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chloejoy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
becandthebooks's review against another edition
4.0
I love Sam Neill, he is such a great Oceania export into Hollywood. It was surprising to hear how much he doesn't believe himself to be a great actor, mainly due to his lack of training, but sometimes people who are best at their jobs are those who are passionate and not necessarily "trained".
I enjoyed the format of this memoir, even though it was coming from a sad place - trying to get his stories down before he thought he was going to pass away due to cancer. The way the stories were broken up with little tidbits about what was happening at the time of writing with his diagnosis made me really feel for him. But at the same time I imagine it would have been very therapeutic to write about his life when he thought he was at the time. Sam I'm very glad that you are still with us now!
I especially love his passion that comes across for New Zealand, the landscape, his animals and his wine making. It was refreshing to hear about other passions that he discovered and created on his own aside from acting.
I enjoyed the format of this memoir, even though it was coming from a sad place - trying to get his stories down before he thought he was going to pass away due to cancer. The way the stories were broken up with little tidbits about what was happening at the time of writing with his diagnosis made me really feel for him. But at the same time I imagine it would have been very therapeutic to write about his life when he thought he was at the time. Sam I'm very glad that you are still with us now!
I especially love his passion that comes across for New Zealand, the landscape, his animals and his wine making. It was refreshing to hear about other passions that he discovered and created on his own aside from acting.
cutsajack's review against another edition
3.0
This book is okay.
I feel that Neill didn’t really put any emotion into his narration. It felt like he read it with the same tone throughout without putting matching emotions into the various topics/circumstances discussed.
Happy Reading, everybody!
I feel that Neill didn’t really put any emotion into his narration. It felt like he read it with the same tone throughout without putting matching emotions into the various topics/circumstances discussed.
Happy Reading, everybody!
ashyyy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
I just wasn't in the mood for an autobiography, so that's on me. I didn't connect with the writing as much as I'd hoped
_mox_'s review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
2.5
mystery_jem's review against another edition
3.0
In this unexpected memoir, written in a creative burst of just a few months in 2022, Sam Neill tells the story of how he became one of the world’s most celebrated actors.
I suppose when I pick up a book that is a celebrity memoir, I expect to hear about their childhood, what brought them to the big screen, and of course, anecdotes about the films they worked on.
NOT full chapters on their bowel movements. Or a colonoscopy- that is personal - do not share-
I almost stopped listening right there. But I held on hope that he would go into the same kind of detail about, say, maybe The Hunt for Red October or Jurassic Park. Again disappointed.
Sam has a very pleasant voice and seems a very genteel person. We do see that he does care about people, and it is evident in all the stories he told about all the people he knows (that we don't).
And I loved all the movie memories he does talk about. Amazing.
I basically skimmed the whole book and went from film to film, bypassing all the penis circumcision and other bodily function stories he saw fit to share.
He is an incredible actor, and he seems very affable.
I'm just sorry this book was not much to write home about.
I suppose when I pick up a book that is a celebrity memoir, I expect to hear about their childhood, what brought them to the big screen, and of course, anecdotes about the films they worked on.
NOT full chapters on their bowel movements. Or a colonoscopy- that is personal - do not share-
I almost stopped listening right there. But I held on hope that he would go into the same kind of detail about, say, maybe The Hunt for Red October or Jurassic Park. Again disappointed.
Sam has a very pleasant voice and seems a very genteel person. We do see that he does care about people, and it is evident in all the stories he told about all the people he knows (that we don't).
And I loved all the movie memories he does talk about. Amazing.
I basically skimmed the whole book and went from film to film, bypassing all the penis circumcision and other bodily function stories he saw fit to share.
He is an incredible actor, and he seems very affable.
I'm just sorry this book was not much to write home about.