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Ghostbuster's Daughter: Life with My Dad, Harold Ramis
Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780735217874
From the daughter of Ghostbusters star Harold Ramis comes a hilarious and heartwarming account of his life, work, and legacy.
Most of us know Harold Ramis as the filmmaker and actor who brought warmth and humor to the big screen in classics like Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, National Lampoon's Vacation, Groundhog Day, and National Lampoon's Animal House. To Violet Ramis, he was best known as an amazing father, confidant, and friend. In Ghostbuster's Daughter, Violet reflects on the life and legacy of her father, providing readers with an extraordinarily candid and insightful look into the man who helped shape modern American comedy.
Funny, endearing, and vulnerable, Ghostbuster's Daughter takes readers into the personal life of an American comedy icon, from his humble roots in Chicago and his ascension into Hollywood superstardom to his personal philosophies on life, love, and filmmaking. While the book serves as a comprehensive biography of her father's filmmaking career, Ghostbuster's Daughter is also an homage to their special father/daughter relationship. Violet weaves anecdotes about her father's unique and devoted parenting style among stories of her own unconventional upbringing, ultimately allowing readers to see a more vivid portrait of the man behind the camera. An incredibly personal biography as well as a charming family story for the ages, Ghostbuster's Daughter is an intimate look at one of America's preeminent comedy filmmakers.
From the daughter of Ghostbusters star Harold Ramis comes a hilarious and heartwarming account of his life, work, and legacy.
Most of us know Harold Ramis as the filmmaker and actor who brought warmth and humor to the big screen in classics like Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, National Lampoon's Vacation, Groundhog Day, and National Lampoon's Animal House. To Violet Ramis, he was best known as an amazing father, confidant, and friend. In Ghostbuster's Daughter, Violet reflects on the life and legacy of her father, providing readers with an extraordinarily candid and insightful look into the man who helped shape modern American comedy.
Funny, endearing, and vulnerable, Ghostbuster's Daughter takes readers into the personal life of an American comedy icon, from his humble roots in Chicago and his ascension into Hollywood superstardom to his personal philosophies on life, love, and filmmaking. While the book serves as a comprehensive biography of her father's filmmaking career, Ghostbuster's Daughter is also an homage to their special father/daughter relationship. Violet weaves anecdotes about her father's unique and devoted parenting style among stories of her own unconventional upbringing, ultimately allowing readers to see a more vivid portrait of the man behind the camera. An incredibly personal biography as well as a charming family story for the ages, Ghostbuster's Daughter is an intimate look at one of America's preeminent comedy filmmakers.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published June 5, 2018
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1601 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
February 20, 2018
Reviewed for Kirkus: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
More like 3.5 stars.
Full disclosure: Harold Ramis is, in my humble opinion, a comedy god, Ghostbusters is the greatest movie ever made, and one of the greatest tragedies in the history of the arts is that Ghostbusters 3 never actually became a thing. That might have influenced my star rating.
If you love Ramis, this will be interesting (and I mean the full Ramis oeuvre--not just one or two movies, as there's not that much detail about any particular film).
More like 3.5 stars.
Full disclosure: Harold Ramis is, in my humble opinion, a comedy god, Ghostbusters is the greatest movie ever made, and one of the greatest tragedies in the history of the arts is that Ghostbusters 3 never actually became a thing. That might have influenced my star rating.
If you love Ramis, this will be interesting (and I mean the full Ramis oeuvre--not just one or two movies, as there's not that much detail about any particular film).
November 14, 2022
Egon was always my favorite Ghostbuster, and anyone who loves Harold Ramis should read this book! Violet Ramis-Stiel does a phenomenal job detailing the life of her dad and the close bond they shared.
This book reads less like a memoir and more like an invitation into a very loving, unusual, and sometimes dysfunctional family.
With any biographical work, you have to be aware of the motivations of the writer and how they approach their subject, but Ramis-Stiel does a good job at painting a portrait of her dad from a very loving and honest perspective.
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This book reads less like a memoir and more like an invitation into a very loving, unusual, and sometimes dysfunctional family.
With any biographical work, you have to be aware of the motivations of the writer and how they approach their subject, but Ramis-Stiel does a good job at painting a portrait of her dad from a very loving and honest perspective.
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
October 19, 2018
Fabulous, haunting book that I have not been able to stop thinking about since I read it. I wasn't even the hugest fan of Ramis but his daughter made him come alive for me, warts and all. It shows how you can be an imperfect parent and still be loved fiercely by your child. Stunning story on the bonds between daughter and father. Much better than you might think it would be. More than a light memoir.
