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Little Me
With characteristic gusto and candor, Katharine Hepburn reflects on family tragedy and childhood happiness.
Katharine Hepburn, the legendary film actress, was born in Connecticut in 1907. She achieved overnight success with her first hit A Bill of Divorcement (1932), and went on to win the first of four Oscars with her compelling performance in Morning Glory (1933). In 1991 she published her memoirs, Me: Stories of My Life, from which this extract is taken, a fascinating, unique insight into the public and private lives of one of Hollywood's most enduring stars.
Penguin Books, in commemoration of its 60th anniversary in 1995, released several boxed sets of Penguin 60s: miniature books about sixty pages in length.
Katharine Hepburn, the legendary film actress, was born in Connecticut in 1907. She achieved overnight success with her first hit A Bill of Divorcement (1932), and went on to win the first of four Oscars with her compelling performance in Morning Glory (1933). In 1991 she published her memoirs, Me: Stories of My Life, from which this extract is taken, a fascinating, unique insight into the public and private lives of one of Hollywood's most enduring stars.
Penguin Books, in commemoration of its 60th anniversary in 1995, released several boxed sets of Penguin 60s: miniature books about sixty pages in length.
- GenresNonfictionBiography
64 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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About the author
Katharine Hepburn
18 books193 followersKatharine Houghton Hepburn (1907-2003) was an American actress of film, stage, and television. Known for her headstrong independence and spirited personality, Hepburn's career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned more than 60 years. She cultivated a screen persona that matched this public image, and regularly played strong-willed, sophisticated women. Her work came in a range of genres, from screwball comedy to literary drama, and she received four Academy Awards for Best Actress—a record for any performer.
In the 1940s Hepburn was contracted to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where her career focused on an alliance with Spencer Tracy. The screen-partnership spanned 25 years, and produced nine movies.
Hepburn challenged herself in the latter half of her life, as she regularly appeared in Shakespeare stage productions and tackled a range of literary roles. She found a niche playing middle-aged spinsters, such as in The African Queen (1951), a persona the public embraced. Three more Oscars came for her work in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), The Lion in Winter (1968), and On Golden Pond (1981).
In the 1970s she began appearing in television movies, which became the focus of her career in later life. She remained active into old age, making her final screen appearance in 1994 at the age of 87. After a period of inactivity and ill-health, Hepburn died in 2003 at 96 years old.
In 1999, she was named by the American Film Institute as the top female Hollywood legend.
In the 1940s Hepburn was contracted to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where her career focused on an alliance with Spencer Tracy. The screen-partnership spanned 25 years, and produced nine movies.
Hepburn challenged herself in the latter half of her life, as she regularly appeared in Shakespeare stage productions and tackled a range of literary roles. She found a niche playing middle-aged spinsters, such as in The African Queen (1951), a persona the public embraced. Three more Oscars came for her work in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), The Lion in Winter (1968), and On Golden Pond (1981).
In the 1970s she began appearing in television movies, which became the focus of her career in later life. She remained active into old age, making her final screen appearance in 1994 at the age of 87. After a period of inactivity and ill-health, Hepburn died in 2003 at 96 years old.
In 1999, she was named by the American Film Institute as the top female Hollywood legend.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 22, 2022
Apparently, Penguin Books, to celebrate their 60th anniversary around 1995, issued a slew of little excerpt-books from their wider selection — in the U.S., they focused on autobiographies and memoir. But I did zero research on this book before deciding to just buy it after it sat on my TBR for years, and I was both delighted and dismayed at its size. I think I knew this was a small book (60ish pages) — and I knew it was connected to Hepburn's bigger, more encompassing memoir, Me: Stories of My Life, just based on title alone — but I neglected to see that this little fella is approximately 4" x 5.5".... Seriously, it's tiny.
So, what I think this Penguin 60 (aptly named collection), Little Me, does right is to whet my appetite for the larger and more complete memoir, Me: Stories of My Life — which I actually already own. The stories capture, as the title would suggest, childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood moments of her life. She is strikingly honest and forthright, while still retaining complete control of the information she's providing you — her fierce desire for privacy at war with her need to get a memoir out before her death when a biographer would take over that duty without consequence. And, as it's in her own voice, I can't tell how much these stories are pared down for this tiny reproduction.
