Book Review: Making It So, by Patrick Stewart

When I saw that Sir Patrick Stewart wrote a book, I was super interested. And when I saw that he *narrated* his own book, well shit, that changed everything GIVE ME THAT GOOD SHIT NOW, PLEASE AND THANK YOU. Ahem.

Problem was, the audiobook wasn't available at my library! I specialize in borrowing books rather than buying books. (This is my classy way of saying that I'm a broke ass bitch.) So my (broke) ass patiently waited for the glorious day when I could listen to Sir Pat Stew share his story with me.

Thankfully that time has arrived.

Making It So, by Patrick Stewart (narrated by the author)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I loved this book. The audiobook is practically a requirement over the visual book because Sir Pat Stew is just *such* a delight to listen to. I didn't really know much at all about our dear author; so learning about his life and upbringing was fascinating. He covers everything from his childhood growing up in a poorer household in Mirfield (with no plumbing or refrigeration!), to developing an interest in theatre and acting, to love, loss, lifelong friendships, and working all kinds of jobs to fulfill his dream of attending theatre school. There are so many highs and lows and he doesn't sugar coat anything, especially not himself. (knowing that he cheated on his past spouses was disappointing ngl)

I have a confession: I am not a Trekkie. I don't dislike it; I just never watched it growing up. But ya damn right I got excited the moment he was introduced to the Star Trek world and when his TV and movie career really took off. (as well as his bromance with Ian McKellen!) He recounts a lot from The Next Generation days, from the audition, the beginning of filming, to the show's initial success, the movies, and Star Trek: Picard. And I'm proof that you don't need to be a Trekkie to enjoy every word. Most of the book actually focuses on his love of the theatre and Shakespeare, and I thoroughly enjoyed all of those stories as well. It was a delight to listen to and the pure joy he has for the stage and acting in general was heartwarming and inspiring.

The writing is honest and interesting and thoughtful, and he's got a great sense of humour. ("This was my first time seeing caviar, let alone eating it, and I didn't know the protocol!") The audiobook is a hefty 19 hours (which became much longer for me because I tend to stop and start and go back many times) BUT it was completely worth it and I was never bored at any point. This was a lovely treat and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Would listen to again!

This is one of my last books read in the month of August and surprise, it's now my first post of my new blog. I started a blog, btw, you're staring at it. Welcome!

For more book reviews, find me on The Storygraph, and I'm practically always around on Bluesky. (Hi Bluesky friends!) And coffees are greatly appreciated on Ko-Fi.