August 16, 2018
A sweet reminder of how powerful a father/daughter relationship can be. Loved learning more about Harold Ramis! His movies were great, as was he!
June 23, 2018
Violet Ramis Stiel's affectionate memoir of her father, writer-director-producer-actor Harold Ramis (GROUNDHOG DAY, ANIMAL HOUSE, CADDYSHACK, GHOSTBUSTERS), offers an overview of both his successful career and their often chaotic family life. At one point, Ramis tells his daughter, "I think, really, being an adult is about acknowledging ambiguity in all areas of life and finding a way to be okay with that." Stiel embraces the disorder of her childhood and her father's life.
Stiel's parents had a "marital arrangement of low-key nonmonogamy." When Stiel was eight, her parents decided to divorce because Ramis had fallen in love with his personal assistant (and soon-to-be second wife, Erica). That same year, Ramis and his daughter visited director Amy Heckerling (FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH) in the hospital after she'd given birth. Later, Stiel discovered her dad had fathered Heckerling's baby girl. From an early age, Stiel visited the sets of most of her father's films, graduating to bit parts and working behind the scenes. The book ends with heartfelt memories of her father's four-year battle with debilitating vasculitis and a brain hemorrhage--something the family kept hidden. The secret kept his career safe but left the family without emotional support from loved ones.
GHOSTBUSTER'S DAUGHTER is a genuine love letter to Harold Ramis from his adoring but clear-eyed, shrewd and opinionated daughter. Her portrait captures her father from all sides, calling him a "perfectly imperfect person" and "the best father I could have ever imagined." Fans will enjoy Stiel's deeply personal, irreverent and loving valentine to her beloved father.
Harold Ramis's daughter remembers her beloved father and her disorderly childhood in this supremely loving but emotionally candid memoir.
Stiel's parents had a "marital arrangement of low-key nonmonogamy." When Stiel was eight, her parents decided to divorce because Ramis had fallen in love with his personal assistant (and soon-to-be second wife, Erica). That same year, Ramis and his daughter visited director Amy Heckerling (FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH) in the hospital after she'd given birth. Later, Stiel discovered her dad had fathered Heckerling's baby girl. From an early age, Stiel visited the sets of most of her father's films, graduating to bit parts and working behind the scenes. The book ends with heartfelt memories of her father's four-year battle with debilitating vasculitis and a brain hemorrhage--something the family kept hidden. The secret kept his career safe but left the family without emotional support from loved ones.
GHOSTBUSTER'S DAUGHTER is a genuine love letter to Harold Ramis from his adoring but clear-eyed, shrewd and opinionated daughter. Her portrait captures her father from all sides, calling him a "perfectly imperfect person" and "the best father I could have ever imagined." Fans will enjoy Stiel's deeply personal, irreverent and loving valentine to her beloved father.
Harold Ramis's daughter remembers her beloved father and her disorderly childhood in this supremely loving but emotionally candid memoir.
May 1, 2019
Really hated this book. For many, many reasons. Primarily, it didn't leave me with a very high opinion of EITHER the author or her father Harold Ramis. It gave me upsetting details about him that I really didn't need to know, and the creative side of his films and writing definitely got the back seat treatment. I found it interesting that many of the people he worked with didn't add a single comment to this book. (Bill Murray hadn't talked to Ramis in over twenty years following an altercation on the Groundhog Day set). The book needed more content about Harold and MUCH less about the author herself. I don't need to repeatedly read about her wild hair, her pot use, her school unruliness, her children with flings with one night stands, her abortion, her rediscovery of her Jewish heritage, etc, etc, etc. I came close to giving this book one star, but the last twenty pages redeemed itself a bit with some emotional chapters about her dad's last days.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2020
I was really enjoying it until Harold callously drowned a cat 1/4 of the way through the book. NOPE. DONE.
June 3, 2018
Couldn’t put it down and read the entire book in one day. Here was my adolescence through adulthood juxtaposed with one of my favorite actors and screenwriters life story. The brave memoir of Harold Ramis’ daughter is honest, eye-opening, and beautifully told with candid photos and countless interesting anecdotes. Ramis is someone I would love to have as a girlfriend, next door neighbor or fellow colleague. Who would have had such a rare glimpse into a Hollywood success story? Not only did she live the Hollywood dream life, she survived it while somehow remaining in touch with her true self. By the end of the book, we feel the depth her grief losing such a creative genius as a father and a loving role model. Sure, this father and daughter relationship is unusual, and there is a fair amount of co-dependency. What makes their story delightful in an all too imperfect world is the constant love and humor that made somehow makes it all better.
