Customer Reviews

Cinderella Story: My Life in Golf

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

One of the funniest books I've read in a long time. Not strictly a golf book, but about Bill Murray's life framed by his love of golf. While his writing style darts from fairway to bunker to rough, no matter to me. A life and golf game can be similar. A great book to read aloud next to a crackling fire.

If you are a fan of Bill Murray's and a golfer you want to like this book a lot. Little disappoints in this volumn and it is a lot of fun to read. I laughed out loud at least once in every chapter. The remarkable thing about this book is just how much a part of Bill Murray's life golf really is -- and just how much a part of golf Bill Murray has become. This is by no means a literary masterpiece, in fact, in several spots the reader is sure to wonder if any one proof-read this for continuity. However, this book does a great job in bringing the reader into the "never a dull moment" golf-life of Bill Murray. I'm left to wonder what would a Bill Murray celebrity pro-am be like -- probably a "caddy challenge match" and more fun people have had in years. A good read, that leaves you happier, if not better, for having read it.

A clever look at Murray's life long fascination with golf, but lacking in depth. For those looking for any insight into Murray look elsewhere. Padded with extra commentary by golf pros, PGA officials and friends this book will often bring a smile to your face but it is ultimately forgettable.

This book reads the way most people play golf, all over the fairway, which is not to say it lacks direction or purpose. It reads like works by a certain 'Gonzo Journalist' who if you don't know or understand you will not like this book. It is in the grand tradition of Kerouac, Cassidy, and Thompson. It is not Golfing in the Kingdom but it is entertaining and revealing.

Without a doubt Bill Murray comes off as the sexiest man alive in this book. Women who read this will be thrown into a wild Bill-desiring frenzy and probably tear their clothes off in public. Whoever would have thought that this Cinderella groundskeeper, just a drip from the bush leagues, would ever make it to playing foursomes with Michael Jordan, Hunter Thompson, Ethel Merman, Klaus von Bulow and Yoda, not to mention Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice? A rollicking romp down the green in a giant earth-devouring threshing machine could not be more fun than reading this book. You will desire this book more than sex or cigarettes once you have completed it. I know I do

I had to read some sections twice to figure out what Murray was talking about. It reads like one of his side-of-the-mouth monologues. You have to be hooked into Murray's wavelength to appreciate it. It would be much funnier to see him read this, to see his dancing eyes, his sly expressions, etc. These words often just lie there on the page. If you don't use your imagination, you won't find this funny. A good editor would have cleaned up a lot of the confusion, but Peper fell down on the job. It's worth a read if you can expend the effort. If you want something easy and accessible, this isn't for you.

If you play golf you will love to read this book. It is interesting and funny! Don't miss it!

If you're buying this book hoping for a typical Hollywood memoir, forget it. This book is as offbeat and unusual as Murray's unique brand of comedy. I'm not a golf fan by any stretch but reading this book did make me appreciate the sport a little more and it certainly conveyed the comedian's passion for it.

Buried throughout the book are reminisces about Murray's childhood and does provide some fascinating insight into the man's worldview and how golf helped shape his life. I quite enjoyed this book and it is good, light reading that won't take you too long to read. In many respects it reads like a monologue delivered by Murray -- it rambles, it sometimes veers in and out of logic, but it is also quite funny.

I reaaallly wanted this to be a good book, but it just was not well written. I found the best parts to be the one page segments from some of Bill friends and the pictures.

Other than that I could not follow this book and wound up tossing it aside. I doubt very much if I'll ever finish it.

Now I know that Bill Murray likes to scam people in a comical way, I guess this book was his way of doing just that.

Yes, Bill Murray is one of the best comedic actors of any Hollywood era. Yes, "Caddyshack" is every bit the cinematic masterpiece people in the know tout it as, even if no published critic in the world agrees. Yes, Murray's persona and his golf background would seemingly make for a diverting read. But Cinderella Story is decidedly not that read. It's a mess of a book, written sloppily and fairly joke-free.

Big type and generous spacing make Cinderella Story about as long as this review (not very). But even in that small a frame, it becomes clear that Murray's gifts are strictly in performance and not in writing. Stories run into each other, coming out of nowhere, and only to mention some of the famous folks Murray has hit the links with (Michael Jordan, Clint Eastwood, etc.). Those stories are rarely interesting, and are told without any sense of structure. Murray (or his ghostwriter George Peper, who apparently needs a ghostwriter of his own) jumps from one story to another and back without helping the reader keep everything sorted out. Superior literary humorists, like Bill Bryson, have a talent for telling anecdotes in a concise, purposeful fashion. That's what's missing here. Only a brief, and I mean brief, recalling of the original "Cinderella story" scene from "Caddyshack" offers readers any enjoyment. The rest is muddled and ultimately boring.

Other sections of the book include pictures and filler anecdotes from other people telling stories about how funny Murray is. If only this book was. Look, Bill Murray is an outstanding comedian who is woefully underrated as a true actor. But Cinderella Story only makes you want to see him do what he does best, and not read what does poorly.