Sonny Boy by Al Pacino

Review
"[Sonny Boy] is a spectacular book. This is the best autobiography I can remember reading." --Conan O'Brien, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend
"Reading Sonny Boy, you get the feel of something restless and almost nameless--until it coheres, white-hot, at the moment of dramatic expression. The moment of ignition . . . 'The profession of acting, ' Strasberg said, 'the basic art of acting, is a monstrous thing because it is done with the same flesh-and-blood muscles with which you perform ordinary deeds, real deeds.' Sonny Boy gives us the Pacino of ordinary deeds, bumbling around and having his experiences, and we see that he is in service--in thrall--to Pacino the actor. And if a certain fuzziness or impressionism attends his memories, well, we get it: He doesn't want to violate, with too much insight, the precious mystery at the core of his craft. Doesn't want to compromise who he is when he's listening to Beethoven." --James Parker, The Atlantic

"Discursively soulful . . . Reading Sonny Boy often feels like hanging out within a history of American movies over the last 50 years . . . Shot through with what certainly feels like self-deprecating honesty to go with the well-worn Pacino swagger." --Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times

"Pacino's engagement with his art was a model for how passionately--and variously--you could engage with the world . . . Has he always been perfect? No. He strives for something riskier and more alive than perfection. Is he always perceptive, free, unmissable? God, yes . . . I'm certain there are countless others who feel equally attached to Pacino's work. That's what happens when you illuminate as much human behavior as he has . . . The book is a beautiful trip. So is he." --David Marchese, The New York Times Magazine

"Startlingly cinematic ... A fine memoir. From fish out of water to Hollywood star, the method actor traces his path to success." ―The Guardian

"Conversational, breezily readable, reflective...Dives deep into Pacino's career highlights and low points."―Washington Post

"Pacino as narrator in Sonny Boy has a persistent lust for life. He just loves being on this earth, and seems amazed by his own luck . . . After this crash course, I would have to say that I, too, love that he exists."-Slate