A review by bobbert
The Contender: The Story of Marlon Brando by William J. Mann

4.0

You get the sense that this, like all biographies, is Mann’s perception of Brando. But hey, what isn’t perception? And to hell with objectivity! I liked how Mann portrayed Brando (not as a ne’er do well whacko who, excuse my language, pissed on the culture of Hollywood) as a multifaceted being, a contender who really tried his best to overcome his personal faults. Marlon’s story has never failed to renew my own faith in the promise of peace. Albeit his struggles with women still elude me; its a wonder how a man who felt so much and loved so much took a whole lifetime and more to develop trust in women…
Honestly, I think my rating wouldn’t be this high if I’d read this at a different time in my life. But something happened just a few hours ago, and this helped drag me “out of the darkness” and accompany me for a few hours. Now I’m just contemplative again, so to hell with it, I’m giving this 4*s for that.