As I understand it, Hepburn did not use a ghostwriter through the process of composing her memoir, Me: Stories of My Life, and I completely believe that here more than any other autobiography I've encountered. The entire thing sounds like Hepburn — her clipped sentences, her blunt transitions, and the structure of her particular brand of storytelling. The same effect came off brilliantly in her previous memoir, The Making of The African Queen Or How I went to Africa with Bogart, Bacall and Huston and almost lost my mind, and for her to be able to capture her own unique voice on the page feels like its own kind of honesty and authenticity.
With that in mind, I will say if you have no idea of her cadence and demeanor, do not start with her written words — her interview special (largely spontaneous) with Dick Cavett is incredible (especially if you watch the part where she calls for the furniture to be rearranged), and that alone will help get her glorious voice in your head.
So, what I think this Penguin 60 (aptly named collection), Little Me, does right is to whet my appetite for the larger and more complete memoir, Me: Stories of My Life — which I actually already own. The stories capture, as the title would suggest, childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood moments of her life. She is strikingly honest and forthright, while still retaining complete control of the information she's providing you — her fierce desire for privacy at war with her need to get a memoir out before her death when a biographer would take over that duty without consequence. And, as it's in her own voice, I can't tell how much these stories are pared down for this tiny reproduction.
As I understand it, Hepburn did not use a ghostwriter through the process of composing her memoir, Me: Stories of My Life, and I completely believe that here more than any other autobiography I've encountered. The entire thing sounds like Hepburn — her clipped sentences, her blunt transitions, and the structure of her particular brand of storytelling. The same effect came off brilliantly in her previous memoir, The Making of The African Queen Or How I went to Africa with Bogart, Bacall and Huston and almost lost my mind, and for her to be able to capture her own unique voice on the page feels like its own kind of honesty and authenticity.
With that in mind, I will say if you have no idea of her cadence and demeanor, do not start with her written words — her interview special (largely spontaneous) with Dick Cavett is incredible (especially if you watch the part where she calls for the furniture to be rearranged), and that alone will help get her glorious voice in your head.
April 23, 2009
Before reading this little book all I knew of Katharine Hepburn was contained in a picture I once saw of her as an older woman holding an emaciated African child...that picture stuck in my mind somehow and so I thought of her as a humanitarian. After reading her account of her childhood I became fascinated by her frank, matter of fact style and was drawn to doing a bit of research on her life. I discovered that the picture I had in my head was probably Audrey Hepburn and not Katharine Hepburn for one! I also discovered that she was bold, brainy, beautiful, and an independent individual and empowered woman at a time when neither of those things was particularly in fashion. The more I read about her the more I admired her strength but at the same time lamented her selfishness - such talent and determination could have been used to help so many.
January 26, 2020
”Little me” by Katharine Hepburn is a small autobiographical book that the actress wrote after the age of eighty. Written in such old age, it includes descriptions of how things used to be and how they have changed over time - especially buildings and streets.
The book has two chapters on two different stages of Katharine’s life: Hartford - about her childhood ad family - and Bryn Mawr - about her college years and the beginning of her career. The narrative is easy to follow, yet filled with descriptions rich in detail, without distracting from the main story.
Apparently following one of her father’s pieces of advice in the letter at the end of the book, the writing has wit and humor. The darker or sadder parts are honest, but simply stated as facts of life. This can make an interesting read both for Katharine Hepburn fans and for people simply interested in how a progressive family lived in the USA in the first half of the 20th century.
The book has two chapters on two different stages of Katharine’s life: Hartford - about her childhood ad family - and Bryn Mawr - about her college years and the beginning of her career. The narrative is easy to follow, yet filled with descriptions rich in detail, without distracting from the main story.
Apparently following one of her father’s pieces of advice in the letter at the end of the book, the writing has wit and humor. The darker or sadder parts are honest, but simply stated as facts of life. This can make an interesting read both for Katharine Hepburn fans and for people simply interested in how a progressive family lived in the USA in the first half of the 20th century.
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July 7, 2019An essential bite of the very great and talented Katherine Hepburn.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews