If you enjoyed the musical RENT you will probably enjoy parts of this book.

I really loved the parts of the book about RENT and learning about how the show came together and some backstage information about the production and how they all reacted to Jonathan Larson's death and the show's wild success.

A huge section of the book is about Anthony Rapp dealing with the death of his mother and that will either work for you or it won't. It didn't work for me other than gaining some insight into how stressful his life was during the early days of the show.

Another big component of the book revolves around Rapp's romantic life which is filled with drama. Again, many people might enjoy that, but I didn't. I have very low tolerance for people who thrive on relationships that are nothing but arguments and making up again and Rapp is definately one of those people!

So, Rent parts good, personal life parts not so good. Overall an OK book but nothing special.

( )

I loved the first half of this book. Anyone who is a fan of RENT would enjoy reading about the birth of the musical. I could’ve done without the author’s first sexual experiences in the middle, but I could certainly identify with some of the grief he experienced when he lost his mother. All-in-all I’d only recommend it if you are a big fan of RENT. ( )

This was a great book that I think all people would like, not just Rentheads. The experiences Anthony Rapp describes involve more than just his time with RENT. ( )

[review written 2011]

So today I finished Without You by Anthony Rapp. I got this in New York as a rather large fan of the musical RENT but after reading it within a day (and even taking it with me to the Metropolitan Museum of Art) I realized it was much, much more than just a memoir of my favorite musical. It deals with Anthony’s mother’s battle with cancer, his relationships with friends and family, and of course with the musical as well. I loved the book as soon as I got it, and I’m grateful since it was a spur-of-the-moment purchase. It was inspiring and gave me chills, and Anthony Rapp’s writing style is powerful and flows really well, unlike this sentence. ( )

At first there’s mainly talk about Rent as Anthony’s one of the original cast members from the workshop production before it went on broadway. It was great to read about those early days of the show and how much changed. One of the roughest parts to get through was Jonathan Larson’s death. Jonathan Larson was the creative genius behind Rent. He died the night before their off-broadway opening night of an aortic aneurysm. He was young and talented and full of life. It was a very emotional section.

I hoped that it was the most emotional part of the book, I was wrong. Through most of the book Anthony’s mother fights a long, and, in the end, losing battle with cancer. In the early days of Rent she relapses from her remission and her deterioration is a major part of the book.
When the cancer won the battle, I was so glad I was at home. Up until then I was reading it in the car and at work, fighting back the tears. I could just let them fall as I read about how he got through it and dealt with the grief. If you read this book, have a box of tissues close at hand!

This is a great book for anyone to read. Although, if you don’t like Rent, I wouldn’t pick it up as it is a huge part of his life. He’s been a part of the show in every stage it’s been through. I don’t think I’ll ever listen to or watch it the same way again. ( )