Looking For a Good Book

Well – this was fun.

I wasn’t sure how the audio book version of a ‘choose your own adventure’ biography would turn out, but what the book lacks by not being able to skip around while reading it, is more than made up for by listening to the author tell his own story.  If you are a fan of Neil Patrick Harris, you will want to hear him narrate his biography.  …Or should I say “your” biography – since it is written in second person?

I’ve really enjoyed Harris’ work on television (that I’ve seen … I’m not a nerdy follower bent on watching everything he’s ever been in) – first as Doogie Houser, then as Barney Stinson, though it was probably his quick turn as Dr. Horrible that made me appreciate him.   But what did I know about Harris (other than that he came ‘out’ publicly some time ago)?  Not much, really.

Harris doesn’t seem to hold back (though how would we know?) and is pretty forth-coming with his success and his struggles as well as his early journeys into sex and drugs.  Really, this is pretty much what you expect to read when you read a biography.

One of the things that struck me is how important is was for him to have very VERY supportive parents.  It’s quite likely that his career would never have gotten off the ground without parents who were willing to go the extra mile to help him succeed in something he had a talent and a passion for.

Near the end of the book, I did feel that Harris fell a little into the name-dropping category.  While he tried to remind us that he’s just an average guy and how lucky he is to rub elbows with the rich and famous, most of us can’t even imagine what it would be like to hang out at Elton John’s vacation villa, while it’s become almost a regular aspect of Harris’ life. Sorry Neil … you are no longer just an average guy who acts.  You are now among the elite, living a life the rest of us will never fully appreciate or comprehend.

One of the things I learned about Harris, that I found quite interesting, was his interest in magic and his work with The Magic Castle.

I enjoyed this book, and listening to Harris tell it was definitely a lot of fun.  I’m not usually one for actor biographies, but I was looking for a some driving listening material and this available through my local library.

Looking for a good book?  Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography is a fun way to read about this actor’s life and feels really apropos, and listening to the audio version is a lot of fun.

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Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography

author: Neil Patrick Harris

narrator: Neil Patrick Harris

publisher: Random House Audio

ASIN: B00O4GRDBA

audio, 7 hours and 15 minutes