Robin Hardcover – May 15, 2018

I enjoyed reading this book. There is so much information from Robin, family and friends included in this book. I highly recommend this book.

Pretty good book about an amazing person. I've ALWAYS been a huge fan of Robin Williams. I still think he was the funniest, fast-thinking comedian ever.The day of Robin's death I was shocked, saddened and felt like a small piece of life was just removed. I never saw him live or met him in person but there was always something about Robin that made me feel like, if I ever did meet him, he'd make me feel like I was one of hos old pals.After reading this book I can clearly identify why Robin had that effect on me, just a fan. He had that effect on everyone! This book chronicles Robin's life, how he got into the business, his successes and failures and, most importantly, delves into what Robin was often thinking...or more to the point, WHY he was thinking what he was.I enjoyed this book as I learned a lot of unknown aspects of Robin's life, his friends and family.I will say, after I finished reading, the book seemed to leave out time frames, particularly the weeks after his diagnosis. I would have thought that this would be highly discussed but it wasn't.Also, although informative, this book seemed to lack a sense of personality, if that makes sense. It seemed as though the author was just reporting facts with no personal and emotional connection. Maybe that's what this author wanted to do, I'm not sure. But I think an author this connected to so much personal information about Robin should have had more of a meaningful connection as he told the story.Regardless, a good book about one of the best people ever that brought happiness and laughter to the world on a grand scale...and left the same world way too soon.

It's always nice to finish a biography with greater respect for the subject. That doesn't always happen, but it did for me after "Robin." I was a fan of many Robin Williams movies prior to coming to "Robin" but had always felt he was somewhat manic in interviews and not always funny. But as multiple people point out in Dave Itzkoff's "Robin," the actor was a genius with a photographic memory. Fellow actors and comedians repeatedly mention that Robin Williams was the best improv actor/comedian of his generation. Aside from some of the flash in the pan internet celebrities and reality show celebrities of our era, most celebrities become famous through a combination of singular talent and relentless hard work. This was certainly the case with Robin Williams. He was a great high school student, though torn by his father's pressures to find a practical career. Then he discovered acting in college, and went on to do improv and later to attend Juliard, where he met Christopher Reeve, a lifelong friend. The rest, in a sense, is history. Williams landed the role of Mork in "Mork and Mindy," a "Happy Days" spin-off. Then he went on to movies and acted in comedies and crowd-pleasers along with dramas like "Awakenings" and "The Fisher King." Williams proved his acting chops but remained a stand-up comedian throughout. He would often make surprise appearances at various nightclubs to perform. The actor was not without his vices. He dated multiple women, some at the same time, and was sued by a former girlfriend who claimed he gave her a venereal disease. He ended up being married three times. He also struggled with drugs and alcohol. When someone has a genius mind like Williams', it is probably tough to shut it off. That isn't to excuse his bad behavior but maybe to explain it. People were ultimately shocked why the actor would take his own life. He was a vibrant person who loved people. But he'd been suffering from a disease--maybe Parkinson's, maybe a form of Alzheimer's--that was robbing him of his mobility, his wit, everything that made Robin...Robin. I found Itzkoff's account of Williams' death to be both moving and tasteful. While reading, I was saddened all over again by the actor's passing. Overall, Itzkoff handles Williams' life expertly. "Robin" seems well organized. We learn about Williams' upbringing without extensive asides about his family lineage. Itzkoff covers the actor's schooling, his TV background, and the major films while bypassing lesser films that don't need to be covered in depth. Readers get a good sense of Williams' wives and children and of his friends, many of them fellow actors and comedians, and how much they loved and appreciated him. Perhaps a best, and lifelong, friend was Billy Crystal, who was clearly enriched by his friendship with Williams and shaken by the actor's death. Itzkoff relies less on written sources, which are probably more appropriate for the bio of a nineteenth-century general (and it seems Williams didn't do a lot of writing), and focuses on the many interviews he conducts. From these accounts, he artfully pieces together a vision of Williams' life. The writing is always strong, always respectful without being worshipful. I came away from "Robin" with a renewed respect for Robin Williams, a sense of nostalgia for his early work, and a desire to go back and re-watch the many great movies he made.

I am an avid reader of celebrity biographies even though so many times they are little more than a list of the artist's credits. This is not one of those. Dave Itzkoff has written one of the best biographies I have read in a long time. In this book you will get to know Robin Williams as you never have before. The author details the comedian's life from birth to death, literally. You will follow his ups and downs; you will hear his words and thoughts about himself and others; you will meet his parents, wives, children and friends.Not only is Itzkoff's book comprehensive, it is also written intelligently, cohesively and flawlessly. There is an extensive index as well as photos at the end of the book. It is a testament to the deep research the author obviously undertook. This book is neither a fawning look at William's good side, nor a tear-down account of rumors and innuendo. It presents a real human being with unique and uncanny talents as well as character flaws and self-doubts. Any fan of Robin Williams must read this book; even if you're not a fan of his read this book to learn how a biography should be written.

I love Robin Williams and this book was well written and respectful. I will always enjoy his works. He is an icon

I always felt sad losing someone that made me laugh but I was sad for him after I finished the book

I am getting a better insight to a very funny but troubled man. What a loss.

Ich war immer schon ein Robin Williams Fan. Er war ein großartiger Komödiant aber auch ein zutiefst trauriger Mensch. All das und noch viel mehr erfährst du in dieser ausführlichen, einfühlsamen Geschichte zu seinem Leben in diesem Buch.Wer ein Fan von Robin Williams ist und vielleicht noch nicht alles über ihn weiß. Hier kannst du fündig werden. Die Biographie eines Mannes von dem viele wussten, wer er war, den aber kaum einer wirklich kannte. Absolute Empfehlung

Llena de detalles e información interesante sobre Robin Williams. Incluye muchas anécdotas de las personas que lo conocieron.

Ottima biografia sulla vita privata e professionale di Robin Williams. Sicuramente la migliore! Io ho acquistato l'originale in lingua inglese, ma esiste anche in italiano......se amate Robin non potete perdervi questo libro! Ottimo!

It was a great read. Discovering what motivated Robin’s life choices was a journey into the behaviour of so many people around us. I was not disappointed!