September 7, 2018
This book verified everything that I love about Harold Ramis and introduced me to a lot of things that I never expected. Violet's story is more than just an homage to the celebrity we all grew up admiring; it's a heartfelt love letter to a father that clearly left his daughter with the message that all parents should pass on to their children - that they are loved unconditionally.
Witty, thoughtful, and many times heartbreaking, "Ghostbuster's Daughter" is a must read for all Ramis fans and anyone who can relate to being a "daddy's girl". Violet is authentic and bravely honest in this intimate book about family, growing pains, and that messy thing we call life.
Anecdotes, photos, and personal letters fill the pages leaving you truly feeling what you knew in your heart going in - that Harold left a lasting impression on all of us and we are all better for it.
Witty, thoughtful, and many times heartbreaking, "Ghostbuster's Daughter" is a must read for all Ramis fans and anyone who can relate to being a "daddy's girl". Violet is authentic and bravely honest in this intimate book about family, growing pains, and that messy thing we call life.
Anecdotes, photos, and personal letters fill the pages leaving you truly feeling what you knew in your heart going in - that Harold left a lasting impression on all of us and we are all better for it.
July 19, 2018
Occasionally interesting look at Harold Ramis but I think you have to be a super fan to truly appreciate this book. (Admittedly, I loved his work in the 80s but kind of let go post-Groundhog’s Day.) Also, I guess I was expecting a more straightforward biography and exploration of his films and/or how he worked. I guess this just wasn’t the book I was looking for.
Instead, it’s really the story of his daughter, her relationship with Ramis, and - well - her life. If you’d like to learn more about Harold Ramis’ daughter - her love for her father, adolescent years in Los Angeles - give it a go.
*Also no mention of his work in Baby Boomer as Diane Keaton’s go-go yuppie boyfriend, a small role but one of his best. A shame. Would love to know more about his experience working on this film.
Instead, it’s really the story of his daughter, her relationship with Ramis, and - well - her life. If you’d like to learn more about Harold Ramis’ daughter - her love for her father, adolescent years in Los Angeles - give it a go.
*Also no mention of his work in Baby Boomer as Diane Keaton’s go-go yuppie boyfriend, a small role but one of his best. A shame. Would love to know more about his experience working on this film.
August 5, 2018
"Ghostbusters" is one of my most favorite movies of all time, so I was curious about Harold Ramis. I hadn't realized how many movies he directed, and his personal life was "complicated," but his love for his daughter stayed constant through all of it. RIP Dr. Spengler.
January 18, 2022
Hilarious and heart-wrenching. A must read for Harold Ramis fans.
Let me start by saying thank you to Violet. She narrated beautifully and gave wonderful voice to her and Harold Ramis' life.
I laughed and cried and wrote down deep quotes from the book.
Sometimes just being a point of light on someone's path, wherever it takes them is all you can do.
Let me start by saying thank you to Violet. She narrated beautifully and gave wonderful voice to her and Harold Ramis' life.
I laughed and cried and wrote down deep quotes from the book.
Sometimes just being a point of light on someone's path, wherever it takes them is all you can do.
July 8, 2018
That it's a memoir about the love between a daughter and a father is the main point here. There doesn't seem to be much acknowledgment though from the author on the relationship between the way she was parented and the destructive behaviors she engaged in during her younger years. What was positive in her life however gave her strength to surpass that.
More importantly for me, Ramis Stiel seems unaware of her ignorance and dishonesty re: what upsets her about what she overhears at Yeshiva University's social work program. Ramis Stiel uses comments she may have overheard to generalize a whole group--exactly what she claims she doesn't want done to others (she says"highly ignorant and offensive"). Had she felt this was important to include in her book in order to deride a certain Jewish group? To show how "enlightened" she is? Jewish Orthodoxy isn't necessarily as "fundamentalist" as her late father counseled.
I take issue with one comment she takes issue with: The question of why illegal aliens should or shouldn't get government services is a legitimate discussion point and not a topic that necessarily illustrates the questioner's character. It's interesting that elsewhere in the book the author flippantly remarks that she's "....partial to...Jewish girls who...aren't afraid of a good Holocaust joke..". Really? So I suppose her sensitivity to others ends when it suits her. May I judge her character? Paraphrasing Ramis Stiel (p271) I ask if she can clarify her point so I can understand. She may not be aware that what she's saying is rooted in hypocrisy, ignorance and intellectual dishonesty. She should know that her comments come across as highly ignorant and offensive.
