Harold: The Boy Who Became Mark Twain

by Hal Holbrook

Was it worth it, this awful struggle to survive, no matter what the cost?" Harold is Hal Holbrook€™s affecting memoir of growing up behind disguises, and his lifelong search for himself. Abandoned by his mother and father when he was two, Holbrook and his two sisters each commenced their separate journeys of survival. Raised by his powerful grandfather until his death when Holbrook was twelve, Holbrook spent his childhood at boarding schools, visiting his father in an insane asylum, and hoping his mother would suddenly surface in Hollywood. As the Second World War engulfed Europe, Holbrook began acting almost by accident. Thereafter, through war, marriage, and the work of honing his craft, his fear of insanity and his fearlessness in the face of risk were channeled into his discovery that the riskiest path of all€”success as an actor€”would be his birthright. The climb up that tough, tough mountain was going to be a lonely one. And how he achieved it€

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, History, Autobiography, Biography Memoir

480 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I feel that it is excellently written as autobiographies go. It covers his life from birth to 34 years old. It is long enough at 468 pages, a daunting read, but because it is a picture of his life as he struggles to become an actor, that's understandable. At this point, he doesn't make it out of stage performing, with the exception of a soap opera. We all know it is hard to break into Hollywood after being on soap operas. The one flaw that it has is the left off feeling and wanting more, but the book I admit would be too long if he had continued.

[Leslie Goddard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admire Holbrook’s honesty and his unsparing look at his life. But given that this is a man known for his portrayal of Mark Twain, it was disappointing to find that the vast majority of the book is about Holbrook’s life before Twain. The first performance of that character doesn’t arrive until about 85% of the way through. The book ends with his first off-Broadway performance. Yes, OK, many of his earlier experiences shaped his decision to portray Twain. And yes, the stories are told with honesty and insight. But I wanted much more about the Twain years.

[On a side note, I cannot believe how much libraries, high schools and women’s clubs paid performers back then. And there were agents for performers doing these gigs! On the road, doing his Shakespeare and Moliere and other cuttings, he and his partner were making $250-450 or more per performance, back in the mid-1950s. That’s $2,700 to $4,000 in today’s money. Yes, split between performers and agents, but still, wow. Wow.]

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

In speaking of his autobiography HAROLD: THE BOY WHO BECAME MARK TWAIN, Hal Holbrook has remarked, "What's the point of writing a book if you're not going to tell the truth?"
If there's one thing Holbrook does, it seems he tells the truth, most of the time without self-justification, and he is unsparing. The result is often painful....and at times, way too familiar, and we have to put the book down and take a break. But we pick it up again because the truth demands it, and we have agreed to journey down this path. Sometimes the amount of detail is a bit much, but I think Holbrook is trying to give the reader the feel of both the challenge and the tedium of a life and an early career on the road, from one small town to the next. In all, it is a heartbreaking - and a thoroughly unforgettable - story. I'm not sure there has been another autobiography quite like it.

[Jenny Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the first half of this book, but found the ending a let down because so many issues and people who had been introduced and developed were left hanging with their stories unresolved.

UPDATE: I just heard Hal Holbrook interviewed on WAMC-FM and it turns out this is volume one of a two volume biography, so I take back some criticisms I had posted about the book seeming unfinished. Apparently they were waiting to see how well the first volume did before committing to the second, which is why there isn't any "Volume One" on the cover.

Knowing that I can heartily recommend this book. It tells a fascinating story and really brings alive Holbrook's early life and the world he lived in.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a splendid memoir. Holbrook is as good a writer as he is an actor. The next time I hear the term "overnight success", I'll think of this book; Holbrook and his wife spent twelve years driving the roads of mid-America to entertain bored schoolchildren with their two-person tribute to classic theater. Twelve years of cheap motels and aging station wagons, before his persistence paid off in the embodiment of Mark Twain on stage.

He also discovered that fame has a high price, indeed.

[JoAnne McMaster (Any Good Book) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will admit that I lost interest in this book almost immediately as it is filled with endless detail upon detail of things most people aren't really interested in (and I'm not one to be interested in 'tell all' books, so that should give you some idea that even those details aren't listed). However, I've read enough to know that this isn't a biography in the true sense of the word. I'm not saying it's a bad book; not at all. It's just boring as far as autobiographies go



The book, to me, appears to be written only to assuage Mr. Holbrook's guilt over his first marriage and the two children from that union. It starts with his birth and centers on the beginnings of his career and ends with his performing his one-man show Mark Twain and finally makes a name for himself. There were so many years after this, both on the stage, in television, and even film that followed; yet this book touches on none of that.



The other main focus is his first marriage to Ruby which produced two children, Victoria and David. There is no mention of his second marriage - which produced a daughter, Eve; nor of his final - and lasting - marriage to actress Dixie Carter. By reading it, you would think that after he topped his career with Twain, no other role came his way.



On the contrary, he continued to act for many more years with distinctive roles. He has even been nominated for an Academy Award. But we are to learn none of that. Since it has been at least seven years since this book was written, it's not as if he hasn't been able to continue his story. But it seems he doesn't want us to know anything else about his life.



In the end, I get the feeling that this book was written more as an apology to his first family - Ruby and his children by that marriage - than out of any need to tell the story of his life (which again, has much more to it thus far). While I have no doubt he has regrets about his first marriage and his children, I believe that it might have been better if he had just sat them down and explained his reasoning to them instead of taking the reader on that journey with him in order to justify his actions in being an absent father. After all, and I say this without judgment to those who think otherwise, being deprived of his own parents should have at least taught him the benefit of being around his own offspring, but apparently it didn't.

[Mick Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

an enjoyable book by an actor who though greatly admired made it better as a character actor then a star.the book follows his life from his family background of half truths and cover ups,this intrigued me as my family up bringing was much the same way.his hard work to hone his art going miles to put on a performance for sometimes must a few.this is a man who has not had instant stardom thrown his way and is better for it.not like the so called stars of today who will not have the stamina or staying power to learn the art of acting.the couple of chapters towards the end seemed a little out of place,but seemed more about finding himself then acting or is that the point?

[Joann Scanlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harold by Hal Holbrook
I knew nothing about this actor. He and his wife performed all over the United States in summer stock, women's clubs, schoolhouses etc. traveling hundreds of miles per day to reach the next venue and earn a living performing. Until he finally developed his one-man show Mark Twain Tonight.. I actually saw it many years ago somewhere in New Jersey. I am in all of their love of theater and how hard they worked at getting performance dates and finding audiences who really appreciated them.

[IrishFan · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a book my dad had given me. He was a big fan of Hal Holbrook's Mark Twain. I finally decided to read it. It started off good for me, but around the middle began to drag a little bit. I guess I feel like he dwelt more on the road show a bit too much for me, and I wanted to read more about how his Mark Train show did evolve over time once he got it started. Seemed like the book quit, right when I really wanted to learn more.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very disappointing.

[Sarah Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading Hal Holbrook's memoir, HAROLD: THE BOY WHO BECAME MARK TWAIN, yesterday afternoon. Reading this autobiography -- which I learned is only the first installment of Hal Holbrook's exploration into telling his entire story -- was both a SIMPLY MARVELOUS and TERRIBLY BITTERSWEET experience for me. It was simply marvelous because I absolutely loved it!!!! On the other hand, it was terribly bittersweet because I loved the book so much that I did not want it to end!!!! HAROLD: THE BOY WHO BECAME MARK TWAIN was so well written. Hal Holbrook's writing style was both beautiful and eloquent. His words leapt off the page at me from the very beginning, and they were so civic and emotional that I could see the scene he was describing, just as real as though if was unfolding in front of me. In the same way, though, his writing style also lends itself well to reaching the "common folk" -- if you will pardon the use of such a generalization. He uses some everyday words, phrases, and expressions throughout the course of his story. He demonstrates the fact that he is both intelligent and sophisticated; however, he also admits that he is a regular guy.

