What do you think?
Rate this book
Furious Cool: Richard Pryor and the World That Made Him
No one who saw Richard Pryor alone on stage with nothing but a microphone in his hand could have doubted that here was a man possessed of genius. But few have any sense of the strange, violent, and colorful landscape from which he emerged.
His childhood in Peoria, Illinois, was spent just trying to survive. Yet the culture into which he was born—his mother was a prostitute; his grandmother ran the whorehouse—helped shaped him into one of the most influential and outstanding performers of our time.
Pryor attracted admiration and anger in equal parts. He was a comedian who many consider the greatest ever, yet his triumphant stand-up work has been largely eclipsed by his mediocre movie output. His personal life was likewise something of a contradiction, because Pryor was a man of deep intelligence and sensitivity yet was also someone who could never seem to make the pieces of his life come together to create a whole. His was a fascinating, larger-than-life personality; he was as pivotal and essential a figure as Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, or Muhammad Ali. Pryor the solo artist brought to a pop-obsessed generation the news that they had a past with deep roots that spoke to our shared humanity. Through David and Joe Henry, Richard Pryor speaks to us still.
His childhood in Peoria, Illinois, was spent just trying to survive. Yet the culture into which he was born—his mother was a prostitute; his grandmother ran the whorehouse—helped shaped him into one of the most influential and outstanding performers of our time.
Pryor attracted admiration and anger in equal parts. He was a comedian who many consider the greatest ever, yet his triumphant stand-up work has been largely eclipsed by his mediocre movie output. His personal life was likewise something of a contradiction, because Pryor was a man of deep intelligence and sensitivity yet was also someone who could never seem to make the pieces of his life come together to create a whole. His was a fascinating, larger-than-life personality; he was as pivotal and essential a figure as Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, or Muhammad Ali. Pryor the solo artist brought to a pop-obsessed generation the news that they had a past with deep roots that spoke to our shared humanity. Through David and Joe Henry, Richard Pryor speaks to us still.
297 pages, Hardcover
First published November 5, 2013
135 people are currently reading
1143 people want to read
About the author
David Henry
3 books5 followersDavid Henry is a screenwriter, and his brother Joe Henry is a songwriter/singer as well as a music producer. They first discovered Richard Pryor when they were young, becoming instant fans, and then later they were able to meet the man and to spend time with him. They set out initially to write a screenplay for a projected film; fortunately, they also wrote a biography. Furious Cool is their first book.
Source: Algonquin Books.
Source: Algonquin Books.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 201 reviews
December 30, 2013
I grew up in the '80s, so as a kid, even though I was aware of stuff like "Stir Crazy" and "Silver Streak," my formative Pryor experiences were with "The Toy" and "Superman III" -- and even though I knew there was a lot more to the story, and I was familiar with the basic contours of Pryor's bittersweet tale, much of what David and Joe Henry delve into in "Furious Cool" was new to me.
Of course, plenty has already been written about Pryor's life and times, but that's because his story is so compelling; his comedy came from a dark place, a stab at self-preservation as much as a desire to make people laugh, and he was just as fascinating off the stage as he was in front of a microphone.
Ultimately, Pryor's story is a sad one -- a life less lived than expunged, littered with broken relationships and terrifying anecdotes. But none of that really detracts from the legacy of his groundbreaking comedy, and even though the Henrys refuse to pull punches in their look at Pryor's rise and fall, they never pass judgment, and they never let the reader lose sight of his lasting legacy.
Of course, plenty has already been written about Pryor's life and times, but that's because his story is so compelling; his comedy came from a dark place, a stab at self-preservation as much as a desire to make people laugh, and he was just as fascinating off the stage as he was in front of a microphone.
Ultimately, Pryor's story is a sad one -- a life less lived than expunged, littered with broken relationships and terrifying anecdotes. But none of that really detracts from the legacy of his groundbreaking comedy, and even though the Henrys refuse to pull punches in their look at Pryor's rise and fall, they never pass judgment, and they never let the reader lose sight of his lasting legacy.
May 24, 2014
I came to this more from being a fan of co-author Joe Henry's music than anything else, although I already had some appreciation for Pryor. Henry once opened an album with a beautiful song called 'Richard Pryor Addresses A Tearful Nation' and it seems that he has spent quite a few years working on this with his brother. Both are clearly passionate about their subject. The result is not really a straightforward biog, but it IS a well-written and thoughtful look at the man and his work. It's especially good at putting Pryor in context and on the history of black humour in America. Pryor himself comes across as a very fucked-up guy, even repellent at times, but his talent is undeniable.
Well worth a read for anyone who's interested in the man many believe was the greatest stand-up of them all. In fact 'stand-up' is woefully inadequate to describe what Pryor did, and the authors make the point well that part of his genius lay in his willingness to, at times, not be funny at all. Be warned, though - this book may lead to extra expense as it WILL inspire you to track down his live recordings (if not many of the movies) if you don't already have them.
Well worth a read for anyone who's interested in the man many believe was the greatest stand-up of them all. In fact 'stand-up' is woefully inadequate to describe what Pryor did, and the authors make the point well that part of his genius lay in his willingness to, at times, not be funny at all. Be warned, though - this book may lead to extra expense as it WILL inspire you to track down his live recordings (if not many of the movies) if you don't already have them.
August 10, 2021
First off - I’ve always thought that Richard Pryor was a true comic genius and there was no one like him. This book gives a pretty good overview of Pryor’s stand-up work as well as his film career. My problem with the book was that it was all over the map chronologically and I prefer my biographies to be more linear, but this shouldn’t deter you from reading the book.
3.5 stars.
3.5 stars.
October 16, 2016
Pretty good book on Richard Priors life. It is clear he walked the thin line between genius and madness. The book is a bit arty in places but overall it is a good read.
March 8, 2023
Kind of a difficult book to review. On one hand, it’s written by two people (David and Joe Henry) who are obviously huge fans of Richard Pryor and his entire line of work.
The narrator, Dion Graham does a hell of a job with the narration. Doing his absolute best to get Pryor’s delivery and timing and cadence correct without fully going hog wild with an impression. His version of Richard Pryor.
The problem with the book, while it’s well researched and gives an objective narrative with quotes and passages from friends and family….it seemed too much like a book report for The Henry Brother’s favorite stand-up.
I really probably should listen to a book about Pryor by Pryor himself. Perhaps if long time friends and family had written it? Maybe. A good listen nonetheless.
The narrator, Dion Graham does a hell of a job with the narration. Doing his absolute best to get Pryor’s delivery and timing and cadence correct without fully going hog wild with an impression. His version of Richard Pryor.
The problem with the book, while it’s well researched and gives an objective narrative with quotes and passages from friends and family….it seemed too much like a book report for The Henry Brother’s favorite stand-up.
I really probably should listen to a book about Pryor by Pryor himself. Perhaps if long time friends and family had written it? Maybe. A good listen nonetheless.
November 21, 2013
I proofread this book for the publisher. This is one of those books where it was hard to read it like a proofreader, because I wanted so much to just READ it. I found it compelling, hilarious, poignant, tragic, and above all, well-told. It brought back many memories of my life and Richard Pryor's place in it, and I learned many things about his life that I had not known.
October 28, 2014
Title: Richard Pryor And The World That Made Him
Author: David Henry and Joe Henry
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 4
Review:
"Richard Pryor And The World That Made Him" by David Henry & Joe Henry
Book Description....
"No one who saw Richard Pryor alone on stage with nothing but a microphone in his hand could have doubted that here was a man possessed of genius. But few have any sense of the strange, violent, and colorful landscape from which he emerged.
His childhood in Peoria, Illinois, was spent just trying to survive. Yet the culture into which he was born—his mother was a prostitute; his grandmother ran the whorehouse—helped shaped him into one of the most influential and outstanding performers of our time.
Pryor attracted admiration and anger in equal parts. He was a comedian who many consider the greatest ever, yet his triumphant stand-up work has been largely eclipsed by his mediocre movie output. His personal life was likewise something of a contradiction, because Pryor was a man of deep intelligence and sensitivity yet was also someone who could never seem to make the pieces of his life come together to create a whole. His was a fascinating, larger-than-life personality; he was as pivotal and essential a figure as Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, or Muhammad Ali. Pryor the solo artist brought to a pop-obsessed generation the news that they had a past with deep roots that spoke to our shared humanity. Through David and Joe Henry, Richard Pryor speaks to us still."
What I like about this novel.....
I found this novel very interesting. Yes, I was one who watch some of Mr.. Pryor's movies. I especially love watching with my sons the one called 'Moving.' I never laughed so hard in my life...oh well let's get to my thoughts on the novel where after reading this novel I found is story rather a sad one. The authors however did give the reader a well written script of Mr. Pryor's life that gives a thoughtful look at this person, his relationships, his work and his internal struggles. Yes, even with all that was on Mr. Pryor was one of the greatest stand up artist. I thought the read was good and very informative read of Mr. Pryor, who was a 'standup comedy, pop and social cultures during the years of 1960 and 70's, and historian of those turbulent decades.' If you are a fan of Mr. Pryor, this read would be of interest to you and I would definitely recommend this to you.
December 9, 2013
Firstly and as usual, I received this book for because someone was giving it away in exchange for a review. Despite that kindness I'll give my candid opinions below.
This book is at once a biography and a textbook on sociology. The opening chapters focus on black comedy and the environment into which Pryor entered the entertainment world. Throughout the book the names fall like rain and anybody who ever was or hoped to be anybody entered the scene for at least a bit. About a third of the way in we get down to the man himself.
On the positive side, the background presented in this book is thoroughly entertaining and much of the information was eye-opening and uniquely informative. I found myself scrounging YouTube looking for snippets of the people and bits referred to. It's a fascinating period of history. As to the bits about Pryor himself, the story of his life is at once horrifying and hilarious. This lived a life of incredible pain, as with most comedians, and the book doesn't hesitate one bit to be absolutely candid about what happened. From the sexual abuse he suffered as a child to the night he set himself on fire, this book goes into it all in sometimes painful detail.
On the negative side, all that detail can sometimes be a bit much. The story is only roughly chronological and meanders in sometimes confusing fashion. All the parts of a great story are here but they need to be straightened out a bit into a more cohesive whole. I felt at times that we were just jumping about for no good reason. There's a real lack of cohesion.
In summary, after the first third of the book I thought this would be a keeper. I tend to get rid of almost all the review books I get but on rare occasion I'll keep one about permanently for future rereading. After getting to the end though, it's just not quite earned the bookshelf space. The first half makes me want to find a more general book about show business in the 60s-70s and put THAT on the shelf instead of this.
This book is at once a biography and a textbook on sociology. The opening chapters focus on black comedy and the environment into which Pryor entered the entertainment world. Throughout the book the names fall like rain and anybody who ever was or hoped to be anybody entered the scene for at least a bit. About a third of the way in we get down to the man himself.
On the positive side, the background presented in this book is thoroughly entertaining and much of the information was eye-opening and uniquely informative. I found myself scrounging YouTube looking for snippets of the people and bits referred to. It's a fascinating period of history. As to the bits about Pryor himself, the story of his life is at once horrifying and hilarious. This lived a life of incredible pain, as with most comedians, and the book doesn't hesitate one bit to be absolutely candid about what happened. From the sexual abuse he suffered as a child to the night he set himself on fire, this book goes into it all in sometimes painful detail.
On the negative side, all that detail can sometimes be a bit much. The story is only roughly chronological and meanders in sometimes confusing fashion. All the parts of a great story are here but they need to be straightened out a bit into a more cohesive whole. I felt at times that we were just jumping about for no good reason. There's a real lack of cohesion.
In summary, after the first third of the book I thought this would be a keeper. I tend to get rid of almost all the review books I get but on rare occasion I'll keep one about permanently for future rereading. After getting to the end though, it's just not quite earned the bookshelf space. The first half makes me want to find a more general book about show business in the 60s-70s and put THAT on the shelf instead of this.
March 5, 2018
My knowledge of Richard Pryor is pretty non existent compared to some other comedians from my childhood; I remember him primarily from Superman III, which I know now is not his best work.
So I came into this book with no actual knowledge of Pryor and I can't tell you how weird it was to read this book and come to the realization that the man lived quite a life of either a lot of bad moments derived from bad choices or that he was born on a bad luck day and has made due with what he was provided or earned.
There's a plethora of information from sociology to cultural points of reference that really gave weight to what shaped Pryor as a person and comedian that gives light to his approach to living and providing the comedy he did which was then and still is considered as borderline genius.
So I came into this book with no actual knowledge of Pryor and I can't tell you how weird it was to read this book and come to the realization that the man lived quite a life of either a lot of bad moments derived from bad choices or that he was born on a bad luck day and has made due with what he was provided or earned.
There's a plethora of information from sociology to cultural points of reference that really gave weight to what shaped Pryor as a person and comedian that gives light to his approach to living and providing the comedy he did which was then and still is considered as borderline genius.
September 15, 2018
As a fan, I knew Richard Pryor from his acting with Gene Wilder, his writing with Mel Brooks, Superman 3, and, of course, a few, late career, edited stand up routines. This is to say, being born in the 1980s, I did not know the genius of Richard Pryor much at all. This book changed that to a high degree, showing a tragic genius and a comic bully - or however you want to combine those words- a tragic bully? Fitting at times. A genius comic? Well, obviously. All combinations work. His humanity is laid bear in this book, and, as with most of humanity, when it is laid bear we see things of equal levels of beauty and repulsiveness.
The authors originally planned to write a screenplay about the man, meeting him late in life as he struggled with illness and the after effects of a complicated life. The screenplay became this book when they realized no three act structure could handle a child who was born to a prostitute, ran from love and stability, and rose to fame to crash anew, and be reborn, not like a phoenix renewed by the flames, but to be reborn more commercially. The book catalogues it all - with the raw, foul language Pryor used while also showing moments of tenderness which are often dashed against drugs and violence. As someone who had heard of Bill Murray’s scrap with Chevy Chase, I found Pryor’s word based cut down of Chevy on The Tonight Show, while a gleeful Carson watched, more savage and raw. The book shows Pryor as brutal, uncaring, lost, brilliant, self loathing, self righteous, and unaware - and it is one of the best biographies of an entertainer I have read.
Whether you know Pryor or not, this is a book that also catalogues a time, places, and an industry. Through the biography, we get to see glimpses of the Chitlin Circuit, what early stand up was and was not, and the interplay of culture, popularity, money, and fame. If you are interested in entertainment as a field, the life of an African American entertainer from the 1960s though 1980s, or anything to do with that time period, you could do far worse than reading Furious Cool.
The authors originally planned to write a screenplay about the man, meeting him late in life as he struggled with illness and the after effects of a complicated life. The screenplay became this book when they realized no three act structure could handle a child who was born to a prostitute, ran from love and stability, and rose to fame to crash anew, and be reborn, not like a phoenix renewed by the flames, but to be reborn more commercially. The book catalogues it all - with the raw, foul language Pryor used while also showing moments of tenderness which are often dashed against drugs and violence. As someone who had heard of Bill Murray’s scrap with Chevy Chase, I found Pryor’s word based cut down of Chevy on The Tonight Show, while a gleeful Carson watched, more savage and raw. The book shows Pryor as brutal, uncaring, lost, brilliant, self loathing, self righteous, and unaware - and it is one of the best biographies of an entertainer I have read.
Whether you know Pryor or not, this is a book that also catalogues a time, places, and an industry. Through the biography, we get to see glimpses of the Chitlin Circuit, what early stand up was and was not, and the interplay of culture, popularity, money, and fame. If you are interested in entertainment as a field, the life of an African American entertainer from the 1960s though 1980s, or anything to do with that time period, you could do far worse than reading Furious Cool.
June 25, 2016
Very interesting and very sad. I could hear Richard Pryor's voice in all the character bits and understand a little better who he was. When I think about artists like Pryor, Robin Williams, Philip Seymour Hoffman and others who gave such beautiful and unique performances but were eventually consumed by addictions or demons, I wonder about that line between genius and madness. Hopefully not all geniuses have to be mad in that way. p.s. I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
October 23, 2013
I opened this because one of the authors, Joe Henry, is one of my favorite musicians. By the time I was finished, all I wanted to listen to was old Richard Pryor albums. Which I'm doing right now.
October 28, 2014
Very Insightful view on one of the best stand up comedians.
March 13, 2014
A riveting portrayal of an American icon. Furious Cool is two books, really. The first half is a fascinating exploration of the sociological and cultural landscape surrounding Pryor's development as a person and as a comedian. The second half is more of a compilation of events, stories, recollections revolving around the comedian's ascendancy and eventual decay. I found the book at once an exciting, riveting, and heartbreaking: a frustrating portrayal of this deeply important performer who also happened to be a profoundly flawed man.
The first few chapters were the most interesting to me. The stories of the early vaudeville and black performers who influenced his life are captivating and an eye-opening glimpse into a world of American performers that have been woefully underrepresented in history books.
Context is given to Richard's performance, not only in terms of his tumultuous younger years, but how the style and subject matter were a natural extension of early black performers like Moms Mabley and Bert Williams. The development of Richard's voice and content was not isolated or solitary; it was an organic progression of a long, heralded tradition of mostly forgotten black performers. Many of the anecdotes in this bio help illuminate how Richard's personal expression through stand-up comedy represented an important evolution of that heritage.
The book puts Richard's decisions- both in his career and in his personal life- into the context of the times, and shows how his rise served as an important cultural touchstone in breaking down America's racial barriers. He has epiphanies, apes Bill Cosby, finds his own voice, hits milestone after milestone, loses his voice, finds it again, loses it again, makes a ton of cash, fails miserably in his personal life. Strangely, the more he makes a mess of things in his life, the more iconic he becomes.
The movies that many of my generation associate with Richard Pryor- 80's fare like The Toy and his work with Gene Wilder- are for the most part tossed aside with displeasure as mediocre tripe. After the storm of innovation and artistry that preceded it, those movies represent the part of his life where he had given up his voice for a paycheck. Ironically, much of the work casual comedy fans associate with Richard is looked back upon- by both himself and his peers- with disdain, regret, and a big heapin' helpin' of yearnin' for what might've been.
The book is organized into bite-sized snapshots of experiences, stories, recollections, moments, anecdotes, highlights, lowlights and events that shaped the comedy legend's lifetime. Paul Mooney provides a lot of the colorful stories from the Hollywood era, and stories of his sexual abuse, his drug addiction, his violence towards his various wives are explored, but not very deeply. The book isn't comprehensive or definitive, but it is compelling and prolific.
I recommend this book to any fan of comedy who wants a refresher course on Pryor, his life, his importance, his flaws, and his humanity.
January 8, 2014
Bios are always hard for me to "review" as I get caught up in rating the subject or the book! Like most 80s kids I knew of Richard from Stir Crazy etc and glimpses of stand up on various shows. I had ordered a compilation of Pryor's in November to catch many of his routines which has been great but as the book points out, recording do not capture the trip that Pryor takes you on. In a coincidence Joe Henry was playing a solo gig in Mpls that I read about and he mentioned the book. Being a fan of Joe's and Pryor's I decided to take a read. I usually grow tired of the tortured artist label as it gets tossed around frequently and is often used as an excuse for youth, stupidity etc. I wish I could use the excuse sometimes! Anyway the Henry's did a wonderful job of describing Richards life, relationships and most of all his internal struggles. Whether through his tough childhood or passed along genetically, Pryor was obviously mentally ill even before extreme chemical abuse rendered him nearly a shell of himself. I loved the research, the layout, the subject and the book in entirety. It was great that it was not just a list of jokes, one liners, character descriptions etc. To keep in short, read the @$%#@$% book. That being said, this review kind of sucks.
February 21, 2018
Furious Cool was a fascinating look into the life of Richard Pryor. I was somewhat familiar with his comedy and more familiar with him as an actor in a handful of movies I watched when growing up (e.g. See No Evil, Hear No Evil). However, the Henry brothers provide a rich history around Richard Pryor that marks him as one the best comics along with George Carlin. What I found most fascinating is how they are able to contextualize Pryor's work within the broader range of African American entertainment of the 1960s and 1970s and also mainstream culture while also being able to speak to the effects of his personal life around love and drugs that also filtered into his performances. The book is powerful enough that it is leading me to go back and watch some of the older Richard Pryor performances to see exactly what they were referring. What made the book equally chilling and fascinating was that I listened to it. It was narrated by Dion Graham who did some great impersonations of Pryor while also (as always) provided a strong narrative voice to keep me engaged.
If you enjoyed this review, feel free to check out my other reviews and writings at By Any Other Nerd /
If you enjoyed this review, feel free to check out my other reviews and writings at By Any Other Nerd /
January 2, 2014
This book provided a descriptive look into the life of a comedian that was considered a genius but failed in the rest of his life as a, responsible father, husband and generally overall as a person. At time the book reads so sad, I guess that I have become jaded with so many celebrities destroying their lives not know the consequences of their horrible choices of consuming substances that destroys their body and eventually themselves.
The author describes time of brilliance of Pryor being more than an exception comedian to lookup upon by others in the field as being the best, but the rest of his life proved such a wasteful time of his life.
The author explains Richard Pryor’s deeply rooted emotional issues of race and the processes he used to survive in two culturally different and polarizing worlds of race, sexuality, mixed with alcohol and drugs to maintain his stability.
Richard Pryor is like so many great artists who chose a career in the arts and are not able to manage their celebrity status, money, alcohol and illegal drugs that destroys their potential and provides the structure for a dysfunctional family life.
December 29, 2013
The Henry brothers have brought us a well researched and written book on the life of Richard Pryor, the comedic genius who was never able to outrun the demons that haunted him. The book graphically shows both sides of this unbelievably complex man - the tremendous ground breaking comedy routines and the drug abuse and troubled personal life. The book also lets us look into the lives of Redd Foxx, Bill Cosby and other comedic talents of that era. Since so much of Pryor's comedy rested on his voice inflections and facial expressions it is very difficult for authors to get the gist of his work on the printed page but the Henry brothers do a masterful job. Also, there are many flat out funny stories in the book.
December 23, 2014
I received this book through the Early Reviewer program here on LT. I suppose it wasn't all that early, as it was published in 2013. It is a biography of Richard Pryor. It also is a history of the political, social, and comedic environment that existed at the time Pryor was growing up, and the environment that was greatly affected by what he accomplished.
This is by no means, a pretty story. Richard lived a hard life, from growing up in his Grandmother's brothel, to a gargantuan drug habit that would have killed a normal man several times over, to the illness that ultimately took him off the road and took his life. An excellent read.
S: 11/6/14 F: 11/21/14 (16 Days)
This is by no means, a pretty story. Richard lived a hard life, from growing up in his Grandmother's brothel, to a gargantuan drug habit that would have killed a normal man several times over, to the illness that ultimately took him off the road and took his life. An excellent read.