More importantly for me, Ramis Stiel seems unaware of her ignorance and dishonesty re: what upsets her about what she overhears at Yeshiva University's social work program. Ramis Stiel uses comments she may have overheard to generalize a whole group--exactly what she claims she doesn't want done to others (she says"highly ignorant and offensive"). Had she felt this was important to include in her book in order to deride a certain Jewish group? To show how "enlightened" she is? Jewish Orthodoxy isn't necessarily as "fundamentalist" as her late father counseled.
I take issue with one comment she takes issue with: The question of why illegal aliens should or shouldn't get government services is a legitimate discussion point and not a topic that necessarily illustrates the questioner's character. It's interesting that elsewhere in the book the author flippantly remarks that she's "....partial to...Jewish girls who...aren't afraid of a good Holocaust joke..". Really? So I suppose her sensitivity to others ends when it suits her. May I judge her character? Paraphrasing Ramis Stiel (p271) I ask if she can clarify her point so I can understand. She may not be aware that what she's saying is rooted in hypocrisy, ignorance and intellectual dishonesty. She should know that her comments come across as highly ignorant and offensive.
February 6, 2022
Violet Ramis Stiel wrestles with both biography and autobiography and she does so mostly successfully. Most importantly, her father’s warmth and personality shine through on every page (other than the odd tonally misjudged anecdote — there’s presenting a warts and all, clear-eyed representation, and then there’s *that*). But she succeeds in painting a picture of an eminently human man, replete with flaws but doing his best. There’s a resoluteness to her telling of the early parts of his life in the first third of the book but as the focus —understandably— shifts to her own life and experience, there’s less and less biographical clarity about her father’s life and he becomes the prism through which her own life is reflected. But, even then, Ramis Stiel’s writing is entertaining, reflective and written so as to be thoroughly indicative of just how strong their bond was. Although she readily acknowledges it to be the case, it does bristle at times to read about a life of such privilege but it’s unfair to hold that against her and ultimately there’s no better person to write about his life. It falls between two stools but as a means of sharing her father with the world in previously unseen ways, this is a resounding success but it’s a bit lacking in insight into the creative and technical nuts and bolts of his work, which would have benefitted from some expansion beyond a cursory couple of pages covering each film.
July 30, 2018
A low 4/high 3 stars. As a Washington University alumni, Harold Ramis is our most famous alum. So when people would claim that presidents or huge movie stars went to their alma maters, we would counter with Harold Ramis. So, when I read that there was a new memoir about him, I figured I should read it, since I didn't really know all that much about his personal life.
This was an interesting and quick read, and it certainly goes through all of his major movies. There was a lot that I didn't know about him, and he was sick for longer than I had realized. This isn't really a memoir about him - more his daughter's memoir of her relationship with him, so it isn't quite the same as reading a biography, but it is interesting to read about him from his daughter's perspective. (Although some of the perspective is a bit cringe-inducing, such as when she decides she is going to have a second baby, so she contacts her dad to ask if this is okay, given that she would need him to give her money so she could take time off of work and pay for the expenses of a second child. I can't quite imagine making life choices this way, but, this is her experience, so good to read about it to realize these sorts of situations exist.)
This was an interesting and quick read, and it certainly goes through all of his major movies. There was a lot that I didn't know about him, and he was sick for longer than I had realized. This isn't really a memoir about him - more his daughter's memoir of her relationship with him, so it isn't quite the same as reading a biography, but it is interesting to read about him from his daughter's perspective. (Although some of the perspective is a bit cringe-inducing, such as when she decides she is going to have a second baby, so she contacts her dad to ask if this is okay, given that she would need him to give her money so she could take time off of work and pay for the expenses of a second child. I can't quite imagine making life choices this way, but, this is her experience, so good to read about it to realize these sorts of situations exist.)
June 19, 2018
Violet Stiel loves her Daddy. She knows many of us love him too. And now that he has died, she'd like two things:
1. To keep him as alive as she can through memories and affectionate tribute
2. For you to know the man she knew, and love him as she did.
This book is not a biography of Ramis or his daughter. Rather, it's a memoir - a glimpse into each of their lives, following the thread of where those two lives intersected. It is the story of Violet's rare relationship with an uncommon man, and how he shaped her world and her heart.
This is not the dramatic Biography of a Famous Man. It's not the Heartbreaking Memoir of a Dysfunctional Family. It's a love letter to Harold Ramis, from the person whose life he touched more deeply than any other, and invitation for you to see the man she saw. An invitation worth accepting.
#EgonButNotForgotten
1. To keep him as alive as she can through memories and affectionate tribute
2. For you to know the man she knew, and love him as she did.
This book is not a biography of Ramis or his daughter. Rather, it's a memoir - a glimpse into each of their lives, following the thread of where those two lives intersected. It is the story of Violet's rare relationship with an uncommon man, and how he shaped her world and her heart.
This is not the dramatic Biography of a Famous Man. It's not the Heartbreaking Memoir of a Dysfunctional Family. It's a love letter to Harold Ramis, from the person whose life he touched more deeply than any other, and invitation for you to see the man she saw. An invitation worth accepting.
#EgonButNotForgotten
July 17, 2018
Coming from a large, unique family full of laughter, sadness, joy and jewish heritage, this memoir quite simply hit me right in the feels. At times it may seem like Violet takes advantage of having her father as a safety net but she does so fully acknowledging that she's lucky to have it. Her honesty about how she and her father saw (and see) the world is refreshing and she blends in stories about Harold's movies that any comedy fan like myself will adore. My heart aches for Violet and anyone who has lost a loved one. It's a fact of life that this will happen but it doesn't make it any less bittersweet. This principal sits at the essence of this memoir. Please read it (with tissues)
December 13, 2018
Heartfelt, sincere, funny and insightful perspective of writer, director and actor Harold Ramis through the eyes of his daughter Violet Ramis Stiel. Harold Ramis was more than a entertainer, he was a husband, father, Grandfather, friend and philanthropist. This book has life lessons that we should learn from him. The saddest part of the book was how health problems left her father unable to speak and walk. Thank you Violet for sharing this deep,inspiring and beautiful tribute of your father to all of us.
November 27, 2019
Having lost my mother this year, this book just gut-punched me with all the feels. This book was brilliant, heartfelt and a wonderful view into a special father/daughter relationship. Be ready to cry your face off.
January 12, 2022
“I’m here for you, I’m yours, you are loved.”
May 1, 2024
So I actually read this book about a year or 2 ago or whenever it came out. I think it was a wonderful treat to actually have a haired. Ramus is daughter actually right? A biography like you know, telling a better dad and it. Was it was wonderful because especially he played one of my favorite characters from Ghostbusters so. I I've very hesitated to watch Ghostbusters after life.Because I know i'm gonna cry
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2025
This is such a well written love letter to a father that loved with all he had. As a fan of Ghostbusters, I confess it was that random that made the book jump out at me and it was of course fun to hear about the Hollywood side of Harold's life.
But more importantly I am a daughter who also loves the hell out of her father and this book had me feeling all the feelings as I reflect on the daily life of seeing our parents age.
Absolutely love this! 💕
But more importantly I am a daughter who also loves the hell out of her father and this book had me feeling all the feelings as I reflect on the daily life of seeing our parents age.
Absolutely love this! 💕
October 15, 2022
Thank you Penguin Random House Audio for the free audiobook. Come for the off-camera stories about one of your favorite comedy icons, stay for the starkly honest and genuinely moving memoir about a complicated family history with a deeply caring, creative man at its center. Everyone has a "#1 dad" mug, but Harold Ramis was a legit contender.
May 30, 2023
Huge Ghostbusters fan but never been super obsessed with Harold Ramis, although always liked him! Thought it’d be fun to read Harold‘s daughter’s book about him and ended up becoming a bigger fan. He was an amazing man with a fascinating background - fun read (or listen! And was fun hearing in his daughters words/voice!) and definitely recommend!!
March 24, 2024
Sometimes you should not learn about people you admired, as it can be a huge disappointment. I now have huge regret reading this as he was not the man I expected. Basically, the author used this as a confession of her own awful behaviors and his. Nothing was hilarious, just shocking and sad, left me with unpleasant feelings towards them both.
June 24, 2018
3.75 stars
July 19, 2023
Violet, thank you for sharing your life's journey and your amazing connection with your father.
October 23, 2025
An interesting peek of what goes on behind the scenes in Hollywood as told by Harold’s daughter.
The author reading Harold’s graduation speeches had me in tears.
The author reading Harold’s graduation speeches had me in tears.
September 28, 2018
Reading this book made me love Harold Ramis even more! The man was a genius and an inspiration. Violet's relationship with her dad is that type of relationship every daughter should have with their father. I absolutely loved this book.
July 8, 2018
Honest, heartwarming and humorous. I wouldn't want to have know Violet in high school, but I'd love to meet her now!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews