Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Crown Archetype (2014), 304 pages
Description
Biography & Autobiography. Performing Arts. Nonfiction. Humor (Nonfiction.) HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER �?� Tired of memoirs that only tell you what really happened? Sick of deeply personal accounts written in the first person? Seeking an exciting, interactive read that puts the �??u�?� back in �??aUtobiography�?�? Then look no further than Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography! In this revolutionary, Joycean experiment in light celebrity narrative, actor/personality/carbon-based-life-form Neil Patrick Harris lets you, the reader, live his life. You will be born to New Mexico. You will get your big break at an acting camp. You will get into a bizarre confrontation outside a nightclub with actor Scott Caan. Even better, at each critical juncture of your life you will choose how to proceed. You will decide whether to try out for Doogie Howser, M.D. You will decide whether to spend years struggling with your sexuality. You will decide what kind of caviar you want to eat on board Elton John�??s yacht. Choose correctly and you�??ll find fame, fortune, and true love. Choose incorrectly and you�??ll find misery, heartbreak, and a hideous death by piranhas. All this, plus magic tricks, cocktail recipes, embarrassing pictures from your time as a child actor, and even a closing song. Yes, if you buy one book this year, congratulations on being above the American average, and make that book Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography! �??Neil Patrick Harris�??s Choose Your Own Autobiography is one of the best celeb memoirs I�??ve ever re… (more)
Media reviews
User reviews
LibraryThing member ASKelmore
Three Stars (two for the book and one for the premise)
As we made our way to the gate before a two-hour flight home last night, we spotted this book. I knew it had come out recently, and realized that the format (ostensibly a ‘choose your own adventure’-style autobiography) would probably lend
Now, despite his start as Doogie Houser, M.D., I mostly associate Mr. Harris with Barney Stinson, his character on my favorite sitcom, How I Met Your Mother. As my husband can attest, I will re-watch the shit out of that show on Netflix Streaming, and when I’m felling sad I’ll seek out the blooper reels online for a guaranteed laugh. I had high hopes for this book, but I’m a bit disappointed. It’s not the best comedic memoir I’ve read, nor is it even one of my favorites. (And if you check out my CBR5 reviews, you’ll know that I read a LOT of comedic memoirs, so I do have a frame of reference).
The trick he chooses – writing the entire book in the second person, turning the reader (“you”) into “Neil Patrick Harris” – is a fun one. It does allow for some unexpected moments, although I must admit I didn’t actually choose any adventures; I just read the book straight through, and it worked just fine. Mr. Harris is a national treasure, so I feel a bit odd being critical of the book, but aside from the occasional clever bits, I don’t actually feel like I got much out of reading the book. I mean, I enjoyed learning about his early career, and his experiences dating, and the choices he’s made in life, but the second person convention sort of allows Mr. Harris to write his story as a removed observer, preventing any sort of real connection between the author and the reader.
The book is also obviously going to be filled with enough dropped names to sink a ship, and that makes sense. That’s been his crowd since he was sixteen. But there’s something a bit off-putting about a chapter going on and on about gosh golly gee how cool is it to hang out with Elton John in Greece? I don’t think Mr. Harris is insincere, or bragging, there’s just something a little strange about how it’s presented. I also have some issues with the device he uses of having some folks pen letters to him to include in the book, that basically just go on and on about how great he is. I’m assuming they are real letters; they aren’t gushing enough to be satirical, they’re just sort of, I don’t know, really self-indulgent. And obviously any memoir is going to be self-indulgent. I don’t know – I’m having trouble articulating because I really want to like this book, and I really still do like Mr. Harris, and putting one’s life story essentially up for critique is impressive as hell, but at the same time … this book just wasn’t for me. I’d give it two stars, but the originality bumps it up to three for me.
