l1brarygirl's review against another edition
3.0
Sorry Mr. Lowe, but that was a very inaccurate statement regarding libraries and their relevance today. Where did I check out your audiobook? Oh yeah, the library! And you had just talked about using the library a few chapters back to help you with your genealogy research!
Other than that, I enjoyed this memoir. Of course, you must listen to it, as he is the narrator. I wished he had talked a little bit more about his work on Parks & Recreation, but oh well. He did a good job of not overlapping with things he talked about in his first book, [b:Stories I Only Tell My Friends|10211494|Stories I Only Tell My Friends|Rob Lowe|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1442283721s/10211494.jpg|15110962].
Other than that, I enjoyed this memoir. Of course, you must listen to it, as he is the narrator. I wished he had talked a little bit more about his work on Parks & Recreation, but oh well. He did a good job of not overlapping with things he talked about in his first book, [b:Stories I Only Tell My Friends|10211494|Stories I Only Tell My Friends|Rob Lowe|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1442283721s/10211494.jpg|15110962].
zelma's review against another edition
3.0
This didn't have the magic of his first book, but was still enjoyable. I could listen to Lowe read anything on audio; he has a very soothing yet emotive voice. Laugh out loud funny at times, a bit scattered, and way too saccharine at the end. He also lost points with unnecessary bashing of libraries at one point. Sore spot for me.
annabelle42688's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
I prefer Rob Lowe's first book, but this one was entertaining enough.
sindrehj's review against another edition
5.0
I hadnt read the first book from Rob Lowe, I didnt know there was one before I started this one, but he writes in an engaging matter, tells stories that feel personal and tells them well with just enough detail
It’s an well written bio
It’s an well written bio
melissafirman's review
3.0
If I need to spend five hours in a car with anyone, Rob Lowe will do very nicely, thank you. I mean, I can certainly think of worse people to road trip with, y’know what I mean?
Now, celebrity memoirs by people who don’t even need their name on the book cover are usually not my thing. But if you’re a child of the ’80s as I am, you might find Love Life irresistible.
Because, well, it is. Almost all of it, that is. In my view, the first chapter had way too much name-dropping, too much talk about Malibu parties from back in the day, and too much … well, just too much. (The comparison of the Dick Van Patten clan to the Kennedy family seemed over the top, making this feel no different than any other celebrity memoir.)
However, this quickly becomes the entertaining audio I was anticipating for my drive across Pennsylvania.
Rob Lowe filled my car with long-ago tales of debauchery, a tearjerker about sending his son off to college, and a female co-star who had a difficult time kissing him. (Note to Rob: if you ever find yourself in such a predicament again, I’ll be happy to help you out.)
Those of us of a certain age know all about Rob Lowe’s past. And what makes this book work is that Rob Lowe knows that we know. He doesn’t hide from it; instead he self-deprecatingly transforms what he’s learned from decades of Hollywood experience into something resembling – OMG, this makes me sound like I’m ready for the fucking home – fatherly advice.
“I think it was Alfred Hitchcock who said 90 percent of successful movie-making is in the casting. The same is true in life. Who you are exposed to, who you choose to surround yourself with, is a unique variable in all of our experiences and it is hugely important in making us who we are. Seek out interesting characters, tough adversaries and strong mentors and your life can be rich, textured, highly entertaining and successful, like a Best Picture winner. Surround yourself with dullards, people of vanilla safety and unextraordinary ease, and you may find your life going straight to DVD.”
A little cheesy? Absolutely, without a doubt. But again, somehow, it works.
Rob Lowe is an entertainer. He’s spent his entire life doing exactly that. In that regard, Love Life does not disappoint.
Now, celebrity memoirs by people who don’t even need their name on the book cover are usually not my thing. But if you’re a child of the ’80s as I am, you might find Love Life irresistible.
Because, well, it is. Almost all of it, that is. In my view, the first chapter had way too much name-dropping, too much talk about Malibu parties from back in the day, and too much … well, just too much. (The comparison of the Dick Van Patten clan to the Kennedy family seemed over the top, making this feel no different than any other celebrity memoir.)
However, this quickly becomes the entertaining audio I was anticipating for my drive across Pennsylvania.
Rob Lowe filled my car with long-ago tales of debauchery, a tearjerker about sending his son off to college, and a female co-star who had a difficult time kissing him. (Note to Rob: if you ever find yourself in such a predicament again, I’ll be happy to help you out.)
Those of us of a certain age know all about Rob Lowe’s past. And what makes this book work is that Rob Lowe knows that we know. He doesn’t hide from it; instead he self-deprecatingly transforms what he’s learned from decades of Hollywood experience into something resembling – OMG, this makes me sound like I’m ready for the fucking home – fatherly advice.
“I think it was Alfred Hitchcock who said 90 percent of successful movie-making is in the casting. The same is true in life. Who you are exposed to, who you choose to surround yourself with, is a unique variable in all of our experiences and it is hugely important in making us who we are. Seek out interesting characters, tough adversaries and strong mentors and your life can be rich, textured, highly entertaining and successful, like a Best Picture winner. Surround yourself with dullards, people of vanilla safety and unextraordinary ease, and you may find your life going straight to DVD.”
A little cheesy? Absolutely, without a doubt. But again, somehow, it works.
Rob Lowe is an entertainer. He’s spent his entire life doing exactly that. In that regard, Love Life does not disappoint.
marieb's review against another edition
2.0
He should have stopped after the first book, a lively book of stories. This one was painful and it did not get better. He said it best when he called himself a narcissist. I don't know how a head that big was held up by such skinny shoulders. I am going to coin it the "pretty boy syndrome."
vfosslay's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book! Rob Lowe did a great job of talking about life in a relatable and vulnerable way.