What do you think?
Rate this book
Bohemian Rhapsody: The Official Book of the Movie
Bohemian Rhapsody will look at all aspects of the making of the Queen biopic and the story of Freddie Mercury and Queen. The author has full access to key cast and crew members who recount how Freddie Mercury (and Queen's) story was brought to life. See how 1970s London, Live Aid and many other pivotal moments and places in the history of the band were recreated for the film, with then-and-now imagery highlighting how carefully the people, events, music and costumes were recreated for this hotly anticipated movie.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2018
13 people are currently reading
215 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
October 17, 2018
My favourite song from my favourite band of 1970s This the sort of book for special collections I have the Tommy book that Came out with the movie & this that Style
December 13, 2018
This is a coffee table movie companion book with gorgeous full color pictures, and side-by-side photos from the movie and photos of the real life person or event that's depicted. This is a fantastic book for long time fans of Queen who loved the movie, or even just people who know a little about the band but enjoyed the movie too.
This book gives just enough information about the band and their lives as Queen to explain things more fully, but it isn't dull or boring for people who already know those facts because it's kept short. Also, there is behind the scenes info about the film process, and anecdotes about things that happened on set. There are also bios for all the actors, with a short paragraph about who they are playing in the movie. The book discusses the costumes and sets, and goes into detail about the Live Aid sequence at the end of the film. Sometimes information like this can be a bit dry, but it's kept short in this book and is actually really interesting.
One thing I particularly loved is that the book addresses the parts in the movie that are not true to life. This film was meant to be a celebration of Queen and Freddie's life instead of a traditional biopic. Once you accept that parts of the film are exactly how things happened, but others or really just artistic license, it's easy to sit back and enjoy the theatricality of Freddie and the amazing music that Queen created in the short time they had together. (I know 20 years doesn't seem like a short amount of time, but it is when you consider all of the music Freddie would still be making, if he were alive today.) If you loved the movie pick this one up. It's worth it just for the photographs alone, but it's so much more.
This book gives just enough information about the band and their lives as Queen to explain things more fully, but it isn't dull or boring for people who already know those facts because it's kept short. Also, there is behind the scenes info about the film process, and anecdotes about things that happened on set. There are also bios for all the actors, with a short paragraph about who they are playing in the movie. The book discusses the costumes and sets, and goes into detail about the Live Aid sequence at the end of the film. Sometimes information like this can be a bit dry, but it's kept short in this book and is actually really interesting.
One thing I particularly loved is that the book addresses the parts in the movie that are not true to life. This film was meant to be a celebration of Queen and Freddie's life instead of a traditional biopic. Once you accept that parts of the film are exactly how things happened, but others or really just artistic license, it's easy to sit back and enjoy the theatricality of Freddie and the amazing music that Queen created in the short time they had together. (I know 20 years doesn't seem like a short amount of time, but it is when you consider all of the music Freddie would still be making, if he were alive today.) If you loved the movie pick this one up. It's worth it just for the photographs alone, but it's so much more.
December 13, 2018
A curious piece, this is a true coffee table book in that it’s filled with gloriously reproduced photographs (some film stills, some behind the scenes shots, some of the real Queen in action over the years) but it’s not the story of the film as the back cover promises. Owen Williams (who must have worked for all of two days writing it) takes us “from page to screen”, “Freddie Mercury”, “the cast”, “costumes, hair and make-up”, “the sets” and “the music” (they’re the chapters) but never really delves into things. We get that the sets were accurate but not why, we get that Wembley had a CGI crowd (and are then told twice how it’s done) and the cast pieces read like the programme notes for a theatre show (Actor 1 made his first appearance as third donkey from the left at infant school, studied acting at this university and first appeared on TV in that soap). Small interviews with most of the cast and some of the crew appear (though, interestingly, Rami Malek, both directors and the scriptwriter are all obvious in their absence) but there’s no real weight to any of it and as for the forewords (as promoted on the cover), Brian May produces a lovely, articulate piece and Roger Taylor contributes two words (I hope they weren’t paid the same rate). If you loved the film and don’t really care how it was made, this’ll be right up your street but as for me (and I did love the film), I thought it fell between two stools.
February 14, 2019
I just LOVE the Bo Rhap movie and I LOVE the whole cast and I especially LOVE Queen!
This was not the most detailed coffe table book ever but it had really nice and exclusive pictures, comments by the actors and production team and a look behind the scenes.
I especially liked the parts where it explained which scenes did not fit the reality and why they changed it for the movie!
This was not the most detailed coffe table book ever but it had really nice and exclusive pictures, comments by the actors and production team and a look behind the scenes.
I especially liked the parts where it explained which scenes did not fit the reality and why they changed it for the movie!
