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clairekanereads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
4.0
jadeeby's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted at my blog Chasing Empty Pavements
When I saw this book on Netgalley, I remembered watching Kanyon on TV and I knew I had to read this book. Plus, I find it so interesting that he had to live a majority of his life hiding his sexuality.
The Good: This did NOT read like a boring biography/memoir AT all. It was so interesting and fast paced, I felt like I was actually just listening to Chris speak out loud. I could almost hear his voice leap from the pages. I really enjoy that we get a solid background on Chris's life and the beginning struggles he has figuring out he is gay. The way he relays his life to us, I can understand why he went through periods of deep depression and tried to hide his sexuality. I think it's inspiring that Chris not only went to college, graduated and worked a full time "real" job before wrestling, but that he continued to follow his dreams and passions despite knowing how hard it would be on him. Throughout the book, you can just tell how educated and thoughtful he is. It really makes me sad for his passing. The most heartbreaking thing comes at the end, because when he and Ryan Clark were finished with the book, he was still alive. The tributes at the end are so sad to read. I really felt that Chris was such a relatable and spirited man, I wish there could have been someone that was able to help him through his rough spots, someone who could of talked him down from the ledge. I think the thing that really surprised me about this book was that there was just enough background and talk about wrestling, to add to the overall understanding and message of the book and Chris Kanyon's life but not SO much that people who aren't interested in wrestling would be turned off. It's the opposite actually, I think there's the perfect amount of wrestling talk to keep the non-wrestling fans interested.
The Bad: A little lengthy in some places....it tended to get bogged down with details that the readers really don't need or want....they don't add anything to his life story or the overall message of the book. However, I think Ryan Clark wanted to stay as true to Chris as he could, and perhaps that's why he chose to include things that were irrelevant.
Overall... I thought this was one of the best biographies/memoirs that I've read. It opened my eyes to a different side of wrestling, really gave me a great understanding of what he was up against as a gay man in that industry. It made me a little angry that he was treated the way he was. If you enjoy reading about the world of pro-wrestling or are interested in the life of Chris Kanyon, I would highly recommend this book! I give it a B+!
**I received this book free from the publisher through www.netgalley.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own
When I saw this book on Netgalley, I remembered watching Kanyon on TV and I knew I had to read this book. Plus, I find it so interesting that he had to live a majority of his life hiding his sexuality.
The Good: This did NOT read like a boring biography/memoir AT all. It was so interesting and fast paced, I felt like I was actually just listening to Chris speak out loud. I could almost hear his voice leap from the pages. I really enjoy that we get a solid background on Chris's life and the beginning struggles he has figuring out he is gay. The way he relays his life to us, I can understand why he went through periods of deep depression and tried to hide his sexuality. I think it's inspiring that Chris not only went to college, graduated and worked a full time "real" job before wrestling, but that he continued to follow his dreams and passions despite knowing how hard it would be on him. Throughout the book, you can just tell how educated and thoughtful he is. It really makes me sad for his passing. The most heartbreaking thing comes at the end, because when he and Ryan Clark were finished with the book, he was still alive. The tributes at the end are so sad to read. I really felt that Chris was such a relatable and spirited man, I wish there could have been someone that was able to help him through his rough spots, someone who could of talked him down from the ledge. I think the thing that really surprised me about this book was that there was just enough background and talk about wrestling, to add to the overall understanding and message of the book and Chris Kanyon's life but not SO much that people who aren't interested in wrestling would be turned off. It's the opposite actually, I think there's the perfect amount of wrestling talk to keep the non-wrestling fans interested.
The Bad: A little lengthy in some places....it tended to get bogged down with details that the readers really don't need or want....they don't add anything to his life story or the overall message of the book. However, I think Ryan Clark wanted to stay as true to Chris as he could, and perhaps that's why he chose to include things that were irrelevant.
Overall... I thought this was one of the best biographies/memoirs that I've read. It opened my eyes to a different side of wrestling, really gave me a great understanding of what he was up against as a gay man in that industry. It made me a little angry that he was treated the way he was. If you enjoy reading about the world of pro-wrestling or are interested in the life of Chris Kanyon, I would highly recommend this book! I give it a B+!
**I received this book free from the publisher through www.netgalley.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own
pocketvolcano's review against another edition
5.0
This is a major must read for fans of Chris Kanyon, wrestling and/or people who want to know what it is to be a closeted gay man in a strongly heterosexual sport. I knew the outcome, I knew what wound up happening to Kanyon and still wound up crying at the end. Chris' demons weren't the usual wrestling "demons" - his was dealing with being in the closet, fearing losing his job, his family and friends if his secret was discovered; plus, realizing he was bipolar to boot. He was given a burden that no one should have to bear, and ultimately he couldn't carry it any longer. My heart goes out to him and his family. Kanyon was tremendously talented in the ring and had a passion for wrestling that drove him to become as great as he was. Perhaps he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time as far as getting very far in WWE - most wrestling fans know about the Vince McMahon stereotype he sticks to - and we know things have changed in the past ten years. However, he still would have been dealing with wanting to be out of the closet at a time that Vince was still mocking homosexuals. It's only with Darren Young coming out as gay in the past year and WWE partnering with GLAAD that things are starting to change. At least publicly. Privately, we still have no clue how it is to be gay in WWE. Elsewhere, there are still very few independent wrestlers who are choosing to be public about their sexuality. Should they have to be? No. But it also shouldn't be a problem for wrestlers to have matches with others who are gay. Unfortunately many still do. But hopefully, with this book and more people wiling to be open about who and what they are, the tides will turn.
Sadly, it's too late for Chris Kanyon. But hopefully his place in wrestling history will never be forgotten, and his contributions to wrestling and society as a gay man who revealed his struggle in this autobiography will help change things. I hope so.
Who better than Kanyon? No one. Absolutely no one.
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