"Choose Your Own Autobiography" by Neil Patrick Harris

Famed child actor, star of two hit television shows, Tony winner, popular award show host, husband, father…Neil Patrick Harris has lived a full life and now you can live that life too.  When NPH writes his autobiography, he doesn’t do it in the regular way.  Instead he writes, Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography.

It’s pretty safe to say that most fans of Harris’ already know much of his story.  Born and raised in New Mexico, he came into our homes as the boy-genius doctor on television’s Doogie Howser, M.D.  But when the show finished, he was unable to escape the Doogie image.  It wasn’t until he appeared in the 2004 film, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle that he was able to shed that image and get on the path to becoming the NPH we all know today.  Read this book and see if you will follow the same path he did.

When I first heard about this book I pretty much thought the same thing everyone else did - “a Choose Your Own Autobiography book? Who other than NPH could write such an awesome book?”  Honestly, this was such a fantastic read.  A twist on the same old celebrity memoir, this book is so much fun to read and will have you laughing and smiling the way Harris’ characters make you do the same.

All of the warmth and humour that Harris exudes when you see him hosting an awards show or giving an interview jumps off the page in this book.  He is completely open and honest about his career and personal life.  He knows his audience and speaks directly to them.

The choose your own adventure format is so much fun.  At many points I found myself taking way too long trying to decide which path to go down because I just wanted to know everything that happened.  The only thing that bothered me is how it is written in the “you” perspective.  You are Neil Patrick Harris and obviously that was how Choose Your Own Adventure books were written but that kind of got on my nerves.  If it had been written that the reader chooses Neil’s adventure, and instead of “you” it uses “Neil” that would have removed what annoyed me.

One quick note - this is one of those books that needs to be read in paperback.  I cannot imagine how it would be to read this in e-book format.  


Are you a fan of Neil Patrick Harris?  Chances are you have probably already read this book or at least put it on your to-read list.  I mean, do I really need to convince people to buy his autobiography?  I didn’t think so.  So I will just say this, it is everything you hope it will be and more.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Random House of Canada.  The opinions expressed above are my own.

Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 24, 2014 at 12:33 AM

    I love NPH. I'll have to give this book a chance :) - Maggie @ macarons & paperbacks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ShanOctober 24, 2014 at 9:21 AM

      I don't read a lot of autobiographies but you know that NPH will do a good job.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousOctober 26, 2014 at 3:44 PM

    I LOVED this book. I could have done without the 'choose your own adventure' portion of it, but I loved it all the same. You're so right, he definitely knows his audience and knows how to speak to them.

    ReplyDelete

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