April 18, 2019
The book is awesome. The film is awesome. Queen are awesome. The Bo Rhap boys are awesome. Go watch/read both to be blessed. The end.
July 21, 2019
Sometimes it's hard to tell the original photos from the movie photos!
February 12, 2019
Nice movie tie-in book. There are lots of pictures from the film along with pictures of the actual band. It really makes you appreciate the details and the accuracy in the costumes and such.
April 20, 2021
being a fan of the film it was really interesting to see the work on the background of the film and what the actors thought
November 15, 2018
A coffee-table kind of book, meant as a companion piece to the movie.
What I love about this is that it makes a great collection piece for dedicated Queen fans, and also serves as an introduction to Queen for newer fans. So whether you've seen every Queen documentary or know very little about the band, you'll probably enjoy this. It also gives short career summaries of the cast.
This book also gives more (accurate) information of the band and Freddie Mercury, but if you're well-versed in your Queen knowledge don't expect to gain anything new here. For me, that wasn't a drawback. I enjoy consuming any information on Queen no matter how many times I've heard it.
What you will learn: How much work and care was put into the making of this film! There's info on the wardrobe, hair, make up, sets - everything! You could tell that everyone working on this film recognized the weight of carrying such a huge responsibility. And they all did their best, and I believe it paid off.
All the pictures were absolutely stunning! Some pictures were quite small but no detail was left out and you could see everything! And I loved the two-page spreads as well.
Even before I read it, I knew I'd love everything about this. But whatever, easily a 5 star read for me!
What I love about this is that it makes a great collection piece for dedicated Queen fans, and also serves as an introduction to Queen for newer fans. So whether you've seen every Queen documentary or know very little about the band, you'll probably enjoy this. It also gives short career summaries of the cast.
This book also gives more (accurate) information of the band and Freddie Mercury, but if you're well-versed in your Queen knowledge don't expect to gain anything new here. For me, that wasn't a drawback. I enjoy consuming any information on Queen no matter how many times I've heard it.
What you will learn: How much work and care was put into the making of this film! There's info on the wardrobe, hair, make up, sets - everything! You could tell that everyone working on this film recognized the weight of carrying such a huge responsibility. And they all did their best, and I believe it paid off.
All the pictures were absolutely stunning! Some pictures were quite small but no detail was left out and you could see everything! And I loved the two-page spreads as well.
Even before I read it, I knew I'd love everything about this. But whatever, easily a 5 star read for me!
April 16, 2020
272 - 2020
July 23, 2021
Bohemian rhapsody mi fa sempre piangere, uno dei film biografici più belli in assoluto non mi stancherò mai di vederlo.
March 30, 2019
A book for Queen, Freddie Mercury and Bohemian Rhapsody fan!
April 5, 2019
Total fangirl alert... interesting look behind the scenes of the film and band. The photos were cool but really would’ve loved to see more comparisons (real photo vs film photo).
December 11, 2018
This isn’t the first official movie book that I ever bought. But I can proudly say that it’s the first one I actually read(not just look at the pics) every words. I am so proud of myself.
As a new Queen fan, I say that this book is a quick brief self-educated about the film and a little about the band. If you're just a new fan entering in Queen fandom and LOVE the cast, don't miss this precious book.
My favorite part of the book is Roger Taylor's forewords. Really touchy and so deep I shed a tear(from laughing) reading them.
As a new Queen fan, I say that this book is a quick brief self-educated about the film and a little about the band. If you're just a new fan entering in Queen fandom and LOVE the cast, don't miss this precious book.
My favorite part of the book is Roger Taylor's forewords. Really touchy and so deep I shed a tear(from laughing) reading them.
May 27, 2019
Loved the behind the scenes pics (more is always better though), and really liked the side by side pics of the actors compared to the people they are playing wearing the same clothing and sometimes even in the same pose.
Really liked the background on the actors and the members of Queen, loved the background of the non band members. The make-up, set, music info was interesting too though some was more interesting to me than others so I skipped over some of it.
If you liked the movie, really liked it, get the book. It's a nice complement to the movie. Fascinating. Worth the money. I liked the movie and thought it was good (not great) and I still think the book is worth having.
The rating should be more like 4 1/2 stars rather than just 4.
Really liked the background on the actors and the members of Queen, loved the background of the non band members. The make-up, set, music info was interesting too though some was more interesting to me than others so I skipped over some of it.
If you liked the movie, really liked it, get the book. It's a nice complement to the movie. Fascinating. Worth the money. I liked the movie and thought it was good (not great) and I still think the book is worth having.
The rating should be more like 4 1/2 stars rather than just 4.
December 17, 2018
I can’t get enough of Queen.
December 27, 2018
If you're a fan of Queen you should read this! The pictures are stunning and the facts of the cast, crew, filming and production are so interesting.
Read
February 22, 2021I chose to read the book, Bohemian Rhapsody, by Owen Williams because I have always been interested in Queen. I read the book before watching the movie, and I recommend doing so because through the book you are able to get to know the band members on a personal level. I was late to watching Bohemian Rhapsody and reading the book compared to others, but the hype was truly deserved. Owen Williams does a fantastic job of teaching readers about each band member and the details of their lives and personalities. He included many quotes about Queen that intrigued readers as well. I also really enjoyed the images that were in the book. The photos showed original images of the band and then similar ones that were in the movie which was really interesting. The cover of the book itself is also really cool and a good one to have in a home book case. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the band, Queen, or even music in general. Overall, this book is informative about Queen and the movie that came out about them a few years ago. The inside scoop on the band and the cinematic images surely make this book worth a read.
November 10, 2018
If you’re a Queen fan, you’re getting this book. Can’t see a casual fan ponying up the $40 for the hardback, but who knows.
This is the official book for the movie Bohemian Rhapsody. It’s a coffee table book with photos and stories from the movie, screen shots, band photos, and actor bios. A few anecdotes thrown into the text for good measure. Your typical movie tie in book.
Still, Queen fan that I am, I am the proud owner of the hardback. And, as a lifelong Queen fan, I am blindly giving it a 5 star rating. You don’t need me to tell you to buy it if you love the band.
So yeah, that’s it. Even if I didn’t like it I’d buy it for the collection. So maybe I’m not the best indicator of if it is good or not.
5 out of 5 stars.
This is the official book for the movie Bohemian Rhapsody. It’s a coffee table book with photos and stories from the movie, screen shots, band photos, and actor bios. A few anecdotes thrown into the text for good measure. Your typical movie tie in book.
Still, Queen fan that I am, I am the proud owner of the hardback. And, as a lifelong Queen fan, I am blindly giving it a 5 star rating. You don’t need me to tell you to buy it if you love the band.
So yeah, that’s it. Even if I didn’t like it I’d buy it for the collection. So maybe I’m not the best indicator of if it is good or not.
5 out of 5 stars.
September 6, 2021
I have been lucky enough to see Queen play live although sadly it was without Freddie. Adam Lambert's stage presence is just as big & flamboyant as his predecessor though, but he will never be Freddie 👑
I've seen the film many a time now & it gets me every time 😭
This is a gorgeous book full of photos past & present of Queen interspersed with those of Rami Malek & the other guys who made up the band in the film.
After reading it, you can really appreciate just how much time, effort & accuracy went into the film, especially the whole Live Aid set 🎤
Definitely worthy of being a coffee table tome for any Queen or Freddie lovers
I've seen the film many a time now & it gets me every time 😭
This is a gorgeous book full of photos past & present of Queen interspersed with those of Rami Malek & the other guys who made up the band in the film.
After reading it, you can really appreciate just how much time, effort & accuracy went into the film, especially the whole Live Aid set 🎤
Definitely worthy of being a coffee table tome for any Queen or Freddie lovers
January 10, 2019
I’ve been a fan of Queen for as long as I can remember. The movie really was a blessing. Sure it wasn’t perfect but nothing really is. The book really is interesting, it takes on a journey of how they made the movie and also gives you pretty funny and charming anecdotes of the group. Throughout the book there’s Alonso some beautiful shots of scenes vs real life. Really mesmerizing! I have to say, this is a pretty good addition to my library!
April 5, 2019
Lots of photos but it doesn't really go that in depth about the making of the film. I probably would have given it 3 stars but on page 24 the author straightwashes David Bowie which really annoyed me - "straight performers like David Bowie and Marc Bolan were experimenting with androgynous personas", argh!
January 21, 2019
As a big fan of the film (and of course, the band, duh) this was such a happy read. It was so cool to read bits on how the film was put together. The photos were a great guide alongside the text, and it was great fun to read.
December 31, 2018
This book was so good I would like to give it ten stars!
January 11, 2019
For the love of Freddie...
January 21, 2019
I'm a b*tch for Rami Malek, Joe Mazzello, Gwilym Lee and Ben Hardy
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2019
Great photos and a nice synopsis of the bands story and the actors.
February 2, 2019
Loved it!!
May 28, 2019
Great behind the scenes look at the making of the film. Plus some great photos of Queen.
June 29, 2019
Hodně o fotkách, ale nádherná. :)
3,75*
(Pět celých hvězdiček je prostě na knížky málo, to říkám pořád.)
3,75*
(Pět celých hvězdiček je prostě na knížky málo, to říkám pořád.)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews