Customer Reviews

Inside Inside

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I respectfully disagree with the reviewers above. In addition to being a fan of Inside the Actors Studio, I'm a fan of James Lipton's. His love of language was legendary before Inside - this is, after all, the author of An Exhaultation of Larks which celebrates the richness of the English language so well it's been in print for something near 40 years. Yes,Inside Inside is written using words that aren't as commonly encountered today as they once were. I consider it a treat to find them tucked into what I regard as his very readable prose.

Mr. Lipton has led a fascinating life and I'm glad he's shared it with readers. His show doesn't settle for trite interviews featuring anecdotes rather than thoughtful content and I was pleased to find his book didn't either. Perhaps the title should have indicated the breadth of the book rather than focus on the show, but, since he was the creator of the series, knowing his story does put you Inside Inside. If you want a simple book about actors, you'd do better elsewhere, but if you want a visit with an interesting man who has talked with many of the greats about their passion for their craft, this is a fine choice for you.

This isn't really an inside look at "Inside the Actor's Studio." It's an inside look at James Lipton, with occasional tales about the show and the actors who've graced its stage.

On the tv show "Inside the Actor's Studio," James Lipton comes across as pompous and pedantic and far too impressed with himself. This impression is only reinforced by this book, where Lipton manages to quote Charles Dickens, Chaucer, Moby Dick, John Donne, Yeats, Coleridge, Robert DeNiro, Orson Welles, and Irving Berlin and refer to DW Griffith, Renoir, Eisenstein, Scorsese, Spielberg, W. C. Fields, James Bond, Fellini, Marcello Mastrioanni, Will Ferrell and more in just the first five pages. Lipton's linguistic showing off gets tiresome quickly. It doesn't support him as a story-teller; it just makes Lipton sound like he's trying much too hard to sound clever.

Which isn't to say that Lipton is not intelligent. As he goes through the history of acting theory and of the Actor's Studio, it's apparent that Lipton is thoughtful and insightful about his world. He sees common themes among different people, and he knows how to bring them together and display them in the context of the performing arts world. That ability -- one of the strengths of Inside the Actor's Studio -- is at work here, too. But this book would have been so much stronger if he'd gotten himself out of the way, even a bit.

Indeed, while promising that the book won't be about him as much as "the vibrant troop of other people who have quickened the most exciting adventures of my life," Lipton goes on at far too great a length about himself. As with Inside the Actor's Studio, the high points of this book are the words and stories told by guests on show -- their words, not Lipton's. The low points are Lipton's floridly written tales of his own life.

Still, if you can skim through (or skip over) those parts, the book is worth reading as a collection of reflections by some of the most talented actors of our time. Here, Lipton collects their comments thematically, which provides for interesting and enjoyable contrast. And, as on the tv show, hearing these artists talk about how they approach the art and craft in their work is fascinating and enlightening.

This book struggles with every problem mentioned in the "too much of Lipton" review, and then some. Not only is the first 1/3 to 1/2 of the book almost strictly about Lipton, his stories are so buried in flowery, pompous prose that it's hard to understand what he's talking about.

The rest of the book, while somewhat entertaining, is perhaps the most poorly edited book I've ever read. There is no flow, and apparently no rhyme or reason as to which guests and Lipton anecdotes are paired up in the various chapters. One passage begins with the interview with Michael Caine, then abruptly shifts to a discussion of how an appearance on the show can help to garner an Oscar nod. This happens constantly throughout the book, and is enough to give you literary whiplash.

Much of the book is basically a transcript of snippets of interviews, interspersed with anecdotes designed to make Lipton appear charming, clever, or a powerful member of Hollywood's inner circle.

All in all, entertaining enough if you enjoy watching the show, but if you've watched the show, you won't get much new info about the guests. If you want to read endless drivel about Lipton, you've found the book for you!

I heard James Lipton interviewed by Elvis Mitchell on KCRW's The Treatment (broadcast March 19, 2008). Lipton was promoting Inside Inside. The interview made me want to buy the book. When I visited Amazon to make the hardcover purchase the reader reviews were rather unkind and I thought, unfair. The theme of the complaints seemed to be that the book centered too much on Lipton and not enough on the show Inside The Actors Studio or on the stars who'd graced the show. Well after hearing that interview with Lipton on The Treatment, I came away understanding that Lipton's book was about himself and the different people and events that had influenced him. People who purchased the book thinking it was about something else perhaps did not bother to listen to Lipton before purchasing the book. James Lipton is a good story teller and at age 80 he has some good stories to tell. His classical education shows itself in his facility with language and in the themes around which he groups his essays. There are those who state that Inside Inside is too centered on Lipton as if that is a detriment instead of an asset. Lipton has had a rich life and he has met quite a few interesting characters outside of the well-knowns he's interviewed on the show. The manner in which he introduces you to these characters and allows you to get to know them through his memories is quite engaging. Still, this book may not be engaging for everyone. Before purchasing Inside Inside, or any book for that matter, I would suggest sampling one chapter of the book. If you would like an audio sample of Chapter 6 of Inside Inside you may search Y-o-u T-u-b-e for the ISBN-13 number for Inside Inside. The number is 978-052595035.

