A kinder view of a loved one

I love Chris Eccleston already, but I appreciate getting to hear him talk about some of the things that fashioned his world view and then some of the performances we've seen from him. During some of the times where he talks about the fragility of his mental health, I wish I could hug him like an old friend. It both comforted me and grieved me to hear someone I do respect and admire talk about how hard he's struggled, and I think I will watch his roles with a greater appreciation than before. There were times where I wish he'd taken a step back from the constant self deprecation, but it was something that honestly affected those experiences. I appreciated the way he talked about gender and gender roles, especially in the way that he acknowledged them as a product of their time, and how often he saw his parents either transcend them or personify them. I loved hearing him talk about how experiences with being The Doctor, and explaining it to his children. I love how he talks about his children, too. I loved getting this new perspective of him, and I think I will appreciate watching him more now that I see where he's come from to get there.

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6 people found this helpful

A moving, honest story

It is always enlightening to read people’s histories - how they came to be what they are. Christopher Eccleston’s book is a sincere, honest self-analysis. It also tells a moving story about his family and their experience with Alzheimer’s. The fact that the book is read by the author himself adds to the emotional impact, because it feels like you are a friend who the author is confiding into. Definitely a must-listen - you will learn a lot about the inner life of one of the best actors out there, what informs his performances. Finally, as a person who speaks English as a second language and doesn’t know much about the British history and society, it was enlightening to learn so much about the life of the British working class (you might laugh, but I didn’t even know it existed, used to think of the UK as a classless paradise where quality education was available for everyone). It was also a very pleasant and useful experience to listen to a Northern accent, because the ESL learners are only taught the RP, which is only spoken by a fraction of people in the UK - so listening to something different was a nice practice!

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I laughed & I cried. Thank you Chris. You moved me

I came in to this as a fan of Christopher Eccleston the actor.
I come out of this as an admirer of Christopher Eccleston the man.

I've been a fan of Christopher Eccleston's work since Let Him Have It. It still sits with me after all these years. I became more of a fan after falling in love with Doctor Who.
Hearing him open up about his life and his struggles and his family and his views on life, relationships and what makes a person who they are, was incredibly moving. He's fiercely intelligent, has a strong sense of fairness and a world view very similar to mine, which includes disdain for societal class systems, unjust justice systems, bullies and those who punch down instead of up. It may come from having grown up working-class poor and the innate rejection of that "this is all you are" message thrust upon us. His definition of success is one I admire and agree with.

I noticed that later chapters had lots of editing in them, and some had passages that sounded almost slurred, which I attribute to his either being exhausted after a long day of narrating or due to the intimately personal material being emotionally draining.

I don't think our paths will ever cross professionally, although I would love to work with him. But if our paths ever cross in real life, even if it's at something like a Doctor Who convention, I would like to shake his hand and thank him for being the person he is. Quite honestly, I feel like I owe him a hug after this book.

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2 people found this helpful

Well worth your time.

Open and from the heart, very powerful and moving. A book I'll be referring to friends.

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All the words I heard in my head as I listened to a great voice of my generation

Poignant, honest, reverie, blustery, deep, intense, commentary, raw, open, wonderment, willingness, generational, grateful,
Thank you.

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Wow

This book is a deep dive all about how Christopher see's not only himself, but the world. There are times he gets on his soap box and preaches but hey its his book and I paid my dime so I listened. Over all hear his love/fear of his dad, and even more fear of the realization that in end we are all just like our parents comes threw. I enjoyed this book immensely.

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Soul-bearing, authentic, riveting!

I've read a lot of autobiographies and a lot of actor's autobiographies. But this is different. Eccleston's approach of telling his father's life story as well as his own is not unique. Many autobiographies start with a genealogy, some even have the father's life story told before the author's. But Eccleston approaches his account of his father's life in parallel to his own, comparing the two men throughout the book, wondering what his father would have made of his life if he'd had better opportunities or been brought up in later times. These parallels are expanded upon, bringing in Eccleston's grandfather and his son, so he can see himself as father and his father as a son. This is the state a lot of middle-aged men find themselves in, a parent ages, and needs to be cared for like a child, meanwhile the man has his own child to take care of. The inevitable death of the parent also brings with it the inheriting of the parent's childhood effects, school books, toys, and photographs, at a time when a ready comparison with one's own child can be made.

Eccleston uses his relationship with his father to highlight his father's dementia and his own mental health struggles, ranging from anorexia nervosa to depression and overindulgence in alcohol. He is, as far as the reader/listener can tell, very honest, and at times self-deprecating about his own failings. But he seems to have reached a point in his life where he has come to peace with his own qualities, good and bad, and can appreciate his own successes as well as his mistakes. It would have been easy for him to reel off a stream of successful films and television programmes, from Let Him Have It through Cracker, Our Friends In The North, Doctor Who, and The A-Word, all hits which the author's performance enhanced (notwithstanding his criticisms of some of his performances).

There is a little defensiveness about his perceived character as a chippy northerner, but Eccleston acquits himself well, proudly admitting that he is a 'fully paid-up member of the awkward squad'. His character comes through as someone of integrity, someone who cares about his work and its impact, and who cares about people. He does contribute a little political naivety, but also a steely commitment to do the right thing, for example in how he tackled the role of a bereaved parent in Hillsborough.

The author's own reading of his book greatly enhances the text, we know when he's being angry, when he's conciliatory, and when he's being matter-of-fact.

I have always enjoyed his performances, but came away from this book liking Christopher Eccleston more as a person, and respecting him more as an actor.

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Amazing

Thank you, Chris. My 13 yr old
Son is struggling with anorexia along with feelings of inadequacy/ self hate. I think your words gave voice to so many of the things he is feeling but can’t express. Your family story is absolutely “universal “ and deeply resonated with me. BTW, I was deeply moved by the film Jude in the 90s when I saw it. I have never forgotten that film. Also, you were my favorite character in Elizabeth. Never doubt your talent Chris. It may be hard for you to accept it, but everyone who watches you and listens is mesmerized. Blessings to you and your family.

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wonderful exploration of devotion, life, & acting!

Eccleston pens/narrates heartfelt love for family, respect for craft, and challenges of mental health. Fantastic!

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Important

Thank you for writing and reading this. I’ve listened twice so far. Emotionally moving, sometimes heartbreaking. And sometimes I nod my head in recognition, though our lives are very different. I want my son to read or listen to this. As I said, it’s important.

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