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lorilanefox 's review for:
Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man
by William Shatner
While I enjoyed learning about the Life of Leonard Nimoy (sometimes in more detail than I thought necessary), I found certain aspects of this book annoying, and it wasn’t until I had finished listening to the audiobook that I discovered what and why.
First, William Shatner has always been known as something of an egotist. This book is no exception. I can understand occasionally drawing parallels between his life and Nimoy’s for clarification, but at times I wondered whose story this really was, Shatner’s or Nimoy’s.
Second, in his depictions of past events, Shatner often gleefully describes the pranks he played on Nimoy, who took them as opportunities to outsmart and outmaneuver Shatner. I can’t relate to Shatner calling Nimoy his closest and dearest friend at the same time he describes his often childish bullying he subjected Nimoy to.
Finally, Shatner closes with the revelation that he and Nimoy were not close and didn’t speak the last 5 years of Nimoy’s life. He claims not to know why Nimoy stopped speaking to him. However, he glosses over the incident that broke their friendship, calling it “just a little thing.” Given Shatner’s reputation with the other cast members of Star Trek, it isn’t surprising that he would gloss over and fail to recognize as significant the situation that obviously broke Nimoy’s trust in him and thus ended their friendship.
Unfortunately, what started out as a heartfelt tribute to an amazing man ended up sounding like the guilt-ridden confession of an egotistical person unable to see beyond his own experience.
First, William Shatner has always been known as something of an egotist. This book is no exception. I can understand occasionally drawing parallels between his life and Nimoy’s for clarification, but at times I wondered whose story this really was, Shatner’s or Nimoy’s.
Second, in his depictions of past events, Shatner often gleefully describes the pranks he played on Nimoy, who took them as opportunities to outsmart and outmaneuver Shatner. I can’t relate to Shatner calling Nimoy his closest and dearest friend at the same time he describes his often childish bullying he subjected Nimoy to.
Finally, Shatner closes with the revelation that he and Nimoy were not close and didn’t speak the last 5 years of Nimoy’s life. He claims not to know why Nimoy stopped speaking to him. However, he glosses over the incident that broke their friendship, calling it “just a little thing.” Given Shatner’s reputation with the other cast members of Star Trek, it isn’t surprising that he would gloss over and fail to recognize as significant the situation that obviously broke Nimoy’s trust in him and thus ended their friendship.
Unfortunately, what started out as a heartfelt tribute to an amazing man ended up sounding like the guilt-ridden confession of an egotistical person unable to see beyond his own experience.