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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed this. The narration had a lot of Tom Hanks' characteristic humor and charm. I also found the multiple storylines and genres (comic books!) intriguing and fun. The story was engaging and even page-turning at times. It made the long wait at the airport fly by (no pun intended. Or maybe pun intended).
I think the only thing that kept it from being a five-star read for me was that, at times, the book became too literal in terms of it being about making another major motion picture masterpiece. The nitty gritty of making films was a tad bit tedious and I did find myself skipping paragraphs here and there when I could tell they were about the ins and outs of film making. That stuff might interest other readers who maybe worked in Hollywood, but I found it dull. Maybe that's Hanks' point? That making films--making art really--is complex, takes a lot of people working really hard, and is often dull. Whatever the case, it didn't happen often enough to deter me from continuing the novel.
Overall, this was fun! If Tom Hanks writes more novels, I'll definitely check them out!
I think the only thing that kept it from being a five-star read for me was that, at times, the book became too literal in terms of it being about making another major motion picture masterpiece. The nitty gritty of making films was a tad bit tedious and I did find myself skipping paragraphs here and there when I could tell they were about the ins and outs of film making. That stuff might interest other readers who maybe worked in Hollywood, but I found it dull. Maybe that's Hanks' point? That making films--making art really--is complex, takes a lot of people working really hard, and is often dull. Whatever the case, it didn't happen often enough to deter me from continuing the novel.
Overall, this was fun! If Tom Hanks writes more novels, I'll definitely check them out!
A little difficult to get in to as the book jumps around quite a bit at the beginning as it goes from character to character (in different decades). Every character gets a back story which is interesting but it’s a bit like who, what?
The meat of the story is great and the characters like Wren and Al were *chefs kiss*. Egos and tardiness obviously a pet hate of Hanks!
The meat of the story is great and the characters like Wren and Al were *chefs kiss*. Egos and tardiness obviously a pet hate of Hanks!
I had low expectations ("Oh, he thinks he's a novelist too?"), but the other books I wanted were not available, and this was.
I was pleasantly surprised. A darn good yarn! Definitely get the audiobook. One of the reviews of the print version said there are footnotes, which would have annoyed me, but in the audiobook, they are asides spoken by the engaging Tom Hanks. (There are a few other narrators as well.)
You might feel the first section is a bit slow, but I didn't mind. I thought the author did a good job with the women's backstories. I liked getting a behind-the-scenes look at how movies are made, including tidbits such as how to properly enter the make-up trailer. I liked all the nicknames and the comment that Candy is not a nickname for Candace, since they have the same number of syllables.
I was pleasantly surprised. A darn good yarn! Definitely get the audiobook. One of the reviews of the print version said there are footnotes, which would have annoyed me, but in the audiobook, they are asides spoken by the engaging Tom Hanks. (There are a few other narrators as well.)
You might feel the first section is a bit slow, but I didn't mind. I thought the author did a good job with the women's backstories. I liked getting a behind-the-scenes look at how movies are made, including tidbits such as how to properly enter the make-up trailer. I liked all the nicknames and the comment that Candy is not a nickname for Candace, since they have the same number of syllables.
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Like literally every single other person I love Tom Hanks, but this was fine? His name on the cover and knowing that he's been in the industry for so long are really what make this work and give it that air of authenticity. There are so many characters across multiple generations that eventually I kind of stopped trying to keep track of everything and just enjoyed it as a play-by-play of the making of a fictional movie. It's airy and won't stick with me, but wasn't unpleasant.
This book was written in a such an interesting format. Everything about it was on theme. The format, the structure, the plot. With, of course, Tom Hanks's obsession with typewriters sprinkled throughout. XD
i thought the beginning and the ends of this were the most interesting, y'know, because there was actually a story. the actual movie making bit seemed odd to me. it was very info-dumpy, which made me keep saying to myself that tom hanks should've just written a memoir. my sister works in the film industry and i also kept saying that reading this felt like i was on a really long phone call with her after a very long and stressful day. i simply dont need 16 more hours of that, haha.
2.5: Had it's moments but for the most part was pretty boring. What little drama or jeopardy there was, was resolved or skipped over way too quickly. The opening. portion, set in the past, is long for the small bit of payoff at the end. Jumping between many characters helped show the scale of the production but left most underdeveloped, basically just being defined by how good or bad at their job they were. And can someone please tell Tom Hanks he doesn't have to list the brand/make/model or every item or service he mentions.
The cast and performances in the audiobook, however were great!
The cast and performances in the audiobook, however were great!
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I originally planned on listening to this book, because I enjoy books read by Hanks and this was also going to have other actors reading parts. Plan didn't work out because this was a jackpot book at the library. I am torn on if I enjoyed this book because it is Hanks or if it is a good book. The structure is a bit wonky, is this the book that Bill Johnson (director) has asked the author to write or something else because some of this information would not be privy to someone capturing the movie making experience ie: private dinners, families at home, etc? The footnotes were a bit much and distracting, I wondered how they would be portrayed in audio format. Once the book got into the actual story after too much set up, too many references to type writers and too much character development for my taste, it was engaging. All characters have a full background provided, more than I needed. I did want to see what this movie would be. There is an option to download the "screen play" at the end. Hanks clearly is the type of actor who solves problems, does nit create them and shows up on time.