Kiss me like a Stranger: My Search
for Love and Art
This book is a beautiful, honest
and open biography by Gene Wilder. It addresses areas in acting, love, OCD and
mental issues, cancer, art and other important events in his life with immense
clarity and truthfulness that will snag your heart and keep you engaged until
the very end of the book. It will leave you wanting to know so much more about
Mr. Wilder and his life. I have been a fan of his for a long time, since I was
very little. I have always been a big Mel Brooks fan and in turn a big Gene
Wilder fan. I knew about Gilda Radner through my insanely talents comedienne sister
but this book gave an honest look at what it feels like to be a caregiver who
is tortured by his love and his own thoughts on deserving love and being a
selfish person. My sister recommended this book to me because of their
relationship and her impact on survivors everywhere. In this book, he does not paint the picture of
being the loyal caregiver full of unending love. He is flawed, he feels torn,
he feels hurt, and from what I interpreted from the book- undeserving of the
love he is getting on any front. It was not until I became a survivor that I
really understood this and how difficult it can be on all involved and how much
she did for the cancer community and it was nice to see the story from his side
of her story. I want to read Gilda’s book because I want to see how she viewed
his actions since she had unquestionable love for him. The book also discusses Wilder’s own cancer
story in the end. The best part of this book is truly its honesty. Wilder never
shys away from the truth even if it paints him in a bad light. He addresses his
own fears, his own faults. He is not painted as a noble hero, but as a flawed
individual that is essentially human. It is not a funny book, it is a truthful book.
Plus there is a wonderful amount of
photos showing the complexity of his life and how many people truly cared about
him and what a diverse life he has had. If you are looking for funny and
entertaining, this is not the book for you. However if you want an honest look
at someone who made movies that changes lives, and you are willing to accept
that he may not be the hero you always loved then this is the book for you.
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