Sonny Boy

Reviews

“Pacino’s high energy proves to be as mesmerizing in print as it is onscreen. Sonny Boy is a page-turner that allows the reader to experience the struggles, inspirations, tragedies, and triumphs of an artist from humble beginnings who becomes infatuated with ‘the power of expression’ at a very young age . . . So touchingly reflective that [it] left me in tears.” —The Washington Examiner

“A movie superstar of rare stature . . . In Sonny Boy, Mr. Pacino still sounds like the actor who dazzled in his heyday. The book, written with Dave Itzkoff, preserves Mr. Pacino’s personality, with all his intelligence, his wit and his eagerness to talk about the theater history he loves.” —Farran Smith Nehme, Wall Street Journal
 
“Very revealing of an artist’s soul . . . a beautiful, heartfelt piece of work.” —San Francisco Chronicle

“At its best, reading [Sonny Boy] feels like pulling up a stool next to the actor as he unspools one anecdote after another . . . A glimpse into the idiosyncratic mind of our most mercurial movie star, who’s more than happy to wax poetic about the lifesaving qualities of Chekhov or to share his imagined conversations with Bertolt Brecht.” —Chris Stanton, Vulture
 
“Startlingly cinematic . . . A fine memoir. From fish out of water to Hollywood star, the method actor traces his path to success, spending as much time on the films that flopped as the greatest hits.” —The Guardian

“[Sonny Boy] is a spectacular book. This is the best autobiography I can remember reading.” —Conan O’Brien, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

“Reading Sonny Boy, you get the feel of something restless and almost nameless—until it coheres, white-hot, at the moment of dramatic expression. The moment of ignition . . . ‘The profession of acting,’ Strasberg said, ‘the basic art of acting, is a monstrous thing because it is done with the same flesh-and-blood muscles with which you perform ordinary deeds, real deeds.’ Sonny Boy gives us the Pacino of ordinary deeds, bumbling around and having his experiences, and we see that he is in service—in thrall—to Pacino the actor. And if a certain fuzziness or impressionism attends his memories, well, we get it: He doesn’t want to violate, with too much insight, the precious mystery at the core of his craft. Doesn’t want to compromise who he is when he’s listening to Beethoven.” —James Parker, The Atlantic
 
“Discursively soulful . . .  Reading Sonny Boy often feels like hanging out within a history of American movies over the last 50 years . . .  Shot through with what certainly feels like self-deprecating honesty to go with the well-worn Pacino swagger.” —Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times

“Pacino’s engagement with his art was a model for how passionately—and variously—you could engage with the world . . . Has he always been perfect? No. He strives for something riskier and more alive than perfection. Is he always perceptive, free, unmissable? God, yes . . . I’m certain there are countless others who feel equally attached to Pacino’s work. That’s what happens when you illuminate as much human behavior as he has . . . The book is a beautiful trip. So is he.” —David Marchese, The New York Times Magazine

“Startlingly cinematic ... A fine memoir. From fish out of water to Hollywood star, the method actor traces his path to success.” ―The Guardian

“Conversational, breezily readable, reflective…Dives deep into Pacino’s career highlights and low points.” ―Washington Post

“Pacino as narrator in Sonny Boy has a persistent lust for life. He just loves being on this earth, and seems amazed by his own luck . . . After this crash course, I would have to say that I, too, love that he exists.” –Slate
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