S: 11/6/14 F: 11/21/14 (16 Days)
November 4, 2013
Outstanding. Fantastic. Loved it. Great biography of a complex man with great historical details and good comparisons to other comedians of his time. Very well-researched by the Henry brothers, with plenty of interviews with friends and colleagues of Pryor, as well as background on the history of American culture in general (i.e. why SNL was destined for greatness from the start, why Pryor's jokes were never stolen, the westward movement of comedy clubs in the 60s, etc.)
I definitely recommend this for anybody interested in a great biography.
I definitely recommend this for anybody interested in a great biography.
November 30, 2016
Dion Graham was an excellent choice for this audiobook. His delivery and impersonations were pretty wonderful. The book itself looks at the serious societal complexities that enabled Richard Pryor to become an icon. But it was his genius that made him great and his story tragic. Oddly, the authors chose to compare Pryor to Hurricane Katrina in the epilogue.
July 29, 2016
I chose this to get a better understanding of how contemporary humor evolved, and certainly got that. Also got a good look at a very troubled genius. A bit shorter would have made it a bit better for me.
May 26, 2018
Recommended Reading..
July 14, 2018
I enjoyed this biography of one of the most brilliant comedians and truth tellers of the 20th century.
June 7, 2020
As someone who went into reading this biography not knowing much about the life and times of Black comedian Richard Pryor, I still feel this work didn't quite hit the mark. In the Afterword, the Henry brothers acknowledge that the piece was originally imagined as a screenplay for a TV special on Pryor, and only later did they decide to turn it into a novel. That comes through in the writing style. The way the chapters are structured makes it difficult to follow the thread of his life through random drug-addled or profane anecdotes. While I am appreciative to the work for all of its references to other Black cultural phenomenons, literature, film, etc., I think I would have enjoyed learning about "what was going on in Richard's mind" from Richard himself.
March 11, 2019
I learned a lot I didn’t know, which in a lot of ways made me appreciate/understand him more. But I also learned about abuse of a lot of women which...made me appreciate him less.
November 8, 2024
A biography of Richard Pryor, including interviews with his friends like Paul Mooney, Franklin Ajaye and Lily Tomlin, 2 of his daughters as well as the last of his 6 wives, Jennifer Lee Pryor.
There are a lot of ways to describe who Richard Pryor was as both a person and a performer. As a person, he was a drug addict, not a huge secret of course, he was also a chronic wife beater who often went from crazy highs to horrible lows, sometimes in the span of several minutes. It was assumed that he was bi-polar (he was never diagnosed) and the drugs certainly didn't help with that. Born in his grandmothers whorehouse in Peoria, IL, he would oftentimes be forced to watch his mom who worked there, service her clients. His dad was a gambler who ran a pool hall and although he was always around, they were never really close. He got his start under people like Redd Foxx, Dick Gregory and William H. Cosby Jr, eventually finding his voice and becoming arguably the funniest man who ever lived.
He was also an extremely gifted, yet difficult actor. His earlier films like Blue Collar, Lady Sings the Blues and Greased Lightning showed what he was capable of as an actor although he went away from that after he burnt himself while freebasing cocaine in the 80's as he took what even he referred to as "whoreish money grab movies" like Silver Streak, The Toy (the one movie he refused to let his kids watch) and Moving, in order to pay for his legal bills and drug habit. He made four million for Superman III, (Christopher Reeve made two million) and was never truly happy with his life it appears.
The one thing he hated being referred to as was a comedian. He was a performer who used comedy as his canvas. He was also one of the most real people who ever graced a stage. His albums from "That N_____s Crazy" to Here and Now and Live From the Sunset Strip are still comedy album classics.
This book was an A-, it was well done and fair, it was by no means a fluff piece. The subject, although a despicable human being, is fascinating and mysterious with a legacy that will never be forgotten. The term tortured genius is thrown around a lot, it certainly goes for him.
