PositiveThe New York Times Book Review... turns out to be a surprisingly sober and cleareyed portrait of a rabble-rouser as a young man. It’s sure to tick off some people, like the actor James Woods, who likely won’t be thrilled with the bit about his constant whining on the set of Salvador. But for the most part the Oliver Stone depicted in these pages — vulnerable, introspective, stubbornly tenacious and frequently heartbroken — may just be the most sympathetic character he’s ever written ... For a screenwriter, Stone has a notably languid and elegant prose style — at times downright novelistic — even if some passages can be rough to read ... What’s more unexpected, though, is how engaging a tale he spins out of his early family life in Connecticut and New York, particularly his odd-couple parents ... of course, the real payoff here, particularly for movie buffs, is Stone’s account of his early struggles as a filmmaker ... Although he doesn’t delve too deeply into his drug use or sexual adventures (he writes about his ex-wives with warmth and respect), he doesn’t whitewash his excesses either ... His decision to end the memoir on Oscar night 1987 does feel a bit abrupt — there’s just so much more one wants to read about ... neatly sets the stage for the possibility of that rarest of Stone productions: a sequel.
