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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. I thought it would be the standard celebrity memoir but it felt very organized and natural.
I highly recommend the audiobook so you can listen to the author and a few audio clips from his actual hike. Scots are known for their storytelling and this is no exception. If he decides to take a break for acting for get a second job, he could absolutely become an audiobook author and be very successful.
I highly recommend the audiobook so you can listen to the author and a few audio clips from his actual hike. Scots are known for their storytelling and this is no exception. If he decides to take a break for acting for get a second job, he could absolutely become an audiobook author and be very successful.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
Sam Heughan is a charming actor and listening to his narration of his own story that was never more evident. I always liked a journey type story and this was exactly that. Heughan relates his life, if only in the most basic sense as he spends a week trekking the West Highway. The journey in my opinion was more interesting than the life history he relates, in that he only touches briefly on relationships be they parental, fraternal, or even professional. He indicates he’s known to keep his guard up and in this book there’s no deviation from those instincts. Heughan shines best when describing his struggles to find his place in the acting profession.
Overall not a bad effort.
Overall not a bad effort.
What's not to love about listening to Sam Heughan for 8 hours? I checked this out because I enjoy Outlander (the books and TV series), hiking, and Scottish accents, but truly, this turned out to be an interesting memoir as Sam weaves his journey on the Scotland West Highland Way with stories and self-reflection of his life and career. And I learned he is a fellow marathoner!
"It strikes me that my journey is almost over. I don't want it to end. So, given that I am completely alone, I throw my arms wide in celebration and gratitude. 'Scotland!' I yell, simply because I want to hear my own voice across this great Glen. The hills echo me back."
Despite not being a memoir person, I've read 2 in fairly quick succession this year. I really enjoyed Clanlands, which was a love letter to Scotland and made me long to go there (which I did last summer). So when @samheughan announced this memoir, it was a given that I would listen to the audiobook. I would literally listen to this man read a phone book, his voice a warm hug of sorts. The book parallels his life with the endeavor of hiking the West Highland Way. While I don't think the structure always worked in the way he intended, both elements have their high points and merits for story telling. Heughan is funny, humble, thoughtful, honest, and determined. You root for him in all facets of the journey and cheer when he finally reaches the physical and metaphorical summit. A worthy read if you're into the memoir or travel genres. If your a fan of @samheughan, definitely treat yourself to the audiobook.
Despite not being a memoir person, I've read 2 in fairly quick succession this year. I really enjoyed Clanlands, which was a love letter to Scotland and made me long to go there (which I did last summer). So when @samheughan announced this memoir, it was a given that I would listen to the audiobook. I would literally listen to this man read a phone book, his voice a warm hug of sorts. The book parallels his life with the endeavor of hiking the West Highland Way. While I don't think the structure always worked in the way he intended, both elements have their high points and merits for story telling. Heughan is funny, humble, thoughtful, honest, and determined. You root for him in all facets of the journey and cheer when he finally reaches the physical and metaphorical summit. A worthy read if you're into the memoir or travel genres. If your a fan of @samheughan, definitely treat yourself to the audiobook.
medium-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
As memoirs go, Sam’s reveals a bit of his early life and its influence on his outlook, but is also rather guarded. As it becomes clear throughout that he is uncomfortable with the public attention of celebrity in terms of just how prying eyes can be, this is totally understandable. That said, I appreciate deep relationship and a memoir where the author really gets a couple layers deeper, not so much because I need to know those details, but rather because there is something really beautiful about how people emerge on the other side of that work… and I find there’s often a great opportunity for my own self reflection there. So, for the genre, I think part of me wanted more. And I think part me me felt a question of whether this guarded and apparently introverted artist felt some pressure to tell his life story when that doesn’t seem to be his jam… perhaps that was the disconnect for me.
That said, Sam’s voice is lovely to listen to as I sit in the quiet of winter, and the flow of his trek and his work as a struggling actor was interesting. His childhood was relatable to me, as well. I was an only child and introvert raised by a single mom (though my father was still involved in the ways he could be), so could relate to and appreciate so much of what was foundational to him in getting comfortable in his own company. I enjoyed hearing about his appreciation for his art form, and the metaphorical ups and downs of the trek itself (part of any challenge, really). He just sounds like such a lovely and grounded human and that window into his story was truly lovely and grounding for me.
That said, Sam’s voice is lovely to listen to as I sit in the quiet of winter, and the flow of his trek and his work as a struggling actor was interesting. His childhood was relatable to me, as well. I was an only child and introvert raised by a single mom (though my father was still involved in the ways he could be), so could relate to and appreciate so much of what was foundational to him in getting comfortable in his own company. I enjoyed hearing about his appreciation for his art form, and the metaphorical ups and downs of the trek itself (part of any challenge, really). He just sounds like such a lovely and grounded human and that window into his story was truly lovely and grounding for me.
Very enjoyable book of Sam Heughan's journey as an actor and his appreciation for his Scottish natural wonderland.
Waypoints: My Scottish Journey by Sam Heughan is as refreshing to read as I had hoped it would be. It was a great New Year read.
Sam takes readers through important parts of his life as he travels through the Scottish Highlands in the present day. The dual timeline gets a little disjointed in places, but where it is choppy, it quickly picks back up.
Having found stardom by portraying Jamie in the Outlander series, Sam has a lot of external pressure to be the hulking, faultless Scottish presence that Jamie is in the books and on screen. His reflection of life experiences as he tried to find himself both in acting and his personal life, as well as the lessons he learned about himself along his hiking trek, make him an accessible, open narrator.
I particularly enjoyed his lighthearted take on his physical struggles as he reflected on the physically perfect and winderness-prepared highlander he portrays on the screen. I also appreciated his openness in sharing the trauma he experienced in filming some of the more brutal scenes in Outlander - and how that has translated into advocacy for making intimacy counselors a requirement in film and television.
Sam is just as genuine, humble (though there's a smidge of arrogance there - who wouldn't have some in his shoes), and accessible as he seems in interviews. I hope he continues to share through writing - well beyond his time on Outlander.
Sam takes readers through important parts of his life as he travels through the Scottish Highlands in the present day. The dual timeline gets a little disjointed in places, but where it is choppy, it quickly picks back up.
Having found stardom by portraying Jamie in the Outlander series, Sam has a lot of external pressure to be the hulking, faultless Scottish presence that Jamie is in the books and on screen. His reflection of life experiences as he tried to find himself both in acting and his personal life, as well as the lessons he learned about himself along his hiking trek, make him an accessible, open narrator.
I particularly enjoyed his lighthearted take on his physical struggles as he reflected on the physically perfect and winderness-prepared highlander he portrays on the screen. I also appreciated his openness in sharing the trauma he experienced in filming some of the more brutal scenes in Outlander - and how that has translated into advocacy for making intimacy counselors a requirement in film and television.
Sam is just as genuine, humble (though there's a smidge of arrogance there - who wouldn't have some in his shoes), and accessible as he seems in interviews. I hope he continues to share through writing - well beyond his time on Outlander.