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The extraordinary life of an ordinary man: a memoir

Book Cover
Average Rating
Publisher:
Varies, see individual formats and editions
Pub. Date:
2022
Language:
English
Description
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • The raw, candid, unvarnished memoir of an American icon. The greatest movie star of the past 75 years covers everything: his traumatic childhood, his career, his drinking, his thoughts on Marlon Brando, James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, John Huston, his greatest roles, acting, his intimate life with Joanne Woodward, his innermost fears and passions and joys. With thoughts/comments throughout from Joanne Woodward, George Roy Hill, Tom Cruise, Elia Kazan and many others.

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: TIME and Vanity Fair

"Newman at his best…with his self-aware persona, storied marriage and generous charitable activities…this rich book somehow imbues his characters’ pain and joy with fresh technicolor." —The Wall Street Journal


In 1986, Paul Newman and his closest friend, screenwriter Stewart Stern, began an extraordinary project. Stuart was to compile an oral history, to have Newman’s family and friends and those who worked closely with him, talk about the actor’s life. And then Newman would work with Stewart and give his side of the story. The only stipulation was that anyone who spoke on the record had to be completely honest. That same stipulation applied to Newman himself. The project lasted five years.
 
The result is an extraordinary memoir, culled from thousands of pages of transcripts. The book is insightful, revealing, surprising. Newman’s voice is powerful, sometimes funny, sometimes painful, always meeting that high standard of searing honesty. The additional voices—from childhood friends and Navy buddies, from family members and film and theater collaborators such as Tom Cruise, George Roy Hill, Martin Ritt, and John Huston—that run throughout add richness and color and context to the story Newman is telling.
 
Newman’s often traumatic childhood is brilliantly detailed. He talks about his teenage insecurities, his early failures with women, his rise to stardom, his early rivals (Marlon Brando and James Dean), his first marriage, his drinking, his philanthropy, the death of his son Scott, his strong desire for his daughters to know and understand the truth about their father. Perhaps the most moving material in the book centers around his relationship with Joanne Woodward—their love for each other, his dependence on her, the way she shaped him intellectually, emotionally and sexually.
 
The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man is revelatory and introspective, personal and analytical, loving and tender in some places, always complex and profound.
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Grouping Information

Grouped Work ID135f31da-3269-4bee-aa43-eef42721e034
Grouping Titleextraordinary life of an ordinary man
Grouping Authorpaul newman
Grouping Categorybook
Grouping LanguageEnglish (eng)
Last Grouping Update2024-03-28 04:42:22AM
Last Indexed2024-03-27 05:53:39AM

Solr Fields

accelerated_reader_point_value
0
accelerated_reader_reading_level
0
auth_author2
Newman Soderlund, Clea
Newman, Melissa
Rosenthal, David, 1953-
Soderlund, Clea Newman
Stern, Stewart
author
Newman, Paul, 1925-2008
author2-role
Newman Soderlund, Clea,writer of afterword
Newman, Melissa,writer of foreword
Rosenthal, David,1953-compiler,editor
Rosenthal, David,1953-editor
Soderlund, Clea Newman,writer of afterword
Stern, Stewart,interviewer
author_display
Newman, Paul
available_at_catalog
Ashland Vaughn Public Library
Drummond Public Library
Iron River Library
Land O' Lakes Public Library
Phelps Public Library
Sayner Plum Lake Library
Spooner Public Library
Superior Main Library
Washburn Public Library
Winter Public Library
detailed_location_catalog
Ashland Adult Nonfiction
Bayfield Nonfiction
Drummond Adult Nonfiction
Hayward Adult And Young Adult Nonfiction
Iron River Adult Nonfiction
Land O Lakes Adult Nonfiction
Manitowish Waters Adult Biography
Online OverDrive Collection
Phelps Adult Biography
Sayner Adult Nonfiction
Spooner Biography
Superior Adult Nonfiction
Washburn Adult Nonfiction
Winter Nonfiction
display_description
"The raw, candid, unvarnished memoir of an American icon Several years before he died in 2008, Paul Newman commissioned his best friend to interview actors and directors he worked with, his friends, his children, his first wife, his psychiatrist, and Joanne Woodward, to create an oral history of his life. After hearing and reading what others said about him, Newman then dictated his own version of his life. Now, this long-lost memoir-90% Newman's own narrative, interspersed with wonderful stories and recollections by his family, friends, and such luminaries as Elia Kazan, Tom Cruise, George Roy Hill, Martin Ritt-will be published. This book will surprise and even shock people, it reveals unknown sides of Paul Newman: funny and tragic, charming and insightful, personal and professional. Newman's traumatic childhood is brilliantly detailed: his terrible relationship with his mother (he says she always considered him purely a decoration, not an actual child), his complicated relationship with his father (who once insisted eight-year-old Paul walk home several miles with a broken leg). He talks with extraordinary honesty, insight and humor, about his insecurities as a teenager, his lack of success with women, his feelings of failure. Tales of his army years feel like a movie in itself. His college years, his early yearnings to be an actor, learning his craft, his acting rivals at the beginning of his career (Brando and Dean), his films (good and bad) - he spares no one, including himself. He discusses the complicated relationship he had with his first wife, his son Scott's death, and his guilt about that death. Perhaps the most moving material in the book comes when he discusses Joanne Woodward-their love for each other, his dependence on her, even their sexually charged life together"--
format_catalog
Book
eAudiobook
eBook
format_category_catalog
Audio Books
Books
eBook
id
135f31da-3269-4bee-aa43-eef42721e034
isbn
9780593534502
9780593534519
9780593627594
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itype_catalog
BOOK - HARDCOVER
last_indexed
2024-03-27T10:53:39.493Z
lexile_score
-1
literary_form
Non Fiction
literary_form_full
Non Fiction
local_callnumber_catalog
791.43 NEW
921 N467n Newman, Paul
921 NEW
921 NEWMAN
B New
Bio NEWMAN
Online OverDrive
owning_library_catalog
Ashland Vaughn Public Library
Ashland Vaughn Public Library Online
Bayfield Library
Bayfield Library Online
Boulder Junction Library Online
Cable Forest Lodge Library Online
Drummond Public Library
Drummond Public Library Online
Eagle River Olson Library Online
Grantsburg Public Library Online
Hayward Weiss Community Library
Hayward Weiss Community Library Online
Hurley Public Library Online
Iron River Library
Iron River Library Online
LCO College Library Online
Lac du Flambeau Public Library Online
Lake Nebagamon Branch Library Online
Land O Lakes Public Library
Land O Lakes Public Library Online
Land O' Lakes Public Library
Land O' Lakes Public Library Online
Madeline Island Public Library Online
Manitowish Waters Koller Library
Manitowish Waters Koller Library Online
Mellen Legion Memorial Library Online
Mercer Public Library Online
NWLS Main Offices Online
Northern Waters Library Network Online
Northern Waters Library Service Online
Phelps Public Library
Phelps Public Library Online
Phelps School Library Online
Presque Isle Public Library Online
Red Cliff Ginanda Gikendaasomin Library Online
Sayner Plum Lake Library
Sayner Plum Lake Library Online
Shell Lake Public Library Online
Sherman & Ruth Weiss Community Library - Hayward
Sherman & Ruth Weiss Community Library - Hayward Online
Solon Springs Branch Library Online
Spooner Bookmobile
Spooner Public Library
Spooner Public Library Online
Superior Main Library
Superior Main Library Online
Superior Public Library
Superior Public Library Online
Washburn Public Library
Washburn Public Library Online
Webster Public Library Online
Winchester Public Library Online
Winter Public Library
Winter Public Library Online
owning_location_catalog
Ashland Vaughn Public Library
Bayfield Library
Drummond Public Library
Hayward Weiss Community Library
Iron River Library
Land O' Lakes Public Library
Manitowish Waters Koller Library
Online OverDrive Collection
Phelps Public Library
Sayner Plum Lake Library
Spooner Public Library
Superior Main Library
Washburn Public Library
Winter Public Library
primary_isbn
9780593534502
publishDate
2022
2023
publisher
Alfred A. Knopf
Books on Tape
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Thorndike Press, a part of Gale, a Cengage Company
recordtype
grouped_work
subject_facet
Actors -- United States -- Biography
Autobiographies
Biographies
Interviews
Large print books
Motion picture actors and actresses -- United States -- Biography
Newman, Paul, -- 1925-2008
Newman, Paul, -- 1925-2008 -- Friends and associates
Newman, Paul, -- 1925-2008 -- Interviews
title_display
The extraordinary life of an ordinary man : a memoir
title_full
The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man A Memoir
The extraordinary life of an ordinary man : a memoir / Paul Newman ; based on interviews and oral histories conducted by Stewart Stern ; compiled and edited by David Rosenthal ; foreword by Melissa Newman ; afterword by Clea Newman Soderlund
The extraordinary life of an ordinary man : a memoir / Paul Newman, based on interviews and oral histories conducted by Stewart Stern ; compiled and edited by David Rosenthal ; foreword by Melissa Newman ; afterword by Clea Newman Soderlund
title_short
The extraordinary life of an ordinary man
title_sub
a memoir
topic_facet
Actors
Biography & Autobiography
Friends and associates
Motion picture actors and actresses
Newman, Paul
Nonfiction
Performing Arts

Solr Details Tables

item_details

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overdrive:a1df7bde-7694-401e-b1f3-5220621ec5daeAudiobookAudio BooksEnglishBooks on Tape2022
overdrive:d20563df-261f-493e-8614-56c5eac9cbe5eBookeBookEnglishKnopf Doubleday Publishing Group2022

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