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Robin Williams  By  cover art

Robin Williams

By: Emily Herbert
Narrated by: Marston York
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Publisher's summary

With his twinkling eyes, boundless energy and unrivalled natural wit, Robin Williams was the comedian who brought laughter to a generation.

Through roles in cherished films such as Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, Aladdin and Hook, he became the genial face of family comedy. His child-like enthusiasm was infectious, sweeping viewers away. Allied to his lightning-quick improvisation and ability to riff lewdly off any cue thrown at him, Robin was that rare thing - a true comic genius who appealed to adults and children equally.

He could also play it straight, and empathetic depth came to him naturally. A poignant performance in Good Will Hunting won him an Academy Award whilst his masterfully chilling turn in psychological thriller Insomnia shocked audiences and hinted at a darker side.

What truly caught the imagination, though, was his good-heartedness. Warmth radiated from him on-screen, but he was legendary for his off-screen acts of selfless generosity. Where most Hollywood A-listers demand outrageous pampering in their contract riders, he always insisted that the production company hire a full quota of homeless people to help make his movies.

But behind the laughter lay a deeply troubled man, and tragedy would follow. At midday, on 11th August 2014, Robin Williams was pronounced dead at his California home. The verdict was suicide. He had battled depression and addiction for many years and was allegedly beset by financial difficulties.

Virginia Blackburn's sensitive and thoughtful biography celebrates his genius and warmth, but also attempts to understand what could have driven such a gentle and gifted man to so tragic an end.

©2018 Emily Herbert (P)2018 W. F. Howes Ltd

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What listeners say about Robin Williams

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good... but too many quotes


I loved it, but had to ffwd past chapter 1. It was only quotes about how sad people were. The author's trend to quote continued, but not like in the beginning. After that, I couldn't stop listening. I learned a lot about my comic hero.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Saddest and funniest book ever. If that makes any sense.

Being a huge Robin Williams fan, this book breaks my heart. Robin was such an AWESOME GENIUS that truly lived a living hell. I’m a 4 time suicide attempt survivor. I finally found someone that understood and related. The demons of depression and not feeling good enough took his life way to soon. I have cried and laughed through this journey of listening to this book. It has changed my life. I just wish Robin would have known the lives it does change and the people that can relate to him. I feel the industry took advantage of his talents and ignored the signs. People we have to be more aware and alert to the illnesses of depression. It is real and haunting. I would rather be pissed off at someone for trying to help me and save my life than to ignore it because it’s ugly and end up killing myself. This is a must read for anyone that has ever had mental illness, addiction or any other life debilitating issues. He was a purely wonderful man. A LIVING GENIUS that brought so much to the world only to be ignored of his true demons. Big industry these people make you big, care enough to help them and keep them going. Robin deserved so much better. My Deepest Sympathy and Condolences to all his Family. They truly lost a Grand Wonderful Man that changed all our lives and touched them. May God be with you always, Ms. Ginger Leah Davis
Granby Missouri

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Truth.

This is the simple truth about hurt and the grief that can debilitate a dear dear life. Here is a man that gave us and taught us 2 precious lessons: Laughter and the ability to see ppl deeper. Thank you, Robin. You truly never knew how much you where loved.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

100% suggested!

What a great documentation of Robin's life.

Thank you for all involved! So sad that he felt like he had so where else to go.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Missing Robin Williams

Robin was truly gifted and missed. learned so much more about him in this book

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Book

This is perfect for any Robin Williams fans who always wanted to know more about him

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Uneven quality

It’s a shame the audio version’s director and the narrator couldn’t be bothered with getting the pronunciation correct on California place names. It’s Ma-RIN County and Mount Tamal- PI-as, for example. Other errors: the critic’s name was Roger E-bert, not Ebbert, and the renowned school is Juilliard, not THE Juilliard. There are other errors as well that reflect sloppy research. The book itself was fairly good but revealed nothing new. Still, Williams will always be fascinating, and I wanted to hear his story again.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

author doesn't seem to have any personal knowledge

struggle to finish this book. Robin Williams has been one of my absolute favorites. But, the author takes you through each scene of each movie and it becomes pendantic.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Crickey! Just a bunch of quotes, wrong prononc'n

A book is more than just the research you found online. It is your own spin on a story, or a story, at the very least! This is just a compilation of quotes. And the British accent makes no sense for the life of this American actor. The pronunciations of important names and places, such as the county where Williams was living when he died, (MaRIN, not MAArin), are all wrong! Yikes.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved this.

I will say that I bought this by mistake, but I'm so glad I did. It sure makes me miss him more. We were lucky to live in the time of his life.

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