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Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'
Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man by William Shatner
1 review
cuteasamuntin's review against another edition
reflective
sad
fast-paced
2.75
While billed as a Leonard Nimoy (z”l) biography penned by a lifelong friend, this ghostwritten narrative reads equally or more as a William Shatner memoir.
At many points in my reading, I found myself pausing to ruminate on Shatner’s apparent inability to either critically self-reflect or sincerely apologize for his own mistakes and misdeeds. Overall, this book’s purpose seems to be in Shatner’s defense. Throughout, we are privy to Shatner 1) organizing and processing his feelings about Captain James T. Kirk and the Star Trek franchise, 2) reminiscing about his own life in parallel with Nimoy’s, 3) attempting a post-mortem apology to Nimoy (z”l) and to fans of Kirk, Spock, and the Star Trek franchise. It left me feeling melancholy and bereft, perhaps even mournful, but likely not in the way intended by Shatner and his ghostwriter.
Most anecdotes and facts will not be new information to TOS fans, readers of previous memoirs and biographies, or those knowledgeable in either 1960s Hollywood or Gene Roddenberry’s (I hesitate to add, z”l) life. The audiobook quality is not amazing, but if you enjoy Kirk’s heartfelt speeches in the Trek movies, listening to at least the last chapter may be worthwhile.
At many points in my reading, I found myself pausing to ruminate on Shatner’s apparent inability to either critically self-reflect or sincerely apologize for his own mistakes and misdeeds. Overall, this book’s purpose seems to be in Shatner’s defense. Throughout, we are privy to Shatner 1) organizing and processing his feelings about Captain James T. Kirk and the Star Trek franchise, 2) reminiscing about his own life in parallel with Nimoy’s, 3) attempting a post-mortem apology to Nimoy (z”l) and to fans of Kirk, Spock, and the Star Trek franchise. It left me feeling melancholy and bereft, perhaps even mournful, but likely not in the way intended by Shatner and his ghostwriter.
Most anecdotes and facts will not be new information to TOS fans, readers of previous memoirs and biographies, or those knowledgeable in either 1960s Hollywood or Gene Roddenberry’s (I hesitate to add, z”l) life. The audiobook quality is not amazing, but if you enjoy Kirk’s heartfelt speeches in the Trek movies, listening to at least the last chapter may be worthwhile.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Alcoholism
Moderate: Death and Terminal illness
Minor: Addiction, Antisemitism, Toxic friendship, Bullying, and Mental illness
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