"Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested." (Francis Bacon)

Tuesday, April 05, 2022

The Boys

TITLE: The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family
AUTHOR: Ron Howard and Clint Howard

As celebrity memoirs go, this is fairly tame. No big scandals, no tell-all about other celebrities. Aside from Clint's addictions, (he's now sober), this is just a simple, sweet story about a family of working actors. Both Ron and Clint started acting when they were very young, their careers for a while eclipsing their father's. 

The book covers the years when their parents met and fell in love, through The Boys' acting and growing up in Hollywood, to the beginning of Ron's directing career. The structure of the book works really well, with alternating views of the authors, including asides/interruptions by the other, giving the feeling of sitting with the two of them as they tell their story. What resonated most for me is that other than being in show biz, the Howard family was normal and relatable. The book is a delight.

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