Book Review: Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris

Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own AutobiographyNeil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris
Publisher: Random House Audio
Release Date: October 14, 2014
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher’s Description:

Tired of memoirs that only tell you what really happened?
Sick of deeply personal accounts written in the first person? Seeking an exciting, interactive read that puts the “u” back in “autobiography”? Then look no further than Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography! In this revolutionary, Joycean experiment in light celebrity narrative, actor/personality/carbon-based-life-form Neil Patrick Harris lets you, the reader, live his life. You will be born to New Mexico. You will get your big break at an acting camp. You will get into a bizarre confrontation outside a nightclub with actor Scott Caan. Even better, at each critical juncture of your life you will choose how to proceed. You will decide whether to try out for Doogie Howser, M.D. You will decide whether to spend years struggling with your sexuality. You will decide what kind of caviar you want to eat on board Elton John’s yacht.
Choose correctly and you’ll find fame, fortune, and true love. Choose incorrectly and you’ll find misery, heartbreak, and a hideous death by piranhas. All this, plus magic tricks, cocktail recipes, embarrassing pictures from your time as a child actor, and even a closing song. Yes, if you buy one book this year, congratulations on being above the American average, and make that book Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography!

I highly recommend listening to the audio version of this book. NPH reads it himself and that makes it all the funnier and more personal. It’s almost like having a conversation with him. This book is structured like an actual Choose Your Own Adventure book. It’s written in second person so you, the listener/reader are NPH. Don’t worry about how this translates to audio – it’s done perfectly. Neil will say something like, “If you want choice A keep listening. If you want choice B, be patient. It’s coming up.” And then both versions are read. Choice B is usually something totally fake and funny that ends with Neil dying a tragic death so it’s not hard to keep the timeline straight.

I loved that Neil was not afraid to name drop and dish dirt. In my opinion, that’s a must for a good celebrity memoir. And through it all, he’s also wonderfully star struck and unjaded. His chapter about him and his husband meeting and then becoming friends with Elton John and his husband was wonderful. He was just as freaked out by meeting Elton John as just about anyone would have been. And a sneak peek into Elton John’s life was a nice bonus.

Neil lets us into his personal life as well – his coming out process, his relationship with his husband David and becoming a father. He gushes so sweetly about his kids. After listening to this book, I felt like NPH and I were BFFs and I was truly sad when it ended. If you are a Neil Patrick Harris fan – and if you’re not, you should be! – then this book is a must for you.

April 14th, 2015 in Books
  • http://angiewrites.com/ Angie Pedersen

    I figured you would like this book! :) I enjoyed the insights into his fascination with the behind-the-scenes mechanics of how show biz, special effects, and magic work. I also thought his accounting of his role as Barney Stinson was fascinating. And the book made me seek out videos of him as Hedwig. As you said, an entertaining “read” (I listened to the audio version as well – his narration was, of course, entertaining and flawless.)

  • http://foofynotfoofy.blogspot.com/ HeatherAnne Norbury

    I don’t read many memoirs and less celebrity stuff, but NPH does entertain me. This book sounds fun!