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Jun 22, 2019iloveseaotters rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Since November, I have read three autobiographies (Mike Love, Brian Wilson, Bryan Cranston) and this, Bryan Cranston's "A Life In Parts" is the best, if not the best autobiography I've ever read. I consider myself a fan of "Breaking Bad", which is what peaked my interest in this book. I didn't know much at all about Bryan, except for the projects I've seen him in. That being said, this is unlike any autobiography out there and I loved the way it was written. "A Life In Parts" is referring to the many roles he has played in his life, such as of course, Walter White, but also Father, Son, Husband, and some other roles that were surprising. He writes with such honesty in short, easy to read chapters that tell individual stories. There were some that made me laugh out loud (absolutely hilarious!), some that made me feel for him so much that I wanted to hug him (he's been through a lot in his life) and some that were so shocking that even I couldn't believe what I was reading. He's very candied and holds nothing back, which I loved. I felt like we were sitting across from each other and he was telling me stories about his life. The beginning of the book goes right into it, brilliantly describing a key episode of "Breaking Bad" (note; there are a lot of spoilers for the show, so if you haven't watched the series, I'd suggest you do so before reading this, to avoid those... I'm assuming he's writing on the assumption that everyone has seen the whole series prior to reading his book), almost like a script in story from and then effortlessly glides into Bryan's voice, leading into his personal life. It was amazingly done. From there he skips around some, but the titles (roles) are there to tell you what subject he tackles next. I should also mention that this book isn't just an autobiography, but it's a great resource for anyone who is considering becoming an actor. He takes you through every step, giving piece after piece of advice that he's learned from experience on almost every aspect. I would consider it an actor's handbook as well as an autobiography because there is so much material on the subject that any aspiring actor would find it helpful. Were I considering that field I would purchase this book and cherish it like gold. Oh to be as good as Bryan Cranston on stage and screen; big and small. Reading this makes me not only want to watch the whole series again (REALLY watch it this time), but it also makes me wish I had gone to his appearance at Benaroya Hall in Seattle back in October when he was promoting his book. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that in one section he mentioned my favorite actor, David Hyde Pierce! It was just a sentence, but it honestly made me love this book more. This is one book that I would consider purchasing in the future to read it again and again. It's that good. I'm sure it must have been hard for him to talk about a lot of the subjects he covers in this book, but he did it brilliantly and I hope that this book earns him more fans. He certainly has one in me!