Scan barcode
marinaemoore's review against another edition
4.0
This is the story of a life full of unimaginable grief, trauma, and addiction told by a man who happens to be the President’s son.
Hunter Biden is very forthcoming in his memoir and I didn’t feel like he was trying to hide or gloss over any of the messy parts of his life. However, I do feel like the end is wrapped up too neatly with a bow - I’m not sure Hunter has enough time being sober or distance from the last few years he wrote about to have much perspective or insight. He has declared himself healed and although I hope he’s right, I’m not as sure as he is that it’s a given.
I do wish this book touched on his relationship with his girls, ex-wife and sister-in-law more, but I also can understand respecting their privacy and why he didn’t go into more detail.
This is an interesting read, albeit a sad one.
Hunter Biden is very forthcoming in his memoir and I didn’t feel like he was trying to hide or gloss over any of the messy parts of his life. However, I do feel like the end is wrapped up too neatly with a bow - I’m not sure Hunter has enough time being sober or distance from the last few years he wrote about to have much perspective or insight. He has declared himself healed and although I hope he’s right, I’m not as sure as he is that it’s a given.
I do wish this book touched on his relationship with his girls, ex-wife and sister-in-law more, but I also can understand respecting their privacy and why he didn’t go into more detail.
This is an interesting read, albeit a sad one.
cassondradubois's review against another edition
sad
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Death
ers407's review
4.0
Intense. Wow.
This was much more honest and truthful than I anticipated. What a great read.
This was also my first audiobook. I did learn I enjoy them and while Hunter has a great voice, it was a little too calming sometimes.
This was much more honest and truthful than I anticipated. What a great read.
This was also my first audiobook. I did learn I enjoy them and while Hunter has a great voice, it was a little too calming sometimes.
josiebrown's review
3.0
It was just really hard to get past the rich, white, cis, male, straight perspective. So much virtue signaling, but there were some deeper moments. I appreciated the deep look into his alcohol and drug addiction!
erincataldi's review
3.0
All I knew about Hunter Biden prior to this book was that he was the president's son and was an addict. Everything else I learned from reading this memoir. Beautiful Things isn't an exhaustive memoir - it's a love letter to his brother Beau who tragically died a few years ago and a detailed account of his descent into alcohol and crack. At times defensive, yet mostly contemplative and matter of fact. An accomplished married man with children, money, and a famous father did nothing but ensure that he had more money to spend on crack. He stayed sober for years but after Beau's death he went on a death spiral, no longer caring about anything except the next hit. Ultimately he's been sober since 2019 when he met his current wife and had another child with her (his three other daughters are grown). In this memoir he also details all the rumors about his Ukraine deal, his affair with his brother's widow, the "Where's Hunter?" shirts and more. It was enlightening, if not a little self serving at times. I hope he can stay sober and be more of a presence in his family's lives.
tonstantweader's review
4.0
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2024/01/27/beautiful-things-by-hunter-biden/
cathync's review
4.0
Hunter Biden's life is a train wreck. The son of a U.S. Senator turned Vice President turned President, a child of immense privilege, a graduate of Georgetown and Yale Law School is no stranger to tragedy. He lost his birth mother and sister in a car accident; he lost his brother to a brain tumor, his marriage broke up; he dated/cavorted with his dead brother's widow; drank more vodka than most distilleries could produce; smoked more crack than his suppliers could provide to him; and lived to tell about it. The story is compelling, horrifying, and brutally honest. Hunter Biden is a terrific story teller, and although this memoir was a quick read, it was not an easy read. I still don't know why Hunter Biden is alive today. I don't know how he survived his alcohol and crack fueled escapades. I hope that he doesn't relapse. I wouldn't be surprised if he did.
chilexi's review against another edition
2.0
Listened at 1.5 speed, parts of it were interesting insights and touching moments about his family that I liked hearing about. But a significant portion felt like instructions for obtaining/doing crack embedded in his account of being an addict.