As we made our way to the gate before a two-hour flight home last night, we spotted this book. I knew it had come out recently, and realized that the format (ostensibly a ‘choose your own adventure’-style autobiography) would probably lend
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itself better to a physical book. I picked it up and read it continuously, from waiting in line to board the plane until we caught a shuttle to our car back home. I read it on the elliptical this morning, and finished up the last ten of the nearly 300 pages after dinner tonight.Now, despite his start as Doogie Houser, M.D., I mostly associate Mr. Harris with Barney Stinson, his character on my favorite sitcom, How I Met Your Mother. As my husband can attest, I will re-watch the shit out of that show on Netflix Streaming, and when I’m felling sad I’ll seek out the blooper reels online for a guaranteed laugh. I had high hopes for this book, but I’m a bit disappointed. It’s not the best comedic memoir I’ve read, nor is it even one of my favorites. (And if you check out my CBR5 reviews, you’ll know that I read a LOT of comedic memoirs, so I do have a frame of reference).
The trick he chooses – writing the entire book in the second person, turning the reader (“you”) into “Neil Patrick Harris” – is a fun one. It does allow for some unexpected moments, although I must admit I didn’t actually choose any adventures; I just read the book straight through, and it worked just fine. Mr. Harris is a national treasure, so I feel a bit odd being critical of the book, but aside from the occasional clever bits, I don’t actually feel like I got much out of reading the book. I mean, I enjoyed learning about his early career, and his experiences dating, and the choices he’s made in life, but the second person convention sort of allows Mr. Harris to write his story as a removed observer, preventing any sort of real connection between the author and the reader.
The book is also obviously going to be filled with enough dropped names to sink a ship, and that makes sense. That’s been his crowd since he was sixteen. But there’s something a bit off-putting about a chapter going on and on about gosh golly gee how cool is it to hang out with Elton John in Greece? I don’t think Mr. Harris is insincere, or bragging, there’s just something a little strange about how it’s presented. I also have some issues with the device he uses of having some folks pen letters to him to include in the book, that basically just go on and on about how great he is. I’m assuming they are real letters; they aren’t gushing enough to be satirical, they’re just sort of, I don’t know, really self-indulgent. And obviously any memoir is going to be self-indulgent. I don’t know – I’m having trouble articulating because I really want to like this book, and I really still do like Mr. Harris, and putting one’s life story essentially up for critique is impressive as hell, but at the same time … this book just wasn’t for me. I’d give it two stars, but the originality bumps it up to three for me.
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LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
An interesting take on how to do autobiography. Funny, smart and totally enjoyable. Neil Patrick Harris did a great job narrating and they did an amazing job reworking the book for audio.
LibraryThing member BoundTogetherForGood
I had high hopes for this book since I love memoirs. I'm not loving it though. Oh, the writing style is fine; creative even. It's the shallowness of NPH in his earlier life though.
Don't get me wrong. We are all shallow at times, and we hopefully continue to grow and gain in grace and knowledge. I
He does appear to be a different, wiser person today. I'm about 95% finished with the book as I write this. He hasn't yet reflected on anything with any depth or comments as to what exactly has made him stronger or kinder or wiser.
It's just falling flat for me.
Don't get me wrong. We are all shallow at times, and we hopefully continue to grow and gain in grace and knowledge. I
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haven't yet seen him show any regret though, for his lifestyle. Fine, maybe he needn't have regrets. You'd think he would comment on growth though.He does appear to be a different, wiser person today. I'm about 95% finished with the book as I write this. He hasn't yet reflected on anything with any depth or comments as to what exactly has made him stronger or kinder or wiser.
It's just falling flat for me.
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LibraryThing member Lindsay_W
It’s been a while since I've read a “choose your own adventure” so it took me a while to get into the groove of the format of this book, but overall it is a good balance of poignancy and humour sure to appeal to fans of the multi-talented NPH.
LibraryThing member UnderMyAppleTree
This was clever, original, funny, occasionally R-rated and, above all, entertaining. It’s written in the form of a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ book and you, the reader, decide what path to take next. Some of the ‘alternate endings’ to Neil’s life were laugh-out-loud hysterical, often
For those who like celebrity gossip there are nice stories about Elton John, a crazy story about Anne Heche and a funny – or maybe scary – one about Scott Caan, to name a few. Other than a little too many magic tricks – not much fun in audio – it was a delight.
Audio production:
Neil narrates his life story as only he can, and often talks about himself in the second person. The audiobook is arranged slightly different from the print. Since the listener can’t choose what page to jump to, we instead listen to each scenario and then after a slight pause Neil tells us what’s up next and to stay tuned for more. A very entertaining 7 hours and an easy listen.
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ending with a failed career choice or his untimely death.For those who like celebrity gossip there are nice stories about Elton John, a crazy story about Anne Heche and a funny – or maybe scary – one about Scott Caan, to name a few. Other than a little too many magic tricks – not much fun in audio – it was a delight.
Audio production:
Neil narrates his life story as only he can, and often talks about himself in the second person. The audiobook is arranged slightly different from the print. Since the listener can’t choose what page to jump to, we instead listen to each scenario and then after a slight pause Neil tells us what’s up next and to stay tuned for more. A very entertaining 7 hours and an easy listen.
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LibraryThing member wishanem
As funny as one might hope, this book gave me a look at the personal life of a very lucky and successful famous person without making me Hulk out with envy. Neil is so genuinely likeable and appreciative of his blessings that it made me glad to read about the good things that have happened to him.
LibraryThing member jmchshannon
There is no one who could narrate this autobiography other than NPH. He has the perfect blend of humor and humility that makes each scene come to life. Moreover, he is a born showman, and one hears this in every moment of the audiobook. In fact, it would be fun to hear him narrate even more
Even though the choose-your-own adventure format of Neil Patrick Harris’ book makes it a format that leans heavily towards the print version, NPH has done a tremendous job translating it into the audiobook format. Not only does he include some additional audio of one of his childhood speeches, his delivery adds a whole new level of charm and humor to the experience. It also makes those moments of real drama in his life – his first job, the birth of his children, his public coming out – so much more heartfelt. To read these things oneself is one thing; to hear him express his own frustrations, gratitude, and love is extraordinary.
NPH does not mince words when it comes to certain stories. He is open and quite frank about his sexual journey and his path to marriage and fatherhood. In fact, he is open and frank on just about everything. He drops f-bombs when the narrative calls for it and uses more child-friendly language when it does not. It is a bit like listening to Robin Williams perform, as he bounces from subject to subject with enthusiasm and a vibrancy that would exhaust most people.
Listening to Choose Your Own Autobiography, one instinctively understands that there is no artifice to NPH. He shares his worries and fears with abandon. If he sounds a bit like Barney Stinson at times, it leads one to believe that Barney was not quite such a departure from the real NPH after all. Their humor is the same, as is their ability to turn things into a double entendre with no effort. In addition, there is a joie de vivre to NPH that has always made it so much fun to watch him on stage and screen, and this same zest for life makes the audiobook an absolute blast.
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audiobooks because his performance is that awesome.Even though the choose-your-own adventure format of Neil Patrick Harris’ book makes it a format that leans heavily towards the print version, NPH has done a tremendous job translating it into the audiobook format. Not only does he include some additional audio of one of his childhood speeches, his delivery adds a whole new level of charm and humor to the experience. It also makes those moments of real drama in his life – his first job, the birth of his children, his public coming out – so much more heartfelt. To read these things oneself is one thing; to hear him express his own frustrations, gratitude, and love is extraordinary.
NPH does not mince words when it comes to certain stories. He is open and quite frank about his sexual journey and his path to marriage and fatherhood. In fact, he is open and frank on just about everything. He drops f-bombs when the narrative calls for it and uses more child-friendly language when it does not. It is a bit like listening to Robin Williams perform, as he bounces from subject to subject with enthusiasm and a vibrancy that would exhaust most people.
Listening to Choose Your Own Autobiography, one instinctively understands that there is no artifice to NPH. He shares his worries and fears with abandon. If he sounds a bit like Barney Stinson at times, it leads one to believe that Barney was not quite such a departure from the real NPH after all. Their humor is the same, as is their ability to turn things into a double entendre with no effort. In addition, there is a joie de vivre to NPH that has always made it so much fun to watch him on stage and screen, and this same zest for life makes the audiobook an absolute blast.
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LibraryThing member JechtShot
Choose Your Own Autobiography is the half-of-a-life story of actor Neil Patrick Harris. To say that NPH has lived a charmed life is a gross understatement. His stories are touching, heartwarming and chock full of laughs. The Choose Your Own Adventure gimmick provides a unique twist, but is wholly
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unnecessary considering that clearly he, his family and friends have helped guide him on the right path throughout the entirety of the first forty years of his life. Thank you Neil for sharing your story with us. Show Less
LibraryThing member simchaboston
At first I felt charmed by this memoir (having grown up on Choose Your Own Adventure books) and chuckled at some of the silly twists and turns. But eventually I tired of all the jumping around and fake alternative endings and found myself wishing for a more straightforward narrative. (Certainly
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Harris's story of a small-town kid turned successful actor -- who also happens to be an openly gay man with a loving husband and two adorable children -- shouldn't need any gimmicks.) I also could've done without the unnecessarily R-rated content (both vulgar and uninteresting) and intensely disliked the pieces by "Barney Stimson" and Seth McFarlane. The magic tricks are cool, though -- extra half-star just for those! Show Less
LibraryThing member KatKealy
I'd rate this book higher than 5 stars if I could. If you like Neil Patrick Harris, you MUST read this book!!! I've read it over 6 times the way it was intended to be read and then read all the parts I missed those 6 times. It's hilarious starting before the first page. Wonderful book! I bought it
Neil Patrick Harris is hilarious and his autobiography is VERY well written!
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for a few friends and I'm sure I'll read it more later.Neil Patrick Harris is hilarious and his autobiography is VERY well written!
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LibraryThing member MickyFine
This book is full of everything you'd expect from Neil Patrick Harris and a book with this title. I giggled my way through this unconventional autobiography and was a total rebel, reading it straight through rather than following the page jump to page jump method. Harris is exactly as kind, sweet,
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and funny as you'd expect, and the stories he shares in the book were an absolute delight. If you're a NPH fan of any stripe, you should definitely pick this up sooner rather than later. Show Less
LibraryThing member figre
To approach his autobiography, Neil Patrick Harris has decided to write it as a "Choose Your Own Adventure" type book. In interviews he discusses how he loved those types of books and he felt that, by using this approach, people could make some of the choices he had to make.
Actually, I think there
And if you look closely at those descriptions, you see the problem. Yes, he has faced adversity, but he hasn't faced the usual highest highs and lowest lows that are the bread and butter of many autobiographies. Yes, high highs. But the lows have been valleys, not deep canyons. (Easy for me to say – I didn't have to live his life. But I'm just comparing to what I see in other autobiographies.)
The other type of autobiography you will often see are those where things don't really go wrong for the author, but they have a lot of good stories to tell. That usually means they are written by people much older than Harris.
So, with all that in mind, this approach may well have been the best choice. Yes, he has faced adversity. But enough to keep us glued to every page? Probably not. Yes, he has good stories. But enough to fill a book? Not so sure. So instead, we have a slight of hand (which matches his love of magic); we have an interesting conceit that presents the information in a slightly different format. It is entertaining, and it distracts us.
All this works, but it does get to be a bit much. The make-your-own-adventure conceit wears thin many times, and at times he writes as if he remembered he is supposed to be including these red herrings. I read the book straight through without worrying about the conceit. My wife did, also. And my son did, also. And my daughter is now reading the book and, while I haven't checked with her, I imagine she is doing the same. And I'll bet that most people use that approach. And I'll even further bet the Harris never expected many people to read it any other way. It is a lark, and it is slightly fun, and it is cute, but it does grow old.
But, when all is said and done, it is a nice book. Harris implicitly acknowledges that he has had a pretty good life. And he tells us this without particularly rubbing our noses in it. And, by the end, he strikes you as someone you might not mind knowing.
And the stories he does have are quite good.
