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Description
In the vein of Running with Scissors, Playground is the glitzy, glamorous, and surreal true story of a young girl who grew up inside the Playboy Mansion and never learned where the party stopped and the real world began. You are six years old. Every day after school your father takes you to a sprawling castle filled with exotic animals, bowls of candy, and half-naked women catering to your every need.You have your own room. You have new friends. You have an uncle Hef who's always there for you.Welcome to the world of Playground, the true story Jennifer Saginor who grew up inside the Playboy Mansion. By the time she was fourteen, she'd done countless drugs, had a secret affair with Hef's girlfriend, and was already losing her grip on reality. Schoolwork, family, and "ordinary people" had no meaning behind the iron gates of the Mansion, where celebrities frolicked, pool parties abounded, and her own father—Hugh Hefner's personal physician and best friend, the man nicknamed "Dr. Feel Good"—typically held court.Every day was a party, every night was an adventure, and through it all was a young girl falling faster and faster down the rabbit hole—trying desperately hard not to get lost. Read more
Publisher : Harper Paperbacks
Accessibility : Learn more
Publication date : March 17, 2009
Edition : Reprint
Language : English
File size : 293 KB
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Enabled
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Top Amazon Reviews
This biographical story is memorably well-told. The author really does put you right where she is at every innocent misstep of her young life. I am probably of her mother's generation with a daughter of approximately Jennifer Saginor's age who would have had similar social references up until the moment Jennifer Saginaw's childhood is interfused with the lives of her criminally neglectful father and all of the players in the unconstrained, dissolute mansion that is indeed her Playground. At six years old she is gradually moved into the infamous Playboy Mansion where her father is Doctor Feelgood to Hugh Hefner. To jealously control her life away from her mother and yet maintain his never really in jeopardy position as pusher and physician to the star(s) her father insists on keeping her wherever he is which is right by the side of Hef at the mansion. Jennifer has a natural childish curiosity and the awareness that she is living in the most inappropriate environment imaginable and that while at the mansion she will have absolutely no supervision is not entirely lost on her. She is initially oblivious to the other side of what she is experiencing and seeing. but slowly and very surely it all becomes the currency of her life. For a while she is the ultimate cool kid in school, but her lack of boundaries takes her to places even her school friends don't want to go. Through all of this Jennifer is very aware that this is not the normal childhood and adolescence that she frequently craves and the awful truth that she lives with everyday is that there is no such safe place in her life. Remember, this is a true story and although many names have been changed there are several who are named and shamed throughout this book. Her father "Doc" Saginor sits firmly atop this list. He is a perpetually psychopathic and corrupt golden chain around her neck and his self indulgent, ambitious depravity drags her through his downward spiralling drug-addled life. Then there is her mother who is missing in action from her daughter's life. Jennifer is not an easy child and the woman seems to be an emotional coward who knowingly stands on the sidelines watching her little girl's mind and body be wrecked. It is easier than any of the alternatives. Then there are all of the characters who make their appearances at the Playboy mansion - some of them are very well known; some not so much or not at all; the many and various fun naked people performing sex acts and using very hard drugs in the presence of a child and in some cases offering to share them with her; the kindly staff who appear to have handed over their consciences in return for their jobs and who would probably never allow any children in their own lives anywhere near the place. Finally there's "Hef" who gets a total pass from Jennifer. In her telling he has never wronged her or judged her. Hef is like a benign and blithely unaware uncle that sometimes pops up in the narrative, except he's none of those things. This book was hard to read inasmuch as I wanted to reach in and grab child Jennifer and adolescent Jennifer and haul her out of there. As hard as it was to read some of her accounts, it had to be extraordinarily difficult for Ms Saginor to take herself back to each instance and recreate the scenes, smells, her and others' actions, reactions and most of all her feelings. I feel she is a strong person and I hope her telling of her truth helps to put away the monsters of her youth. I thoroughly recommend this book.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2018 by Kindle Customer
Quick read good and keeps you interested took me about 3 days to read
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2023 by Stacey
My reading of Playground is perfectly timed with Hugh Hefner's 90'th birthday and the end of an era. This book although sensational, is scandalous and disturbing! Marc Saginor (Hef's personal physician, confidante and best friend) is a narcissistic and mentally abusive father who is so consumed with Hefner's lifestyle, he chooses to live in his shadow for the majority of his life. What some people don't know is that Hefner grossly interfered with the publication of this book by thwarting scheduled appearances and canceling interviews in an effort to make the release nearly impossible. Jennifer Saginor prevails and is able to tell her salacious memoir in what some would describe as the "watered down" version made suitable for publication. Her vivid recollection of the 70's and 80's, a time when the Playboy Mansion was in full splendor is impressive! Regardless of what you think of her writing style or whether the dates are 100% accurate, she paints a very clear picture of life at the mansion and the effect if has on her childhood. What is interesting is that Hefner never denied the events taking place. His only real concern was being exposed for engaging in illicit behavior with underage girls. Some of the dates were changed. A lot of material was omitted. Big deal. It doesn't mean it never happened! The author clings to a world filled with fashion, music, sex and drugs when clinging to a loving family life isn't possible. It's a tragically irresistible read!!!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2016 by Amazon Customer
I am 2/3 through book, but having a hard time finishing it. Had seen Playboy sessions, where Jennifer Saginor was interviewed. Read reviews of book, so thought I would like it too? I liked the beginning, sad and interesting about her parents. She choose to live with her father due to his exciting lifestyle at the Mansion. Unfortunately not the best choice for her, as she learned. She distanced herself from her mother and sister. From a child's perspective, she told about coming to the Mansion, her wonder and excitement. It was like going to Disneyland everyday. She got to do anything she wanted there. Freedom, huge room, butler's, gifts. But as she grew up, became involved in drugs, excess, lesbian relationship with one if Hef's girlfriends. Having grown up in a traditional household. Born and grew up in Southern California too. I am older, never used drugs, responsible. Reading this book, becomes very monotonous. Mainly all about her teen years, excess lifestyles. Her father parading young women and sleeping with them. Jennifer being lonely and alone, no genuine support. She wrote about women at the Mansion and in her dad's estate, all being very young, gold diggers, heavy drug use. What a horrible lifestyle for a child and or teenager. Her father was as perverted as Hugh Hefner. A very sad, lonely and unstable life. Surprised she had the strength to pull herself up. Reading about her in 2022, she has been sober 12 years and has real estate career in Beverly Hills. I really thought beginning of book much better. She told about how her parents separated, her choice to go with her dad and first impressions of the Mansion. But as book went on, became very tedious. Clothes, songs, perfumes popular. Parties, excess and drug use. Each chapter is predominately about her going to Hollywood or Beverly Hills nightspots. Partying, drug use, bimbo women, no morals or substance. After a couple chapters of her talking about all the beautiful, well dressed people, drug use.... How many times can you read about these things? It became boring, tedious and overdone. Guess I was hoping for her to talk more about Hefner later on. Or her dividing her time going to school and maturing more mentally. But the chapters just become about clubs, partying, drug use, excess. Plus her dad's extremely weird behavior in trying to set up his own estate like Hefner's. Multiple women weekly. Book seemed depressing to me. Very sad.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2023 by CM