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kmg365 's review for:
Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man
by William Shatner
Geez, Bill, were you late for an appointment? Did you have “no retakes” written into the audiobook contract? I have never before heard an audiobook reading so rushed, with numerous, plainly audible page turns on the recording. About 50% of the time, the phrase “Live long and prosper” was read as “Long live and prosper.”
There were a couple of personal anecdotes here, but the book relies heavily on other published sources (and imdb) for much of the material. For any Trek fan who’s been paying attention for the last 50 years, there’s not much that’s new.
Do I think Bill cashed in to make a quick buck from the death of a man he calls his best friend? No. I think he genuinely wanted to honor the man he was most closely associated with in the popular imagination for the majority of his working life. Does the book succeed in that? Somewhat, but I rather suspect Shatner’s not capable of close friendship in the way most people experience it. He alludes briefly to that in the text, calling it a by-product of the acting life.
The text of the note that Bill sent to Leonard when he realized how ill he was is saved for last, and it’s the only part that Bill reads with care and attention, and even with a little emotion. If you’re of a certain age, and already know about stolen bicycles and “most favored nation” clauses, grab this in a bookstore and read the last 6 pages or so. If you’re new to the ST:TOS mythos, this is not the book you want to start with.