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tittypete's review against another edition
4.0
This is dude's first of I think 4 books so far. It only covers his roots in Winnipeg to just before he starts in the WWE. From bars and gyms in Canada to Mexico to Germany to Smokey Mountain Wrestling with Jim Cornette to WAR in Japan to ECW to WCW to NJPW. Homeboy did a lot of shit. His stories are fast and furious. He's as funny as he is corny. There are a few nuggets of wisdom about the business that were worth underlining as well.
The strange Kentucky people story was a highlight.
The strange Kentucky people story was a highlight.
dantastic's review against another edition
4.0
A Lion's Tale is the biography of wrestler Chris Jericho, going from childhood to his moments right before walking through the curtain in his WWF debut.
Right off, this is the most entertaining wrestling book I've ever read. More entertaining than Foley's two books, more entertaining even than Terry Funk's book. Chris Jericho isn't afraid to poke fun at himself or throw in pop culture references. I laughed out loud a few times at his wordplay.
The book itself is a quick read and should be used as the template for most wrestling books. The pre-wrestling stuff doesn't take up much room and the rest is packed with road stories. Chris's journey takes him from wrestling in front of a handful of people in tiny Canadian towns to Mexico, the Smokey mountains, Europe, Japan, ECW, and finally WCW.
Unlike a lot of wrestling books, Chris doesn't toot his own horn constantly. In fact, he's not afraid to reveal some things that make him look like kind of a dork. Like not losing his virginity until he was 20, saying dumb things when meeting other wrestlers, or soiling himself after drinking the water in Mexico. He also admits he's had his share of bad matches, like the Super Liger debacle.
Jericho spends as much time talking about what happens behind the curtain as he does about the matches, making for an entertaining book. He talks about going out drinking, the difficulties of adjusting to working Japan, and hanging with guys like Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero.
Once he gets to WCW, he focuses on what a disorganized mess the company was and who were jerks backstage, though after reading several other biographies from the same time period, I already knew who they were.
If you're a wrestling fan and only want to buy one wrestling book, you could do a lot worse than this one. 4.5 out of 5. Good thing I have Jericho's second book on deck.
Right off, this is the most entertaining wrestling book I've ever read. More entertaining than Foley's two books, more entertaining even than Terry Funk's book. Chris Jericho isn't afraid to poke fun at himself or throw in pop culture references. I laughed out loud a few times at his wordplay.
The book itself is a quick read and should be used as the template for most wrestling books. The pre-wrestling stuff doesn't take up much room and the rest is packed with road stories. Chris's journey takes him from wrestling in front of a handful of people in tiny Canadian towns to Mexico, the Smokey mountains, Europe, Japan, ECW, and finally WCW.
Unlike a lot of wrestling books, Chris doesn't toot his own horn constantly. In fact, he's not afraid to reveal some things that make him look like kind of a dork. Like not losing his virginity until he was 20, saying dumb things when meeting other wrestlers, or soiling himself after drinking the water in Mexico. He also admits he's had his share of bad matches, like the Super Liger debacle.
Jericho spends as much time talking about what happens behind the curtain as he does about the matches, making for an entertaining book. He talks about going out drinking, the difficulties of adjusting to working Japan, and hanging with guys like Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero.
Once he gets to WCW, he focuses on what a disorganized mess the company was and who were jerks backstage, though after reading several other biographies from the same time period, I already knew who they were.
If you're a wrestling fan and only want to buy one wrestling book, you could do a lot worse than this one. 4.5 out of 5. Good thing I have Jericho's second book on deck.
kstumpf's review against another edition
4.0
Fun read about the beginnings of Chris Jericho’s career. I look forward to the next book. I am hoping for stories about his time in the WWF/WWE.
eagle0877's review against another edition
5.0
I will never understand why anyone in the 80's or 90's wanted to be a wrestler. These people are simply a different breed and Jericho is among them. What a great read for anyone who used to be a fan.
mitch5000's review against another edition
4.0
Lighthearted and very entertaining read. I’ve been watching Chris Jericho since his early days in WCW, it was cool to relive those moments.
inesmartinsantos's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
When I was a kid, Chris Jericho was my favourite wrestler. I still recall some of his most entertaining moments in and out of the ring and he was just delightful to watch, whether he was a heel or a babyface (the bad guy and the good guy, respectively, in wrestling terms). I'd sit every Friday night waiting on Y2J to come out and do what he did best; be a star. So, this was a book I have been wanting to read for a very long time, which meant the expectations were high.
A Lion's Tale is pretty much Jericho's own Episode IV, starting off with a description of his childhood in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and following his journey to become a Jedi... I mean, a wrestler (I believe Y2J would appreciate the Star Wars humour). It's your typical underdog tale of a young boy with big dreams told by Jericho's captivating voice, a story that is funny and grabs your attention and takes you on an amazing journey. There's a lot in wrestling that is staged, yes, but the people are real. The connections are real. The personas are real to the audience. And the physical part is definitely real, as Chris talks about in his book, describing a couple of life-threatening moments.
This book is entertaiment from page one; then again, Chris Jericho is entertainment. I'm hoping to read his other books and to know more about other ventures and see what other anecdotes he's got for us.
A Lion's Tale is pretty much Jericho's own Episode IV, starting off with a description of his childhood in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and following his journey to become a Jedi... I mean, a wrestler (I believe Y2J would appreciate the Star Wars humour). It's your typical underdog tale of a young boy with big dreams told by Jericho's captivating voice, a story that is funny and grabs your attention and takes you on an amazing journey. There's a lot in wrestling that is staged, yes, but the people are real. The connections are real. The personas are real to the audience. And the physical part is definitely real, as Chris talks about in his book, describing a couple of life-threatening moments.
This book is entertaiment from page one; then again, Chris Jericho is entertainment. I'm hoping to read his other books and to know more about other ventures and see what other anecdotes he's got for us.