A Life in Parts

October 10, 2016
Though known today for Breaking Bad, Cranston played a number of roles before becoming an actor. Paperboy, biker, grocery store security guard—each chapter explores a different facet of Cranston’s personal history, as though Cranston were teaching another actor how to play him onstage. Deeply personal from the outset, Cranston walks readers through his early aimless years, his moment of Zen inspiration to be an actor, and the obsessive hard work on the soap opera Loving, during which he was also dealing with the fallout from an abusive relationship. Cranston discusses his later success on Malcolm in the Middle; Breaking Bad fans, of course, will fly straight to Cranston’s chapters on script changes made behind the scenes and the reasoning behind Walt’s underwear choices. But the way in which Cranston’s simple, staccato prose invites readers to empathize with every “character” he’s played elevates this autobiography to more than just a look behind the scenes—it’s a look behind a life.

In this gritty, honest memoir, Emmy Award-winning actor Bryan Cranston looks at both his career and his life as crafts to be honed and perfected. The narration is pitch-perfect, profound, and room-filling, thanks to Cranston's sonorous timbre and expert inflections. Audio fidelity and production values are exceptionally strong, and Cranston's performance is on par with any of his award-winning TV roles. Listeners will likely enjoy hearing in detail all of his preparations and mind work for such series as "Breaking Bad," "Malcolm in the Middle," "Seinfeld," and his Tony Award-winning turn in the LBJ piece "All The Way." Additionally, Cranston's sometimes painful and sometimes fun early adventures as a dock loader, farmhand, motorcyclist, and more are colorfully explored. This is a winner--a great listening experience. W.A.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine