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From Under the Truck: A Decidedly Un-Celebrity Memoir from the Enigmatic Actor
From Josh Brolin, a unique and decidedly un-celebrity memoir, by turns affecting, funny, uncanny, and unforgettable.
Weaving a latticework of different strands, moving back and forth through time, Josh Brolin captures a life marked by curiosity, pain, devotion, kindness, humor. He recounts an unconventional childhood far from Hollywood. Raised on a ranch in Paso Robles, California, he was surrounded as a child by the wolves, cougars, and other wild animals gathered by his fearless and explosive mother, Jane Agee Brolin. Her tragic, early death haunts this book, and the force of her unforgettable personality is felt throughout. Brolin also brings to life his career in the film industry—from his breakout role in The Goonies to the set of No Country for Old Men—and the professional and personal ups and downs in between and since. With unflinching honesty but also great humor, he shares insights into relationships, addiction, love, and fatherhood, while letting the white space in between words speak for itself. Grappling with the mysteries of life and death in a way that will catch readers by surprise, From Under the Truck is an audacious and riveting memoir from a born writer.
Weaving a latticework of different strands, moving back and forth through time, Josh Brolin captures a life marked by curiosity, pain, devotion, kindness, humor. He recounts an unconventional childhood far from Hollywood. Raised on a ranch in Paso Robles, California, he was surrounded as a child by the wolves, cougars, and other wild animals gathered by his fearless and explosive mother, Jane Agee Brolin. Her tragic, early death haunts this book, and the force of her unforgettable personality is felt throughout. Brolin also brings to life his career in the film industry—from his breakout role in The Goonies to the set of No Country for Old Men—and the professional and personal ups and downs in between and since. With unflinching honesty but also great humor, he shares insights into relationships, addiction, love, and fatherhood, while letting the white space in between words speak for itself. Grappling with the mysteries of life and death in a way that will catch readers by surprise, From Under the Truck is an audacious and riveting memoir from a born writer.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published November 19, 2024
507 people are currently reading
5755 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 542 reviews
November 21, 2024
I am a big fan of Brolin as an actor and when I have seen him in interviews, he seems like a genuinely good guy who has lived a pretty crazy life at times. he is also sober and I like hearing people’s sobriety stories. So I was excited for this celeb memoir, but unfortunately, it hadn’t been want I was hoping for.
First of all, his timeline is all over the place. One minute were in the 2000’s, next minute the 70s, then it’s on to the 90’s, then back to the 80’s. and it is like this for the entire book and it made it feel like I could never settle into a rhythm while reading. this could very well have been intentional, him not wanting his readers to feel settled and for it to have a chaotic feel which mirrors his life. But even if this was the desired effect, I was just not a fan of it.
My second complaint is the writing style. Many segments come across as either stream of consciousness and/or like poetry. I myself just don’t really click with poetry most of the time and so I wasn’t a fan of the chapters that leaned into that style. And stream of consciousness writing can work and be very effective when done right, but here it just sort of felt rambly.
Thirdly, the stories he chose to tell felt random often times. This book is one non sequitur after another!
Fourthly, most celeb memoirs have some sort of overarching theme. Writing about your life can be a daunting task but having that framing helps keeps the stories in context. I don’t think he had much of a theme here though. Again, it often felt like one random story that I didn’t care about after another. His mom is a constant throughout this book as is family in general I suppose, as well as his drinking so in some ways maybe those two aspects of his life could be seen as the themes of the book I guess. But his drinking was something I was wanting to hear more about and yet this book just felt too jumbled to even get a grasp on that. He was on the Dax Shepared podcast and I learned far more about him and his drinking from that episode than I did from this book.
All in all, this book gave me a feel for who Brolin is, while ultimately telling me very little. I can admire that he was being experimental and not just writing a standard memoir. And again, those who are into artsy writing like this may like this more than I did. But in my mind, there is nothing wrong with the standard memoir format and prefer that over what he is doing here. This just feels like it's all vibes and sparse on details.
First of all, his timeline is all over the place. One minute were in the 2000’s, next minute the 70s, then it’s on to the 90’s, then back to the 80’s. and it is like this for the entire book and it made it feel like I could never settle into a rhythm while reading. this could very well have been intentional, him not wanting his readers to feel settled and for it to have a chaotic feel which mirrors his life. But even if this was the desired effect, I was just not a fan of it.
My second complaint is the writing style. Many segments come across as either stream of consciousness and/or like poetry. I myself just don’t really click with poetry most of the time and so I wasn’t a fan of the chapters that leaned into that style. And stream of consciousness writing can work and be very effective when done right, but here it just sort of felt rambly.
Thirdly, the stories he chose to tell felt random often times. This book is one non sequitur after another!
Fourthly, most celeb memoirs have some sort of overarching theme. Writing about your life can be a daunting task but having that framing helps keeps the stories in context. I don’t think he had much of a theme here though. Again, it often felt like one random story that I didn’t care about after another. His mom is a constant throughout this book as is family in general I suppose, as well as his drinking so in some ways maybe those two aspects of his life could be seen as the themes of the book I guess. But his drinking was something I was wanting to hear more about and yet this book just felt too jumbled to even get a grasp on that. He was on the Dax Shepared podcast and I learned far more about him and his drinking from that episode than I did from this book.
All in all, this book gave me a feel for who Brolin is, while ultimately telling me very little. I can admire that he was being experimental and not just writing a standard memoir. And again, those who are into artsy writing like this may like this more than I did. But in my mind, there is nothing wrong with the standard memoir format and prefer that over what he is doing here. This just feels like it's all vibes and sparse on details.
December 3, 2024
Brolin has no interest in delivering a conventional memoir, and the result is memorable and often admirable. He's aggressively candid, fragile, quick to take offence, and funny about his often horrendous behaviour. He parcels his scattered, oddly juxtaposed vignettes in a run-on style at times sort-of reminiscent of Denis Johnson or Bukowksi, and very few of the encountered big names are afforded much reverence. The author's mother is the book's central character--a fact he seems deeply ambivalent (and occasionally resentful) about. His actor father is a benignly distant, peripheral curio. His brother doesn't like him. But to be fair, Josh Brolin doesn't seem all that keen on Josh Brolin. The fragmented contents suggest a mistrust not only of himself but of anything that can't be wrought into succinct, digestible--albeit often abstracted--anecdote.
December 2, 2024
Loved how gritty this book is. I loved that it wasn’t in any specific kind of order. Life is chaos, it’s messy and full of ups and downs. It felt like how my brain works when I experience memories. The thoughts that shuffle in randomly and present themselves in no particular order but that make up the whole of the moving parts. It’s his thoughts, experiences, poetry, scenes, things acted, and other imagery of the mind. A beautiful cacophony of a book, absolutely loved it.
November 21, 2024
I absolutely hated this book. It had no sense of direction and it was all over the map. I’m not sure how I finished it except for the fact it was very short. I learned next to nothing about Josh Brolin. I understand he was trying to do something different with his memoir, but this is not really even a memoir. The timeline is all over the place. It just felt like he was rambling. I didn’t understand the point of this book. He’s had an interesting career and a very complex life. It would’ve been nice to learn about that instead of suffering through this incoherent nonsense. I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone. It was torture.
August 18, 2025
⭐⭐⭐✰☆ (3.25 stars) — Reading this due to receiving the book as a gift, I was pleasantly surprised by the grit & humility Brolin displays in this effort. Better than your average celebrity or actor memoir, it’s got some soul!
Josh Brolin’s memoir From Under the Truck is a curious creation—part confessional, part reflection, part Hollywood war story. Where one might anticipate a straight, chronological telling of a career that spans blockbuster films and personal upheavals, what we receive instead is an uneven tapestry: flashes of lucidity and candor interspersed with passages that feel indulgent or meandering.
The strength of the book lies in Brolin’s unflinching honesty. He does not varnish his missteps, nor does he seek to disguise the tumultuous phases of his life. There is a raw candor here, one that allows the reader to glimpse the fragility behind the rugged exterior so often projected on screen. His recollections of childhood, of fractured relationships, and of the paradoxical isolation within fame are all recounted with an intensity that feels genuine, if not always artfully arranged.
Yet the memoir’s architecture is its greatest weakness. At times the narrative unravels into digression, as though Brolin were compelled to empty the recesses of memory without concern for pacing. The reader is occasionally left disoriented, forced to navigate sudden shifts in tone or subject without sufficient grounding. It is this lack of cohesion that prevents the memoir from achieving greater impact; moments of brilliance are diluted by passages that could have benefited from sharper editorial restraint.
Still, when Brolin strikes the right chord, the results are captivating. His reflections on the precarious balance between self-destruction and self-preservation, and his willingness to explore the darker corners of his psyche, give the memoir a gravity that distinguishes it from more pedestrian celebrity tell-alls. There is a vigor in his storytelling, an undeniable sense of lived experience that commands attention, even if the execution falters.
Ultimately, From Under the Truck is an intriguing albeit sometimes flawed effort. It will appeal most to admirers of Brolin who wish to see beyond the screen persona, but for those seeking a seamless and finely wrought autobiography, it may feel frustratingly haphazard, despite the aforementioned grit & refreshing humility on show. A book with undeniable heart, though not quite infused with the refinement it could have been.
Josh Brolin’s memoir From Under the Truck is a curious creation—part confessional, part reflection, part Hollywood war story. Where one might anticipate a straight, chronological telling of a career that spans blockbuster films and personal upheavals, what we receive instead is an uneven tapestry: flashes of lucidity and candor interspersed with passages that feel indulgent or meandering.
The strength of the book lies in Brolin’s unflinching honesty. He does not varnish his missteps, nor does he seek to disguise the tumultuous phases of his life. There is a raw candor here, one that allows the reader to glimpse the fragility behind the rugged exterior so often projected on screen. His recollections of childhood, of fractured relationships, and of the paradoxical isolation within fame are all recounted with an intensity that feels genuine, if not always artfully arranged.
Yet the memoir’s architecture is its greatest weakness. At times the narrative unravels into digression, as though Brolin were compelled to empty the recesses of memory without concern for pacing. The reader is occasionally left disoriented, forced to navigate sudden shifts in tone or subject without sufficient grounding. It is this lack of cohesion that prevents the memoir from achieving greater impact; moments of brilliance are diluted by passages that could have benefited from sharper editorial restraint.
Still, when Brolin strikes the right chord, the results are captivating. His reflections on the precarious balance between self-destruction and self-preservation, and his willingness to explore the darker corners of his psyche, give the memoir a gravity that distinguishes it from more pedestrian celebrity tell-alls. There is a vigor in his storytelling, an undeniable sense of lived experience that commands attention, even if the execution falters.
Ultimately, From Under the Truck is an intriguing albeit sometimes flawed effort. It will appeal most to admirers of Brolin who wish to see beyond the screen persona, but for those seeking a seamless and finely wrought autobiography, it may feel frustratingly haphazard, despite the aforementioned grit & refreshing humility on show. A book with undeniable heart, though not quite infused with the refinement it could have been.
June 29, 2025
From Under the Truck is not a typical memoir, and I'm unsure if I liked it or not.
It reads like literary fiction (which, as we all know is among my least favourite genres), jumps around the timeline in every single chapter, occasionally switches to third person making it unclear who the subjects of the story are...and yet, I can kinda see what he was trying to do.
I wouldn't call the book confusing, but there doesn't seem to be a common theme connecting all the stories, they are very random. If Mr Brolin's goal was to be as chaotic as possible, he succeed.
There was one story I skipped, or rather turned the volume down until it was over, I don't need to be traumatised, thanks!!
(Yes, it was the sheep story)
For the most part though, it was interesting, so I'm giving it a 4 star rating.
It reads like literary fiction (which, as we all know is among my least favourite genres), jumps around the timeline in every single chapter, occasionally switches to third person making it unclear who the subjects of the story are...and yet, I can kinda see what he was trying to do.
I wouldn't call the book confusing, but there doesn't seem to be a common theme connecting all the stories, they are very random. If Mr Brolin's goal was to be as chaotic as possible, he succeed.
There was one story I skipped, or rather turned the volume down until it was over, I don't need to be traumatised, thanks!!
(Yes, it was the sheep story)
For the most part though, it was interesting, so I'm giving it a 4 star rating.
November 30, 2024
ok. this is not a [conventional] memoir. totally cool, it’s your story to tell, storyteller. I am not sure what it IS, though. I will say there are loads of gorgeous sentences. Paragraphs, even. Poetry. However, I definitely do not feel like I learned a single thing. It’s as if these beautiful strips of fabric, having floated about in a whirl of wind, are gathered back up and haphazardly stacked together, perhaps as though they might be turned into a quilt…then, instead? are offered up to you as a cheeseburger.
Like, what?
If you don’t mind a book that reads like the “chapters” have been shaken up in a Yahtzee cup by someone who probably loves Bukowski, this cheeseburger might be for you.
Like, what?
If you don’t mind a book that reads like the “chapters” have been shaken up in a Yahtzee cup by someone who probably loves Bukowski, this cheeseburger might be for you.
November 28, 2024
As of writing this is at a painful 3.24 from 97 ratings. That's fine, because haters gunna hate and usually be wrong.
This is an artistic tour de force, a memoir of unbridled power. We praise Question 7 and Nuclear War: A Scenario for playing between fiction and non-fiction and breaking narrative boundaries, but when an actor gives us his diary entries in the form of a back-and-forth across time reverie, we can't handle it. Apparently celebrity biographies should only be about their lives and in chronological order. Apparently there are feeble minds out there who think it's Brolin's fault they couldn't handle the book.
I genuinely thought this was a powerful piece of writing. There's humour, self-deprecation, self-reflection, celerity gossip, poetry, narrative, violence and everything you could want from a book. Raw is about the best word to sum it up. I highly recommend this to anyone who's a fan of Brolin, obviously, but also to those who want more honesty in their lives.
This is an artistic tour de force, a memoir of unbridled power. We praise Question 7 and Nuclear War: A Scenario for playing between fiction and non-fiction and breaking narrative boundaries, but when an actor gives us his diary entries in the form of a back-and-forth across time reverie, we can't handle it. Apparently celebrity biographies should only be about their lives and in chronological order. Apparently there are feeble minds out there who think it's Brolin's fault they couldn't handle the book.
I genuinely thought this was a powerful piece of writing. There's humour, self-deprecation, self-reflection, celerity gossip, poetry, narrative, violence and everything you could want from a book. Raw is about the best word to sum it up. I highly recommend this to anyone who's a fan of Brolin, obviously, but also to those who want more honesty in their lives.
November 21, 2024
I am honored to be the second 1 star review on this book.
The thing I love about memoirs is that you don’t have to know a single thing about the person they’re about, because you’ll learn everything from the book you pick up. I picked this one out of Spotify audiobooks because it was short, without realizing it was brand new. I knew nothing about Josh Brolin before picking it up….and now?? I feel as though I know approximately the same amount!
I said “what the fuck” out loud so many times during this book, it was actually ridiculous! I rarely have “wtf” moments when I read books, even horror or gore. I have never been so astonished and appalled by a memoir. I literally wrote in my last review that I feel weird rating memoirs. But here I am! Confident in this 1 star!
The first time I said “what the fuck”, I went to check the reviews on this book. Lo and behold, there was 1 review. Surprise! It was released 2 days ago. Now, there are a few more reviews, and I join the others who read this in a day or two after its release. I am here to relay a resounding FUCK THIS MEMOIR.
Josh Brolin seems like an…okay guy. Based on interviews I read online. He seems like he’s gotten his life on track. Made something of himself. Gotten away from the throes of fame traps. Survived a mentally ill and abusive mother.
And yet, this memoir, a part-poetry-part-monologue-part-storybook-part-autobiography, is a frankensteinish nightmare.
I can handle a bouncing timeline, but this book did whiplash-inducing numbers on me.
I can handle vulgar, but I really didn’t need unnecessary visuals of having sex with couch cushions.
I can handle violence, but there wasn’t a point to have an entire chapter about killing a sheep. (There literally wasn’t a moral to this chapter. I listened to the entire thing, cried, and still was granted no meaning or storyline).
I can handle poetry, in fact, I LOVE poetry! But switching from third-person poetry to first-person storytelling chapter by chapter was confusing and unnecessary.
Taking a risk on a new style can sometimes work out, but I have no idea who approved of this one. Or why. This is embarrassing. Shame on your editor who let this fly!
Some chapters were genuinely good. Genuinely interesting. But there wasn’t any overarching message, a semblance of plot, or even aspects of sentiment or humor. This shit is fake profound and a pathetic attempt at “realness”. If Josh Brolin wants to write poetry, he should write poetry. If Josh Brolin wants to write a monologue, he should write a monologue. If Josh Brolin wants to write a memoir (in this fashion)? He should be stopped. Whoever your editor is Josh, I hope you fire them!
An incredibly impassioned 1 star.
The thing I love about memoirs is that you don’t have to know a single thing about the person they’re about, because you’ll learn everything from the book you pick up. I picked this one out of Spotify audiobooks because it was short, without realizing it was brand new. I knew nothing about Josh Brolin before picking it up….and now?? I feel as though I know approximately the same amount!
I said “what the fuck” out loud so many times during this book, it was actually ridiculous! I rarely have “wtf” moments when I read books, even horror or gore. I have never been so astonished and appalled by a memoir. I literally wrote in my last review that I feel weird rating memoirs. But here I am! Confident in this 1 star!
The first time I said “what the fuck”, I went to check the reviews on this book. Lo and behold, there was 1 review. Surprise! It was released 2 days ago. Now, there are a few more reviews, and I join the others who read this in a day or two after its release. I am here to relay a resounding FUCK THIS MEMOIR.
Josh Brolin seems like an…okay guy. Based on interviews I read online. He seems like he’s gotten his life on track. Made something of himself. Gotten away from the throes of fame traps. Survived a mentally ill and abusive mother.
And yet, this memoir, a part-poetry-part-monologue-part-storybook-part-autobiography, is a frankensteinish nightmare.
I can handle a bouncing timeline, but this book did whiplash-inducing numbers on me.
I can handle vulgar, but I really didn’t need unnecessary visuals of having sex with couch cushions.
I can handle violence, but there wasn’t a point to have an entire chapter about killing a sheep. (There literally wasn’t a moral to this chapter. I listened to the entire thing, cried, and still was granted no meaning or storyline).
I can handle poetry, in fact, I LOVE poetry! But switching from third-person poetry to first-person storytelling chapter by chapter was confusing and unnecessary.
Taking a risk on a new style can sometimes work out, but I have no idea who approved of this one. Or why. This is embarrassing. Shame on your editor who let this fly!
Some chapters were genuinely good. Genuinely interesting. But there wasn’t any overarching message, a semblance of plot, or even aspects of sentiment or humor. This shit is fake profound and a pathetic attempt at “realness”. If Josh Brolin wants to write poetry, he should write poetry. If Josh Brolin wants to write a monologue, he should write a monologue. If Josh Brolin wants to write a memoir (in this fashion)? He should be stopped. Whoever your editor is Josh, I hope you fire them!
An incredibly impassioned 1 star.
March 3, 2025
5 Stars for From Under the Truck: A Memoir (audiobook) by Josh Brolin read by the author.
So much of this man’s life is so absurd and chaotic it wouldn’t be believable if it was just been a fictional story. No mother could be that irresponsible. They wouldn’t force a kid to get bitten by a tiger would they? It’s fun to see how the kid from Goonies grew up and became a movie star. But there’s no chance I would have wanted to trade places with him.
So much of this man’s life is so absurd and chaotic it wouldn’t be believable if it was just been a fictional story. No mother could be that irresponsible. They wouldn’t force a kid to get bitten by a tiger would they? It’s fun to see how the kid from Goonies grew up and became a movie star. But there’s no chance I would have wanted to trade places with him.
November 29, 2024
DNF
I don't give a fuck about pissed off rich kids playing pirate and being chest thumping obnoxious smirking assholes.
I don't give a fuck about pissed off rich kids playing pirate and being chest thumping obnoxious smirking assholes.
January 6, 2025
One of the worst things I've ever tried to read.
Truly, truly, Abysmal.
Somebody, somewhere invented the phrase "cash grab" just waiting for this book to eventually be written.
Truly, truly, Abysmal.
Somebody, somewhere invented the phrase "cash grab" just waiting for this book to eventually be written.
December 22, 2024
I can think of two reasons as to why “celebrities” write memoirs. One may be an exercise in self discovery, basically sort out the shit in their own heads. Or perhaps for the edification of the reading public, allow them to get to know the celeb beyond the public persona. If Brolin was going for #2, he failed miserably. I didn’t know very much, if anything, about him going into this mess and I learned absolutely zero. This book was a series of short vignettes told in no particular order spanning four decades, the majority of them making little to no sense at all. Sometimes they are in the third person so it’s kind of hard to suss out who he’s talking about. Some are written in poetic form. To say this book did not work is a gross understatement. (The only segment that shed any light on this guy was the one with the sheep and personally I found it quite horrifying.) So I’m guessing (hoping) that this book was written for the sole purpose of Brolin getting shit out of his head. Hoped it worked for him. Didn’t work for me.
May 2, 2025
This is not a finished book. There is book somewhere in there, but “From Under the Truck” is not a finished product. I don’t care what Josh Brolin’s agent and editor said. There are thoughts, experiences, memories, but there too fragmented and incomprehensible to make sense of.
I am giving this book 3 stars, because I like and respect Josh Brolin the actor.
In his own book Josh Brolin seems to be a very difficult, unlikable person, who always goes his own way, without care for other people (including his readers), because he wants to experience life and this is a “Brolin way”. Good for him! He would get bored and look for dangerous situations, insult others and so on. And the story about a sheep was ridiculous! Poor sheep! There were many ways to handle this situation and he handled it the “Brolin way”. Meaning in the most unnecessary violent, traumatic for his children, incompetent and pretentiously artistic manner – it ends with a poem.
I got the impression that Josh Brolin thinks he is new Cormac McCarthy (who apparently was his pal). He just writes words on a page and magic happens. Sorry, Josh Brolin, but you are not new Cormac.
This book is a mess, read it at your own peril!
I am giving this book 3 stars, because I like and respect Josh Brolin the actor.
In his own book Josh Brolin seems to be a very difficult, unlikable person, who always goes his own way, without care for other people (including his readers), because he wants to experience life and this is a “Brolin way”. Good for him! He would get bored and look for dangerous situations, insult others and so on. And the story about a sheep was ridiculous! Poor sheep! There were many ways to handle this situation and he handled it the “Brolin way”. Meaning in the most unnecessary violent, traumatic for his children, incompetent and pretentiously artistic manner – it ends with a poem.
I got the impression that Josh Brolin thinks he is new Cormac McCarthy (who apparently was his pal). He just writes words on a page and magic happens. Sorry, Josh Brolin, but you are not new Cormac.
This book is a mess, read it at your own peril!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2024
Became a fan of Brolins after reading and watching “No country”. Brolin was made for that role. Then I watched him for 2 seasons on Outer Range. He was again the perfect fit. This memoir is jumbled but I enjoyed it. No life changing commentary but it was interesting.
November 23, 2024
An unconventional memoir. But I liked it a lot. Brolin is undoubtedly intelligent, he has the ability to analyze his actions and his life, AND he can write. This was closer to prose than a memoir in many places. And I relly liked that. Yes, he jumps all over the place, but it’s easy to follow where he’s leading us at any given time.
If your expecting a name-dropping tell-it-all, this isn’t it. This is a novel.
I was plesantly surprised.
If your expecting a name-dropping tell-it-all, this isn’t it. This is a novel.
I was plesantly surprised.
January 17, 2025
fascinating….
and at times obtuse….
and at times uncomfortably honest….
but never less than pure and real…..
and at times obtuse….
and at times uncomfortably honest….
but never less than pure and real…..
February 4, 2025
Wow, what a mess. Brolin decides to obscure most everything in his life by changing timelines, tenses, and narrative voices. It's as if he drunkenly scratched some memories on bar napkins, tossed them in the air, and then published them in whatever order they were picked up. Most of this doesn't make sense. Forget chronology, the author reveals hints of storylines when he wants to but then deflects and detracts in order to not hold himself accountable or allow us to see too much of his real self.
Ultimately this book seems to be a sort of tribute to his beloved crazy mother, how she messed up his mind, and that he's proud to live as unconventionally as she did. He never wants her memory to be forgotten. This much we can figure out: his mother was a sex-crazed gun-toting drinker who could manipulate men into sleeping with her--all while her little boy Josh was standing right next to her. That led him to become a sex-crazed drinker at a young age (freely drinking and masturbating at age 8?), thinking swearing, cheating, and violence were normal.
His famous father? Barely alluded to here. Obvious Brolin has a respect for the man but from a distance. It appears that Josh's anger for his dad is a "hidden agenda" that the author alludes to in the final pages, where his father isn't mentioned in the Acknowledgements.
His even more famous "stepmother." She's barely mentioned but he approaches the subject of her controlling Jewish motherhood with some humor and a bit of affection. She's notably missing from the Acknowledgements as well.
The rest of his family? It's unclear. Half the time I couldn't figure out who he was talking about because he doesn't always name names. It appears he doesn't really talk much about his second wife Diane Lane, but I may have missed something. He'll switch from first person to third person, supposedly narrating a tale of a different couple but it probably is about himself.
The entire structure of jumping timelines back and forth, as well as mixing multiple years in one short two-page "chapter," doesn't worth. My theory is that it's done for two reasons: to keep people for getting too close to figuring out too many specifics about himself or that he could be sued for; and to prolong his mother's mentions in the book. She died young in a car accident so if this would have been presented chronologically, she would have only appeared in the first third.
There are hints at some good stories in the book. His Marlon Brando encounter is funny, and Josh's son's interest in Scientology made me wonder. The underlying tone of alcoholism is included throughout but sadly it seems like he's pushing the idea that you can be an alcoholic and continue to drink without problem. That's funny because this guy has had more problems than many other modern celebrities, but he works hard to not reveal much about his times in jail, his blowups, his hiring hookers, and his bad reputation on film sets.
Namely, he keeps everything very much on the down low, writing as if he's hiding under his truck.
Ultimately this book seems to be a sort of tribute to his beloved crazy mother, how she messed up his mind, and that he's proud to live as unconventionally as she did. He never wants her memory to be forgotten. This much we can figure out: his mother was a sex-crazed gun-toting drinker who could manipulate men into sleeping with her--all while her little boy Josh was standing right next to her. That led him to become a sex-crazed drinker at a young age (freely drinking and masturbating at age 8?), thinking swearing, cheating, and violence were normal.
His famous father? Barely alluded to here. Obvious Brolin has a respect for the man but from a distance. It appears that Josh's anger for his dad is a "hidden agenda" that the author alludes to in the final pages, where his father isn't mentioned in the Acknowledgements.
His even more famous "stepmother." She's barely mentioned but he approaches the subject of her controlling Jewish motherhood with some humor and a bit of affection. She's notably missing from the Acknowledgements as well.
The rest of his family? It's unclear. Half the time I couldn't figure out who he was talking about because he doesn't always name names. It appears he doesn't really talk much about his second wife Diane Lane, but I may have missed something. He'll switch from first person to third person, supposedly narrating a tale of a different couple but it probably is about himself.
The entire structure of jumping timelines back and forth, as well as mixing multiple years in one short two-page "chapter," doesn't worth. My theory is that it's done for two reasons: to keep people for getting too close to figuring out too many specifics about himself or that he could be sued for; and to prolong his mother's mentions in the book. She died young in a car accident so if this would have been presented chronologically, she would have only appeared in the first third.
There are hints at some good stories in the book. His Marlon Brando encounter is funny, and Josh's son's interest in Scientology made me wonder. The underlying tone of alcoholism is included throughout but sadly it seems like he's pushing the idea that you can be an alcoholic and continue to drink without problem. That's funny because this guy has had more problems than many other modern celebrities, but he works hard to not reveal much about his times in jail, his blowups, his hiring hookers, and his bad reputation on film sets.
Namely, he keeps everything very much on the down low, writing as if he's hiding under his truck.
December 17, 2024
ZZZZ Plenty of reviews describing how bad this book is. Listen to them!
January 28, 2025
I regard Josh Brolin as one of the coolest, most bad ass people on the planet, and for him to break himself down and expose his vulnerabilities in this way was so refreshing. Through dozens of shorts stories from his life (without saying these exact words) he lays it out for men and women; it’s ok to not be ok. But it’s also clear in the book that it took him a long time to figure out, and he still battles with reminding himself of that very truth.
His relationship with his mother, with alcohol, with his dad and with his “Cito Rats” are all fascinating eras of an incredibly fascinating life. Each era tells a different story of Brolin, and the way he chose to write it tells a story in itself. The time jumps make me think he sat down to write it and had no idea what he’d write on the next page, and the authenticity of that writing process is what makes this book great.
Read this book, 5/5.
His relationship with his mother, with alcohol, with his dad and with his “Cito Rats” are all fascinating eras of an incredibly fascinating life. Each era tells a different story of Brolin, and the way he chose to write it tells a story in itself. The time jumps make me think he sat down to write it and had no idea what he’d write on the next page, and the authenticity of that writing process is what makes this book great.
Read this book, 5/5.
December 8, 2024
I heard him on Joe Rogan’s podcast and immediately bought his memoir. I wasn’t looking for scandal or anything of that sort, nor did he write that; however this format didn’t read well. I appreciate he wants to try different writing styles and perhaps even be James Joyce or Cormac McCarthy. But he’s not. And please practice in a writer’s seminar not on publication.
He can write. I wish him well and continued sobriety.
He can write. I wish him well and continued sobriety.
December 9, 2024
I had listened to an interview on Howard Stern with Josh Brolin. The interview was interesting, but unfortunately, the book is not. It may have been better if the timeline was in sequential order instead of jumping around. Using just "she" and "he" in some chapters had me thinking who the f is he talking about? No mention of his 9 year marriage to Diane Lane (looked that up on Google) but then again maybe she was a "she" chapter. Who knows? Ugh!
December 3, 2024
Josh Brolin has led one hell of an interesting life.
February 11, 2025
Unconventional memoir. A lot of interesting stories that you only get glimpses of, combined with some California spirituality that came off as pretentious to me. Great voice for an audiobook. Overall it felt like a therapy session for Brolin that we were subjected to, albeit entertained, so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend unless you like him as an actor.
November 29, 2024
I wish someone would write a book where they ask their father why he left them with their alcoholic mentally ill mother who laughed when her child was bitten by her pet bobcat. How he can drive away when the windows have been shattered. Stay away for weeks.
Hard to follow this book since he jumps all over in time but I guess that’s the point. Our memories don’t pop into our heads in order.
You’d think growing up with chaos and violence would make him ten times more likely not to live that way but i guess it seems normal. Glad he found his way out.
Funny that his father is so absent from the book but I guess it’s Josh’s story, not his dad’s.
Hard to follow this book since he jumps all over in time but I guess that’s the point. Our memories don’t pop into our heads in order.
You’d think growing up with chaos and violence would make him ten times more likely not to live that way but i guess it seems normal. Glad he found his way out.
Funny that his father is so absent from the book but I guess it’s Josh’s story, not his dad’s.
December 15, 2024
The worst self indulgent, repulsive mess of a text. Having admired Josh Brolin for many years and listening to his episode of the Team Deakins podcast years ago, I was truly looking forward to this book. He was more vulnerable, introspective, interesting and articulate in that 40 min podcast than this entire mess. It reads like a cheap novel by a man obsessed with Bukowski, McCarthy, Thompson, or an actor writing a diary of a character he’s trying to embody. The main character syndrome, unbearable ramblings and complete lack of actual lived experience made this completely unreadable.
I like Josh Brolin so much less after this. I couldn’t even make it halfway. Disappointing
I like Josh Brolin so much less after this. I couldn’t even make it halfway. Disappointing
December 18, 2024
3.5 stars (rounded up to 4. Will Goodreads ever give us 1/2 stars or move to a 1-10 scale?).
Josh Brolin has lived an interesting life. I’ve heard him on podcasts and he is smart and funny and honest. This comes across in his memoir, too, though the book is a little more scattershot. It is not told in a chronological order; the book consists of essays, poems, letters, and short stories/vignettes. It was frustrating at times, being thrown right into a story without much context. He’s going for a style here, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.
Overall, though, this is about his mother Jane, who raised him in an unconventional manner, without much help from his father James.
Josh Brolin has lived an interesting life. I’ve heard him on podcasts and he is smart and funny and honest. This comes across in his memoir, too, though the book is a little more scattershot. It is not told in a chronological order; the book consists of essays, poems, letters, and short stories/vignettes. It was frustrating at times, being thrown right into a story without much context. He’s going for a style here, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.
Overall, though, this is about his mother Jane, who raised him in an unconventional manner, without much help from his father James.
January 30, 2025
First Josh Brolin was my crush from Goonies. Then an impressive dramatic actor. Then someone whose poetic Instagram posts and vulnerable podcast interviews intrigued me. This book provides a level of insight into him, but also makes it clear he is not a man to be labeled or put in a box. It also gives just enough insight to leave you dissatisfied, and not necessarily wanting more. Some stories are full and heartbreaking. Others are brief and vague. I didn’t mind the mix, the lack of order. But it is uneven.
November 25, 2024
Yuck. I read a TON of memoirs. About people I know of, and people I’ve never heard of, this one is in the “know little about” category. Now that I know more, I would like to go back to when I knew less.
January 6, 2025
This is a weird book. It taught me quite a bit about Brolin (which I’m not sure I wanted to know) but not a lot about his life. So I believe he accomplished his goal but it wasn’t what I was hoping
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