Alan Alda: More than just Hawkeye Pierce.
Written: Oct 30 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Moving treatment of mental illness, interesting life story, insight into M*A*S*H...
Cons: Awkward timeline, none of the trash we were all hoping for...
The Bottom Line: Really, I wouldn't ever have my dog stuffed anyway.
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| JediKermit's Full Review: Alan Alda - Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other... |
Some of my earliest television memories involve M*A*S*H. My parents were die-hard fans, and would watch every week, and then every night, when it became syndicated. That show could make my parents, laugh, cry, and go off on discussions about the geopolitical state of the world that alternately excited me, worried me, and confused me. What a great show. I eventually grew to love it as much or even more than they did, to the point that when the series ended, I cried as much as anyone else in the family did. Weird.
So when I picked up Alan Alda's autobiography as a book on CD a few weeks back, I was hoping that there would be a big juicy chunk on that series, which for me was my only real exposure to the actor. The good news is, there is a lot about M*A*S*H in the book. The better news is, there's a lot more to the book, and to Alda, than I had expected. This autobiography was a pleasure to read, not only because of Alda's wonderful writing style, but because he's led a very interesting life, and probes deep into his own life and that of his family members. It's a psychological study as much as anything, and had me considering my own life and how I relate to the world and people around me.
We read about how he was born Alphonse D'Abruzzo, into a family connected with the stage. His father worked with a burlesque troupe, which meant that Alda was surrounded by naked women from a very young age. He refers back to those experiences and wonders about how it shaped his life several times throughout the book. He goes through various stages of being in the wings and on the stage with his family, through various parochial schools, and into the military before realizing that acting really is in his blood, and he decides to pursue an acting career. This of course is a disappointment to his parents, who wanted him to be a doctor, but Alda was determined to act.
Much of the book deals with his mother's mental illness: she was a paranoid schizophrenic who tried to stab Ali's father at least once, and whose illness eventually led to their divorce and her hospitalization. His relationship with his mother is especially marked with confusion and pain--eventually he himself is diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, and receives treatment for it. As he does, he finds himself closer to his mother, but is never fully reconciled to his feelings for her--the betrayal, the pain, the loss--before she passes away. Alda's expression of these feelings rings true, and anyone who's had mental illness in their family will find those feelings mirrored in his words.
His experiences as an actor, both pre- and post-M*A*S*H are interesting, although some of the stories go too far into the minutae of other actors, directors, and scripts to be consistently interesting, unless you have more insight into that world than I do. I did find his attempts at analyzing his own acting fascinating, but others would find it tedious. He gives M*A*S*H the time and treatment it deserves, and has nothing but nice things to say about the producers, writers and other actors on the series. I'll admit, I was looking for some dirt of some kind, and although I would have been crushed to find it, I was kind of disappointed that there wasn't any. Alda's either very diplomatic or very forgiving; either way, it makes for a very...nice...read. He refers to several key episodes, and how they changed him as a writer, director, or actor. I remembered most of the episodes he referred to, and his words gave me new insight into a series I've been watching for decades.
I listened to the book on CD, and it was read not by Alda, but by Marc Cashman. It was pleasant enough, although I do wish Alda had been able to read it himself. It runs 8 1/2 hours on seven CDs, and is a great way to spend your commute.
Besides the squeaky-clean treatment of M*A*S*H, my only other complaint is that Alda skips the narrative around across the span of his life. While the book is generally written in chronological order, there are places where he skips ahead or behind several decades without giving the reader a heads-up. It's a minor complaint, but still had me stymied a few times.
If you're a fan of M*A*S*H, of Alan Alda, or of the craft of acting or writing, you would enjoy "Never Have Your Dog Stuffed." What I was left with at the end of the book was an impression of a great man who had a great impact on my life. Whether or not he ever intended to be anything more than an actor, he and the character he created have become a sort of compass for many of us who loved M*A*S*H. Great guy, great book. You'd probably like it.
And THAT, my friends, is my #50 in CopeSullivan’s Fifty Reviews By Halloween Write-Off. Yeah, I didn't win a prize, but hey. The prize is in the writing. Thanks to CopeSullivan for the challenge, and congrats to the winners who got there before me. By like, a month.
Recommended:
Yes
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JediKermit
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Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
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Books, Movies, and Toys. Is there more to life?
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