This is perhaps the most extensive academic treatise ever written on Russian-born actor Yul Brynner (1920–85). Paasonen does not deliver a standard biography of the famed actor; rather, she studies Brynner in a number of ways that transcend him as an individual. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty; general readers.
- G. R. Butters Jr., Aurora University, CHOICE connect
Susanna Paasonen has written a substantial and scholarly study of one of the major male stars of the 20th century that is as rigorously researched as it is engaging and witty. This book is a delight and an important contribution to the study of stardom and mid-century masculinity.
- John Mercer, Birmingham City University,
One of the world’s foremost sexuality scholars provides an overdue analysis of one of the world’s sexiest stars. Through the lens of cosmopolitanism, Paasonen delves into the star persona and spectacular acting style of Yul Brynner. This book challenges postwar masculinity studies’ over-determination of authenticity and problematic associations with whiteness.
- Rebecca Sullivan, University of Calgary,