The Lipton we see on Inside the Actors Studio is transparently the man who wrote this sometimes surprising, sometimes tiresome, sometimes funny book.

It has all of his faults and all of his virtues, and sometimes they are one and the same. I believe Lipton is, at bottom, the ultimate fan. Enthusiasm such as his can sometimes be likable, and he has a perceptive thing or two to say about actors and acting.

But such enthusiasm can also cross the line into undiscerning fawning and in this book, as on his series, Lipton too often crosses that line.

His other great Achilles' heel, no one who watches the series will be surprised to learn, is his vanity.

Here is a man who has led a genuinely storied life and accomplished much that would be enviable. Unfortunately, not enough of his anecdotes about that life are as fun to read as they should be.

Lipton simply cannot seem to get out of his own way.

A lot of people will feel cheated - misled by the title of the book. As others on Amazon mention, too much of this book is just about Lipton writing about himself and glorifying his own "achievements," - for example, going into great detail about his arranging the Bob Hope birthday TV specials and Jimmy Carter's TV inaugural special. Boringly great detail, in my view -- the book has about 500 pages -- I'm now on page 254, where he apparently finally now starts to write about the Actors Studio in detail. (As someone else wrote, start with chapter 11 and skim the first half of the book.) I enjoy the Actors Studio interviews very much, and Lipton does a good job, there. This book should have a warning on the cover, though, that at least half of the book is not about The Actors Studio at all. Besides giving us lots of detail about his minor achievements, Lipton has the irritating habit of "place-dropping" - not just telling us that something happened, but being sure to tell us the name of the exclusive hotel in Paris where he had his honeymoon, being sure to mention "our table at Elaine's," where a conversation took place, "our summer home in the Hamptons" where another conversation took place, his friend George Plimpton, whose parties "were legendary," etc etc. Using superlatives about everybody and everything. Pages 201 to 241 are all about how he arranged the TV shows for Bob Hope's birthdays. (40 pages of a book called "Inside Inside.") ("Three times the birhday show was at the top of the week's Nielsen ratings; it was in the top-five six times and in the top-fifteen ten times," he makes sure to tell us.) Irritating self-praise that goes on much too much. What he did WAS interesting - the way he writes about himself for 254 pages becomes irritating. He did need a better editor for this book. (I still find his interviews fascinating, though!)

James Lipton doesn't take himself nearly as seriously as his critics -- while adhering to Clint Eastwood's witty and wise advice, about how to enjoy life as well as your career.

I would leave to others here -- including any who know theatre as well as James Lipton -- whether his book [as reviewer "Jessica" states, (above)] is a "must-read for aspiring actors, directors, writers, agents, or fans of Mr. Lipton and the Actor's Studio . . . "

For an ordinary soul, with a smattering of theatre knowledge (like me) -- this is an enjoyable read, deserving 3-and-a-half stars (rounded-up to four).

Two years after this book's publication, two of the "spotlight" reviewers, I see, claim to find Mr. Lipton's style of writing, as well as his manner of speaking on TV -- "pompous." I don't. His overflowing love for, (and encyclopedic knowledge of,) American theatre history, I find entertaining. Bet most people here at the world's biggest website, if they read the book, would agree!

Anyway, as other reviewers suggest, you can always go "straight to the second half" of this book -- focusing on Lipton's interviews and behind-the-scenes quotes from actors: that's where the real fun begins - the laughter and the tears.

I went in search of laughter - the kind that promotes tears (notice how they're intertwined in all our lives?)

Eddie Murphy was recently one of the first guests on "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien." Mr. Lipton recalls how the comedic actor was "a famously private person who for years declined every request for an interview" (including those from Conan in his New York "Late Night" program - 17 years worth of "No, thank you.")

Lipton said Eddie Murphy "after years of watching INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO, had decided he wanted to appear on it. And, to everyone's delight Eddie "stayed late in the classroom, communicating - communing - with the students . . . concluding the evening with a manifestly heartfelt summing up of the importance of laughter:

"You can't put a price tag on it. I feel so blessed that I have the ability to make people laugh. Because, you know, it's really healing. It's documented, medically. It's good for you to laugh. I love when someone comes up to me and says, `I went and saw (you) and it was the first time I laughed in so long!' Yes, comedy - making people laugh is really, really important."

"Bette Midler," says Lipton, "established a speed record for tears, within minutes of walking on stage - as we talked about her childhood." Just as quickly, while "still dabbing at her face with a tissue," Midler credited a friend, "Beth Ellen Childers" with changing her grey skies to blue, each time they met.

No one ever made Bette laugh harder: "[Beth Ellen] thought I was a riot. I couldn't say anything she didn't think was hilarious. And SHE was hilarious! She used to make me laugh so hard until tears rolled down my cheeks. And you know, if you have never experienced that kind of laughter, it's too bad! Because that's the greatest thing in the world - better than sex! I'm convinced of it."

Dustin Hoffman "shattered Bette Midler's speed record for tears," Lipton writes about one of his all-time favorite interviews, provoking tears before the laughter - and the REAL truth about actors, according to the dean of the Shakespearean theatre, Lawrence Olivier - just before he died.

"He was ill," Dustin Hoffman said concerning his last dinner with Olivier, when he asked him: "We all wonder (as actors) what makes us do what we do?"

Impersonating his tidal wave of a whisper, Hoffman quoted the reply of "Lord Larry" verbatim:

"You want to know WHY? dear boy: (it's) "Look at me, Look at me! Look at me!! Look at me!! Look at me!!! Look at me!!!

This book's 18 "chapters" (none listed at the front, and no appendix) concludes with the "10 questions" with which Lipton liked to end all his interviews; ranging from the trivial -- "Your favorite curse word?" --- to the sublime: "If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?"

As always, with good humor, (one hopes) the replies may be true as well as witty! (My favorites include one from the 'Queen of chick flicks,' the second, from the funniest of Oscar winners)

MEG RYAN: "You big dope . . . I've been with you all along!"

ROBIN WILLIAMS: "The concert begins at five. (First up,) Mozart, then Elvis . . . Oh to know there is laughter (there). Just to hear God say, "two Jews walk into a bar . . . "

I loved this book!!! James Lipton can write and does indeed write extremely well. The first half is indeed more autobiographical in nature but is a very interesting behind the scenes story of his life and art. Mr. Lipton includes plenty of self-congratulation, but contrary to some reviews, which made the book much more interesting for me.

Most of the last half is about "Inside the Actor's Studio", a TV-series that I never missed once I discovered it. I ran into a dozen or so passes that were quite moving as I read this book. I highly recommend the book for anyone who enjoyed the series and/or finds James Lipton to be an interesting fellow.

Just ignore the title and expect more than just about going Inside "Inside the Actor's Studio". If you only want the TV series part, read chapters 11-17 and view the photo section. Be warned, however, that you will miss some real nuggets.

What I wished he had included (think future edition) is a list of the 200 or so guests who appeared on "Inside the Actor's Studio", in order, in an appendix.

On page one Chapter One James Lipton plays coy and makes the reader believe that this book is going to be about someone other than himself. Don't believe it for one second! In fact, for the majority of the book it seems as though he begrudgingly throws in a mention or two of guests on the show before getting back to what he really wants to do--write about himself. It's like an editor tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Um, James, would you mind at least MENTIONING 'Inside the Actor's Studio' at some point so we can move this monster?"

I was hoping for stories about what happened before or after the show or those moments that ended up on the editing room floor (I still can't believe Meryl Streep only got an hour!). If you're like me these things can be found in small doses in this Ode to Lipton. Readers open your hymnals near the end of Chapter Eleven and enjoy what I see as the genuine beginning of a book that can rightfully call itself Inside Inside.

Many of the people who have reviewed this book seem disappointed that there is so much Lipton and not enough "Inside the Actors Studio." Actually, I had quite the opposite reaction.

I wanted this book for all the inside scoop on "Inside the Actors Studio" yet found myself getting swept up in Lipton's fascinating life and, more importantly, his rich and colorful writing style (I was so taken with his writing that I went out and bought his novel, "Mirrors.")

I wanted to wallow in the words and the saga of this fascinating man, not sure if I wanted to race through it because it was so captivating, or slow down to savor each page.

My own disappointment came when it actually came to the reason I wanted the book in the first place--the story about "Inside the Actors Studio." Lipton's fawning over each guest got to be so nauseating that while I had devoured the first part of the book, it took me a much longer time to get through the end of it. These are actors. Good actors, to be sure, but not gods and goddesses, not heads of state, not nobel laureates. They are simply ACTORS, yet Lipton treats each one as if he were greeting the Pope, the Dali Lama or the Queen of England. It was fawning to the n'th degree and the only reason I stuck with the book to the end was that I had so enjoyed it up to that point.

I also wanted to know who this St. Bernard of Piveau that Lipton gushes about in every show really was, and never got a satisfactory answer to that, other than that he was apparently a French talk show host, another living legend to be fawned over.

I give this book three stars--if it had stayed at the level of the first half, I would enthusiastically give it five stars, but it is a very disappointing second half (for me).