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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
I'm still sad to think that Leonard Nimoy isn't with us anymore, but this book really made me feel like I got to know him better. I'm sure there are lots of things in here colored by the filter of William Shatner's memories or feelings, but I think he did a decent job of presenting Nimoy as a real, flawed, but nonetheless impressive person. He didn't shy away from mentioning Nimoy's battle with addiction or the difficulties he had with his family at various times in his life. I was surprised to learn how many parallels there were between the lives of Nimoy and Shatner. I didn't even realize that either of them was Jewish - just never stopped to think about it. It was interesting thinking about how much their backgrounds shaped their thinking and their lives. I feel richer for having read this book. It was, in a word, fascinating.
(Yup, I said it.)
(Yup, I said it.)
Leonard is William Shatner's memoir of his friendship with Leonard Nimoy, their time on Star Trek, and their lives after. His love for Nimoy is apparent in the book, and it was interesting to see how similar their backgrounds are and how they approached fame. I learned about some of Nimoy's work that I didn't previously know about, so I'll be looking into those. I enjoyed this book overall and would recommend it for fans.
FIRST LINE REVIEW: " At the conclusion of the second Star Trek movie, The Wrath of Khan, the Enterprise is facing destruction." Okay, not the greatest opening line of a book, but it does set up the moment when Spock dies, which is the figurative climax for this book as well. Nimoy was Spock. And while he often felt trapped by the iconic character he created, he kept returning to him (and not because he needed to do so). And while Shatner is no great writer (even with a ghost writer), he at least shares some wonderful stories with care and attention. It is clear that he loved Leonard and has collected hear an equally clear account of a life well-lived. It's a fast read and I'm grateful to have learned more about this caring, committed and talented actor.
I feel like this could have been done better. The beginning is basically just Shatner's self-serving description of his own struggles as compared to Leonard's. Towards the end he begins talking about Leonard's struggle with alcoholism and his strained family relationships and that was interesting to read. But honestly, I wanted to read a book about Leonard Nimoy, not about Shatner's regrets for being a pompous a**. I was actually quite disappointed in this book.
I actually really enjoy reading books by William Shatner (if he is in fact writing them himself and not using a ghostwriter). I find them easy to read and he can be quite funny. Saying that though, it is universally known that Shatner is a bit of a dick. We have heard many stories over the years about the guys ego and how much he loves himself. In his books he is very candid about the fact that his costars hate him but follows it up with "I don't really know why...." This shows him to be either a complete liar or someone who is totally insensitive and unaware of how he comes across.
In the final two chapters, Shatner speaks with regret that he "somehow" upset Nimoy and "doesn't know why". I can guarantee he did something quite big to upset him, something normal people would say "ooohh" to but he is oblivious to it.
In this book, he writes about how he once got Nimoy to re-enact a scene where Spock screams "pain, pain". Nimoy did and Shatner said "someone get that guy an aspirin" and the cast all laughed. Nimoy was furious and didn't speak to him for a week but in another of his books Shatner mentions this story but follows it with "everyone laughed and we carried on". He clearly isn't telling the full truth.
Another story tells of his endless prank with Nimoy's bicycle where he hung it from the rafters, chained it up, his it in his dressing room, towed his car with it in.... It's reminiscent of all those YouTubers who scream "it's just a prank" after doing something genuinely hurtful.
So, while I enjoyed this book, I couldn't help but think about how much was being used to try to show Shatner as a good guy. It would have been interesting to hear Nimoy's side of some of these tales.
In the final two chapters, Shatner speaks with regret that he "somehow" upset Nimoy and "doesn't know why". I can guarantee he did something quite big to upset him, something normal people would say "ooohh" to but he is oblivious to it.
In this book, he writes about how he once got Nimoy to re-enact a scene where Spock screams "pain, pain". Nimoy did and Shatner said "someone get that guy an aspirin" and the cast all laughed. Nimoy was furious and didn't speak to him for a week but in another of his books Shatner mentions this story but follows it with "everyone laughed and we carried on". He clearly isn't telling the full truth.
Another story tells of his endless prank with Nimoy's bicycle where he hung it from the rafters, chained it up, his it in his dressing room, towed his car with it in.... It's reminiscent of all those YouTubers who scream "it's just a prank" after doing something genuinely hurtful.
So, while I enjoyed this book, I couldn't help but think about how much was being used to try to show Shatner as a good guy. It would have been interesting to hear Nimoy's side of some of these tales.
A touching tribute from William Shatner to his fellow Star Trek alumnus Leonard Nimoy after the Spock actor's passing in 2015. It's an inside look at how the two men's friendship changed over time, and at how the Star Trek phenomenon enabled them to stay in one another's lives through movie sequels and fan conventions long after most TV castmates would have fallen out of touch. (In one particularly revealing moment, Shatner contrasts his friendship with Nimoy to the one he later shared with James Spader; apparently Shatner felt very close to his Boston Legal costar while they were filming, but has barely spoken to him since their show went off the air in 2008.) The author draws a lot of interesting parallels between himself and Nimoy, from their shared Jewish heritage to their sputtering acting careers in the time before Star Trek made them household names. It's ultimately a personal account of one friend mourning another, and you don't have to be a Trekkie yourself to be moved by this portrait of Leonard Nimoy from someone who knew him best.
Loved learning about Leonard Nimoy's life but being written by William Shatner you got a lot about his life too
3.5 stars - As others have said, I was going to read this book regardless of reviews. And I'm glad that I read it. Shatner's admiration for Nimoy -- as an actor, an artist, and a friend -- shines clearly and honestly throughout the book.
However, many (MANY) pages deal with Shatner's own accomplishments and experiences, completely separate from Nimoy's experiences. At times, these lengthy "celebrations of self" felt akin to the protestations of a younger sibling: "Well, yeah, but look at what I did! I'm important, too!"
Given the success of Nimoy's Spock, perhaps Shatner did feel like the red-headed step-child. He's enjoyed tremendous success on his own, but he spends so much time reminding the reader of that, one wonders whether he always felt over-shadowed.
Your reward for sticking with this book are the moments of transparency -- those times when you can feel that Shatner is sad and simply misses the person who was very probably his best friend.
The end of their friendship is, frankly, tragic. I didn't know that part of their story before reading the book. It isn't well explained, and there seems to be so much confusion about it on Shatner's part that I doubt we'll ever know the cause. Frankly, I feel quite sad for both of them that Nimoy died before they could reconcile.
But there's no doubt about Shatner's feelings, even now, for Nimoy. This book is a love letter to him in the great beyond: "I'm sorry. I love you. And wherever you are, live long and prosper."
However, many (MANY) pages deal with Shatner's own accomplishments and experiences, completely separate from Nimoy's experiences. At times, these lengthy "celebrations of self" felt akin to the protestations of a younger sibling: "Well, yeah, but look at what I did! I'm important, too!"
Given the success of Nimoy's Spock, perhaps Shatner did feel like the red-headed step-child. He's enjoyed tremendous success on his own, but he spends so much time reminding the reader of that, one wonders whether he always felt over-shadowed.
Your reward for sticking with this book are the moments of transparency -- those times when you can feel that Shatner is sad and simply misses the person who was very probably his best friend.
The end of their friendship is, frankly, tragic. I didn't know that part of their story before reading the book. It isn't well explained, and there seems to be so much confusion about it on Shatner's part that I doubt we'll ever know the cause. Frankly, I feel quite sad for both of them that Nimoy died before they could reconcile.
But there's no doubt about Shatner's feelings, even now, for Nimoy. This book is a love letter to him in the great beyond: "I'm sorry. I love you. And wherever you are, live long and prosper."
I liked this book, but it was not written for me. I felt at times it was tedious and not relevant to my life. I thought it was an interesting read though and gave me some insight into Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner.