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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
Many of us know Mara Wilson as Matilda or the little girl from Mrs. Doubtfire. There is so much more to this phenomenal young woman than meets the eye. Although she is ingrained in our memories as this innocent child, she did, in-fact grow up. This is her story--the messy, sad, amazing story that is Mara and who she has grown into.
I grew up with a deep love for Mara and her portrayal of Matilda. As we both aged I kept up with her via social media. This book however; is an unbelievable glimpse into the struggles and joys Mara has experienced. From her struggles with OCD to her writing and preforming. I simply love this book, even though it caused me to openly weep throughout he entire chapter dedicated to Robin Williams.
I grew up with a deep love for Mara and her portrayal of Matilda. As we both aged I kept up with her via social media. This book however; is an unbelievable glimpse into the struggles and joys Mara has experienced. From her struggles with OCD to her writing and preforming. I simply love this book, even though it caused me to openly weep throughout he entire chapter dedicated to Robin Williams.
Some of this was exactly what I was hoping for and some of it focused on other things.
I really loved when she talked about the shows she was in and the effect they had on her life. I especially loved hearing about her experience with Matilda and it made me love the movie even more.
Even though I wasn't expecting it, I lived the sections about her mother and her struggles with OCD. There were times I loved her, and times I felt a little sad for her.
I was really put off by the big focus on sex, not because she was a child star, but because of my own beliefs around intimacy.
Overall, it was interesting read and I did love learning more about her.
I really loved when she talked about the shows she was in and the effect they had on her life. I especially loved hearing about her experience with Matilda and it made me love the movie even more.
Even though I wasn't expecting it, I lived the sections about her mother and her struggles with OCD. There were times I loved her, and times I felt a little sad for her.
I was really put off by the big focus on sex, not because she was a child star, but because of my own beliefs around intimacy.
Overall, it was interesting read and I did love learning more about her.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
This is a truly excellent collection of writing. Matilda was one of my favorite movies growing up, but Mara Wilson is much more than a child-actor has-been. Here, she writes with candor and wit about her surprisingly down-to-earth childhood, the difficulty of losing her mother at a young age, her struggles with OCD, and the process of growing out of her acting career and finding a niche as a writer in New York. She also touches on friendships and teenage drama, toxic "mean girls", and her own growing feminism. The stories are heartfelt and sometimes hilarious, a mix of celebrity anecdote and coming-of-age memoir, though tilted decidedly toward the latter. The book will appeal to fans of her acting career, but also to anyone who ever felt like a nervous outsider looking for a place to fit in.
I find it super weird to review memoirs in any way (besides to comment on their writing— Mara Wilson’s writing is very good!). This just didn’t touch me. Or make me laugh too much. Or stick with me when I wasn’t reading it. There were certain parts that did effect me, for sure. As someone who lost a mother young (not nearly as young as Wilson) I found her sections on that extremely familiar and honest. I also really appreciated her vulnerability about mental illness.
And there was truly nothing wrong with this book. It was clever, thoughtful, funny. It touched on many subjects. Wilson has clearly lived an interesting life and, as I said, she can write! It just wasn’t for me and that’s okay. I would recommend if you’re already a fan of hers (I wasn’t besides loving Matilda)!
And there was truly nothing wrong with this book. It was clever, thoughtful, funny. It touched on many subjects. Wilson has clearly lived an interesting life and, as I said, she can write! It just wasn’t for me and that’s okay. I would recommend if you’re already a fan of hers (I wasn’t besides loving Matilda)!
I've always been a tad dubious about Audiobooks but boy am I glad I tried it out first with this.
Mara - having written this book obviously feels the emotion that was written but at several points when waiting for my bus or filling paperwork in the office, I felt the emotion too.
It's emotional, heart warming, witty, funny, brilliant. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
Mara - having written this book obviously feels the emotion that was written but at several points when waiting for my bus or filling paperwork in the office, I felt the emotion too.
It's emotional, heart warming, witty, funny, brilliant. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
emotional
medium-paced
It’s rare that I read a memoir and realize how much I relate to the author. But that’s probably because I tend to read memoirs by older Hollywood actresses. Being around Mara’s age, I relate to a lot of her fears and anxieties and navigation through life as a short neurotic. If you loved her work as a child, be prepared to learn a lot more about the incredible woman Mara Wilson grew up to be.
This book was absolutely stellar, I love Mara Wilson and have such a deep respect for her as a person, reading this book only confirmed how wonderful she is. I really admire her as a writer and am curious to read her plays.
With her showbiz ex-pat perspective, Mara avoids a lot of tiresome child actor memoir cliches (I'm looking at you, Melissa Gilbert.) She's honest, but not gossipy about her costars and sexual exploits or whiny about her upbringing. There are some fun and awkward memories, plus insider stories about how casting works and people she met before they became stars. Overall this is the story of how a morbid, precocious nerd outgrew childhood fame and eventually found her place in the NYC arts scene.
Her career story is pretty straightforward, so I liked how she centered chapters on theme rather than chronology. By tipping her hand early on some heavy themes - her mother's death, the tension of becoming a sexual adult when your childhood had national exposure - she can process them throughout the book instead of dropping huge bombshells. Stories unfold in a jumble the way they would in conversation. There are a few times when this backfires, like the interminable showchoir chapter, but overall this was a fun and interesting read. I look forward to seeing how Mara exercises her storytelling voice in the future.
Her career story is pretty straightforward, so I liked how she centered chapters on theme rather than chronology. By tipping her hand early on some heavy themes - her mother's death, the tension of becoming a sexual adult when your childhood had national exposure - she can process them throughout the book instead of dropping huge bombshells. Stories unfold in a jumble the way they would in conversation. There are a few times when this backfires, like the interminable showchoir chapter, but overall this was a fun and interesting read. I look forward to seeing how Mara exercises her storytelling voice in the future.