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A Life in Parts
- Narrated by: Bryan Cranston
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
- Categories: Arts & Entertainment, Entertainment & Performing Arts
Non-member price: $31.21
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Publisher's Summary
Bryan Cranston landed his first role at seven, when his father, a struggling actor and director, cast him in a commercial. Soon Bryan was haunting the local movie theater, reenacting scenes with his older brother. Acting was clearly his destiny - until one day his father disappeared.
As a young man on a classic cross-country motorcycle trip, he found himself stranded at a rest area in the Blue Ridge Mountains. To pass the time, he read a tattered copy of Hedda Gabler, and in a flash he found himself face-to-face with his original calling. Suddenly he thought this was what he would do with the rest of his life. Act.
In his riveting memoir, A Life in Parts, Cranston traces his journey from chaotic childhood to his dramatic epiphany to megastardom and a cultlike following by revisiting the many parts he's played on camera (astronaut, dentist, candy bar spokesperson, president of the United States, etc.) and off (paperboy, farmhand, dating consultant, murder suspect, son, brother, lover, husband, father).
With great humour and humility, Cranston chronicles his unlikely rise from a soap opera regular to a recurring spot on Seinfeld. He recalls his run as the well-meaning goofball, Hal, on Malcolm in the Middle, and he gives a bracing account of his challenging run on Broadway as President Lyndon Johnson, pushing himself to the limit as he prepared for a tour de force that would win him a Tony to accompany his four Emmys. And, of course, Cranston dives deep into the grittiest, most fascinating details of his greatest role, explaining how he searched inward for the personal darkness that would help him create one of the most riveting performances ever captured on screen: Walter White, chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin in Breaking Bad.
Discussing his failures as few men do, describing his work as few actors can, Cranston has much to say about innate talent and its benefits, challenges and proper maintenance, but ultimately A Life in Parts is about the necessity and transformative power of hard work.
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What listeners say about A Life in Parts
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Annabelle
- 05-01-2017
A wonderful book, great moving story.
Bryan Cranstons beautiful mahogany voice picked me up through my drive to work, motivated and charmed me through my house cleaning and put me to sleep at night. If you listen to one book this year, let it be this one.
2 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 27-10-2016
Perfect
Raw honesty, captivating anecdotes & touching on just enough subject matter on everything you wanted to hear about in the world of a great actor.
2 people found this helpful
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- Thomas
- 22-03-2017
Beautifully honest
This is a great listen. It is so interesting to follow along as Bryan tells his story with such blunt honesty. It truly feels like he is so open and willing to share his life with everyone.
I'll admit when I started I thought his narration was a bit dry and I was concerned I would get bored, but as you go along he gets so passionate about his work and his life that it is inspiring to listen to!
1 person found this helpful
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- Jeff P
- 20-03-2017
Inciteful
What an interesting account of his life. love him in Braking Bad but not sure I would swap places. His account of his quest to act and the fame and lack of privacy, is sad.
Well read and maintains the listeners interest.
Well done, Brian.
1 person found this helpful
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- Deb
- 27-01-2017
Great Read
Loved this book. After watching "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Breaking Bad". Wanted to read the story behind the actor and wasn't disappointed. No ego here. a very good loo into his life.
1 person found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 27-12-2016
Loved it!
Hats off to Mr Cranston, a deeply human and engaging read. It was fantastically written and a wonderfully entertaining book. It touched me and my life. Thanks Bryan, it makes life a little easier having listened to this.
1 person found this helpful
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- Peter H Brownlee
- 06-09-2020
Breaking Good
Great listen Well told A real perfectionist Proves we all have family issues 😊 😊 😊
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- Anonymous User
- 22-12-2019
Riveting from start to finish
A thorough a riveting autobiography, I was hooked from beginning to end. Beautifully read by Bryan himself. Highly recommended.
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- Holly Welford
- 11-12-2019
Best autobiography I've ever read.
Absolutely perfect. I just don't have words to describe it. The stories Bryan told were hilarious and fascinating and heartbreaking. His voice is so soothing and comforting. Just brilliant.
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- Anonymous User
- 04-12-2019
Absolutely brilliant!
I loved this so much. Bryan’s honesty and humbleness throughout the whole book is heartwarming and real. I have even more respect for him than I did before. I highly recommend this book for absolutely everyone. I’m sad I’ve finished it. Bravo Bryan!
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- DIY
- 17-11-2016
Insightful
Insightful to his life but also his techniques and modus operandi!
I recommend it wholeheartedly!
1 person found this helpful
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- The Molois
- 25-09-2019
Mr Cranston, a wonderful storyteller.
I throughly enjoyed this book. I found it Real. Inspiring. Funny. What a treat. Relistenning for sure.
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- Amazon Customer
- 24-09-2019
All the life in all the parts
Gripping story, passionate rendering. Loved every minute of it! What a life and what a story!
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- MasterReader
- 08-12-2016
great book and narration
very good look into the personal life of the author, he shares very personal details in great detail. overall very interesting
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- Amazon Customer
- 23-10-2016
Excellent!
Bryan delivers a beautiful reading and an inspiring account of his childhood, career, and family life. Mr Cranston's career path has been the complete opposite of an overnight success, and he (intentionally or not) teaches the reader important lessons on how to approach your career, perfect your craft, and be a good person along the way.
11 people found this helpful
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- Liam
- 28-10-2016
Thought provoking and expertly read. Loved it!
Pros:
-I think Bryan Cranston is a fantastic actor and this transferred really well into this book. He seems passionate, I really like that.
- It was fascinating hearing him speak about his life, trials & tribulations, as well as the highs.
-Eloquently and expertly read.
-95% of the stories were genuinely interesting and kept my attention completely.
Cons:
-The ending felt a little flat to me, personally I think it should have ended with more of a crescendo, as it was I think it was a little lost.
7 people found this helpful
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- John
- 04-12-2016
A fascinating man & a story of real perserverance
A fascinating insight into the life of a talented actor. I thoroughly recommend it not just because of Breaking Bad. And that's ironic because clearly Mr Cranston is one of the 'good guys'.
That said I had to pause towards the end of the book as I was only part way through season 4 on Netflix and if you haven't seen 'B-B' yet there are a few spoilers in this book.
5 people found this helpful
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- joanjava
- 01-11-2016
Surprising, riveting and wise.
Is there anything Bryan Cranston can't do? After this book you can start believing that you have it in yourself too, to work hard, overcome adversity and build something good that is yours.
5 people found this helpful
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- Ryan Smith
- 22-10-2016
A Mesmerising Life
Bryan Cranston is a true artist. We all know the man can act, but to write and tell his story in poignant and insightful tales of the highs and lows of his life and career, and to actually keep you so invested with each word that you end up reliving that same feeling of addiction you felt when watching his stunning performance as Walter White/Heisenberg in Breaking Bad? That I don't think any of us knew. This isn't just for fans of the actor who wish to know about his truly extraordinary and, sometimes, ordinary life, this is also for those curious up-and-coming actors and writers on how they should play the cards that talent and creativity dealt them, and how to listen, learn from and appeal to the actor, the man, who portrayed one of the greatest written characters in modern television.
9 people found this helpful
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- Aidan Hamill
- 20-12-2016
A really nice man
He is a shining example of how a lack of bitterness and making good choices in life,based not on greed or self-seeking attention can have lasting and rewarding joy in life
3 people found this helpful
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- emma lane
- 05-12-2016
Struggled to finish.
Started well, enjoyed listening to stories of his upbringing and early career. as it went on I started to find his admiration of himself and how amazing he is to be tedious.
3 people found this helpful
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- Mukesh
- 03-12-2016
The best biography
I really enjoyed this book. It is the best biography I have listened to. I really connected with the author and in many parts I felt very moved.
3 people found this helpful
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- B.R.Dillon
- 30-10-2016
brilliantly read by Bryan Cranston
Kept me engaged and interested from start to finish very entertaining would definitely recommend...very good : )
3 people found this helpful
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- Sharon
- 08-11-2016
Excellent
This is a brilliant book made all the better by Bryan Cranston's fantastic narration. A wonderful, inspiring, personal journey. Highly recommend.
2 people found this helpful
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