morganbrabender's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed reading the story behind the development of the musical! Definitely found myself tearing up in some parts just in appreciation for the emotion and depth that goes into something as literary and powerful as Hamilton.
readingwithhippos's review against another edition
5.0
UPDATE 1/22/17: Sooo because this world is crazy and sometimes dreams do come true, I saw Hamilton on Broadway last week. :O You can read about our trip here, if you're into that. (We stayed in a hotel that used to be a library!)
Hamilton: The Revolution, which tells the story of the musical from its inception through its current Broadway run, has just the kind of fun, conversational tone I was hoping for. It makes you feel like an insider, which is exactly what fans like me who aren't going to get within a thousand miles of New York City are clamoring for. You want to feel like Hamilton is your musical, too, even though you're limited to blasting the cast album and binging on #Ham4Ham videos on YouTube.
I also loved learning the inspiration behind each song. Listening to them after reading the book was like a brand-new experience. I had no idea the show was so full of Easter eggs for both hip-hop and musical theater fans. LMM is clearly a man of diverse tastes and talents, and he brought it all to the table when he wrote Hamilton. Everything is relevant, everything fits in. It's magic.
You can see my complete "Fangirling Over Hamilton" post here.
Hamilton: The Revolution, which tells the story of the musical from its inception through its current Broadway run, has just the kind of fun, conversational tone I was hoping for. It makes you feel like an insider, which is exactly what fans like me who aren't going to get within a thousand miles of New York City are clamoring for. You want to feel like Hamilton is your musical, too, even though you're limited to blasting the cast album and binging on #Ham4Ham videos on YouTube.
I also loved learning the inspiration behind each song. Listening to them after reading the book was like a brand-new experience. I had no idea the show was so full of Easter eggs for both hip-hop and musical theater fans. LMM is clearly a man of diverse tastes and talents, and he brought it all to the table when he wrote Hamilton. Everything is relevant, everything fits in. It's magic.
You can see my complete "Fangirling Over Hamilton" post here.
setauuta's review against another edition
5.0
This was tremendously satisfying to read. The combination of the history of the show, the history the show portrays, and the annotations on the libretto came together beautifully.
nglofile's review against another edition
4.0
[Rating is a compromise between the 5 stars I would give the print version and the 2.5 stars due the audiobook.]
This book is a celebration of process, collaboration, passion, and craft. It is, quite frankly, a work of art in and of itself. It is intentionally designed to be a physical object of beauty: substantial weight and shape, beautifully bound, deckled edges, liberal full-page stills from the show, marginalia, annotated photos of Miranda's own notebooks, moments captured from behind the scenes, and even the careful construction to lie flat like a family album. Gorgeous. Inviting. The kind of treasure that one opens and pages through with reverence, always with the promise of something new capturing the eye or piquing a closer read.
It is a love letter to the show, of course, but the care invested in making it worthwhile on so many levels also serves as love letter to the fans -- both those who have experienced the wonder in person and those who are eager to find any virtual wardrobe to allow them to step into a fully realizedNarnia Hamiltonia.
The generous sharing of spotlight and credit is amazing, and it also serves to educate those who have no idea what it takes to bring a show to Broadway. The interspersion of text chapters with sections of song lyrics is balanced with precision. The margin commentary of each song is a master class in writing, language appreciation, research, and wit, and one cannot help but be even more impressed by what Miranda has accomplished.
audiobook note: It was well-intentioned to attempt an audio adaptation; it simply wasn't successful. Actress Mariska Hargitay has a strong and distinctive voice, but she wasn't quite able to embrace the confident ease nor the giddy lightness of Miranda's tone. She is capable as a reader, but this isn't a book that should feel read. It should feel celebrated and performed. Where it really went wrong, however, was that all the lyric sections were bundled onto the last disc rather than interspersed with the narrative as in print. Even more of a loss was that the lyrics weren't actually reproduced for audio. Instead, Miranda reads through all his annotations without the context of to which phrase the comment refers. A PDF disc is included, so the listener is expected to open the document and follow along as all the notes are read in a string. This is NOT how audiobooks are consumed. It isn't simply that we are missing content; it weakens the structure and distracts from the experience, and that isn't a desirable impression for your audience to take away after the curtain call.
This book is a celebration of process, collaboration, passion, and craft. It is, quite frankly, a work of art in and of itself. It is intentionally designed to be a physical object of beauty: substantial weight and shape, beautifully bound, deckled edges, liberal full-page stills from the show, marginalia, annotated photos of Miranda's own notebooks, moments captured from behind the scenes, and even the careful construction to lie flat like a family album. Gorgeous. Inviting. The kind of treasure that one opens and pages through with reverence, always with the promise of something new capturing the eye or piquing a closer read.
It is a love letter to the show, of course, but the care invested in making it worthwhile on so many levels also serves as love letter to the fans -- both those who have experienced the wonder in person and those who are eager to find any virtual wardrobe to allow them to step into a fully realized
The generous sharing of spotlight and credit is amazing, and it also serves to educate those who have no idea what it takes to bring a show to Broadway. The interspersion of text chapters with sections of song lyrics is balanced with precision. The margin commentary of each song is a master class in writing, language appreciation, research, and wit, and one cannot help but be even more impressed by what Miranda has accomplished.
audiobook note: It was well-intentioned to attempt an audio adaptation; it simply wasn't successful. Actress Mariska Hargitay has a strong and distinctive voice, but she wasn't quite able to embrace the confident ease nor the giddy lightness of Miranda's tone. She is capable as a reader, but this isn't a book that should feel read. It should feel celebrated and performed. Where it really went wrong, however, was that all the lyric sections were bundled onto the last disc rather than interspersed with the narrative as in print. Even more of a loss was that the lyrics weren't actually reproduced for audio. Instead, Miranda reads through all his annotations without the context of to which phrase the comment refers. A PDF disc is included, so the listener is expected to open the document and follow along as all the notes are read in a string. This is NOT how audiobooks are consumed. It isn't simply that we are missing content; it weakens the structure and distracts from the experience, and that isn't a desirable impression for your audience to take away after the curtain call.
karimorton33's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really cool and interesting book, sharing the story of the making of Hamilton! I haven't had the ability to see it yet, but this book just made me want to see it more, knowing how much work went into it and how revolutionary and creative it really is. The only thing that could have made me enjoy this book better is if Lin Manuel Miranda read it himself.
milkshakevoid's review against another edition
5.0
How can a book about a perfect show be any less than perfect?!
About the only thing that could have made it better would have been Broadway ticket included in the back.
About the only thing that could have made it better would have been Broadway ticket included in the back.
pghreader's review against another edition
5.0
I love Hamilton and this book provides a look into how the musical came to be. It's a quick listen and kept my attention.