It’s true that Dick Van Dyck has lead a pretty astonishing life. In this memoir he takes us from his early childhood to the present time, telling his life stories and sharing anecdotes of the different performances he has been in. There is gossip, there are trials, and through it all you get a sense of the rich life that he has lived. From early vaudeville-type acts to Bye-Bye Birdie on Broadway to the Dick Van Dyke show to Mary Poppins, he’s lived his adult entire life amongst the Hollywood A List.
I think I probably chose this because it was read by the author and I have liked everything that I have seen him in. It’s an engaging enough book, a little bit scattered at times, a little bit preachy and a little bit "look at how amazing my life is." Because I didn’t really know anything at all but his personal life, I’ll be honest and say that I wasn’t super thrilled with what I saw. I appreciate that he is honest about his personal choices and demons, I just found myself a little disappointed with the disconnect I saw between the kind a family man he says he is and some of his choices. But, that is my own experience and values making that judgement and for the history of television comedy and the look at a life-well lived, it was pretty good.
1 comment:
Sounds fun! I saw Dick Van Dyke in concert a few years ago and it was a delight. He's such an engaging performer, even now. I'll have to read more about his life as I don't know all that much about him either. Thanks for the heads-up on this memoir!
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