I must applaud Bill for his tenacity and energy and the spark of passion and life that infuses everything he does. I can’t wait to see what’s next. :)

I can think of one lesser supporting player that would say a lot more than ‘oh my’ to that statement : )

I just finished reading Up Till Now and feel inclined to comment. I enjoyed the book enormously, but have some minor complaints. For the last dozen years I’ve taught literature and composition at the college level, so I’m used to carefully examining what I read in terms of style and usage.

The tone of this book is quite different than Bill’s previous autobiographical works. This is presumably due to co-writer David Fisher’s approach and prose style differing from Chris Kreski’s. The earlier books presented a consistent, if somewhat workmanlike, organization and textual style while Up Till Now is more inconsistent and less linear. Like most celebrity memoirs, it appears the book was compiled from Bill’s recorded anecdotal ruminations and numerous sections are presented verbatim in a voice that sounds much like Bill’s. Fisher’s approach was likely to organize the material and provide bridging prose to logically link the anecdotes. Kreski seemed to collate the memories and render the material in his own version of Bill’s voice. Along with editorial tinkering, the different approach would account for the fluctuations of tone in the new book. The informational arrangement is somewhat chronological, mitigated by attempts to also arrange the material thematically. This is always an awkward strategy and I’ve never seen it done with complete success. Someone also had the lamentable idea of frequently interrupting Bill’s many interesting stories with trivial asides and jovial sales pitches for WilliamShatner.com and Shatnervision.com. While we all know Bill as a marvelous pitchman, this technique quickly becomes irksome when frequently repeated on the printed page. Perhaps it will be more effective in the audiobook version. These elements necessarily make for inconsistent reading, and while this is a book of quality, this is also a book to be read in short spurts. Please don’t misunderstand me. It’s certainly readable and without glaring typographical or grammatical problems, but Bill’s earlier memoirs made for more consistent reading from a stylistic perspective. Also, as I’m sure someone must have pointed out by now, the photo from Cannes is missing from the insert section. Although Bill didn’t appear in the animated film, I doubt the empty white box was meant as a joke.

As for the actual content: There’s a nice mix between the oft-repeated familiar stories and new material. As a longtime Shatner fan I’m grateful to have the book and relish the insights it provides. Much of the writing is extraordinary. The section describing Nerine’s alcoholism and death is one of the most beautiful and poignant things I’ve read in a long time. It moved this jaded and critical reader to tears. The insights into Bill’s acting philosophy, his quest for metaphysical meaning and his evolving friendhips with Leonard Nimoy and James Spader are welcome and satisfying.

If anything, the book’s main flaw in terms of content is that it tries to cover too much ground. A career and life as substantial and varied as Bill’s simply cannot be covered in a single 342 page memoir. I would rather this were one of two volumes–the first covering his early life and career up to perhaps the cancellation of the original Star Trek, and the second to cover the years since. It’s too late now, but perhaps Bill might consider another book comprised of anecdotes about his acting jobs through the years (along the lines of the Basil Rathbone story in the book), because a career of his longevity necessarily means they were given short shrift in the present work. The ones here are terrific. So much is covered in this one book that it becomes dizzying at times, but then I imagine Bill’s life is pretty dizzying at times.

In conclusion, even with my minor complaints, I heartily recommend this book to anyone ever touched or amused by a Shatner performance through the years. It’s a unique opportunity to glimpse the soul behind the constantly metamorphizing showman and man that is William Shatner. It’s a fitting epitaph, up till now, for a life that hopefully has many more chapters.

The autobiography is charming, witty, honest & confirms why The Shat is Star Trek’s brightest star (2nd star to the left & straight on til morning).

sorry for being a stinker… (grin)