“My mother made me the man I am,”
I’ve always been quietly appreciative of Michael Caine’s talents – I’ve recently rewatched Alfie (1966, dir. Lewis Gilbert) – and I worked in retail when this book came out in hardback. I remember a lot of people purchased it, and I held off reading it myself for quite a while. I usually find most celebrity memoirs to be quite samey, but I really enjoyed reading this one.
From the get go I fell in love with this book. It’s written with such humour and heart that it made me want to devour it in one sitting but the distraction of working prevented me from doing so. It’s not a memoir about an actor patting himself on the back and namedropping a bit, but instead deals with a multitude of themes such as class, masculinity, identity and fame and yet is still written with a dry wit like you’re chatting to an old friend over a cup of tea.
While the book is partly an advice book about life, it never becomes patronizing or clunky. Caine even goes into detail about a lot of his acting methodology and motivations which I found fascinating. Even the frequent name dropping isn’t annoying, because he manages to make even the most simple anecdote sound interesting. At times it also manages to be tender and unexpectedly emotional, because its clear that he sets such store by his friends and loved ones.
Reading this book has made me want to watch more of his films, and this book is such a gem. I’m glad I read it, and I think you should read it too – if you haven’t already.
MY RATING: ***** / *****
Every Book Is Beautiful 