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womanobsessed's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.5
pixie_d's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
More than one author is listed. The comic book illustrator gets five stars. Tom Hanks, or more likely a hack ghost writer, leaves a lot to be desired (huge understatement) once the story moves to the present-day plot line. The first two time periods with Robby were fine, however.
amandamillerkelley's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
andreabrightside's review
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-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
4.25
mrsburg528's review against another edition
I just couldn't get into this book. There was too much going on to follow it clearly. It took me three weeks to get to chapter 3, so I moved on.
sarahjfloyd's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
thecurseofchris's review against another edition
4.0
This book is most definitely not for everyone. I can easily see why someone may call this "boring," because I think there is *a lot* of "fluff" scattered throughout the book. But I think there is a lot to like about it too. Tom Hanks managed to take a relatively simple concept (the chronicle of a film being made) and ended up making it surprisingly heartwarming. Had it been trimmed down to exclude some of the more overly detailed passages, I think the book would have turned out better and made the "meaning" of it have more impact behind it.
gilles's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
bargainsleuth's review
4.0
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Have I loved Tom Hanks since his days in Bosom Buddies? Why, yes, that would be me. Or when he guest starred on Family Ties as Elise’s drunk brother? What about his breakthrough movie, Splash? Yes, I’ve followed his career and for the most part, have found his work as actor and director very appealing. But is he an author?
For a good part of the book, Hanks succeeds. The story is a little confusing at first because it jumps around in the timeline, but it is understandable given the whole of the story. There’s a tendency to spend a lot of time describing things that don’t necessarily need to be described. But that’s a minor complaint.
There are a lot of cogs in the wheels of major motion picture making and Hanks writes an entertaining and informative book bringing that world to life. I mean, writers are always told to write what they know, and that’s certainly true here. I found myself fully invested in the movie becoming a success.
I listened to the audiobook and it’s a full cast. Narrated by: Tom Hanks, Peter Gerety, Natalie Morales, Ego Nwodim, Nasim Pedrad, Connor Ratliff, Holland Taylor, Rita Wilson. It always makes the listening experience more enjoyable when the time, effort and cost is put into the production of an audiobook. All of the cast members just nailed their parts.
Lastly, the comic books included as a PDF and are no doubt in the print book were a bonus and added to the understanding and depth of the book. And Hanks frequent use of typewriters in the story is a special nod to fans of his, who know he collects vintage typewriters.
I sure hope Tom Hanks continues acting, but if he happened to write another book, I’d be sure to join in again.
Have I loved Tom Hanks since his days in Bosom Buddies? Why, yes, that would be me. Or when he guest starred on Family Ties as Elise’s drunk brother? What about his breakthrough movie, Splash? Yes, I’ve followed his career and for the most part, have found his work as actor and director very appealing. But is he an author?
For a good part of the book, Hanks succeeds. The story is a little confusing at first because it jumps around in the timeline, but it is understandable given the whole of the story. There’s a tendency to spend a lot of time describing things that don’t necessarily need to be described. But that’s a minor complaint.
There are a lot of cogs in the wheels of major motion picture making and Hanks writes an entertaining and informative book bringing that world to life. I mean, writers are always told to write what they know, and that’s certainly true here. I found myself fully invested in the movie becoming a success.
I listened to the audiobook and it’s a full cast. Narrated by: Tom Hanks, Peter Gerety, Natalie Morales, Ego Nwodim, Nasim Pedrad, Connor Ratliff, Holland Taylor, Rita Wilson. It always makes the listening experience more enjoyable when the time, effort and cost is put into the production of an audiobook. All of the cast members just nailed their parts.
Lastly, the comic books included as a PDF and are no doubt in the print book were a bonus and added to the understanding and depth of the book. And Hanks frequent use of typewriters in the story is a special nod to fans of his, who know he collects vintage typewriters.
I sure hope Tom Hanks continues acting, but if he happened to write another book, I’d be sure to join in again.