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fleetingfrau's review against another edition
5.0
An honest and sincere read. Felt sad the closer I got to finishing knowing how he passed away. I don’t think he could imagine how much he’d be missed or the impact he made.
sweetlp_licia's review against another edition
5.0
Wow!
Micheal has always been an actor I love from his role on The Wire. After reading his memoir, I'm deeply in love with his story and upbringing. He was an inspiration to many, even though he struggled with his demons. The struggle was hard, and I'm thankful he was able to fulfill some of his dreams.
Micheal has always been an actor I love from his role on The Wire. After reading his memoir, I'm deeply in love with his story and upbringing. He was an inspiration to many, even though he struggled with his demons. The struggle was hard, and I'm thankful he was able to fulfill some of his dreams.
serenabereading's review against another edition
5.0
I received an advance copy of Scenes from My Life from Crown Publishing and would like to thank them immensely.
Michael K. Williams was one of a kind. He was one of the greatest actors we've seen. He had a huge heart and wanted to help people. He also struggled with drug addiction. I admire his transparency on his drug use and talking about how hard it was to shake it. I'm so sad he wasn't able to over come it and that he is no longer here because of it.
I loved reading about his early life (bullies suck!) and his relationship with his mother who at times didn't sound so nice but I know she was trying the best she could as he was growing up...a lot of things were difficult to read including when he got the cut on his face.
He took on a lot of hard roles and he would put himself into them 100%. Thankful I got to watch him in one of my favorites Boardwalk Empire and Lovecraft Country. I still haven't gotten through the first season of The Wire (don't judge) but plan on restarting it soon since this is what really put him on the map.
I hope he is at peace and knows how many lives he helped..and continues to help. Sending love to his family and friends. I was tore up when I heard he passed last year...I can't imagine the pain those that knew him feel to this day.
Michael K. Williams was one of a kind. He was one of the greatest actors we've seen. He had a huge heart and wanted to help people. He also struggled with drug addiction. I admire his transparency on his drug use and talking about how hard it was to shake it. I'm so sad he wasn't able to over come it and that he is no longer here because of it.
I loved reading about his early life (bullies suck!) and his relationship with his mother who at times didn't sound so nice but I know she was trying the best she could as he was growing up...a lot of things were difficult to read including when he got the cut on his face.
He took on a lot of hard roles and he would put himself into them 100%. Thankful I got to watch him in one of my favorites Boardwalk Empire and Lovecraft Country. I still haven't gotten through the first season of The Wire (don't judge) but plan on restarting it soon since this is what really put him on the map.
I hope he is at peace and knows how many lives he helped..and continues to help. Sending love to his family and friends. I was tore up when I heard he passed last year...I can't imagine the pain those that knew him feel to this day.
w8godot32's review against another edition
4.0
Sharing the Scars
The face, the energy, the charisma, jumped out when Michael K. Williams took over the screen. HBO’s “The Wire,” long considered one of the best series ever, reverberated once his Omar character appeared. In a cast of brilliant actors somehow this awkward, troubled kid from the Bronx stepped in and captivated us.
I just wish the man was still around to see his story come out.
On September 6, 2021, word hit that Michael K. Williams had od’d. Like so many other tragic Hollywood deaths, the news was stunning. We knew Michael. We recognized him. We wanted the dialogue to continue. This could not be right– there was so much more for him to offer. His characters radiated danger and menace… but that was the script, the acting, right?
In “Scenes from My Life” Michael tells us about the insecure boy growing up in a tough Brooklyn neighborhood. We see him awaken and connect with life when Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation” video kindles an obsession with performing. He turns himself into an in-demand dancer and eventually the very talented actor we all knew.
But there are the drugs. Over and over we see him fall victim to his addictions. Who knew that his resistance crumpled once he no longer had Omar to hide behind? From there we see a series of ups and downs as he fought his demons. When he first met Barack Obama he was so high on cocaine he could barely function. He repeats a number of times that he knows he is never free for good. Eventually he comes to believe his purpose is to be an example to others, to make his story heard and see if anyone else could stand on his shoulders. As you read the last few chapters you want to will a different ending… you want to fantasize the story of a man who brought himself back from the edge a number of times and lived to tell the tale.
Michael turned in his memoir shortly before overdosing on fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, heroin and cocaine. It is hard to judge another’s struggle, he is gone. Just a shame. More chapters should have been there for the taking. I recommend the book as a way to see into this man, as heartbreaking as it is to see him self-destruct and tumble away from us.
Thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#ScenesfromMyLife #NetGalley
The face, the energy, the charisma, jumped out when Michael K. Williams took over the screen. HBO’s “The Wire,” long considered one of the best series ever, reverberated once his Omar character appeared. In a cast of brilliant actors somehow this awkward, troubled kid from the Bronx stepped in and captivated us.
I just wish the man was still around to see his story come out.
On September 6, 2021, word hit that Michael K. Williams had od’d. Like so many other tragic Hollywood deaths, the news was stunning. We knew Michael. We recognized him. We wanted the dialogue to continue. This could not be right– there was so much more for him to offer. His characters radiated danger and menace… but that was the script, the acting, right?
In “Scenes from My Life” Michael tells us about the insecure boy growing up in a tough Brooklyn neighborhood. We see him awaken and connect with life when Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation” video kindles an obsession with performing. He turns himself into an in-demand dancer and eventually the very talented actor we all knew.
But there are the drugs. Over and over we see him fall victim to his addictions. Who knew that his resistance crumpled once he no longer had Omar to hide behind? From there we see a series of ups and downs as he fought his demons. When he first met Barack Obama he was so high on cocaine he could barely function. He repeats a number of times that he knows he is never free for good. Eventually he comes to believe his purpose is to be an example to others, to make his story heard and see if anyone else could stand on his shoulders. As you read the last few chapters you want to will a different ending… you want to fantasize the story of a man who brought himself back from the edge a number of times and lived to tell the tale.
Michael turned in his memoir shortly before overdosing on fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, heroin and cocaine. It is hard to judge another’s struggle, he is gone. Just a shame. More chapters should have been there for the taking. I recommend the book as a way to see into this man, as heartbreaking as it is to see him self-destruct and tumble away from us.
Thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#ScenesfromMyLife #NetGalley
wakandrea's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
This book provides another real example of how our country fails it's most vulnerable citizens and persecutes them for having appropriate responses to the consequences of living in these failed systems.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Classism
zenzi2read's review against another edition
dark
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
He didn’t talk about himself or enough, despite the fact that it was an autobiography his life didn’t feel deeply examined. The last half of the book was mostly about Justice work he never really dealt into the dramatic events that shaped him or into his creative process. It would’ve been nice if he spoke more about his work or even about his personal life or romantic life.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse and Violence
Minor: Child abuse
scifibabe88's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.5