Monday, July 16, 2018

The Tao of Bill Murray by Gavin Edwards

(hb; 2016: nonfiction)

From the back cover

“Gavin Edwards. . . was fascinated with Bill Murray─in particular the beloved actor’s adventures off-screen, which rival his filmography for sheer entertainment value. Edwards raveled to places where Murray has lived, worked, and partied, in search of the most outrageous and hilarious Bill Murray stories from the past four decades, many of which have never been reported. Bill once paid a child five dollars to ride his bike into a swimming pool. The star convinced Harvard’s JV women’s basketball team to play with him in a private game of hoops. Many of these surreal encounters ended with Bill whispering, ‘No one will ever belive you’ into a stranger’s ear. But The Tao of Bill Murray is more than just a collection of wacky anecdotes. This volume puts the actor’s public clowning into a larger context, as Edwards distills Murray’s unique way of being into a set of guiding principles. . .”


Review

Tao is an entertaining, light read: part biography, part filmography, part collection of anecdotes and interviews about the comedian’s whimsical appearances and behavior. It is more filmography and anecdote collection than biography, and while it celebrates Murray’s work, philosophy and deeds, it is an honest evaluation of his flaws, as well. This is a must-read for any Bill Murray fan, one worth checking out from the library, or purchasing for a low price.

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