owlwaysbookish's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really good read for fans of Benedict. It didn't just tell you about him and his life but some details about his parents, co-stars and what his school had been like. The book gave a very detailed list of theater, radio, tv and other appearances he has been in describing in detail how he got the role, quotes from him and co-stars and generally informing us of the experience he has had with fame and fans. You can tell from the book that Benedict is a genuine down to earth sweet guy and he has worked hard to get where he is. He doesn't want to be known as one traditional role but he wants to explore a range of different characters. He doesn't want to to be stereo cast as a traditional rich boy as he only has a privilege background because of his parents giving him the best education possible at Harrow. Benedict is an awesome guy and I really did enjoy this book. The only reason it was not a five star read was because the dates did not follow a chronological order and were all over the place. It would have been better if the book followed a structure.
katiedreads's review against another edition
3.0
Started off slow, lacked interest but got better throughout the book. Well researched commentary on Benedict's career so far. However, I wished throughout that this was an autobiography as it missed any in-depth knowledge of Benedict, a presumption I made that someone writing a biography would have an intimate / behind the scenes knowledge of the subject matter.
piepieb's review against another edition
3.0
The first time I saw Benedict Cumberbatch was when an old boyfriend introduced me to "Sherlock." I have not been the same since, wanting to snatch up and view everything I can with Cumberbatch's name on it. For instance, I've seen Starter for 10 (hilarious!); Wreckers; Third Star; Star Trek Into Darkness; August Osage County; The Fifth Estate; Parade's End (very good!); Small Island (also very good); and 12 Years a Slave.
I enjoyed this book, but I felt like I could have gotten all this information off of the internet somewhere. Even the photographs included I had already seen online. The author only listed a page of sources; I was disappointed that he did not include any footnotes or any other kind of notes.
However, any fan of Benedict's will enjoy this book. The material covers his early life; his parents; his working with the likes of Moffat and J.J. Abrams; his relationships with his contemporaries (such as James McAvoy and Tom Hiddleston); and even a little bit about his private life. Pick it up - it's a quick read.
I enjoyed this book, but I felt like I could have gotten all this information off of the internet somewhere. Even the photographs included I had already seen online. The author only listed a page of sources; I was disappointed that he did not include any footnotes or any other kind of notes.
However, any fan of Benedict's will enjoy this book. The material covers his early life; his parents; his working with the likes of Moffat and J.J. Abrams; his relationships with his contemporaries (such as James McAvoy and Tom Hiddleston); and even a little bit about his private life. Pick it up - it's a quick read.
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