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A review by ejreadswords
Mike Nichols: A Life by Mark Harris
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I read this book over the course of a few months (just made a goodreads today, this is my first 'review'). A part of me didn't want it to end; it really felt like a film school in a book, and I related immensely to this feeling of impostor syndrome that follows you all throughout your life.
The difference is that Mike Nichols is an EGOT, and had a long, varied, wondrous career; and me, well, I'm, uh... just getting started?
Mark Harris' writing was effortless to read. I'd imagine as empathetically written as Mike Nichols was with his actors on-set.
I got my copy of my book signed by Mark Harris at a screening of Carnal Knowledge at the Film Forum in NYC. He introduced the film with some context of where Nichols was at his career when this film was released; how Carnal Knowledge was misunderstood, and was more often than not playing at the porn theaters, given how honest and unforgiving it was with its treatment of sexuality and masculinity.
I got to tell Mark Harris himself how his book helped usher in my mini-Nichols obsession, as well as an intro to Elaine May (her film The Heartbreak Kid is one of my all-time favorites, which I was inspired to watch after reading this book). I also got to say how much this book fueled and continues to fuel me creatively; there's so much to pick up from the book, but also to read about the vulnerabilities and flaws behind the 'human' behind the masterpieces (The Graduate, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?).
Mark was gracious with his words back to me and said, along the lines of, "I think you got everything out of this book that I would've wanted anyone to." He considers this book in a way to be a 'how-to' book, especially in the realm of directing and creating. He said that in a way to me that maybe indicated that he had a feeling I'm cut from a similar cloth as Nichols, and that meant a lot.
More a review about the experience than the book itself, but I'm not sure how I'll proceed with this goodreads account. I really loved this book and will continue to go back to it from time to time to provide comfort, navigating this complex and strange world we live in.
The difference is that Mike Nichols is an EGOT, and had a long, varied, wondrous career; and me, well, I'm, uh... just getting started?
Mark Harris' writing was effortless to read. I'd imagine as empathetically written as Mike Nichols was with his actors on-set.
I got my copy of my book signed by Mark Harris at a screening of Carnal Knowledge at the Film Forum in NYC. He introduced the film with some context of where Nichols was at his career when this film was released; how Carnal Knowledge was misunderstood, and was more often than not playing at the porn theaters, given how honest and unforgiving it was with its treatment of sexuality and masculinity.
I got to tell Mark Harris himself how his book helped usher in my mini-Nichols obsession, as well as an intro to Elaine May (her film The Heartbreak Kid is one of my all-time favorites, which I was inspired to watch after reading this book). I also got to say how much this book fueled and continues to fuel me creatively; there's so much to pick up from the book, but also to read about the vulnerabilities and flaws behind the 'human' behind the masterpieces (The Graduate, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?).
Mark was gracious with his words back to me and said, along the lines of, "I think you got everything out of this book that I would've wanted anyone to." He considers this book in a way to be a 'how-to' book, especially in the realm of directing and creating. He said that in a way to me that maybe indicated that he had a feeling I'm cut from a similar cloth as Nichols, and that meant a lot.
More a review about the experience than the book itself, but I'm not sure how I'll proceed with this goodreads account. I really loved this book and will continue to go back to it from time to time to provide comfort, navigating this complex and strange world we live in.