Still Me

by Christopher Reeve

Book Overview

When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked 'What is a hero?' I remember the glib response I repeated so many times. My answer was that a hero is someone who commits a courageous... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679452354
• ISBN13: 9780679452355
• Release Date: April 1998
• Publisher: Random House (NY)
• Length: 309 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Life changing book

I absolutely loved this book! I have loved Christopher Reeve since I was a small child. This book made me feel like he was writing to me personally, sharing the intimate details of his life. It made me feel close to my life-long hero and is probably the best book I have ever read. The way he described his love for his wife helped me open up my heart and let myself fall in love again. I recommend this book to anyone who's admired Mr. Reeve or is in need of inspiration.

intelligent, insightful book

I'm normally not a huge fan of biographies or historical novels simply because I find it hard to keep straight all the details, dates, and people involved. I know that a diligent author will not omit important facts, so I tend to avoid the genre. I also avoid books about disabilities because I have one, and find most authors either take on a "pity me" or a "pretend I am completely normal" attitude when the truth of living with a disability is somewhere in the middle.However, I was drawn to this book by Reeve's own writing style. I read an exceprt of his newest book in a magazine, and decided to purchase "Still Me". I'm glad I did- I *really* enjoyed this book. Reeve has a remarkable writing style- he managed to seamlessly layer events from his entire life along with descriptions of his life post-injury and scientific information in every chapter. Even though the book continually shifted focus and timeframe, it was not a struggle to keep up with all the details.I have his next book ("Nothing is Impossible") on hold at the library, and can't wait to continue reading about Reeve's life. His writing style is open, honest, and warm all at once. He writes about his condition, and both his acceptance and rejection of it, with honesty and dignity. It's so refreshing to read about someone who is not afraid to be angry and proud about their situation. I truly hope that he is able to step out of his chair at some point in time, but even if he does not, he is truly a Superman in every respect of the word.

Great insight and inspiration

Chris Reeve is no literary genius, but he can certainly spin a tale. As difficult as it already is for someone to write a good, engaging auto-biography, Reeve manages it while paralyzed from the neck down, and yet without self-pity.The earlier parts of his life provide great insight to his character, and to why we all admire him so much as an oasis of class in an otherwise often smarmy business. I particularly enjoyed his recounting of his Cornell and Juilliard experiences.But it was his description of the accident and its aftermath that moved me greatly. To be able to write about these experiences must have been helpful for Reeve emotionally, but I feel like throwing the book against a wall when I realize that he still can't get up and walk. I can only imagine how many thousands of times more frustrating it is for Reeve himself.There is of course information on how to help the Foundation he started to fund spinal cord regeneration studies, and I think - though I'm not positive - that some of the profits from every book purchased go towards that fund as well.Simply put - when you're picking a role model, or even someone to be curious about on a rainy day or an airplane flight, you could do a whole hell of a lot worse than Christopher Reeve.

Still Superman, if you ask me.

This book is a testament to the courage and strength it takes to be dealt an almost fatal blow and come away stronger than he was before. Reeve takes us through his life and shows us just how this accident effected his personality and his heart, as well as the obvious physical aspects. I walked away feeling I knew Christopher better than I ever could have other wise. His words draw the reader in to his thoughts, and the reader walks away feeling priveleged to know Superman on a deeper level. Christopher Reeve IS Superman. He writes about his embarassment of "Superman" being struck down so easily, but his experience is just a way of showing us how even Superman has a tough time in this world. We each must fight our own demons. Each of us has it in us to overcome our challenges, and on the way, we have to clear the path for those who will follow us. I found the most touching part to be when Reeve realizes that people love him and each person is worth loving in return just because of that.