• Something Spectacular

  • The True Story of One Rockette’s Battle with Bulimia
  • By: Greta Gleissner
  • Narrated by: Dina Pearlman
  • Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (135 ratings)

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Something Spectacular  By  cover art

Something Spectacular

By: Greta Gleissner
Narrated by: Dina Pearlman
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Editorial reviews

In Greta Gleissner’s gripping Something Spectacular, the former Rockette reflects on one of the darkest periods of her life, during which she struggled with bulimia while simultaneously attempting to project joy, energy, and lighthearted youthfulness as a member of one of the most iconic dance troupes of all time. Gleissner tracks her own journey through illness and back up the long path to recovery, commenting the whole way on the perceptions and expectations that led her to develop such a destructive disorder.

Actor Dina Pearlman’s strong voice telegraphs empathy and respect as she performs this deeply affecting memoir. Pearlman’s pacing and enunciation are clear and conscientious, and she deftly cements listeners’ affection for this audiobook’s remarkable author.

Publisher's summary

Greta Gleissner, a longtime professional dancer, dreamed her whole life of becoming a Rockette. Then she became one and she fell into the grips of a powerful eating disorder that began poison her life from the inside out. Something Spectacular is Gleissner's raw, personal chronicle of the devastating effects bulimia exacts upon her life during her time as a Rockette. As her disorder takes over, she begins to lead a dual life: happy-go-lucky on the outside; tortured by obsessive, self-destructive voices on the inside.

Immersed in an environment in which even talent is secondary to appearance, Gleissner hides her disorder by any means necessary lying, cheating, and stealing with no regard for the consequences of her actions until she hits rock bottom and is forced to face the truths behind her disease. Her intensive odyssey of self-discovery ultimately gives her the strength to reshape her self-image, embrace her sexuality, and break free of the malignant hold bulimia has on her life. The first book to give voice to the pervasive but often unaddressed problem of eating disorders in the dance industry, Something Spectacular is a gripping expos of the insidious nature of eating-related diseases and a profound account of one woman's journey toward self-acceptance and recovery.

©2012 Greta Gleissner (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Something Spectacular

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A Good Memoir, Badly Narrated

The book itself was compelling - eye-opening, heartbreaking, honest, and, ultimately, hopeful. But the narrator was not a good fit at all. It almost ruined the book for me.

The narrator sounded like a midwestern 90s soccer mom, but the book was about a young woman in her 20s. It just was not a good match. The narrator also had a bad habit of inserting mirthless chuckles into the reading. Like a short, humorless laugh. It was weird and it happened a lot. By the end of the book, it was driving me crazy.

Ultimately, I’d say listen to the sample before buying. You can hear the narrator’s quirks and decide if it’s something you can get past. I got past it, but barely.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Awful writing, abandoned halfway through

Would you try another book from Greta Gleissner and/or Dina Pearlman?

The author is a fan of assigning odd action verbs to inanimate objects - "funneling thoughts" for example, and it got to the point that I had to give up. Could not even listen to what could have been an interesting story.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Never got there.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

High Kicks and Heaving

Greta Gleissner doesn’t pull any punches describing the experience of Bulimia, from the daily junk food shopping frenzy to techniques of “purging” and hiding the evidence. I was horrified, and spellbound listening to this.

I learned quite a bit from this book about the similarities of eating disorders and addiction, and the psychological toll of the quest for perfection and love.

Gleissner goes deep in to her background and you can see how something like this would develop long before she was a dancer. Critical mom, unintentionally cruel dad, depression. coming to learn that when she was sick, people paid attention and that “sick equals love.” BOY

Dina Pearlman really sinks her teeth into this reading, like all these worlds are the thoughts scrolling through her head in real time.

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    1 out of 5 stars
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Don’t waste your time!

I wasted too much time thinking it would get better. Too much repetition of vomiting and plotting. Don’t recommend

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Must read for eating disorder recovery

Anyone trying to recover (or already recovered) from and eating disorder will see themself in this funny, tender, and honest memoir. Loved it!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

WOW

Raw and real story of an amazing and awful journey. I laughed and cried all thru the book. I will listen to this again for sure.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great Support Book for Recovering Bulimics

Gleissner's memoir tells it like it is without glorification or gratuitousness, and Pearlman's voice really helps to convey the sort of character I imagined Gleissner to be based upon her own characterization. Parts of the book felt vague if not discarded -whatever became of her journey with her sexuality or her ability to deal with her past traumatic experiences?- however, overall, the book suggests hope not only for Gleissner but anyone who has ever combated an eating disorder and wanted "to win."

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A Survivor

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Cannot believe all she went through. This book is scary. The author suffered so much. Some of it is hard to listen to. It does not romanticize; it scares the reader away from these behaviors. But the insights into life as a dancer are interesting.

What other book might you compare Something Spectacular to and why?

I have read a lot of eating disorder memoirs, but none revealed to me the pain and suffering of the disorder as vividly as this, or frightened me as much.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

same journey

true to life story......have walked same journey same journey with with my own daughter. bulimia is a horriid monster

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing

Excellent book for anyone with an eating disorder or loves someone with this. The author knows what she's talking about.

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