A review by shelfimprovement
Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent by Anthony Rapp

4.0

I may be a little biased because of how much I love Rent. The play itself is incredible, but the tragedy behind it is almost as compelling a story in and of itself. Anyone who knows the story knows that Anthony Rapp played an integral part in the development of Rent from three-week workshop to cultural sensation. It's important to note that this book is about more than just Rent; it's also about Rapp's childhood, acting career, homosexuality, and, most of all, the loss of his mother. As someone who lost her mother at a young age, I am always touched by honest looks into one of the most vulnerable and heart-breaking periods in one's life. Rapp is not the strongest writer, but he is honest and gives us glimpses at both the positive and negative sides of the events in his life without wallowing in self-pity or ego. I could have lived without some of the more sordid details of his sex life, but the parts where he and his fellow castmates had to deal with sudden fame in the face of the unexpected death of Jonathan Larson and his relationship with his family were quite touching.