Play Audiobook Sample
Robin Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(0.00) - 0 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
This program includes a prologue and epilogue read by the author. From New York Times culture reporter Dave Itzkoff, comes the definitive audiobook biography of Robin Williams – a compelling portrait of one of America’s most beloved and misunderstood entertainers. From his rapid-fire stand-up comedy riffs to his breakout role in Mork & Mindy and his Academy Award-winning performance in Good Will Hunting, Robin Williams was a singularly innovative and beloved entertainer. He often came across as a man possessed, holding forth on culture and politics while mixing in personal revelations – all with mercurial, tongue-twisting intensity as he inhabited and shed one character after another with lightning speed. But as Dave Itzkoff shows in this revelatory biography, Williams’s comic brilliance masked a deep well of conflicting emotions and self-doubt, which he drew upon in his comedy and in celebrated films like Dead Poets Society; Good Morning, Vietnam; The Fisher King; Aladdin; and Mrs. Doubtfire, where he showcased his limitless gift for improvisation to bring to life a wide range of characters. And in Good Will Hunting he gave an intense and controlled performance that revealed the true range of his talent. Itzkoff also shows how Williams struggled mightily with addiction and depression – topics he discussed openly while performing and during interviews – and with a debilitating condition at the end of his life that affected him in ways his fans never knew. Drawing on more than a hundred original interviews with family, friends, and colleagues, as well as extensive archival research, Robin is a fresh and original look at a man whose work touched so many lives.
Download and start listening now!
"The book draws from [Dave] Itzkoff’s interviews with Williams for The New York Times as well as his talks with relatives, friends and fellow comics...to create a vivid portrait of a man whose successes never seemed to loom as large in his mind as his insecurities. In this Itzkoff is aided beyond measure by Berman, an Audie-winning narrator who captures Williams’ rat-a-tat style of speech and makes you feel that when he reads the quotes, it might almost be Robin talking.
— Providence Journal
Quotes
-
“Dave Itzkoff allows readers a rare intimate look at Robin Williams in this honest and emotional biography of the late entertainer…A fresh look at a man loved by many but truly understood by few.”
— Time -
“Deftly explores the life and career of beloved actor Robin Williams, including the darker parts…For fans of Williams, this will be a must-read.”
— Vogue -
“Immersive, intimate, and incredibly detailed.”
— Washington Post -
“Itzkoff captures the ebb and flow of Williams’ career beautifully, with respect and with honesty…in an artfully shaped, fact-filled book that honors the truth of his life.”
— Boston Globe -
“Narrator Fred Berman’s youthful enthusiasm percolates through his performance of this in-depth, detailed, and quite revealing biographical analysis…Close friends, associates, and family members offer fresh points of view. This audiobook’s brutal honesty is matched only by its sincerity and admiration for its subject.”
— AudioFile -
"[In] this comprehensive examination of Williams’ long career as an actor, family man, and friend…the author draws out the many different Robins the world has come to know—but as the Itzkoff shows, there was so much more.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“Meticulously sourced and comprehensive in scope, Itzkoff’s work gives Williams’ many fans a rare glimpse of the man behind the celebrity.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“The biography we’ve been waiting for…[A] well-researched, moving story of a man who could never quite come to terms with his own brilliance.”
— Booklist -
[T]otally engrossing biography of Robin Williams.
— Booklist
Awards
-
A Vogue Pick of Most Anticipated Books of 2018
-
An Amazon Editor’s Top Pick of the Month's Biographies and Memoirs
-
New York Times bestseller
-
A Kirkus Reviews Pick of 10 Excellent Summer Reads
-
An AARP Magazine Editors’ Pick of Best Books of the Year
-
A London Times Literary Supplement Best Book of the Year
-
A 2019 Audie Award Finalist for Best Narration in History/Biography
-
Among longlisted titles for San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year, 2018
-
Among longlisted titles for Barnes and Noble Best New Books of the Year, 2018
-
Among longlisted titles for Amazon.com Best Books of the Year, 2018
Robin Listener Reviews
Be the first to write a review about this audiobook!
About Dave Itzkoff
Dave Itzkoff is author of Robin, Mad as Hell, Cocaine’s Son, and Lads. He is a culture reporter at the New York Times, where he writes regularly about film, television, theater, music, and popular culture. He has previously worked at Spin, Maxim, and Details, and his work has appeared in GQ, Vanity Fair, Wired, and other publications.
About Dave Itzkoff
Fred Berman has won several AudioFile Earphones Awards as well as the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He is an actor of theater, film, and television whose credits include Broadway’s The Lion King, Law & Order, and Directing Eddie, among others. He was featured in Entertainment Weekly for his work on the Walking Dead audiobook series.