Robin

Great biography. If you liked Robin Williams, you will find a deeper connection reading this. Excellent.

Five stars for first half - three stars for second. Starts off with well-researched details on childhood, relationship with parents, influential icons and psychological issues sowing seeds of personality. Excellent narrative explains early days in comedy clubs in SF, LA & NY. Fascinating insights into the evolving Williams, and his relationship with friends, women and first two wives. We get the inside scoop on the "big break," the ensuing TV series and blast-off into super-stardom. Through the chapter on "Good Morning Vietnam," this is a riveting portrayal of a genius; a man with many faces. However, from this point on, the book seems to brush over family issues, many of his films, and Williams' behavior during the second marriage. What was the cause for second divorce? return to drinking? having affairs? something else? Not made clear, and this is a defining moment in his life. Additionally, why does author rush through films: "What Dreams May Come," "Jumanji" "Birdcage" "One Hour Photo" etc.? It's understandable that not all films (plus recordings and shows) could be delved into, however too much time spent on "Aladdin" and "Fisher King" and not enough on others. Too much Billy Crystal. Not enough on overlap between second and third wives. Few insights into third wife's level of affection, empathy and care-giving which may have contributed to depression and suicide.

It's always nice to finish a biography with greater respect for the subject. That doesn't always happen, but it did for me after "Robin." I was a fan of many Robin Williams movies prior to coming to "Robin" but had always felt he was somewhat manic in interviews and not always funny. But as multiple people point out in Dave Itzkoff's "Robin," the actor was a genius with a photographic memory. Fellow actors and comedians repeatedly mention that Robin Williams was the best improv actor/comedian of his generation. Aside from some of the flash in the pan internet celebrities and reality show celebrities of our era, most celebrities become famous through a combination of singular talent and relentless hard work. This was certainly the case with Robin Williams. He was a great high school student, though torn by his father's pressures to find a practical career. Then he discovered acting in college, and went on to do improv and later to attend Juliard, where he met Christopher Reeve, a lifelong friend. The rest, in a sense, is history. Williams landed the role of Mork in "Mork and Mindy," a "Happy Days" spin-off. Then he went on to movies and acted in comedies and crowd-pleasers along with dramas like "Awakenings" and "The Fisher King." Williams proved his acting chops but remained a stand-up comedian throughout. He would often make surprise appearances at various nightclubs to perform. The actor was not without his vices. He dated multiple women, some at the same time, and was sued by a former girlfriend who claimed he gave her a venereal disease. He ended up being married three times. He also struggled with drugs and alcohol. When someone has a genius mind like Williams', it is probably tough to shut it off. That isn't to excuse his bad behavior but maybe to explain it. People were ultimately shocked why the actor would take his own life. He was a vibrant person who loved people. But he'd been suffering from a disease--maybe Parkinson's, maybe a form of Alzheimer's--that was robbing him of his mobility, his wit, everything that made Robin...Robin. I found Itzkoff's account of Williams' death to be both moving and tasteful. While reading, I was saddened all over again by the actor's passing. Overall, Itzkoff handles Williams' life expertly. "Robin" seems well organized. We learn about Williams' upbringing without extensive asides about his family lineage. Itzkoff covers the actor's schooling, his TV background, and the major films while bypassing lesser films that don't need to be covered in depth. Readers get a good sense of Williams' wives and children and of his friends, many of them fellow actors and comedians, and how much they loved and appreciated him. Perhaps a best, and lifelong, friend was Billy Crystal, who was clearly enriched by his friendship with Williams and shaken by the actor's death. Itzkoff relies less on written sources, which are probably more appropriate for the bio of a nineteenth-century general (and it seems Williams didn't do a lot of writing), and focuses on the many interviews he conducts. From these accounts, he artfully pieces together a vision of Williams' life. The writing is always strong, always respectful without being worshipful. I came away from "Robin" with a renewed respect for Robin Williams, a sense of nostalgia for his early work, and a desire to go back and re-watch the many great movies he made.

An enlightening read

Pros: Honest, empathetic, well-researched, emotionally resonant Cons: Some sections delve into heavy struggles that may feel intense for some readers I purchased this as a gift.

Pretty good book about an amazing person. I've ALWAYS been a huge fan of Robin Williams. I still think he was the funniest, fast-thinking comedian ever. The day of Robin's death I was shocked, saddened and felt like a small piece of life was just removed. I never saw him live or met him in person but there was always something about Robin that made me feel like, if I ever did meet him, he'd make me feel like I was one of hos old pals. After reading this book I can clearly identify why Robin had that effect on me, just a fan. He had that effect on everyone! This book chronicles Robin's life, how he got into the business, his successes and failures and, most importantly, delves into what Robin was often thinking...or more to the point, WHY he was thinking what he was. I enjoyed this book as I learned a lot of unknown aspects of Robin's life, his friends and family. I will say, after I finished reading, the book seemed to leave out time frames, particularly the weeks after his diagnosis. I would have thought that this would be highly discussed but it wasn't. Also, although informative, this book seemed to lack a sense of personality, if that makes sense. It seemed as though the author was just reporting facts with no personal and emotional connection. Maybe that's what this author wanted to do, I'm not sure. But I think an author this connected to so much personal information about Robin should have had more of a meaningful connection as he told the story. Regardless, a good book about one of the best people ever that brought happiness and laughter to the world on a grand scale...and left the same world way too soon.

Great price and good condition!

When most people saw Mr. William as a genius all I could see is a man who was not comfortable in his own skin. That being said, I still thought he was a very talented guy, but his kind of humor didn't appeal to me. I liked him in his more serious roles. This book was an eye opener and I, for one, know exactly why he commited suicide. You have to live with a cognitive degenerative disease to understand the agony of losing your mind and be aware of it. You don't want to live like that and you don't want your family to go through that. He was so alone and so scared especially with the kind of brain he had. Alone, because even though you are with people who love and care for you, they don't understand. Book knowledge is very different from living exprience. Very good reading.

Ich war immer schon ein Robin Williams Fan. Er war ein großartiger Komödiant aber auch ein zutiefst trauriger Mensch. All das und noch viel mehr erfährst du in dieser ausführlichen, einfühlsamen Geschichte zu seinem Leben in diesem Buch. Wer ein Fan von Robin Williams ist und vielleicht noch nicht alles über ihn weiß. Hier kannst du fündig werden. Die Biographie eines Mannes von dem viele wussten, wer er war, den aber kaum einer wirklich kannte. Absolute Empfehlung

Llena de detalles e información interesante sobre Robin Williams. Incluye muchas anécdotas de las personas que lo conocieron.

It was a great read. Discovering what motivated Robin’s life choices was a journey into the behaviour of so many people around us. I was not disappointed!

Ottima biografia sulla vita privata e professionale di Robin Williams. Sicuramente la migliore! Io ho acquistato l'originale in lingua inglese, ma esiste anche in italiano......se amate Robin non potete perdervi questo libro! Ottimo!