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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
Read this in prepub. Due out in March 2019. What started as an entertaining Modern Love column in the NYT has been expanded into a series of essays detailing Rannells' early years in New York. Rannells' charm is on ample display here. He has an important point to make that applies specifically to the entertainment industry but can really be applied to any profession: for every success you see, there have been accompanying disappointments and challenges. If you are a theater kid in need of a sage older brother, a gay kid who needs to know that somebody out there gets it, or a Broadway fan who wants to have the curtain pulled back on what a performer's life looks like, then you will love this memoir. I could have read another 10 chapters. Rannells' tone is perfect--chatty but honest when it comes to the "real stuff". Guaranteed that the audiobook and the press leading up to publication are going to kill.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
This book is so funny, I haven’t laughed like this at a book in so long, I find the pacing is very well done I didn’t end up losing interest that often, and I like how it gives a realistic look into actors starting out. Would definitely recommend I’ts a really great book!!
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Andrew Rannells is one of my favorite Broadway actors, so to have a chance to read about his life story was beyond appealing. I really enjoyed the book, as it was very much in his tone of voice. I also learned a lot about him from this, more than I've ever heard in any interview. I really enjoyedf that glimpse into where he came from and his journey on the path to the set of Hairspray. That being said, I would have loved for this book to be a bit longer and cover his life up the present. I think I went in to the book with the assumption that he'd talk about The Book of Mormon, working on Girls, and Hamilton, and that wasn't included. No harm, no foul, but definitely something I wish I hadn't assumed would be included. I sincerely hope he writes a follow-up!
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Andrew Rannells is very charming, and it comes through in his book. I didn't know a ton about him before picking up this audiobook, so I enjoyed learning about his growing up years and his journey to Broadway. This isn't a behind-the-scenes tell-all of his Broadway years, but I enjoyed hearing about the antics of summer stock and barn theater and how he got to where he is now. I would certainly recommend picking up the audiobook if you're able, because his narration really adds to the stories.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
“Too Much is Not Enough” by Andrew Rannells
A gay kid from a Catholic family who had big dreams of performing, Andrew Rannells is well known for his roles in the TV show “Girls” and Broadway shows like “The Boys in the Band” and his Tony-nominated lead in “The Book of Mormon.” However, like many actors Rannells success was not as immediate or easy as it appeared to outsiders, his memoir revealing his “fumbling toward adulthood.” I have mixed feelings about this memoir. Rannells is a fantastic actor that I have deep respect for and the stories he presents in this memoir have the makings of an excellent book. However, I found many of the chapters rushed, limited in description and moving too fast for its own good. It also has the directness and style of monologue, as if this were a draft of an upcoming one-man autobiographical show Rannells was preparing. If that were the case, I would be all in. I still very much enjoyed Rannells presence in this memoir, the direct writing still having some of his trademark zip and verve. But for this to be a brilliant memoir, I think some of the vignettes needed to be chopped off and the most influential stories ramped up with greater vivid, sensory language and more depth and time in the scenes. In a sense, the book’s title perfectly describes my problem with it: “Too Much is Not Enough.” Sometimes, this is true and I don’t think this book overpacked the number of narratives, meaning none of them had quite enough to hang on to. But the book is a quick read, interesting and engaging because of Rannells personality, and still worth a read if you are interested in Rannells as an actor or you enjoy celebrity memoirs.
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Outing, Abandonment
I listened to this as an audiobook, read by andrew himself. It was nice to learn more about how his life was before he was famous. Also he has a really nice voice so those seven hours flew by really fast.
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced