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Travolta: The Life

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TRAVOLTA: THE LIFE

by Nigel Andrews

The biography of a great and well-loved movie star is one of the toughest writes in town. The tendency is either to gush or to gutter-prose scandal search. British film critic Nigel Andrews has sharpened his pencil and employed his wit and wisdom to create TRAVOLTA: THE LIFE, a work of rare intelligence and wit. This book is the standard by which other star biogs will be judged. Yes, it's really that good. Andrews looks at John Travolta's films in a fresh and perceptive way marrying the public facts of JT's life, gleaned from a raft of sources, to demonstrate why John T. is the movie star who is also an "original". And then, to boot, he adds more interview material gleaned from Travolta's co-workers and friends (directors, stars, friends, etc.).

There are three problems - not too many really - with the book. Andrews has included three short semi-fictional "Prelude" chapters, which though fun, interrupt the narrative. Still, John Travolta dominates what is, after all, his own story. Though Andrews never met Travolta, he manages to nail down the nice guy that lurks beneath Travolta's image. In this biography he does it over and over right smack up to the last page. Then you want more - and when was the last time that happened? At least in a star-biography.

Arthur Miller

Nigel Andrews wrote a bio on Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was awful. He said Kindergarten Cop was an allusion to the Reagan era and the small children represented the divorce of modern society from the 1960s, or something like that. And just think, I always thought Kindergarten Cop was a comedy about a male macho cop who's stuck with some little kiddies for a week as a teacher. I was wrong, I guess. (End of sarcasm.)

Andrews has no "authorization" in his bios, meaning he hasn't been given exclusive permission by Travolta (or Arnie). In this case he's just pulling stuff out of his butt and most of it is garbage. He tries to become a film critic and fails. He tries to detail Travolta's life, and fails. He tries to come up with insightful facts - and fails, because he has no permission to write anything of substance.

A piece of garbage; the Schwarzenegger one is even worse.

John Travolta: the life, bounces along in a most entertaining,stylish and informative manner. Biographer Nigel Andrews has caught the flavour and detail of John Travolta's career, films and life. I write as a devotee of Mr.Travolta - always on the lookout for one who would do him wrong. That certainly isn't the case here and I do heartily recommend this book to any reader who still has a joy for living and a wonderment at John Travolta's genius.

I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK DETAILING THE LIFE AND CAREER OF ACTOR JOHN TRAVOLTA. WE GET A NICE LOOK IN DETAIL ABOUT JOHN AND HIS RELATIONSHIPS WITH VARIOUS PEOPLE. MUCH TIME IS SPENT ON HIS ROMANCE WITH DIANA HYLAND WHICH ENDED IN TRAGEDY AND HIS COMMITEMENT TO SCIENTOLOGY. ALSO A HIGHLIGHT IS LOOKING AT HIS MOVIE CAREER IN GREAT DETAIL. FROM HIS SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER TO MANY YEARS OF BOMBS, TO HIS CAREER FINALLY GETTING BACK IN THE WEIRD MOVIE PULP FICTION THE BOOK COVERS THIS IN GREAT DEATIL. I FOUDN THIS BOOK TO INTERSTING AND ENTERTAINING. RECOMENDED FOR ALL MOVIE FANS.

The book rambled about uninteresting details although it picked up now and then with some interesting ones.