Book Review: Making it So: A Memoir by Patrick Stewart (2023)
Synopsis: Born during World War II and growing up as part of a working-class family in Northern England, Patrick Stewart discovered a love for theater as a teenager and eventually gave up a potential career in journalism to pursue his passion full-time. His memoir describes his journey from being a background stage actor with no lines to being recognized world-wide for his portrayal of Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation and various starring movie roles, including the failures and regrets that came with his eventual fame.
Review: While I have never considered myself a "Trekkie" I did enjoy STNG and do still occasionally watch a rerun of the series when I come across one. Plus, 2000's X-Men remains one of my favorite superhero films. As a result of this, when I came across Making it So at my local library, I had to read it.
The book did not disappoint.
I was probably more surprised than I should have been at the book spending much more time talking about Stewart's stage career than his television/movie career but quickly accepted it made more sense his memoirs made that the emphasis considering he spent much more of his life traveling the world and performing live and didn't become a television/movie star until he was in his mid-40s. And I have to admit, I found some of those stories to be eye-opening, both with learning more about Stewart and the world of theater.
One story, in particular, that stood out for me was his time working with actress Vivien Leigh. It was easy to tell just how much of an impact she had on his life, being both someone he looked up to and as a friend. His description of her down-to-Earth personality despite her successful movie career made me gain a little more respect for her as well.
When he did finally reach the Star Trek portion of his memoirs, it ended up being something that filled me with a range of emotions. You had the funny parts, like him not even knowing what Star Trek was. There was the suspense of him trying to get the part followed by elation when he was both hired and offered more money than he had ever seen in his life. Then, just when the book seemed to be celebrating that long-successful journey, the heartbreaking story about how his big break also ultimately ended his marriage.
I think the thing I found I appreciated most about this part of Stewart's memoir is he owned up to the mistakes he made during that time rather than (like so many other autobiographies and memoirs) try to pass the blame to someone else. The respect for his ex-wife (and, later, wives) was clearly there as well as the humbleness and regret for hurting his kids in the process. It was the kind of thing that made him seem more human.
Final Opinion: This is an interesting and informative book I would recommend reading even if you aren't a Star Trek/X-Men fan. I don't think you'll regret the experience.
My Grade: A
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