Becoming Richard Pryor Books Details
Hardcover: 608 pages
Publisher: Harper (December 9, 2014)
Language: English
Publisher: Harper (December 9, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062123300
ISBN-13: 978-0062123305
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.5 x 9 inches
In Becoming Richard Pryor, author Scott Saul quotes Pryor as saying,
“It’s so much easier for me to talk about my life in front of two
thousand people than it is one-on-one.” But on stage we only get part of
the picture and it’s in reading Saul’s well-researched and
comprehensive biography that one begins to realize exactly what went
into creating arguably the greatest comedian ever. Starting with his
family’s origins in Peoria, Illinois where several generations were
marked by domestic violence, petty crime, and the ins and outs of
running brothels Saul traces Pryor’s early days in Greenwich Village,
his inner explorations in Berkeley, and the rise of his star in
Hollywood. It certainly wasn’t pretty; but it’s spellbinding at times.
Particularly effective is Saul’s effort to get into Pryor’s head, which
rings with authenticity and truth. Read online Becoming Richard Pryor book now.
Becoming Richard Pryor Books Review
BECOMING RICHARD PRYOR is an extensive, well-researched look at the
life of Richard Pryor. In fact, the author notes that he actually
interviewed hundreds of people for this book. Much of the narrative
involves Richard’s grandmother Marie, who actually was part of the
prostitution family business, which influenced much of Pryor’s early
childhood: “She may have been a madam but she was also a mother who took
care of her family, and a church going woman.”
I found BECOMING RICHARD PRYOR a very sad read. It is difficult for
me to even imagine the disastrous upbringing that he experienced. Sadly,
Richard experienced lots of beatings–especially from his father: “His
father would brag, ‘my son never cries when I whoop him.’ But there was a
simple explanation for that. One punch from Buck and Richard was out.”
One bright spot was when the young Richard found a helpful teacher at
the local community center. She gave him some acting roles, and
encouraged him in many practical ways. Another light-hearted section was
where the author recounts one practical joke that Richard played on his
drama teacher. The nice (but naive) teacher wanted the group to go on a
field trip into town–to see what would happen to them if they didn’t
study hard. It was like a “Show and Tell” day. Young Richard had an
inspired thought–he guided the kids on a “shortcut” down the alley,
right in front of the brothels that he knew so well, from the family
business. As the kids passed by, the ladies were all looking out the
windows, waving at the kids. They even invited the kids inside for
lemonade. Later, the teacher remarked how well behaved and nice those
women were. Get online Becoming Richard Pryor today.
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