Nonfiction: Vagabond by Tim Curry

Fans of legendary actor Tim Curry can remember what role it was from his long career that first introduced them to his voice, his range, and his talent. In his memoir, Vagabond, the British actor talks candidly about his life and career, including the stroke that nearly ended everything in 2012. 

Genre, Themes, History: This is a memoir in which Curry starts at the beginning, with his early life in Britain, and continues on through his childhood; his early career; his experience with the roles his fans know and love; and into modern-day when a serious stroke almost took his life, but his recovery has allowed him to continue acting almost exclusively through voice work. Curry explores the effect his father's death had on him and his outlook on life, as well as his relationship with his mother, and how his older sister was one of the most important people in his life. He details the full extent of his role as Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, both on stage and in the film, and how it led the way to him playing other memorable characters, Pennywise the Clown, and Wadsworth the Butler among them. 

My Verdict: Despite having a career that has extended over 40 years, Curry manages to tell his story in less than 300 pages, and seems to leave very little out (besides what he very pointedly tells the reader he is leaving out on purpose). Curry is open about the events of his life without being tacky, and without exposing those he may not have gotten along with as he went about his career. There is some occasional mention of another actor or perhaps a director he may not have gotten along particularly well with, but Curry simply speaks of what happened, gives a few reasons for why he believes it was the way it was, and then moves on to the next chapter. In fact, if there is a phrase that could be used to sum up how the actor has approached most things in life, it is to 'get on with it,' as he finds whining to be useless and boring. And one thing he is certainly glad to have held onto is his sense of humor, which comes through clearly on the pages of this book.

Favorite Quote: "Even so, whining is a f*cking bore for everybody involved - and it's highly unproductive. I'd rather spend my time focusing on other things."

Recommended Reading: Either of Stanley Tucci's books would be a great follow-up. Both Taste and What I Ate in One Year are fantastic reads.