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Hardcover
Publisher: Taylor Pub
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| see me after class |
| Customer Rating: 3 out of 5 |
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I don't think I've ever read a memoir or autobiography that didn't shine most in its early pages, when recounting the author's childhood. It's certainly true of this one, though perhaps I'm biased, because I too grew up in NYC, attending public schools that, even 15 years after Mr. Koenig's experience, bore a spooky resemblance to his, down to the sadistic second-grade and mannish fifth-grade teachers. On the other hand, I'm not sure I've read another autobiography that began to fray quite as quickly as this one did. My complaints, briefly:
1) The edition of Warped Factors I read was published in 1997 by Taylor Publishing Company. Let's hope Taylor has a fantastic distribution system; that, or it took absolutely no cut from the income on this book other than printing costs--because I can't see that it did anything else that publishers ordinarily do, such as discuss coherence and continuity with the author, correct errors in grammar and vocabulary, or even read through page proofs. (There are lines in the book which lose their flush right margin all of a sudden, for no reason that I can see.) While the jumpy margins are just a strange printing phenomenon that might cause a reader to question an author's judgment but not literacy, literacy does become an issue over things like misspellings ("wildlife," not "wild life"), word choice ("formidable," not "formative," personality) and misquotes (I won't embarrass anyone here because I'm sure both the author and the publisher have had it pointed out already; if not: it's the quote that starts out Shakespeare and ends Robert Burns, and if that's still not enough, see me after class). Is it Los Angeles (see more below)? Is it that on The Coast, away from New York's literary elite, Mr. Koenig could not find anyone--a writer for the Simpson's, maybe?--who'd zip through his oeuvre and point out errors and awkwardness? Or, a more ominous thought, did he just want to do it his own way?
2) This leads to the more dismaying point--the author himself. And here I have to confess to being one of those 12-year-old girls who thought Mr. Chekov was the cutest thing since Davy Jones. I continue to be impressed with his wit and humor. However, I am left with the strong impression that he is too smart for Hollywood, and his book--deliberately, I think--gives no clues to why he stayed, except to keep insisting that he's neurotic and loves the craft of acting. Another reviewer made a comparison of Mr. Koenig to Woody Allen, and there's some truth there. I grew up with boys like Woody and Walter in the back of my classroom (that would be PS 169); they were kids who'd today be zonked out on ritalin or the equivalent; they were funny (to the kind of girl who appreciated the Three Stooges) and smart, even if they were underachievers--Bart Simpson with brains. Of course they were neurotic kids; the world and their mothers didn't know what to do with them. But most of them figured things out. By high school they were hitting their stride and maturing. That's what it boils down to: A 6-year-old boy is cute; a 46-year-old boy is . . . not cute. I read the autobiography of Grace Lee Whitney, who played Yeoman Janice Rand; she had bigger problems and fewer advantages, and yet she seems to have made some forward motion towards growing up. (Yes, I know Woody Allen's line: "I used to be a heroin addict; now I'm a methadone addict.")
I'm going to give Mr. Koenig the benefit of the doubt here. I'm going to assume that in private he's just as thoughtful, solid, grounded, and wise as any other man nearing retirement age. He made a decision in writing this book to eliminate information that would embarrass his family and friends but that might give the reader a clue to his personality and motivation as an adult. The result is a frolic of wacky anecdotes about a hapless, non-observant Jewish actor from New York who finds himself in Hollywood and who just never learns his lesson.
It sounds like a life in sitcom form. Maybe it's time for the Koenigs to relocate somewhere where if life is going to imitate anything, it will be art, not TV.
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| Neurotic is the word |
| Customer Rating: 2 out of 5 |
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Everybody knows that all the actors in Star Trek did their autobiographies, so , I thought, why not read this one? I was in for a surprise! I usually don't comment a book I didn't finish but maybe Mr Koenig should have seen a psychiatrist longer than in his youth. Why write something like that? Jokes are cheap, writing is erring at best, thoughts are at random (an editor,please!!!!) not much to say, really... He does have an interesting career but must he explain all his doubts and neuroses too? It is honest , I know, but I prefer to read about Career & Life...
I got fed up ... I would have read DeForrest Kelley instead...
If you want something really interesting to read about the less "principal" characters in Star Trek OS, go to Takei's or Nichols books: THAT is worth it!
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| Well written and insightful! |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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Walter Koenig writes candidly about his experiences with Star Trek and many other topics regarding his career as an actor and writer. His recollections of his years on the TOS is quite interesting and provides quite a bit of "behind the scene" glimpses of certain episodes..Being a die hard Trekkie, I found this book to be a very enjoyable read! I have also read the other supporting cast member's books and feel that Walter's is one of the most articulate and amusing..some of his recollections of his "life on the road" with James Doohan and George Takei making video store appearances are hilarious!
Walter also write deeply about his feelings toward William Shatner and reveals how hurt he felt on a couple of occasions..
After reading the other cast member's books you can't help but feel that there was "something" going on there...It's kind of like if you worked for a company for many years and are treated as if you were "nothing" and just a body to kick around..
I'm sure in life there are many who are placed into this role who feel extremely stressed and down..it's no different with actors I'm sure..However, Walter seemed to maintain his dignity throughout..sometimes in life you just have to live by "the golden rule"..Treat others as you would like to be treated.." I think if everyone followed this simple principle life would be grand!
Star Trek has given pleasure to many fans around the world and it is quite interesting to read the memoirs of cast members to truly see how the show has affected their lives and to laugh at their interesting anecdotes! There are plenty to be found in this book and asides from talking about Star Trek, Walter talks about his career as a struggling actor in the beginning and his later career as a writer. Walter writes very well and I feel he should write more books on other topics! He definitely has a talent in this area!
I've never watched Babylon 5 so I'm not familiar with his role as Alfred Bester but I have seen all 79 TOS episodes and all 6 of the films so I am quite aware of his work as Chekhov..It would be interesting to see Walter in some of his other work..As an example..I recently saw George Takei in "The Encounter"..a classic Twilite Zone spisode and was blown away by his acting! George's role was very powerful however, you were never really able to witness it much in Star Trek..I think that's why some of the other supporting cast members held some resentment towards Shatner because they felt that he was trying to minimize their contributions..hearing Shatner's take on it in the wonderful documentary, "Mind Meld" with Leonard Nimoy..you feel as if Shatner felt these claims were trivial and that he truly did not understand what these actors were going through..I really have a hard time believing that...Walter, although hurt by Shatner's behavior over the years still has a begrudging respect for him as do the others with the exception of perhaps..James Doohan.
Anyways, if you are a Trekkie this book is a must read and an important one to have in your collection! It's very entertaining and insightful!
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| This is NOT a Star Trek book |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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While a decent portion of the book focuses on Star Trek, most of it does not. This is a book about Walter Koenig, a self-admittedly neurotic actor. For me, this difference made the book very enjoyable. Here you will get a humorous look into the actor's life, complete with looking for work, working as a hotel package boy, dealing with agent's lies, and more. This book was a lot of fun.
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| Great book |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I've just got into Star Trek and decided to read some of the books the cast wrote. The first book I read was Walter's book. He told some hilarious stories, but yet he told about the serious stuff too. I've heard that some, if not all of the cast had issues with William Shatner. Walter could've made this a dirt book and tell about every dirty thing Shatner ever did to him. Walter didn't do that. He let it be known that he wasn't happy with some of the things Shatner did it on the set, but the whole book wasn't about that. I've read other books where stars and costars just let out all the bad feelings and the book turns out negative because it turns into 'I hate him because he did this and that, this and that, this and that- etc' I repeat that Walter's book ISN'T like that. It's worth a read if you are a Star Trek fan.
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