Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsA memoir in short-story form, unique and captivating
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2022
This unique memoir is told in the form of many short essays/stories about Patterson's life, as he uses a very informal and conversational writing style to tell his life story. The book has 17 parts/sections, with about 133 different individual (unnumbered) “chapters”, each one containing a short autobiographical story. There are about 328 total pages.
Patterson starts by describing his “colloquial” writing style, and informing the reader that the rest of the book will be written in this very conversational matter-of-fact style. He then dives right in telling these short individual stories about his life; from working in a psych ward, to almost dying at birth, to being an altar boy. The stories aren't exactly in chronological order, but most are generally grouped into themes, like “mad men”, “name dropping”, and “love stories”.
Overall I really enjoyed reading this memoir. The format is unusual for this kind of book, but I think it really works for Patterson's writing style. He builds a comprehensive self portrait by telling one short story at a time, and adding in some humor along the way. Fans of his books will likely enjoy reading these interesting details about his remarkable life, and everyone can appreciate his ability to tell a good story.
