Robert Evans (1)Rezensionen

Fun, gossipy--glad this was reissued since it was surprisingly difficult to get my hands on a copy. For anyone interested in the history of 1970s American cinema.

The book is definitely entertaining and moves very, very fast. You will need to re-read certain sentences and sections because the author assumes you know what and whom he is referring to. I think this has to do with the fact that this is a period book, one written and published when the references were well known at the time of publication. Reading it 25 years later, many of those references are dated, as are many of the folks mentioned in this book.

The author's massive ego is evident from page one and it doesn't let up throughout the entire book. If you can get past him telling us how great he is, how good-looking he is and how successful he is and how many women he slept with - you'll be fine. At times these "attributes" help to propel the narrative. But most of the time, they are just there to feed his monumental ego.

One bit of advice - read this book in chunks. His story is a bit frenzied to take in all at one time.

I got this audio book for only $2.99, and I can see why. Narrated, by the author, this Hollywood memoir is full of self-aggrandizement, unexplained references to events that occurred fifty years ago, and virtually nothing about Evans’ own legal and criminal problems. A waste of time.

"There are three sides to every story: yours... mine... and the truth. No one is lying."

This is from the first line of the preface to this book, and it is completely appropriate. Evans recalls his 35 years in Hollywood, and definitely only tells his side.

There were times when I hated this guy, and times when I loved him. But that is true of any honest memoir, and this is unlike any memoir I've ever read. There is no self-reflection-leading-to-redemption. It is all about him never changing who he is, and acknowledging that he is not always a decent person, but damned if he's going to change. He owns up to his mistakes, but refuses to change in order to avoid them in the future.

There are times when he could have used a better editor to make a better overall narrative, and not just strung along one story after another, but his audacity and his insight into Hollywood alone make this book worth the read.

Get this one as the audiobook read by the author. Audible has it, and it's worth it to hear Evans read it himself.

To be honest I'd never heard of Robert Evans before, but this book came highly recommended in one of the lists of 'books about movies'. This review is about the audiobook, but since it's unabridged it doesn't really matter.

Robert Evans life is quite unique, he goes from a nobody to Hollywood Wunderkind to boss of Paramount Pictures while never having produced a single film. Only in Hollywood! This autobiography tells about the excessses, the marriages (especially to Ali McGraw), Hollywood's crazy world and the movie stars. Of course, the movies made at Paramount in the sixties and seventies like The Godfather and Rosemary's Baby also play an important role.

Evans doesn't shy away from things and is man enough to admit when he was wrong. The things he can tell us are very interesting for anyone wanting a closer look at The movie business in that period from an insider's perspective. And Evans didn't just perceive, he played ball. He narrates the audiobook himself and his background as an actor seems obvious. Evans is great at impersonating others and has a nice coarse, booming voice to listen to, with a staccato like delivery. I'm always weary when authors narrate their own books, but he has the voice acting capabilities that lack in so many other audiobooks.

Both Audiobook and book come highly recommended for any moviebuff. People who are interested but don't care for 500 pages of this, there is always the 2002 documentary: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303353/½

Is this the best book ever?
Not a chance.

Will you enjoy it?
You bet your ass.

Does Robert Evans skip over the embarrassing details of his life?
Sure some of them.

Does he talk out of both sides of his mouth?
Yeah well who doesn't.

Does he say he isn't about to talk about his sexual escapades then say he is sure he "scored" better than Warren Beatty?
Yeah.

Is the audiobook they way to this book?
Absolutely.

Does Evans do credible impressions of Jack Nicholson, Cary Grant, and other Hollywood figures?
I have to say yes.

Does he like to ask rhetorical questions then answer them?
Yup.½

Robert Evans produced "The Godfather" and "Rosemary's Baby" and was married to Ali McGraw. His autobiography is a litany of name-dropping and self-aggrandising and he has an ego the size of a planet. The first chapter or so, I found these things a problem, but then I was drawn in by this larger than life character and found myself rooting for him when things turn bad. Even if you do have to take some of it with a large pinch of salt, Evans has lived an exciting life, through one of the best periods in Hollywood filmmaking, and this makes for a great biography.

Self serving but wonderfully slick. Perhaps a rare exception where the movie is better than the book. . . but when better than with a book and movie about the most famous Hollywood producer you've never heard of?

This is about how important and marvelous Evans is. Lots of junk about hollywood people