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The World According to Tom Hanks: The Life, the Obsessions, the Good Deeds of America's Most Decent Guy
An entertaining and insightful homage to Tom Hanks, America's favorite movie star, from the New York Times bestselling author of the cult sensation The Tao of Bill Murray.
Niceness gets a bad rap these days. Our culture rewards those who troll the hardest and who snark the most. At times it seems like there's no place anymore for optimism, integrity, and good old-fashioned respect. Enter "America's Dad": Tom Hanks. Whether he's buying espresso machines for the White House Press Corps, rewarding a jovial cab driver with a night out on Broadway, or extolling the virtues of using a typewriter, Hanks lives a passionate, joyful life and pays it forward to others. Gavin Edwards, the New York Times bestselling author of The Tao of Bill Murray, takes readers on a tour behind the scenes of Hanks's from his less-than-idyllic childhood, rocky first marriage, and career wipeouts to the pinnacle of his acting career and domestic bliss with the love of his life, Rita Wilson.
As he did for Bill Murray, Edwards distills Hanks's life story into ten "commandments" that beautifully encapsulate his All-American philosophy. Contemplating the life, the achievements, and the obsessions of Mr. Tom Hanks may or may not give you the road map you need to find your way. But at the very least, it'll show you how niceness can be a worthy destination.
Niceness gets a bad rap these days. Our culture rewards those who troll the hardest and who snark the most. At times it seems like there's no place anymore for optimism, integrity, and good old-fashioned respect. Enter "America's Dad": Tom Hanks. Whether he's buying espresso machines for the White House Press Corps, rewarding a jovial cab driver with a night out on Broadway, or extolling the virtues of using a typewriter, Hanks lives a passionate, joyful life and pays it forward to others. Gavin Edwards, the New York Times bestselling author of The Tao of Bill Murray, takes readers on a tour behind the scenes of Hanks's from his less-than-idyllic childhood, rocky first marriage, and career wipeouts to the pinnacle of his acting career and domestic bliss with the love of his life, Rita Wilson.
As he did for Bill Murray, Edwards distills Hanks's life story into ten "commandments" that beautifully encapsulate his All-American philosophy. Contemplating the life, the achievements, and the obsessions of Mr. Tom Hanks may or may not give you the road map you need to find your way. But at the very least, it'll show you how niceness can be a worthy destination.
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First published October 23, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
February 4, 2022
Divided into thirds, this book is 2/3 good. The first third is a biography of Hanks' life, with anecdotes, quotes from Hanks, and a good portrayal of the subject. Makes you wanna meet the guy, and he might wanna meet you, too. The second segment consists of "The Ten Commandments of Tom Hanks," which is also biographical and provides a personal Decalogue that is not preachy at all; it's a set of personal guidelines that actually makes sense and provides deeper insight into Hanks as a person.
The last third of the book contains a thorough list of Hanks' movies (I didn't realize that he was the main character in the sensationalized and, frankly, rotten MFTV film Mazes and Monsters). There are a few good anecdotes sprinkled in between the author's opinions of each film. I'm perfectly willing to let each person have his own opinion; I'd like to think that I can agree to disagree with any reasonable approach to criticism. Edwards, however, is one of those reviewers who can't resist proving how clever he is. It is amazing to me to realize that he has almost nothing good to say about the life work of the person he's writing the book about. My fear is that he wrote the rest of the book so that he could get his film reviews published somewhere. I have little patience for people who grind axes for the sheer purpose of making sparks fly, to the detriment of the ax and to the annoyance of those in danger of being burned by the sparks.
Example: It's easy to make fun of the Robert Langdon films (The DaVinci Code, etc.), if you forget that they're meant to be popcorn movies. At least they're intelligent and interesting popcorn movies, where the characters are fun, the puzzles are interesting, and there aren't too many violations of so-called reality. Edwards describes that film as "three hours of self-important tedium" (p.267) and, in his discussion of Angels & Demons, he treats us to his cleverness in creating "Vaticansplaining" (p.273) to demonstrate his superiority to the content of the film. One is left with the fear that Edwards doesn't understand the idea of simply having a good time. Perhaps he is too modern to know the term "willing suspension of disbelief." For the last third of this book, I simply have too much disbelief in Edwards to suspend it.
The first two thirds are pretty good; the last third is good for listing Hanks' various roles, but we have Wiki and iMDB for that. You could stop at the illustration on p.194 and do pretty well for yourself.
The last third of the book contains a thorough list of Hanks' movies (I didn't realize that he was the main character in the sensationalized and, frankly, rotten MFTV film Mazes and Monsters). There are a few good anecdotes sprinkled in between the author's opinions of each film. I'm perfectly willing to let each person have his own opinion; I'd like to think that I can agree to disagree with any reasonable approach to criticism. Edwards, however, is one of those reviewers who can't resist proving how clever he is. It is amazing to me to realize that he has almost nothing good to say about the life work of the person he's writing the book about. My fear is that he wrote the rest of the book so that he could get his film reviews published somewhere. I have little patience for people who grind axes for the sheer purpose of making sparks fly, to the detriment of the ax and to the annoyance of those in danger of being burned by the sparks.
Example: It's easy to make fun of the Robert Langdon films (The DaVinci Code, etc.), if you forget that they're meant to be popcorn movies. At least they're intelligent and interesting popcorn movies, where the characters are fun, the puzzles are interesting, and there aren't too many violations of so-called reality. Edwards describes that film as "three hours of self-important tedium" (p.267) and, in his discussion of Angels & Demons, he treats us to his cleverness in creating "Vaticansplaining" (p.273) to demonstrate his superiority to the content of the film. One is left with the fear that Edwards doesn't understand the idea of simply having a good time. Perhaps he is too modern to know the term "willing suspension of disbelief." For the last third of this book, I simply have too much disbelief in Edwards to suspend it.
The first two thirds are pretty good; the last third is good for listing Hanks' various roles, but we have Wiki and iMDB for that. You could stop at the illustration on p.194 and do pretty well for yourself.
September 24, 2024
Expand Your Horizons 2024 - Read a book or watch a movie featuring or written by Tom Hanks.
December 23, 2020
Having read and loved Gavin Edwards book about Bill Murray ("The Tao of Bill Murray"), I went into this one with high expectations that weren't really met. A look at the way in which Tom Hanks has become a standard for decency in cinematic terms, this is a pretty good but not exciting look at his life, the "ten commandments" that Edwards devised from Hanks' onscreen and off-screen life, and a filmography. The delight in the book lies in the biographical section, where, as it turns out, Hanks had a much more complicated upbringing than I'd thought (having been the product of a broken home and a father who often packed up his children for the next best town just over the hill, Hanks didn't have the sort of bucolic childhood that you'd think for someone who became the standard bearer for American decency). The interludes where various people (famous but often not) talk about their interactions with Hanks are great as well. The filmography goes on a little long (though it does serve the purpose of reminding you how prolific Hanks was, especially in the Eighties), and I wish there'd been a summation of all that came before at the end of the book. But this is a decent intro to the life and work of Hanks, who continues to be one of the best actors (and not too shabby a human being in general) in our modern age.
March 21, 2025
A good bio on Tom Hanks that is basically split into three parts. The first is about a 70-page section that describes how he grew up in the Bay Area, how he got into theater and then a quick cliff notes of his film career. The second part is about 110 pages of what makes him tick. What 10 rules does he go by to become Tom Hanks. What are his hobbies, what does he try to do on set, what roles does he like to take, what he does he not like to take. The last 110 pages or so are about his films, each one described in about two pages. What worked, what didn't work, who he liked working with. I liked reading about this section the most, and getting to know about all his films. After some big hits in the 80's like Splash and Big, he suffered some bombs like Turner and Hooch, Joe Vs. the Volcano and a miscasted part of Bonfire of the Vanities. But then he had an incredible run from around 1992 to 2002 that saw him star in A League Of their Own, Sleepless in Seattle, Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Toy Story (as voice), Apollo 13, Saving Private Ryan, Castaway, Road to Perdition and Catch Me If You Can along with the second Toy Story. If you want to know about Tom Hanks, this is the book for you. Gavin Edwards also wrote a good book on Samuel L. Jackson, and I seem to like his writing style and research.
September 4, 2019
A nice overview of the career of a nice actor. I'm sure there could have been more criticism, but that is okay. I have loved Tom Hanks movies, and it was nice catching a few tidbits about his life. He seems to have one of those marriages most of us wish for, and of course he's done okay for himself in the movies as well.
November 12, 2019
I love all things Tom Hanks and thoroughly enjoyed this biography. I learned a couple things I didn’t know about Tom. Part Three walked through all of his movies and there are a few I haven’t seen...yet!
