Customer Reviews

Bogart: In Search of My Father

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a fan of Bogart movies,I found this to be an interesting read, even though it is really a collection of Bogart stories, told by his old friends. Humphrey Bogart died when his son was only 8 years old and his memories of his father are as sketchy as one would expect. What annoyed me was his whining attitude towards his father for dying and leaving him (as if he could help this !) and towards his mother, for her love and loyalty to her husband. This was a much loved and cherished child who blamed all of his failings in life on the fact that he was left fatherless as a child, but enjoyed a loving home and what would have been a fine education if he had applied himself and stopped drowning in self pity.

I don't imagine any of us really know what it is like to be the son of a legend..the incredible pressure that must come with living up to your father..it sounds like a wonderful easy life but as Stephen Bogart let's us know it's not..a book full of anecdotes and stories, self-examination, a bit too much whining for my tastes but nevertheless some tasty morsels can be found in this book..

Well written but hardly engaging, Stephen Bogart descends to the predictable far too often. Open any section and the recipe will be identical: Fascinating anecdotes about Humphrey Bogart & mid-century Hollywood are sandwiched between massive slabs of "oh my daddy died and thats why life has been so hard for me me me!" The mantra of selfpity continues throughout. For those who blame their parents for the crippling hardship of adulthood (!) this is the book for you. Bogart fans will perhaps be less pleased - 2 stars for fluid prose & the bits which actually deal with Bogie, icon & man

This is one of the best most complete accounts of Humphrey Bogart that I have ever read. Stephen has a wonderful literary style that is fast and easy to read, yet still pulls at your heart strings. I laughed and cried and felt like I knew the whole family just a little bit better by the end

The book is a collection of stores from interviews conducted by Stephen. Who, after a battle with cocaine, removing the chip from his shoulder, and maturing, decided to find out who his fater was. The book is a fast read, has a few interesting stories, and the pics are good. Glad I checked it out of the library and didn't pay for it.

I read this book only in search of some of the memorable sentences of Bogart. I'm no fan of biographies of stars. However I must say that I was happily surprised by this book which is quite well written, even with some originality. It is too rare a fact not to be noticed. As to what's inside, I effectively found what I looked for, but I can't tell if bogartmaniacs will learn something new. My only point is that Stephen's position and remarks stroke me by their earnestness and lucidity. I would feel stupid saying that it is one of the best book I ever read, but it is a very pleasing reading. And I would add : happy for you Stephen, even more than for your father.
Refers to french translation

An Excellent Study Of Bogie's Son and His Journey To Understand His Dad. How I Feel For Such A Journey Because, I Too, took one as My Father Died When I was Half Stephen's Age. I Wish He Would Be Able to Be Reached To Encourage Letting Go Of His Anger Toward God, And Realize That The Spirit Of Our Father's Are Always with Us. I Pray He Know Lives More At Peace as That Is Not Indicated, Though It would Be Nice If He Revisited This Journey Now in 2011.

This is an interesting biography in a "Hollywood-sort-of-way." It makes an early claim of being disgusted with the Hollywood way of life, and then proceeds to revel in it as much as possible. That in itself would not have been so bad if the author had been more honest about his motives. It seemed clear after reading the book that he was really in search of himself, not at all in search of his father, who even though he died while the author was only seven, left him a rich legacy upon which to fashion a life. What it appears that he sought to do here was to use his father's fame and death as a prop, an alibi, an excuse for his own eventual failing and shortcomings. So the book should be retitled: In Search of Myself, through my father's reputation and death.

This is not the way books that begin in the way this one did, usually end. Typically there is a cathartic moment; space and time for a clear head to assert itself, and then smooth sailing afterwards.

Not so here.

All that is certain here is that both of the author's parents knew who they were, what they wanted and how to proceed about getting it. They were successful actors and parents with a rich and fulfilling social life, arguably a rare commodity in Hollywood even today.

Steve, on the other hand, it seems, never figured any of this out for himself. It was Steve's life that was turned upside down at the age of seven with his father's death never to be fully "righted" again. His eureka moment did not come until he married his present wife, and then only after much prodding and "coaching" from her

The fact that he never quite got any traction in life on his own after his father's death is a very large statement about him, his own ability to adjust and get down to the very important business of living: as in maturing into a normal functioning adult -- the quintessential problem of "coming of age" for all youths everywhere.

And while I found the many vignettes about his parent's movie careers and marriages, etc., interesting, the book altogether lacked the kind of depth or punch that would convey the message that Steve finally discovered what life without his father is all about. I was hoping for a better resolution of the author's struggles in his (by normal standards) only a mildly complicated life. After all, he and his sister were loved and well-cared for, had enormous advantages in life over most average kids. But he himself chose not to think or drink deep from the cup of life until he had reached middle age. This sounds exactly like what a spoiled brat would do: fritter away half his life and then use his father's fame and death to cover his tracks and record of failures?

In fact, he pouted away more than half of his life: most of his teens as well as his young adult life for no convincing or discernable reasons that one can find in the book. However, giving him the benefit of the doubt, the best one could say about the author is that he missed the best of his rare parent's lessons: of how to become an independent whole human being with a life purpose of striving for excellence.

Unless I missed a lot, it seems that Steve substituted pouting and "acting out" for passion; had no recognizable interests and lived only through his parents, vicariously. Was he really seeking independence from being "Bogie's son," or seeking to hide behind Bogie's fame? Lackluster, three Stars

Heard BOGART: IN SEARCH OF MY FATHER, written and
read by Stephen Humphrey Bogart . . . his son was only eight
when he died and for a long time, it was difficult for him to
deal with his legendary father . . . only with the encouragement
of his famous mother, Lauren Bacall, was he finally able to
come to terms with some of the anger he felt toward his father.

I'm still not quite sure that I understand this feeling; it's almost
as if he blamed his father for dying . . . however, Stephen
Bogart did a good job of researching his father Humphrey, and
he shares many amusing anecdotes that I not heard previously.

In addition, I enjoyed reading about how Bogart and Bacall
met and fell in love.

BOGART: IN SEARCH OF MY FATHER gave me the impression
that Humphrey had no idea how to raise his children, but it
was clear that he did love them . . . Stephen Bogart now
appreciates this fact, too.

This book is the best biography I ever read! You learn what Bogart was really like when he wasn't on set doing a movie. You get a real good idea about how he really was in real life. Stephen Bogart tells wonderful stories that he's heard about his father and puts an end to some of the rumors about him. You learn about the last days Bogie was living and what everyone close to him went through. You get to read about the first time Bacall and Bogie met and their love story! Great book!