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hocuscrocus's review
4.5
All that being said, I loved listening to this book. Patrick Stewart is as genial and engaging as he ever was. It felt like listening to a story from an old friend or family member. I do wish there had been more about Trek, but Sir Patrick made it so clear that he wished for separation from Picard and Trek as a whole that it wasn't surprising.
Overall it kept me engaged and I did enjoy it.
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Alcoholism and Domestic abuse
kirkspockreads's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Infidelity, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
kylosten's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Infidelity, Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Physical abuse
madamenovelist's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Classism, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Animal death
Moderate: Misogyny, War, Pandemic/Epidemic, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, and Racial slurs
kibbles15's review against another edition
3.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, and Animal death
Minor: Sexual content and Infidelity
naychapman's review
4.5
Moderate: Cursing and Death of parent
Minor: Cultural appropriation, Animal cruelty, Suicide, and Alcoholism
katndrsn's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Mental illness, Death, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Drug use, Child death, Alcoholism, and Miscarriage
erebus53's review against another edition
4.0
This is the second memoir I have checked out in short succession that tells childhood tales of not having an indoor toilet. Patrick Stewart tells of his childhood trauma, his working class roots and his penchant for train-spotting (what else is there to do in a small town?), and weaves a story of how he got the acting bug. After many lucky breaks, and much hard work, Patrick learns a new accent, embraces the lifestyle of a working actor, and forms a lifelong passion for Shakespeare.
After many crushes on many women he tells of his patchy relationship history. Life with a partner often does not stand up to the rigours of long shooting schedules, and active commitments that span continents... he was a bit of a bounder, which is all well and good to be remorseful of in retrospect, but the accounts he gives are candid and apologetic. Not everyone in his life forgives his transgressions.
As Sir Patrick recalls the layout of one of the places he used to live I am reminded of a house that Dave Grohl talks about in his memoir Storyteller. I was surprised to find that both men talk of spooky hauntings in these houses. I wonder if they are in the same area, or made at around the same time. Just describing the layout of the house gave me a sense memory of having read about it before, so it was extra strange.
This is quite a long book, and quite informative about all sorts of things; If you are not at all into Shakespeare, and English lit like Dickens, it might begin to drag for you. The scope of the narrative shows a change in attitudes toward queer identities and how they are presented in media, right through to how Patrick Stewart chooses to present himself in social media. There is some fanservice of Sir Patrick's short time spent in the company of Vivien Leigh, right through to his work on Star Trek and X-Men. It's been very long career and he doesn't want to quit. I enjoyed the book.
Graphic: Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Violence, Animal death, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Vomit, Torture, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
Minor: Classism