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The Dangerous Animals Club (2012)

by Stephen Tobolowsky(Favorite Author)

4.02 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

1451633157 (ISBN13: 9781451633153)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Simon & Schuster

review 1: Full disclosure - I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.I often peruse the giveaways page and enter a few of them when their blurb catches my eye. But then I'll completely forget about them as I go about my everyday life. So when I received an email letting me know that I'd won a copy of 'The Dangerous Animals Club', I didn't remember anything about it and had absolutely no expectations. I actually won a couple of giveaways around the same time, so this one sat on my nightstand for a little while.Was I ever happy that I decided to finally pick it up!I know this will sound like hyperbole, but this book really did have everything. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me think. I'd never heard of Stephen Tobolowsky before and even after continuously reading about his ... moreextensive acting career I still couldn't place him. There was a small picture of him on the back cover but it didn't ring a bell. It was only when I finished the book and saw a larger photo of him inside the book that I said 'Oh, he's that guy!'If you've watched any television in the last decade, you've probably seen him already. But even if you're some sort of hippie ;) and haven't watched any tv in decades, you'll still like this book.Mr. Tobolowsky, to repeat some of what has already been said in other reviews, is a natural storyteller. His is a tricky kind of storytelling. He might start out telling you about his childhood love of Davy Crocket and end up with the sad (or was it?) tale of Bubbles the hippo. Most of his stories were like this, not all about hippos mind you, just not exactly linear, which I found refreshing.There's a small story within 'The Alchemist' that will make you laugh out loud at 2 am in a quiet house. Not that that happened to me or anything...And a small but profound moment in 'FAQ' will have you in tears while also explaining why Mr. Tobolowsky likes to tell stories. The story meanders beautifully through tragedy and beauty and silliness.I thoroughly enjoyed getting to read about the author growing up, forging relationships and getting his first breaks. My only 'problem' with the book was that I wanted to know even more. What happened with Beth? And how did he meet Ann?But I suppose that's what a second book is for.I've read a lot of books of personal essays and so many of them will have one or two really good stories and then a whole lot of filler. This collection kept on surprising me. Just when I thought I knew what the next story might be about, the author would suddenly have a story involving mangoes and a .45 and bam! you were glued to the page again.I'd recommend this to anyone who likes reading offbeat memoirs interspersed with show business behind-the-scenes stories, which I would think would be everyone really. And I personally hope this title sells loads of copies so I'll get to read another collection by Mr. Tobolowsky.
review 2: This book was a wonderful surprise. I read one online essay by Stephen Tobolowsky and decided on a whim to buy the book. And I loved it.I was actually really disappointed when I finished that there wasn't more available for me to read.The book is a memoir written in the form of a series of essays. These essays are not all in chronological order, which he somehow makes work. Some essays are serious, some funny, some philosophical, some instructive, and some just plain interesting. None so far have been tragic which I am glad for. I often feel that people only write memoirs if they are celebrities, or if their lives were filled with tragedy. It was nice to read about an ordinary life that has extraordinary meaning on reflection. Tobolowky is an actor, but a character actor, so not a celebrity. That only makes it better because you get a look at acting from a more realistic perspective - as an actual career, not that different from any career with its ups and downs and unusual occurrences. Anyway, it was a great read and I highly recommend it. Especially in you don't have a lot of time to read since it is a compilation of essays with lots of natural stopping points. less

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