I recently read “Moonwalk” on four consecutive nights during a hiking vacation and enjoyed every minute of it.
It drew me right in, when Michael explained in the first paragraphs that he always wanted to tell stories by the fireplace, stories that would make people laugh and cry. And sitting down in a cozy sweater and warm socks, with a cup of tea, in my head I heard Michael’s voice read the whole book to me.
I didn’t really expect much from the content itself, as the timeline and the main events in his public life are well known and documented. But the book is full of little anecdotes that will warm your heart, like when little Randy tries to find Motown on a globe.
It is sprinkled with a lot of those small stories, some funny, some sad, and always entertaining. I don’t want to give away too much, in case you haven’t read it yet.
Unlike many other autobiographies, there’s no trash talk about other people. Even about someone who ripped him off, Michael found something good to say, and he doesn’t even mention the name. So it’s an enjoyable read throughout, and every day on my hikes I was always looking forward to picking up the book again in the evening, wondering what would be next.
From the 2009 afterword by one of the editors, I learned that Michael didn’t actually sit down with ink and quill at an oaken desk in his study – as romantic as the idea would be – but basically talked to his editors about his life and recorded the conversations on tape. Then a professional writer formed it into a narrative, and then Michael had the book read to him on his days off on tour and made some edits.
The afterword sounds a bit apologetic, as if the editor thought it wasn’t the “right” way to make a book. But isn’t that just how Michael worked anyway? Put his thoughts and ideas into a tape recorder and then collaborate with other professionals to make it the best product possible?
In my opinion, the fact that the book consists mostly of taped and transcribed stories, is precisely what makes it sound so personal and authentic. I’m not sure he would have arrived at that level if he had actually written down everything following a linear outline.
So, both thumbs up from me for a book I’ll definitely read again when I’m in the mood for a good story by the fireplace, warm socks, and hot tea.