There are a lot of ways to describe who Richard Pryor was as both a person and a performer. As a person, he was a drug addict, not a huge secret of course, he was also a chronic wife beater who often went from crazy highs to horrible lows, sometimes in the span of several minutes. It was assumed that he was bi-polar (he was never diagnosed) and the drugs certainly didn't help with that. Born in his grandmothers whorehouse in Peoria, IL, he would oftentimes be forced to watch his mom who worked there, service her clients. His dad was a gambler who ran a pool hall and although he was always around, they were never really close. He got his start under people like Redd Foxx, Dick Gregory and William H. Cosby Jr, eventually finding his voice and becoming arguably the funniest man who ever lived.
He was also an extremely gifted, yet difficult actor. His earlier films like Blue Collar, Lady Sings the Blues and Greased Lightning showed what he was capable of as an actor although he went away from that after he burnt himself while freebasing cocaine in the 80's as he took what even he referred to as "whoreish money grab movies" like Silver Streak, The Toy (the one movie he refused to let his kids watch) and Moving, in order to pay for his legal bills and drug habit. He made four million for Superman III, (Christopher Reeve made two million) and was never truly happy with his life it appears.
The one thing he hated being referred to as was a comedian. He was a performer who used comedy as his canvas. He was also one of the most real people who ever graced a stage. His albums from "That N_____s Crazy" to Here and Now and Live From the Sunset Strip are still comedy album classics.
This book was an A-, it was well done and fair, it was by no means a fluff piece. The subject, although a despicable human being, is fascinating and mysterious with a legacy that will never be forgotten. The term tortured genius is thrown around a lot, it certainly goes for him.
September 2, 2017
Before reading this book my knowledge of Richard Pryor pretty much started and ended with watching Brewster's Millions as a kid, so I was intrigued when I heard an interview with the authors, and they argued that Richard was on par with Bob Dylan and Miles Davis as a great American artist.
Despite learning some horrible things about Pryor (and how unforgivably violent he was towards his wives), this is a deep story, told in an experimental way with a lot of good tangents. The authors originally wrote this as a screenplay, and it does have a cinematic feel to it. The most interesting part for me was when Richard walked away (literally) from a lucrative career doing Cosby-esque standup, then moved to Berkeley for a few years and hung out with Huey Newton and the Black Panther Party. I also loved the behind the scenes account of his hosting Saturday Night Live in its first season. Comedy doesn't always age well, so I'm a little wary of watching his standup now, but Richard obviously had a huge impact in his time and broke new ground.
Despite learning some horrible things about Pryor (and how unforgivably violent he was towards his wives), this is a deep story, told in an experimental way with a lot of good tangents. The authors originally wrote this as a screenplay, and it does have a cinematic feel to it. The most interesting part for me was when Richard walked away (literally) from a lucrative career doing Cosby-esque standup, then moved to Berkeley for a few years and hung out with Huey Newton and the Black Panther Party. I also loved the behind the scenes account of his hosting Saturday Night Live in its first season. Comedy doesn't always age well, so I'm a little wary of watching his standup now, but Richard obviously had a huge impact in his time and broke new ground.
Read
March 1, 2018I tried, but the writing style is sort of insufferably self-important. I picked it up because I love one of Joe Henry's albums and his co-writing a book about Richard Pryor seemed interestingly random. But with sort of the barest acknowledgement of the problems associated with two white guys writing about such an important black cultural figure, they proceed to adopt a knowing they can't have. And use a riffing-style of writing they haven't earned. I didn't get that far into it, but I'm not going on.
January 24, 2014
I might bump this up to four stars just for the research and unflinching look at this genius with a dark, dark side. However, the italicized discursions into attempted literature and mixed metaphors in the first part of this book really dragged it down. I still highly recommend it for any serious fan of comedy. He really was the best.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 201 reviews