I wonder? I can't wait to read that...I think that Melissa's story will be far more interesting than Mellissa Sue's snoozefest. Also, wasn't Karen Grassle supposed to have a novel coming out? For me, this is the most anticipated one.

I think the book took a back seat to her divorce, moving and trip to Paris, etc.
No mention of it all though from her, so maybe shelved for good. (unless she needs money?)

I seriously don't see what the big deal is here. So she talked about herself? It is her autobiography after all!

And she mentioned Sara a few times. As for Jonathan, I think there is more to the story than will be told. I personally think (and I am basing this solely on impressions from both Melissa Gilbert's book and Alison Arngrim's book) that he has chosen to bascially cut ties from his family. I don't think it has anything to do with Melissa. If I recall correctly, there is a moment in the book where she essentially says that she feels bad that he is distant. I actually think his not communicating with anyone is based on his mother. She was, as far as I am concerned, really a piece of work. And I wouldn't blame him for avoiding her. I figured that since he seems to have cut himself off from the public, maybe that is why Melissa didn't talk too much about him in the end. If he doesn't want anything in his life (his adult life) to be public, why would she make it so?

I never got the impression that she was trying too hard to not "be" Laura anymore. Apparently she still wanted to be on the show when she was hanging around the Brat Pack. Remember the moment when she was out with Rob Lowe and, I think, Franis Ford Coppola (correct me if I am wrong about that one, please )? And she talked about how these girls came over to talk to her because of LH. And she liked the fact that they did because they were saying what the show meant in to them in their lives. She even talked about getting a kick out of touching something that actually belonged to the real Laura. So I never really got that impression from her.

Although I do completely understand getting it through some heads that the real life Melissa Gilbert is NOT the character Laura Ingalls. I think there are people out there that get these things confused even if she is playing a real person from a TV show that takes place in the 19th century. Consider this. You know there are people out there that think Alison Arngrim is really like Nellie in real life. So I do think that, for those people who do believe it, there is no harm in making it clear that they aren't.

I think fans of the show wished there was more substance to that part of her life, and at least some mention of other cast members other than Alison. Maybe most buyers of the book really cared about her life after LHOP but even with Victor French and Mr. Landon, it wasn't too elaborate to my memory.
To each his own though, it was her take on her life.

As far as Jonathan goes, I'm sure there is more, and it's between him and his family, but it wasn't my memory that she was that worried, she seemed not to care if he was gone a good riddance type of thing. (I don't have the book anymore) If he was just angry at his mother, he wouldn't cut his sister out of his life. I believe and this is just my opinion that they make up things about him so the fans wont ask any more questions. The stockbroker/theater stories might be true but I tend to doubt it. The person with Jonathan's bio is not Jonathan (or at least his fans don't think so) but he is a real person with the same name and background given to LHOP Jonathan Gilbert. The company didn't give out another guys picture and I wonder how he feels being labeled as Jonathan when he isn't. The same with the theater angle,Alison used last time, there is a Jonathan Gilbert in that area doing work but he's younger and not him. Other cast members wonder where he is and how he is doing, including the Greenbush twins and they see Melissa G on occasion. That makes me think the story isn't true also.
I don't think Melissa wants to go into it whether to make herself look better or cover for him, but I remember not liking things Alison and Melissa said about him when he wasn't around to give his side. I didn't like their comments about MSA either, but that's my opinion, others might have not thought it as big deal at all. Maybe the editors liked it to spice things up a bit.

I did learn some things from her bio, but I wish others had written one also that elaborated more on the show and interactions and experiences they had.

The stockbroker, who's picture usually isn't the grey haired guy but another one with brown hair, he went to Hamilton from 1994-1998, 10 years after LHOP ended and played football, basketball and Lacrosse. Seems like he would be quite a bit younger.