September 15, 2019
Anyone who knows me knows my love for Tom Hanks. So it's no surprise that the moment I saw this book at my local library, I had to get it. That being said... I do think it could have been much better, but I also think it could have been worse. Definitely not my favorite biography I read, but not the worst I've read. I thought it was interesting the way Gavin Edwards went about this. It wasn't a normal biography, which I did really enjoy. Overall, decent.
November 29, 2018
It’s difficult to give just two stars to a book that focuses on one of the best movie guy in our current entertainment culture. The book is broken parts that don’t come together. There’s a section on Hank’s growing up years and his success in films. Then there’s a strange section labeled “The Ten Commandments of Tom Hanks.” It’s a bad mix of Hanks’ life stories — that belong in the first section — and lots of praise. The last third of the book—and probably the most useful to the reader—provides reviews of all the Hanks’ films—the good one and the bad ones. This last section is the will be the most useful to the readers.
January 3, 2019
It was OK but I got bored so I quit reading about half way through the book.
March 24, 2022
A little about me: I’m not a huge fan of biographies about living people. I think it’s because their stories aren’t finished and anything can happen but the thing I REALLY don’t like is that it feels… creepy to know intimate details about someone who’s alive and has a certain level of celebrity.
That said, I really like Tom Hanks and couldn’t resist this when I saw it at the library.
Fortunately, it doesn’t go too deep into more intimate details. It’s pleasantly shallow and that’s not a bad thing. And even with it’s depth, I still didn’t really want to know that Hanks and Spielberg sit quietly on the couch and watch TV while their wives talk. I just think that it’s a little personal is all.
Fortunately, this book doesn’t do that too often and most of it is pulled from direct interviews.
Now, I’m biased because I like Tom Hanks so much. He’s the reason I have not one but TWO typewriters (named after Roosevelts) and his short story “The Meditations of My Heart,” is the reason I need a Hermes 2000 (that I’ll name Eleanor) to complete my small collection.
He’s the reason a close friend and me correspond by letter.
I love his movies. They’re full of everything one could want and I think he’s the genuine article behind the wealth of characters he plays.
That said, I think this book is objectively fun. It’s fun to find out how he watches baseball (banging away the details of the game on a typewriter from inside a box), I like how he hosts Shakespearean plays, and I LOVE how he worked hard to get “fuck you money,” that freed him to turn down bad parts and pursue the ones he really wanted.
It’s a good book if you like biographies or Tom Hanks.
That said, I really like Tom Hanks and couldn’t resist this when I saw it at the library.
Fortunately, it doesn’t go too deep into more intimate details. It’s pleasantly shallow and that’s not a bad thing. And even with it’s depth, I still didn’t really want to know that Hanks and Spielberg sit quietly on the couch and watch TV while their wives talk. I just think that it’s a little personal is all.
Fortunately, this book doesn’t do that too often and most of it is pulled from direct interviews.
Now, I’m biased because I like Tom Hanks so much. He’s the reason I have not one but TWO typewriters (named after Roosevelts) and his short story “The Meditations of My Heart,” is the reason I need a Hermes 2000 (that I’ll name Eleanor) to complete my small collection.
He’s the reason a close friend and me correspond by letter.
I love his movies. They’re full of everything one could want and I think he’s the genuine article behind the wealth of characters he plays.
That said, I think this book is objectively fun. It’s fun to find out how he watches baseball (banging away the details of the game on a typewriter from inside a box), I like how he hosts Shakespearean plays, and I LOVE how he worked hard to get “fuck you money,” that freed him to turn down bad parts and pursue the ones he really wanted.
It’s a good book if you like biographies or Tom Hanks.
November 27, 2020
I’m an enormous Tom Hanks fan, have been for many many years, even before I knew who Tom Hanks was I loved Tom Hanks’ movies. But this book was difficult to want to finish.
The first part was fairly atrocious, a boring walk through of Tom Hanks life. And for such an interesting man, he didn’t exactly have the most interesting life. It was certainly something to be respected but it isn’t something I went about updating my friends on as I read it.
The second part was slightly better. It was called “The Ten Commandments of Tom Hanks,” which was about his personal convictions and hobbies that made Tom Hanks who he is. The best part in this section was the personal anecdotes from other people that knew Hanks. But you kind of got to know who he was outside of movies by reading this.
And the third section I didn’t bother to even read so much as I did to skim. It was “The Films of Tom Hanks.” This was literally a short summary and critique of every film Hanks ever took part in. I took the liberty in skipping this as I have seen many Hanks movies already, maybe I will review the book as I watch more of his movies.
Overall, I would advise to skip this book and perhaps go for Tom Hanks autobiography instead. I may read that in the future.
The first part was fairly atrocious, a boring walk through of Tom Hanks life. And for such an interesting man, he didn’t exactly have the most interesting life. It was certainly something to be respected but it isn’t something I went about updating my friends on as I read it.
The second part was slightly better. It was called “The Ten Commandments of Tom Hanks,” which was about his personal convictions and hobbies that made Tom Hanks who he is. The best part in this section was the personal anecdotes from other people that knew Hanks. But you kind of got to know who he was outside of movies by reading this.
And the third section I didn’t bother to even read so much as I did to skim. It was “The Films of Tom Hanks.” This was literally a short summary and critique of every film Hanks ever took part in. I took the liberty in skipping this as I have seen many Hanks movies already, maybe I will review the book as I watch more of his movies.
Overall, I would advise to skip this book and perhaps go for Tom Hanks autobiography instead. I may read that in the future.
May 19, 2019
If you like Tom Hanks (and who doesn't?), you might be interested in reading about him in this book. Edwards says in the end that he never interviewed Hanks personally for this book, but Hanks knew it was in the works, and was not unhappy about it. Edwards did talk to many others who had close contact with him over the years, and he reveals his sources. The book talks about Hanks's early life and traces his entire Hollywood career. It ends with a little summary and many interesting details about each of Hanks's movies, like how it was a real military nurse who treated his Captain Phillips upon his rescue at sea, and how she had no idea that morning she would be in the movie! I will put some of these movies on my Netflix queue to either watch for the first time, or re-watch. But my favorite section of the book is Edwards' naming 10 ways Hanks lives his life, called his Ten Commandments. Each is thoroughly backed up with anecdotal evidence, quotes, etc. I won't tell you what the Commandments are, but know that if everyone lived by these codes, the world would be a better place.
June 16, 2020
Only two stars, but I did enjoy this as well. I enjoyed it because the subject matter of Tom Hanks. It was nice to learn a little bit more about him. I also enjoyed the trip down memory lane with the recaps of every Hanks movie. However, I can't give more than two stars because the author just drew on a variety of sources and didn't, it seems, have any special connection to Hanks. Also, Hanks is known for keeping his personal life private (which I completely understand) so there really isn't a whole lot here on the personal side of things other than a cursory coverage of biographical details. I did enjoy hearing synopses of all of Hanks' movies; however, I didn't really like the fact that the author plays judge and jury as he determines which of Hanks' projects are good and which are bad. Also the book is just somewhat disjointed, starting with a rather cursory biography (my favorite part), then a section about the 10 commandments of Tom Hanks (odd), and then a review of every Hanks movie. There really have been some great movies, and many that I haven't seen.
November 28, 2021
I’m a huge fan of Tom Hanks! In every role he plays, he brings humanity to his character and believability. And he’s a great actor in such diverse characters: whether it’s Forest Gump, or a castaway, a child in a man’s body, a pilot who lands a plane in a river, an astronaut or a gangster (yes, even in ROAD TO PERDITION, he brought humanity to that role). I don’t need to list them all; figure most of you know them. Think I’ve seen them all.
This isn't an authorized biography, but Tom had given the author his approval to talk to his friends, collaborative actors, directors, etc.; a very enjoyable read.
“Plenty of actors want to massage screenplays for their own benefit. What differentiates Hanks is that he’s unusually charming about it, he brings a fierce intelligence to bear on the script, and he doesn’t try to stuff all the cinematic glory into his own cheeks like an egotistical hamster.”
Per Tom: “To be funny when you’re not supposed to be funny is a crime. But to NOT be funny when you’re supposed to be, that’s a fucking sin.”
This isn't an authorized biography, but Tom had given the author his approval to talk to his friends, collaborative actors, directors, etc.; a very enjoyable read.
“Plenty of actors want to massage screenplays for their own benefit. What differentiates Hanks is that he’s unusually charming about it, he brings a fierce intelligence to bear on the script, and he doesn’t try to stuff all the cinematic glory into his own cheeks like an egotistical hamster.”
Per Tom: “To be funny when you’re not supposed to be funny is a crime. But to NOT be funny when you’re supposed to be, that’s a fucking sin.”
April 6, 2019
Of course I got this book because I've liked quite a few of his movies and he seems like such a pleasant person, one you'd want to hang around with.
