Lights, Camera, Sex! Paperback – March 1, 2003

Whether friend, fan or curious stranger, read this! "Lights, Camera, Sex!" is a must for any fan of the legendary Christy Canyon, considered by those who know and care as one of the greatest adult stars of the twentieth century, if not the greatest. But it's more. It is an always interesting story of the adult video industry by a lady who not only survived but thrived. She intersperses industry behind the scenes stories with insights to the life and times of an intelligent and witty "valley girl" and the people and experiences that shaped her.This book may be disappointing to those who like their adult stars stereotypically stupid sluts. But like other successful and enduring performers, Christy does not fit that clichéd pigeonhole. Ms. Canyon self-published this autobiography. If a mainline publishing house distributed her work and marketed it as a roman a clef by an exciting new author, people who never heard of Christy would have made this the best seller it deserves to be. Canyon refused to compromise, refused censorship, and succeeded her way.The author, encouraged by her creative writing instructor, has written a lively narrative that will make you laugh and make you cry, while providing introspective on a remarkable life in an entertaining business. Her attention to detail, descriptive prose, prodigious memory, and well-researched vignettes coupled with fascinating flashbacks of the author's formative years make this much more compelling than just another star's life. It follows the author's brief but productive early career, her surprise departure from the adult business, and her first comeback. The author promises a follow-up about her life on the road dancing, but this deserves more than just one sequel. We look forward not only to her continuing story, but some advice books, some comedy, some romance novels and perhaps a screenplay. Turn on the reading lights, put down the camera, and focus on "Lights, Camera, Sex!"

I had no idea what to expect, had no idea that the woman could even string two sentences together. Guess what? This is one of the best autobiographies I have ever read. Yes, I knew her from the videos; no, her acting wasn't much, in fact, she never could act worth a...but how many of us rented her videos to see her act? Right.Know what else I'm glad about? That deep down, in her heart and soul, she turns out to be monogamous and has finally settled down with a decent guy.Yes, she was always a looker, hot, not a great beauty, per se, but put it all together and, man, she had it. I can't even put my finger on it exactly...maybe a Sophia Loren type...Maybe some other guys out there were like me, found her incredibly attractive, but always wondered what this person was like; was she human at all? Was she capable of being with just one guy, all that. And the answer to that question, and many others, is in this book.Troubled childhood? You better believe it. On her own before she turned eighteen. Lived through her share of hard times. Some of it sad enough to almost bring tears to your eyes, and some of it is hilarious enough to actually do exactly that: bring tears to your eyes.It's worth reading...and, in my opinion, would make one hell of a motion picture.So why then, after all this praise, would I not give our Christy five stars? Here it is: (and it can easily be corrected) punctuation throughout this edition is off; commas are missing and there are typos that can easily be taken care of.First couple of pages (title page, etc.) also should be re-done so that it does not look like a self-published book).A professional editor could take care of this without breaking a sweat. It really would be worth it, Christy--because you have one hell of a story here. And don't worry, it'll still be your book, your writing, your baby. Greats like Hemingway, Thomas Wolf, etc., etc., all of them, have had help in this area. It won't take away from the fact that it is ENTIRELY YOUR CREATION.Can't wait for part II.

Pretty easy read. Christy Canyon is not the most complex of thinkers. But neither is she a nitwit with nothing to say. However, she could've benefited from a more competent editor.As for content, another review had mentioned that there wasn't enough about her career in adult films. Her life isn't adult films. It's a summation of all her experiences to date. The book is raw, honest and sometimes funny. She excels with her inner dialogues during awkward or stressful situations. While she didn't "re-invent" the wheel with her autobiography, she paints a pretty honest and straightforward look at her life. I can appreciate her candor and am please she came out the other side unscathed and not jaded.She's got a healthy perspective, despite some of the pretty common but nonetheless affecting circumstances of her life.It's a good look at an ordinary life taking a somewhat extraordinary path. No judgment here.Would like to see her write more, if for any reason, to see if she can develop as a writer. "Lights, Camera, SEX" is a good start.