I became aware of Hal Holbrook's existence when i saw him on the half-hour sitcom, "Designing Women" (1985-1993). From the first time that they introduced his character, Reese Watson, as Julia Sugarbaker's steady beau during the second season, I was ABSOLUTELY, COMPLETELY ENAMORED with him!!!! I just could not help myself!!!! I found Hal Holbrook handsome, charming, charismatic, confident, intelligent, funny, and downright sexy. From that moment on, I made it my mission to learn everything I could about him. I was TOTALLY FLOORED -- not to mention INCREDIBLY JEALOUS -- when i found out that he and "Designing Women" star, Dixie Carter, were, in reality, married to one another. Gee whiz, I considered her to be one of the very luckiest women in the world since she got to share her life with that wonderfully- talented, loving man every single day!!!! Even though I have not always liked every TV show or movie that Hal Holbrook has appeared in since his role on "Designing Women," I have always admired his talent and ability.

Based on the portion of his remarkable filmography that I have seen or become familiar with over the years, I would have assumed that he would be that same good looking, charming, charismatic, confident, intelligent, funny, strong, and sexy person in real life. Needless to say, I was STUNNED TO UTTER SILENCE when I began reading his words. The first scene that pulled at my heartstrings and brought tears to my eyes revolved around the sense of abandonment and rejection that he felt when his mother and father left him. I also could not fathom the fact that Hal Holbrook actually doubted himself all the time. He doubted his looks (refusing to think of himself as "handsome" even though other people told him that he was). He doubted his ability to share his feelings and be himself with other people. He doubted his talent as an actor. He doubted himself as a husband. He doubted himself as a father. While I appreciate the brutal honesty with which he expressed these doubts, I must still admit that I was finding it very hard to agree with him. It broke my heart to see how agonizingly he struggled in an effort to hide his true identity from the world because those insecurities were NOT AT ALL evident when he stepped in front of a camera to act. Hal Holbrook always shined brightly whenever he was practicing his craft and entertaining an audience.

HAROLD: THE BOY WHO BECAME MARK TWAIN was FASCINATING, STELLAR, and INSPIRING from the first page to the last!!!! Without a doubt, I will hold Hal Holbrook in a even higher regard than I did before I began traveling on the road to his own self-discovery, I can not wait until he completes the second novel because I look forward to experiencing the other 54 years that he has lived. BRAVO!

[Michael Morrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is nowhere near as interesting as it should have been.
Hal Holbrook was a talented actor. His creation of "Mark Twain" was not entirely a new idea: Emlyn Williams had done Charles Dickens as a one-man show first.
But Mark Twain was a more varied character, and there were people alive when Holbrook started his show who had actually seen, had even met, Twain.
Holbrook has performed many more characters, though, and it is sad this sort-of autobiography is so basically dull.
It is, in fact, mostly his neurotic introspection.
He married a woman he loved, who had been an acting partner in their on-the-road performances, but for whatever reasons, they grew apart, and he had a very passionate affair, sort of like Charlie Brown (of "Peanuts" fame), with a red-haired girl -- whom he is very careful not to name.
Really, his love life is not nearly so interesting as to rate a book, especially when Holbrook met and worked with dozens, maybe hundreds, of genuinely interesting show business people he could have written about.
Sorry, but this book is only for people desperate for something, anything, to read. Or Holbrook junkies, who better prepare to be disappointed.

[Russell Sanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hal Holbrook is most well-known for his portrayal of Mark Twain, and his book Harold: The Boy Who Became Mark Twain elaborates on that. After reading a few pages, I told myself that this might very well be the best autobiography I have ever read. Holbrook is witty, insightful, analytical, writes magnificently well, and he is thorough. Oh, how he is thorough. But more about that later. In the book, Holbrook tells of his childhood—a rather unconventional one—then he begins to elaborate on how he built a career. His early career was made by touring a two-person show—first with his wife, but she was replaced by another young actress when the wife became pregnant. This touring show went all over the continental US, sometimes traveling hundreds of miles in a day, performing in high schools, civic venues, and women’s clubs, and then the two would stay the night in flea bag hotels to save money. Holbrook did this for years until he hit upon the idea of doing a one-man show as Mark Twain. He then toured that show in the same manner for several years before he eventually won broad acclaim for his portrayal. His book, apparently, is intended to chronicle his path to fame and to excoriate himself for neglecting his wife and his children. He certainly makes his point in both arenas. But herein lies the rub: First of all, he tells of each and every venue and what he was paid for each, sometimes elaborating on an acting or life lesson he learned from said venue, other times just chronicling. It got to be very tedious in this book of over four hundred pages. Secondly, as we see his marriage disintegrate and his relationship with his children become distant, we want to know what the eventual outcome was. After all, those of us who are familiar with his later years know he was married to actress Dixie Carter until her death, so we ask the question, “Whatever happened to your first wife Ruby, Hal? And what became of your children?” Those two questions are never, ever answered in this book. I, as a fan, was hoping for a full accounting of his long life and career, yet we are left in the 1950s, Mark Twain Tonight! having become a huge success. Perhaps the subtitle of the book gave us the clue that the book would end there, but I guess I’m a dense reader. I figured a man in his 80s, an actor who has been nominated multiple times for many awards other than being Mark Twain, would fill us in on his entire life. If not now, when?

[Socraticgadfly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great work of self-insight into a man who had to overcome, and apparently did, overall it seems, overcome, a great degree of childhood emotional adversity.

Holbrook is not withering in his self-insight, but he is frant and honest about his part in the disintegration of his first marriage, his fears as an actor, father and husband, and much more.

I regret that he ended his book relatively early in his life and career rather than showing us more of his emotional journey, though.

Maybe he didn't overcome so much, so early. I'd like to believe he did, but don't know.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only the last portion of the book is directly related to Holbrook's development of the Mark Twain persona; the majority of the book deals with his childhood, military service, and early forays into acting. There is also quite a bit related to his relationship with his first wife, Ruby. The memoir stops in the mid-1950s, when "Mark Twain Tonight" first starts getting big. It will be interesting to see if he continues writing and lets us know more about his more recent life and his relationship with Dixie Carter.

[Louann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting autobiography of Hal Holbrook. One of the 'greatest generation' who was born and spent his formative years during the depression. His boyhood was difficult. Raised by his grandparents. Abandoned by his parents at a very young age. Well written when discussing his youth and young adult experiences, especially his military assignments.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to read about what he did before Mark Twain, and how he (and his wife) struggled to get there. Refreshing honesty about his feelings regarding some difficult times and situations in his life. Soul baring ending when he wonders what he might have done differently. A better read than Robert Redford's which I haven't been able to finish.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it, and not just because Hal Holbrook appeared as Mark Twain at one of my fifth-grade school assemblies. The Twain part of this narrative sent me back to reading the new Twain biography (more like a concrete block than a book), but the unexpected and in-depth description of the career path Holbrook followed really captured me.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

We loved this as a read-aloud book. Holbrook writes in a disarming, often self-effacing, congenial style. Having just visited the excellent museums in Hannibal, MO, reading his accounts of developing the Mark Twain one-man shows captivated our imaginations and taught us about the hard life of building an acting career. Go for it!

[Sharon]

This was very good. If you are at ways interested in the actor, the person or how a character is created this is a book to read. I learned a lot about Mr. Holbrook and how an actor creates a character

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Mark Twain and started on this book as I think Hal Holbrook's portrayal of Mark Twain is quite good. I was very interested in his story to begin with but it became repetitive and began to lose my interest. Disappointing.

[Mary N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed watching Hal Holbrook in his Mark Twain personna. This book provided interesting background on the evolution of the character as well as Holbrook's development into a fine actor.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this biography. What a life! An interesting read on how he became such a great actor and his personal ups and downs. He's dedicated to his profession. Would like to read ruby's side of it.

[Tupper Malone]

Checked it out of the library, liked it but couldn't get into it before it was due back. I need to get it again and finish it.

[Geo Forman · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty good. not an especially good writer, Holbrook still has a good story to tell. his story ends when he has made his Mark Twain act successful and doesn't deal with the 30 years after.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felt like a visit with Hal Holbrook.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

The amazing story of Hal Holbrook's life. Interesting read.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book to read about a life style inwhich I have never been interested.

[Peggy Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like it. Well written, love some of his phraselogy.