The book starts with a biography which was interesting, particularly his childhood because I'd never heard anything about it. Then it goes on to the Ten Commandments of Tom Hanks and a list of his movies along with a little about them of about a page or two. I read the biography and then skipped ahead to read about the movies I liked then went to the Ten Commandments and read almost half, skimming here and there. I'm interested in Tom Hanks but didn't feel the need to read every single word or commandment.
Interesting, enjoyable. For the fanatic Tom Hanks fan, or for the casual fan that reads only bits and pieces. Get it from the library, but if you really like Hanks and/or his movies then maybe this is something you'll want to own.
The book starts with a biography which was interesting, particularly his childhood because I'd never heard anything about it. Then it goes on to the Ten Commandments of Tom Hanks and a list of his movies along with a little about them of about a page or two. I read the biography and then skipped ahead to read about the movies I liked then went to the Ten Commandments and read almost half, skimming here and there. I'm interested in Tom Hanks but didn't feel the need to read every single word or commandment.
Interesting, enjoyable. For the fanatic Tom Hanks fan, or for the casual fan that reads only bits and pieces. Get it from the library, but if you really like Hanks and/or his movies then maybe this is something you'll want to own.
March 17, 2022
Found this one in the remainder bin the last time we went grocery shopping and let me tell you it is one of the most pleasing books I've read this year. It's the written equivalent of watching Bob Ross. And let me tell you, I cannot remember the last time I read a book that was perfectly pleasant in every way. On top of that, the book is actually quite informative, more so than I was expecting. Edwards has a conversational, yet intimate writing style, as though speaking to a close friend. There's no pomposity, and everything is presented in the order it needs to be. The flow is simply phenomenal. Fun fact - most of the principles that Edwards attributed to Hanks and his work are the same principles discussed by Bradbury in Zen in Writing.
After investigating - Gavin Edwards has several other books, including one on Bill Murray and one on Samuel L. Jackson and I'll be snagging those later this month. What a lovely way to be introduced to a new author.
After investigating - Gavin Edwards has several other books, including one on Bill Murray and one on Samuel L. Jackson and I'll be snagging those later this month. What a lovely way to be introduced to a new author.
February 3, 2019
As a student of humanity, I look to those held in high regard more for their humanitarian efforts than in the efforts of their chosen craft. Tom Hanks is a beacon of skill in acting but even more, he is held up as an example of what a lifetime of being kind and caring can do for those around you. His story is not perfect, he is no saint, but he has made the most of his fame and fortune to change the lives he touches in ways that enrich and empower. I hope that my biography will read like Tom Hanks's. I hope that Gavin Edwards writes it. His attention to detail, without being boring and chronological, makes him one of my favorite biographical authors.
May 24, 2019
I’d give this three and a half stars if I could. The first two parts of the book are excellent. I enjoyed the brief biography of Hanks’ life and the second part (The 10 Commandments of Tom Hanks) was a really clever way of presenting some additional anecdotes. The third part was a bit of a slog through Hanks’ complete filmography. I’d suggest that others read parts one and two all the way but leave part three as optional reference material.
Overall, I was thrilled that Tom Hanks seems to be every bit the awesome guy that you’d think he is. That might leave some people disappointed, but in today’s age, wonderful human beings need to be treasured!!
Overall, I was thrilled that Tom Hanks seems to be every bit the awesome guy that you’d think he is. That might leave some people disappointed, but in today’s age, wonderful human beings need to be treasured!!
August 3, 2019
Tom Hanks is my favourite actor of all time and my personal hero, so even though I knew this hugely overpriced book, wasn't gonna be anything to insightful, I figured it would be a bit fun. It lived up to date. The book is basically broken into two parts, the first which gives us Tom Hanks 10 commandments. Basically a guide of the rules Tom Hanks seems to live by, based on stories and interviews of Hanks. The second half is a breif run down of all his movies, were the author basically gives his thoughts on the films. This is very much light reading affair, but if your a Hanks fan and you can find a discount verison of this book, I think you will find it enjoyable.
February 27, 2022
This was a very interesting read and I definitely learned a lot about Tom Hanks that I didn’t know. You can tell that the author had access to Mr. Hanks himself and people that know him. Makes you feel like he’s someone you’d like to be friends with. The place where the author and I split paths is the criticism of Tom Hanks movies. I disagree with most of his comments about them and since I own 32 DVD/Blue-ray of Tom Hanks works (movies and mini-series) you could say I’m a huge fan of his works. But on the whole I really enjoyed this book. So much so I ordered Tom Hanks book of short stories.
October 19, 2022
This is a nice little book about one of my favorite actors. If Tom Hanks is in a movie, I’m inevitably going to enjoy it. His reputation as a good person comes through on film, and it’s nice to read something that confirms who he is as a person.
The book is divided into three parts. The first is more biographical, which I got through easier than the other two. The middle part is the “10 Commandments of Tom Hanks,” and there are some good lessons to learn, though I wasn’t prepared for that style of reading. The third is a description of every film Hanks has been in up to 2018. Though this wasn’t unenjoyable, it took me a bit longer to get through. Awesome actor, fun book!
The book is divided into three parts. The first is more biographical, which I got through easier than the other two. The middle part is the “10 Commandments of Tom Hanks,” and there are some good lessons to learn, though I wasn’t prepared for that style of reading. The third is a description of every film Hanks has been in up to 2018. Though this wasn’t unenjoyable, it took me a bit longer to get through. Awesome actor, fun book!
January 10, 2019
I got this from a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for a review. I really like Tom Hanks as an actor and persona-wise he seems like a nice guy. I thought this book was well written and informative. In our modern era its kind of nice to be reminded of "celebrities" without scandals and craziness in the press or their lives. Gavin Edwards does a good job of informing the readers without weighing down with stuff. Its a decently quick book without being too long. I like how he kind of uses the biography as also a "how to" on "niceness."
January 12, 2020
Adequate biography of Tom Hanks, broken up into three parts. Straight biography in the first section, then The Ten Commandments of Tom Hanks, which shares stories that could have easily been added to the biography, then a filmography. I know movies are subjective, but the author inserts his opinions on the filmography and we clearly have different tastes since he pans some of my favorite Tom Hanks works like The Polar Express and The Money Pit. If the author would have just stuck to describing the plots of the movies, I would have given this book another star.
December 2, 2018
Interesting biography about the nicest actor in Hollywood. I especially liked the parts that explained Hanks' approach to acting and his growth as an actor. Edwards has done his homework, filling his book with first hand accounts from those who have interacted with Hanks both on set and off. The book is laid out in specific topical sections rather than a single long narrative, which made it easy to pick up and put down.
December 5, 2018
I hadn't realized just how many movie Tom Hanks made! I enjoyed learning about Hanks' background and how he got his start in show business. He definitely sounds like a good guy with great moral character and I appreciate that he has not been a part of the major scandals that rock Hollywood so often. It was fun to hear tidbits about some of the various movies he has been in and how some of those movies did much better than expected.
March 1, 2019
This book was made for people who love biographies, random trivia, and Tom Hanks. That makes me its ideal demographic. I knew the majority of information contained in this book, but Edwards presents the information and anecdotes in a funny, accessible way, so I didn’t mind reading about things I already knew. I’m giving this book 4.5 stars out of 5 simply because Edwards had a super sloppy editor, and I picked up on a number of glaring errors / typos that made me cringe.
March 29, 2019
The World According to Tom Hanks... a descriptive biography of Tom Hanks' life, inclusive of childhood, personal marital experiences, and work ethic during movie filming. Some explanations and stories were wordy, but overall fascinating learning about his life and demeanor throughout the years. Second half of the book focuses on a synopsis of movies he's starred in, along with behind the scenes information.
June 9, 2020
This goes through all of Hanks’ movies along with normal things like his childhood and his take in life. The best parts was the behind the scene stories of the movies. I’ve watched a lot of documentaries and none of the stuff in this book was a repeat. Great insight to his work without getting too deep into anyone aspect of his life which sometimes feels intrusive to me. I’ve recommended this to all my book friends!
November 1, 2018
Three and a half stars. I sort of finished this book. Reading about Tom's childhood and early career was interesting but then a large part of the book (the last chapter) was analyzing each and every film role, jokes that were played during filming, exceptional lines, etc. I got bored after reading about his second film role which was Mazes and Monsters in 1982 and stopped.
January 27, 2019
I liked this book. However, it goes to over 300 pages and it could've went to half of that. There is a lot of duplicate thoughts and then a whole filmography of his work which took up over 100 pages at the end. This book was hard to get through because it was hard to stay connected, but when the stories kept me interested, it was really good.
The book was too long for what it was.
The book was too long for what it was.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews