Reviews

This memoir is so different from my everyday life that it feels like half of the book might be fiction. I had picked it up because I was interested in Herzog’s work as a director and because the title was eye-catching. I’m glad I did, it was a wild ride. It details his life growing up in extreme poverty in Germany during WWII and after and the start of his interest in film at the age of 15. It then goes on to describe his wild life including being a rodeo clown in Mexico, walking from Germany to Paris to visit a friend, breaking both his legs from skiing and hitting a jump wrong, and many other strange adventures. Interspaced between these stories are his views on his own films and the films of others, his general philosophy of life, his relationships with his family and projects he wishes he had time for. Everything is colored by his dry wit and humor which also makes it hard at times to tell fact from fiction! In all, I enjoyed this book even if I don’t know if I should take the whole thing seriously. I recommend it to anyone who wants to read about a crazy life and enjoys a good story.