Jim Henson: The Biography

Jim Henson was, and still is, my hero. He created a world that I loved: the Fraggles, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Big Bird, and all the rest of his creations. It was a world that I felt at home in, when it was so hard find people that thought and talked like me. But the Muppets? they did. And the people surrounding them did as well. I remember when Jim passed away, and I remember the show they did a year latter to help explain his passing, using his beloved creations to make us laugh and hope. Brian starts the book off by talking about a moment on Sesame Street where Jim, as Kermit, and a young girl are doing a scene about saying the ABC's. And the little girl keeps throwing "Cookie Monster" in randomly and Kermit says "Well next time show more you can do it with him!" and starts walking away. And the little girl says "I love you" and Kermit comes back and says "I love you to." And in those few pages at the beginning Brian captures everything I know, and love, about Jim Henson.

This isn't a book about the characters of Sesame Street or of the Muppets, you can find other books if you want those. This book is about the man that created them. The man that enchanted millions, children and adults alike. Brian, not only did research at the company archives, he also talked to family and friends and collaborators to bring Jim back to life, even if it was just for a short time period. He gives us insight into how it all began, his successes, his failures, his misfires, and even the dark spots in Jim's life, such as his love of fast cars and women. But we walk away with a full picture and a great understanding of the man that Jim Henson was.

If you grew up watching Sesame Street or the Muppets, you can't help but want to read this book. To bring Jim back to life, just for a little while, and experience the magic of the Muppets once more. I give the book 4 out of 5 stars. show less

My children grew up watching Sesame Street, The Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock. Call the parent police if you must, but occasionally those shows were wonderful “babysitters” allowing me to get chores done and meals prepared. We once took my daughters to a presentation of a behind the scenes look at Fraggle Rock, where my eldest was kissed by a Fraggle – I think it was the highlight of her life up to that point. The chart toppers of the 1980’s are a blur to me (I call them my mommy years) by I can still hum the opening theme to Sesame Street and The Muppet show. To this day if we are confronted with an odd assortment of items one, two of all three of us will break out into “One of These Things is Not Like the Other”. For all show more that I owe Mr. Henson a debt of gratitude.

* Nothing to do with this book but honorable mention must go The Elephant Show and Skinnamarink as far as memorable, hummable theme songs from children’s shows go.

Having read an excellent book a while back called “Street Gang” by Michael Davis describing the beginnings and the theories behind children’s educational programming but only scraping the surface of Mr. Henson’s life, when I came across this title I knew I had to read it. This book does more than scrape the surface. Mr. Jones’ research is diligent. He gives us a glimpse into both Mr. Henson’s heritage and his life starting with his great-grandparents right through to his untimely death. Mr. Jones describes Mr. Henson’s life, his genius, his compulsions and his family life and he does so admirably yet without sugar coating anything. He shares Mr. Henson’s flaws, foibles and faults along with everything else and that is what made this book such an exceptionally good biography. I find biographies are usually either “tell-alls” or works of gushing admiration. This one is an enjoyable journey through Mr. Henson’s life and career. I even learned a few things I didn’t know along the way.

By the end of this book I liked Jim Henson. When it came time to read about his death and funeral it was written with so much respect and poignancy that I am not ashamed to say I had to reach for the tissue box several times.

If you can still hum the theme song to Sesame Street, ever owned a Kermit puppet, know who Fozzie Bear is, remember the “hand scene” from The Labyrinth or enjoyed The Dark Crystal – you HAVE TO read this book. show less

This has got to be THE biography about Jim Henson. The damn thing is 490 pages, not counting the countless pages of notes and the freaking index. It is comprehensive and detailed, almost too much so. I don't need to know all of the countries Jim flew to in one week.

Still, it's a great read. The interviews with his entire family and dozens of staffers (including Frank Oz) help paint a realistic picture of who this man was. Unfortunately, thanks to all that information, he's not a man I really like any more. Yes, I love his work and yes, he was a rare creative genius. But I don't really have time for adulterers.

Don't learn about your heroes, I suppose.

I'm not a Henson-ite the way other members of my generation are. I grew up on Sesame Street, but I never saw The Muppet Show or Fraggle Rock until I was an adult, though I did see most of the Muppet films at various points. I didn't see The Dark Crystal until adulthood; I've still never seen Labyrinth. But reading this book made me wish I had been a Hensonite, or at least would become one. I might have never seen Labyrinth, but now I'm even curious about Henson's early work in experimental film. I'm not a Hensonite, but I do like behind-the-scenes examinations of film and television, and getting a glimpse into creative people, and this book provides both of those, and in an area I don't normally go. (The making of The Muppet Show is show more very different to that of 2001!)

Brian Jay Jones writes an exhaustive and entertaining portrait of an endlessly creative and inventive mind. Both outside and within his puppet-related work, Henson was restless, continuously pushing the boundaries of what he thought possible, continuously trying new things. Jones captures that very well in this book, which despite its length, and despite being a biography (a genre I find tougher to read than novels), I tore right through. The ending, especially, is very moving, with an account of Henson's funeral that makes you feel like you were actually there. A good biography, I think, makes you feel like you've lost someone when you reach the end of their life, and Jones definitely does that here. show less

I utterly adore the Muppets. I did when I was a little kid, and I do just as much now. Not in that nostalgic way that I still enjoy a lot of things from my childhood, either, but because their appeal is genuinely timeless and every bit as strong for a fortysomething as for a six-year-old. And that's putting it mildly. The Muppets, for me, are the very embodiment of pure, unadulterated, childlike joy, and that's a rare and precious thing in this world.

So, of course, I was happy to pick up a copy of this new biography of their legendary creator. It's very comprehensive, giving a good sense of what Henson was like -- not a saint, but a really nice, idealistic, and extraordinarily creative guy -- as well as what it was like to work on the show more Muppets and how Henson's ideas (and his puppets) took shape over time. It is a little bit long, and one could complain that some of the same things about Henson's life and personality get said over and over again, but, honestly, I didn't mind at all. I was just happy to spend the time in Henson's company, however vicariously. And the chapter describing his death and his memorial service, I don't mind admitting, had me weeping uncontrollably. show less

A delightful biography of a truly delightful man. Brian Jay Jones paints a remarkably thorough and enjoyable portrait of the man behind the Muppets, delving into every aspect of Jim Henson's life from his humble beginnings to his tragic end.

The book starts off in a somewhat meandering fashion which makes it difficult to follow at times but it smooths out into a compelling narrative once Henson embarks on his career as an entertainer. From that point on, the book becomes unputdownable. From the nostalgic trip down memory lane, to the behind-the-scenes anecdotes, to the detailed insight into the mind and motivations of one of the 20th century's greatest geniuses, there is a lot to love about this book. Children of all ages should have show more this marvelous biography at the top of their to-read lists. show less

Jones has completed a fascinating book about a fascinating and complex man. I was born in 1980 and grew up with the Muppets. I was extremely upset when, at age 10, I found out that Jim Henson had abruptly died. For me, this book was an emotional read at times because I feel like the Muppets are such a big part of my life. I loved reading about Henson's imagination and creative process. The back-stories behind Sesame Street, the Muppet Show, Emmet Otter's Jug-band Christmas, and the John Denver Christmas album were an absolute delight for me. I couldn't wait to share tidbits with my husband and my mom. Where the book waned for me--and made me start skimming--was near the end, where the text was less about creation and more about Henson's show more corporate dealings and jet-setting lifestyle with his girlfriend. His death, though... it made me bawl at age 10, and I was really fighting tears as I read the details about it at age 39 (and, of course, I reached this section in public).

If you love the Muppets and Henson's creatures, this book is well worth reading. show less