Hal Holbrook (1925–2021)

A series of readings from the great misanthrope. By the time Twain was in his fifties, he had soured on a good deal of American life. Even Sawyer and Finn were set in the 1840's not the Gilded Age of Twain's greatest fame. But they're part of Americana, and often funny. Enjoy!

I will admit that I lost interest in this book almost immediately as it is filled with endless detail upon detail of things most people aren't really interested in (and I'm not one to be interested in 'tell all' books, so that should give you some idea that even those details aren't listed). However, I've read enough to know that this isn't a biography in the true sense of the word. I'm not saying it's a bad book; not at all. It's just boring as far as autobiographies go

The book, to me, show more appears to be written only to assuage Mr. Holbrook's guilt over his first marriage and the two children from that union. It starts with his birth and centers on the beginnings of his career and ends with his performing his one-man show Mark Twain and finally makes a name for himself. There were so many years after this, both on the stage, in television, and even film that followed; yet this book touches on none of that.

The other main focus is his first marriage to Ruby which produced two children, Victoria and David. There is no mention of his second marriage - which produced a daughter, Eve; nor of his final - and lasting - marriage to actress Dixie Carter. By reading it, you would think that after he topped his career with Twain, no other role came his way.

On the contrary, he continued to act for many more years with distinctive roles. He has even been nominated for an Academy Award. But we are to learn none of that. Since it has been at least seven years since this book was written, it's not as if he hasn't been able to continue his story. But it seems he doesn't want us to know anything else about his life.

In the end, I get the feeling that this book was written more as an apology to his first family - Ruby and his children by that marriage - than out of any need to tell the story of his life (which again, has much more to it thus far). While I have no doubt he has regrets about his first marriage and his children, I believe that it might have been better if he had just sat them down and explained his reasoning to them instead of taking the reader on that journey with him in order to justify his actions in being an absent father. After all, and I say this without judgment to those who think otherwise, being deprived of his own parents should have at least taught him the benefit of being around his own offspring, but apparently it didn't. show less

I think what I'm listening to is actually the best of Hal Holbrook Mark Twain Tonight.

Excellent - not to be missed!