Niv: The Authorized Biography of David Niven
by Graham Lord
I’ve read all four of David Niven’s books (two memoirs and two novels) multiple times. It’s tough to describe how much I adore him, but I’m sure you understand my heartbreak when I learned that the charming, effortlessly funny, seemingly lucky actor actually had a terrible sorrow in his personal life he never wanted to share. He did, very briefly, mention the tragedy involving his first wife, but he never discussed the misery of the second half of his life: his second wife, Hjordis. There are two in-depth biographies, Niv and The Man Behind the Balloon. After reading extensive reviews on both, I decided to read the former only. The latter seemed far too critical, and why read a book when the author delights in tearing apart his subject? In the introduction of Niv, Graham Lord warns his readers that he plans to correct all falsehoods and tell the “real” story; however, it’s not as painful as it sounds. If Niv claimed he was in New York for three weeks and he was really only there for one week, is it that big of a deal? If he believed his stepfather was cold and cruel, couldn’t that just be his own personal feelings, regardless of fond letters that have been unearthed? Anyone who is hesitating to read this book because they’re afraid Niv will be torn down off his pedestal, relax.
“His stories hurt no one, were never malicious, and he told them to brighten our lives and make us chuckle. Almost everyone who knew him has told me that he was a lovely man: kind, considerate, understanding, extremely funny and determined to cheer other people up even though his own life was stained at times with deep unhappiness. … And he told his stories so often for so many years that by the time he came to write The Moon’s a Balloon, when he was sixty, he had probably come to believe that all his fibs and exaggerations were actually true. We all readjust our memories, few of us with such splendid effect as he did. So if at times you are irritated by my corrections to his stories, please remember this: Niv was the twinkling star, the meteor who lit up every room he entered; I am just the dreary drudge whose job it is to try to tell the truth. I loved every minute researching and writing this book. Here was a man whose courage, kindness, and joie de vivre were an inspiration for us all. I wish so much that I had met him.”
There is a legitimate reason to avoid this book: Hjordis. She was a cruel, cruel woman. If this were a novel rather than a biography, readers would find her unrealistic – surely no villain could be so evil! But future readers, beware. It is painful to find out how she treated him, from the early years of their marriage when she learned her gold-digging dreams of becoming an actress were not to be, all through his terrible illness in the last three years of his life. Depending on how sensitive you are, and how attached you are to Niv, passages in this book might make you cry. If you don’t want to know what a terrible life and wife he had, stick with his memoirs.
I finished this book out, as horrifying as it was, because I wanted to get to know my dear Niv better – including his personal sorrows he never told anyone. After reading all these hidden truths, I feel even more connected to him. Some readers might wonder why he never divorced Hjordis (or as she’s called in my house “Horcrux”) but I reasoned that it was his self-inflicted punishment. If he found happiness with his second wife, it would dilute his early years with Primmie and give him guilt that he was able to thrive without her. In accepting misery, he could always love Primmie and mourn her absence.
I’d love to thank Graham Lord for the extensive research and interviews conducted in order to bring David Niven’s fans the missing puzzle pieces of his life. Sheridan Morley (author of The Man Behind the Balloon) also shared his research, which was very generous. Readers are treated to lengthy passages of first-hand accounts from family members and close friends, which serve another great purpose: Niv was loved by everyone (except Horcrux). Everyone absolutely adored him! He was the life of the party, always had a funny story to tell, hosted parties with elegance, and supported his friends during hard times but never revealed any of his own. Those who were fortunate enough to know him had nothing but the highest praises to sing, and they were extremely loyal. I learned more about Lauren Bacall, Rita Hayworth, and Roger Moore, and their affection for Niv made them each more likable in my eyes.
Perhaps the greatest compliment of all was the author’s obvious fondness for him. He wasn’t so blinded that he told the story through rose-colored glasses, but when little errors were corrected, Lord seemed to almost apologize. If the story wasn’t so sad, it would have been a true pleasure to read. Although Niv lived a very sorrowful life, he gave so much happiness to so many other people. Had he been able to read this biography, he wouldn’t have liked that his big secret was revealed, but he would have been enormously touched at the personal testaments and at Lord’s overall theme: “What a glorious achievement – to have made millions of people feel better. … To leave such a legacy is rare, maybe unique, and the man who did it deserves to be remembered and celebrated, even though the moon is not after all a balloon and flowers don’t pick themselves.”
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's page dedicated to David Niven's movies here!
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of David Niven's The Moon's a Balloon here!
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of David Niven's Bring on the Empty Horses here!
“His stories hurt no one, were never malicious, and he told them to brighten our lives and make us chuckle. Almost everyone who knew him has told me that he was a lovely man: kind, considerate, understanding, extremely funny and determined to cheer other people up even though his own life was stained at times with deep unhappiness. … And he told his stories so often for so many years that by the time he came to write The Moon’s a Balloon, when he was sixty, he had probably come to believe that all his fibs and exaggerations were actually true. We all readjust our memories, few of us with such splendid effect as he did. So if at times you are irritated by my corrections to his stories, please remember this: Niv was the twinkling star, the meteor who lit up every room he entered; I am just the dreary drudge whose job it is to try to tell the truth. I loved every minute researching and writing this book. Here was a man whose courage, kindness, and joie de vivre were an inspiration for us all. I wish so much that I had met him.”
There is a legitimate reason to avoid this book: Hjordis. She was a cruel, cruel woman. If this were a novel rather than a biography, readers would find her unrealistic – surely no villain could be so evil! But future readers, beware. It is painful to find out how she treated him, from the early years of their marriage when she learned her gold-digging dreams of becoming an actress were not to be, all through his terrible illness in the last three years of his life. Depending on how sensitive you are, and how attached you are to Niv, passages in this book might make you cry. If you don’t want to know what a terrible life and wife he had, stick with his memoirs.
I finished this book out, as horrifying as it was, because I wanted to get to know my dear Niv better – including his personal sorrows he never told anyone. After reading all these hidden truths, I feel even more connected to him. Some readers might wonder why he never divorced Hjordis (or as she’s called in my house “Horcrux”) but I reasoned that it was his self-inflicted punishment. If he found happiness with his second wife, it would dilute his early years with Primmie and give him guilt that he was able to thrive without her. In accepting misery, he could always love Primmie and mourn her absence.
I’d love to thank Graham Lord for the extensive research and interviews conducted in order to bring David Niven’s fans the missing puzzle pieces of his life. Sheridan Morley (author of The Man Behind the Balloon) also shared his research, which was very generous. Readers are treated to lengthy passages of first-hand accounts from family members and close friends, which serve another great purpose: Niv was loved by everyone (except Horcrux). Everyone absolutely adored him! He was the life of the party, always had a funny story to tell, hosted parties with elegance, and supported his friends during hard times but never revealed any of his own. Those who were fortunate enough to know him had nothing but the highest praises to sing, and they were extremely loyal. I learned more about Lauren Bacall, Rita Hayworth, and Roger Moore, and their affection for Niv made them each more likable in my eyes.
Perhaps the greatest compliment of all was the author’s obvious fondness for him. He wasn’t so blinded that he told the story through rose-colored glasses, but when little errors were corrected, Lord seemed to almost apologize. If the story wasn’t so sad, it would have been a true pleasure to read. Although Niv lived a very sorrowful life, he gave so much happiness to so many other people. Had he been able to read this biography, he wouldn’t have liked that his big secret was revealed, but he would have been enormously touched at the personal testaments and at Lord’s overall theme: “What a glorious achievement – to have made millions of people feel better. … To leave such a legacy is rare, maybe unique, and the man who did it deserves to be remembered and celebrated, even though the moon is not after all a balloon and flowers don’t pick themselves.”
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's page dedicated to David Niven's movies here!
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of David Niven's The Moon's a Balloon here!
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of David Niven's Bring on the Empty Horses here!