Actually, I think there
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was a whole different reason. This is a man who has led an interesting life, but that is not exciting enough to lend itself to the straight ahead narrative we expect from autobiographies. Oh, I'm not saying it was a boring life. This is someone who had success at a very young age and was able to escape the normal child star pitfalls. This is someone who spent a bit of time coming to grips with his sexuality, coming out when certain pressures came to bear. This is a homosexual man who has had two children through a surrogate and now raises them with his husband.And if you look closely at those descriptions, you see the problem. Yes, he has faced adversity, but he hasn't faced the usual highest highs and lowest lows that are the bread and butter of many autobiographies. Yes, high highs. But the lows have been valleys, not deep canyons. (Easy for me to say – I didn't have to live his life. But I'm just comparing to what I see in other autobiographies.)
The other type of autobiography you will often see are those where things don't really go wrong for the author, but they have a lot of good stories to tell. That usually means they are written by people much older than Harris.
So, with all that in mind, this approach may well have been the best choice. Yes, he has faced adversity. But enough to keep us glued to every page? Probably not. Yes, he has good stories. But enough to fill a book? Not so sure. So instead, we have a slight of hand (which matches his love of magic); we have an interesting conceit that presents the information in a slightly different format. It is entertaining, and it distracts us.
All this works, but it does get to be a bit much. The make-your-own-adventure conceit wears thin many times, and at times he writes as if he remembered he is supposed to be including these red herrings. I read the book straight through without worrying about the conceit. My wife did, also. And my son did, also. And my daughter is now reading the book and, while I haven't checked with her, I imagine she is doing the same. And I'll bet that most people use that approach. And I'll even further bet the Harris never expected many people to read it any other way. It is a lark, and it is slightly fun, and it is cute, but it does grow old.
But, when all is said and done, it is a nice book. Harris implicitly acknowledges that he has had a pretty good life. And he tells us this without particularly rubbing our noses in it. And, by the end, he strikes you as someone you might not mind knowing.
And the stories he does have are quite good.
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LibraryThing member ecataldi
Endlessly amusing and fascinating, this memoir was a treat to listen to. Narrated by Neil Patrick Harris himself, he brilliantly brings to life the nuances, sarcasm, and hilarity of all his stories. It was an interesting "Choose Your Own Adventure" format, but it didn't really translate well onto
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audio. I don't mind though, I had a blast listening to it. I honestly didn't know all that much about NPH, so listening to his memoir really gave me a great appreciation for him and his work. I can't wait to see what he does next! Show Less
LibraryThing member mcelhra
I highly recommend listening to the audio version of this book. NPH reads it himself and that makes it all the funnier and more personal. It’s almost like having a conversation with him. This book is structured like an actual Choose Your Own Adventure book. It’s written in second person so you,
I loved that Neil was not afraid to name drop and dish dirt. In my opinion, that’s a must for a good celebrity memoir. And through it all, he’s also wonderfully star struck and unjaded. His chapter about him and his husband meeting and then becoming friends with Elton John and his husband was wonderful. He was just as freaked out by meeting Elton John as just about anyone would have been. And a sneak peek into Elton John’s life was a nice bonus.
Neil lets us into his personal life as well – his coming out process, his relationship with his husband David and becoming a father. He gushes so sweetly about his kids. After listening to this book, I felt like NPH and I were BFFs and I was truly sad when it ended. If you are a Neil Patrick Harris fan – and if you’re not, you should be! – then this book is a must for you.
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the listener/reader are NPH. Don’t worry about how this translates to audio – it’s done perfectly. Neil will say something like, “If you want choice A keep listening. If you want choice B, be patient. It’s coming up.” And then both versions are read. Choice B is usually something totally fake and funny that ends with Neil dying a tragic death so it’s not hard to keep the timeline straight.I loved that Neil was not afraid to name drop and dish dirt. In my opinion, that’s a must for a good celebrity memoir. And through it all, he’s also wonderfully star struck and unjaded. His chapter about him and his husband meeting and then becoming friends with Elton John and his husband was wonderful. He was just as freaked out by meeting Elton John as just about anyone would have been. And a sneak peek into Elton John’s life was a nice bonus.
Neil lets us into his personal life as well – his coming out process, his relationship with his husband David and becoming a father. He gushes so sweetly about his kids. After listening to this book, I felt like NPH and I were BFFs and I was truly sad when it ended. If you are a Neil Patrick Harris fan – and if you’re not, you should be! – then this book is a must for you.
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LibraryThing member DanielleMD
Neil Patrick Harris is a wonderful human who is funny and smart and awesome and brilliant and just...wonderful.
This book was an insanely enjoyable ride from start to finish. Complete with card tricks. I giggled conspiratorially when I ran to get the cards in my hutch. I smiled like a moron on my
He is honest and open about his life. The good, the bad, and the resplendent.
Well done, NPH.
This book was an insanely enjoyable ride from start to finish. Complete with card tricks. I giggled conspiratorially when I ran to get the cards in my hutch. I smiled like a moron on my
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couch when the tricks worked.He is honest and open about his life. The good, the bad, and the resplendent.
Well done, NPH.
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LibraryThing member Andibook
It was pretty much exactly what I was expecting -- fun showbiz stuff, Dougie Howser, sappy stuff about his husband. Maybe even more what-I-expected than I was actually expecting (...?!). And of course, since it’s in the format of a choose-your-own-adventure book, it’s peppered with exaggerated
I did notice that NPH stuck almost entirely to the positives in his life. I can hardly complain about it, because it was an artistic (and personal) choice that made the book a very fun read... and I'm not all that surprised, either. NPH has always struck me as the kind of person who has a very open and outgoing personality, but is pretty guarded about deeper feelings.
He also talks exactly the right amount about his kids -- you get a glimpse into a very important part of his life, but you don't feel like he just strapped you to the couch and pulled out twelve photo albums and a heap of parenting books.
I definitely recommend the audiobook; it's just that much better hearing it in the author's own voice.
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fake endings.I did notice that NPH stuck almost entirely to the positives in his life. I can hardly complain about it, because it was an artistic (and personal) choice that made the book a very fun read... and I'm not all that surprised, either. NPH has always struck me as the kind of person who has a very open and outgoing personality, but is pretty guarded about deeper feelings.
He also talks exactly the right amount about his kids -- you get a glimpse into a very important part of his life, but you don't feel like he just strapped you to the couch and pulled out twelve photo albums and a heap of parenting books.
I definitely recommend the audiobook; it's just that much better hearing it in the author's own voice.
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LibraryThing member Andibook
It was pretty much exactly what I was expecting -- fun showbiz stuff, Dougie Howser, sappy stuff about his husband. Maybe even more what-I-expected than I was actually expecting (...?!). And of course, since it’s in the format of a choose-your-own-adventure book, it’s peppered with exaggerated
I did notice that NPH stuck almost entirely to the positives in his life. I can hardly complain about it, because it was an artistic (and personal) choice that made the book a very fun read... and I'm not all that surprised, either. NPH has always struck me as the kind of person who has a very open and outgoing personality, but is pretty guarded about deeper feelings.
He also talks exactly the right amount about his kids -- you get a glimpse into a very important part of his life, but you don't feel like he just strapped you to the couch and pulled out twelve photo albums and a heap of parenting books.
I definitely recommend the audiobook; it's just that much better hearing it in the author's own voice.
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fake endings.I did notice that NPH stuck almost entirely to the positives in his life. I can hardly complain about it, because it was an artistic (and personal) choice that made the book a very fun read... and I'm not all that surprised, either. NPH has always struck me as the kind of person who has a very open and outgoing personality, but is pretty guarded about deeper feelings.
He also talks exactly the right amount about his kids -- you get a glimpse into a very important part of his life, but you don't feel like he just strapped you to the couch and pulled out twelve photo albums and a heap of parenting books.
I definitely recommend the audiobook; it's just that much better hearing it in the author's own voice.
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LibraryThing member klack128
I loved NPH before this Autobiography, and I think it's possible that I love him even more after reading it. Despite his insane amount of fame and talent, he seems like a pretty genuinely down to earth person.
I listened to "Choose Your Own Autobiography" on audiobook, which I realized probably
The distancing that the unique perspective had, though, didn't make the story feel any less personal. In fact, this autobiography felt like one of the most honest, sincere celebrity memoirs I have ever read. He truly opened up about his life -- his family, the incredible opportunities he had, the struggles of dealing with a lot of fame at a very young age, the difficulties of opening up about his sexuality in a high-profile industry--and I appreciated that. He truly has led a charmed life, and he seems truly, incredibly grateful for everything life has sent his way. I loved hearing about his relationship with his partner, David Burtka, and the family they've created together. I also really loved the insight he gave into the many roles he's played throughout his career, and the many different experiences he's had with co-stars in each.
I would highly recommend this autobiography for anyone who is a fan of NPH, or who just enjoys good celeb autobiographies.
I listened to "Choose Your Own Autobiography" on audiobook, which I realized probably
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changed the intent slightly. It also made the listening experience take a bit of time to get used to, but once eased into the format, it didn't seem as strange. I thought setting the autobiography up as a choose-your-own-adventure style story was interesting, since it allowed the reader to BE NPH. I think it also had the benefit of allowing NPH to distance himself a bit from the story, which I am sure was intentional. The distancing that the unique perspective had, though, didn't make the story feel any less personal. In fact, this autobiography felt like one of the most honest, sincere celebrity memoirs I have ever read. He truly opened up about his life -- his family, the incredible opportunities he had, the struggles of dealing with a lot of fame at a very young age, the difficulties of opening up about his sexuality in a high-profile industry--and I appreciated that. He truly has led a charmed life, and he seems truly, incredibly grateful for everything life has sent his way. I loved hearing about his relationship with his partner, David Burtka, and the family they've created together. I also really loved the insight he gave into the many roles he's played throughout his career, and the many different experiences he's had with co-stars in each.
I would highly recommend this autobiography for anyone who is a fan of NPH, or who just enjoys good celeb autobiographies.
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LibraryThing member jwood652
No secrets or surprises, just a witty recounting of the charmed life of Neil Patrick Harris. Well told with a great sense of humor and a good section of pictures. The choose your own adventure format, though funny and cute, makes it hard to follow his life story and distinguish between his real
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life and the alternate scenarios. I chose to read straight through cover to cover. With his incredible tv and stage successes, award show hosting, marriage to David Burtka with their two surrogate, biological kids, Neil has a great story to tell. Show Less
LibraryThing member jwood652
No secrets or surprises, just a witty recounting of the charmed life of Neil Patrick Harris. Well told with a great sense of humor and a good section of pictures. The choose your own adventure format, though funny and cute, makes it hard to follow his life story and distinguish between his real
Show More
life and the alternate scenarios. I chose to read straight through cover to cover. With his incredible tv and stage successes, award show hosting, marriage to David Burtka with their two surrogate, biological kids, Neil has a great story to tell. Show Less
LibraryThing member DabOfDarkness
So, obviously, this is Harris’s autobiography. The book has been specially adapted for the audio version (hooray!). I read that the paper version lets you flip around the book, making creative decisions for Harris’s life like you would in those Choose Your Own Adventure novels I so enjoyed as a
I do believe this is one of the most entertaining autobiographies I have picked up in a while. I thought I knew something of this talented actor before I picked up the book, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out I knew rather little. For the most part, the book takes us through his life up to his early 40s in a chronological order. Harris does a really good job of putting the reader in his shoes and finding the humor in the situation even when it can only truly be appreciated when looking back on the past.
While I knew Harris was a child star in the TV show Doogie Howser, M.D., I really didn’t understand what it meant for both Harris and his parents for him to be an under-aged actor in Hollywood. Essentially, he had to be legally escorted by a parent until he came of the legal age to work unattended. So his parents had to put their lives and careers in New Mexico on hold in order for Harris to have this acting gig. Dedication – that’s what that is.
From there, I learned about his time spent on the New York theater scene and making made-for-TV movies back in Hollywood. Eventually, he lands the part of Barney Stinson in the long running TV show How I Met Your Mother. Now, this part here kind of lost me. Prior to listening to this book, I had never seen an episode of this show. So when Harris starts channeling the character Barney (a man’s man and womanizer) it was so completely different from his tone for the rest of the book, I wasn’t too sure what to make of it. By now, I have watched quite a few episodes of this show and the Barney Stinson parts of this book make a lot more sense. So, I highly recommend you catch at least a few episodes of that series before diving into this book.
The humor is laced throughout this book. Some of it is outright fanciful, such as the made up alternative endings that feature Harris dying in some gruesome way. Other parts are Harris pointing out character flaws (in himself and in others) and yet humanizing them with humor. There are a few times where he talks about rough patches where he or others were out of line and apologies were needed and he treats these with grace and as learning points.
Finally, I loved how open he was about his sexuality. Harris is what you might call a late bloomer. It took him some time to figure out his orientation and then to embrace it. I think that anyone who is fumbling (or has fumbled) around trying to figure out this part of themselves would enjoy this aspect to the book.
All around, this book was well worth my time. Now, I just wish I could have tried out the card tricks while driving.
The Narration: Harris did quite the nice job of narrating his own book. For much of it, he just needed to use his own natural voice. Here and there he tossed in a few character voices when another actor or celebrity had nice or funny things to say about Harris. He also included a recording of his kid self giving a little speech he practiced for school.
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kid. So the audio version is done quite well, maintaining the humor and wit of the false deaths and other alternate lives of Harris.I do believe this is one of the most entertaining autobiographies I have picked up in a while. I thought I knew something of this talented actor before I picked up the book, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out I knew rather little. For the most part, the book takes us through his life up to his early 40s in a chronological order. Harris does a really good job of putting the reader in his shoes and finding the humor in the situation even when it can only truly be appreciated when looking back on the past.
While I knew Harris was a child star in the TV show Doogie Howser, M.D., I really didn’t understand what it meant for both Harris and his parents for him to be an under-aged actor in Hollywood. Essentially, he had to be legally escorted by a parent until he came of the legal age to work unattended. So his parents had to put their lives and careers in New Mexico on hold in order for Harris to have this acting gig. Dedication – that’s what that is.
From there, I learned about his time spent on the New York theater scene and making made-for-TV movies back in Hollywood. Eventually, he lands the part of Barney Stinson in the long running TV show How I Met Your Mother. Now, this part here kind of lost me. Prior to listening to this book, I had never seen an episode of this show. So when Harris starts channeling the character Barney (a man’s man and womanizer) it was so completely different from his tone for the rest of the book, I wasn’t too sure what to make of it. By now, I have watched quite a few episodes of this show and the Barney Stinson parts of this book make a lot more sense. So, I highly recommend you catch at least a few episodes of that series before diving into this book.
The humor is laced throughout this book. Some of it is outright fanciful, such as the made up alternative endings that feature Harris dying in some gruesome way. Other parts are Harris pointing out character flaws (in himself and in others) and yet humanizing them with humor. There are a few times where he talks about rough patches where he or others were out of line and apologies were needed and he treats these with grace and as learning points.
Finally, I loved how open he was about his sexuality. Harris is what you might call a late bloomer. It took him some time to figure out his orientation and then to embrace it. I think that anyone who is fumbling (or has fumbled) around trying to figure out this part of themselves would enjoy this aspect to the book.
All around, this book was well worth my time. Now, I just wish I could have tried out the card tricks while driving.
The Narration: Harris did quite the nice job of narrating his own book. For much of it, he just needed to use his own natural voice. Here and there he tossed in a few character voices when another actor or celebrity had nice or funny things to say about Harris. He also included a recording of his kid self giving a little speech he practiced for school.
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LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
An interesting take on how to do autobiography. Funny, smart and totally enjoyable. Neil Patrick Harris did a great job narrating and they did an amazing job reworking the book for audio.
LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
An interesting take on how to do autobiography. Funny, smart and totally enjoyable. Neil Patrick Harris did a great job narrating and they did an amazing job reworking the book for audio.
LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
An interesting take on how to do autobiography. Funny, smart and totally enjoyable. Neil Patrick Harris did a great job narrating and they did an amazing job reworking the book for audio.
LibraryThing member olegalCA
Hysterically funny! The language is a bit graphic at times but it's fantastic.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2014-10-14
Physical description
304 p.; 9.38 inches
ISBN
0385346999 / 9780385346993
UPC
884678588943
Local notes
Signed