Close to the end of this biography the author mentions that Nicholson has on occasion thought about writing his own bio but has never got around to it. I immediately though to myself ; I wish he had. Because this one just didn't do it for me. I mean Jack is an awesome actor and has led an amazing life but this book really just skimmed the surface, it never really probed deep enough. Jack, if by some slim chance you read this review, do us all a favor and write your own bio. Only you could truly do it justice. ( )

I was in the mood to read a biography so I scouted Blogging for Books to see what was available for review. I stopped and was excited to see Marc Eliot's Nicholson: A Biography available for advance review. Library Journal quipped, " Fans of celebrity bios and film students alike will welcome this well-researched addition to the genre." I am not a fan of celebrity bios but I am a fan of Jack Nicholson's performances ever since I saw "One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest".

The trade copy of the book arrived in the mail and I sat down immediately and read the introduction and scanned the photos throughout the book. The intro promised to reveal some dark family secret and I looked forward to learning what made Jack "Jack". I wanted to know about his children and a deeper look at the factors that made him the wild child he remains today.

The book began, as expected, with Jack's early life as a child and moved very quickly to California. By page 40 it was apparent the book was less about Jack and more about the Hollywood culture and Jack's attempts to join it. The writing was dry but I struggled along hoping at some point to get a bit deeper into "Jack" and less about his drugs and sexual appetites.

By page 178 I hit the photo inserts in the middle and knew that I just couldn't go further. I felt soiled and sick reading about motion picture industry and the non-stop sex and drugs.
The story had become nothing more than a description of movie plots, a listing of the actors involved and the critical reviews. And sex, drugs and women. Repetitively. It felt like a reading a Ground Hog day script crafted in one of the level's of Dante's inferno.

Very disappointed.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review
( )

Jack Nicholson, one of the most legendary figures to ever grace the silver screen, deserves something better than this crap. Marc Eliot's "biography" is nothing more than the retelling of everything we already know. It reads more like a bullet-pointed list of events than anything else. It's true that Nicholson's character is less than admirable, but Eliot focuses the majority of the book on his multiple flings over the years and very little else. This "book" is tabloid garbage and has nothing to offer. We can only hope that a much richer biography of this legend will be produced in the future. ( )

I received my copy thru Blogging for Books. I really enjoyed this book and was so impressed with the authors extensive background research that he did that I want to read his other biographies. Marc Elliot is an awesome actor and I really like how he did his homework for the book. Jack Nicholson has always been one of my all time favorite actors and I was amazed at how early on women made such an impact on him. He grew up in a family with mostly females all his life which has shaped him to be a ladykiller. His unique family life has help to transform him into the most awesome method actors around. You can't help but to feel sorry for him once he finds out the woman who he thought was his biological mother, turns out to be far from the truth. The author captures Jack's struggle for independence and roles that were iconic in the movie industry. I was intrigued by him and this book helped to satisfy the mystique of Jack Nicholson. ( )

Not a big fan of The Jack to begin with and less so the more I found out here. One thing cannot be argued though is the man has been about as successful as one in long movie career. A fair amount of turkeys he played in but offset by the big Oscar rewards, far more than most.

This bio leans more toward neutrality and matter of fact presentation of the man. Eliot has written a number of bio's on actors. Jack's goals in life aside from becoming a star were getting laid, getting high, and watching all the Laker's games. In this he succeeded and he certainly can say he did it his way. He comes across as a real slime ball in his relationships, but no big deal, just his way. ( )