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    Kiss Me Like A Stranger: My Search for Love and Art
    Kiss Me Like A Stranger: My Search for Love and Art
    Kiss Me Like A Stranger: My Search for Love and Art
    Ebook301 pages4 hours

    Kiss Me Like A Stranger: My Search for Love and Art

    By Gene Wilder

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    In this personal book from the star of many beloved and classic film comedies -- from The Producers to Young Frankenstein, Blazing saddles to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory -- Gene Wilder writes about a side of his life the public hasn't seen on the screen. Kiss Me Like a Stranger is not an autobiography in the usual sense of the word, and it's certainly not another celebrity "tell-all." Instead, Wilder has chosen to write about resonant moments in his life, events that led him to an understanding of the art of acting, and -- more important -- to an understanding of how to give love to and receive love from a woman.

    Wilder writes compellingly about the creative process on stage and screen, and divulges moments from life on the sets of some of the most iconic movies of our time.

    In this book, he talks about everything from his experiences in psychoanalysis to why he got into acting and later comedy (his first goal was to be a Shakespearean actor), and how a Midwestern childhood with a sick mother changed him. Wilder explains why he became an actor and writer, and about the funny, wonderful movies he made with Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, Richard Pryor, and Harrison Ford, among many others. He candidly reveals his failures in love, and writes about the overwhelming experience of marrying comedienne Gilda Radner, as well as what finally had to happen for him to make a true and lasting commitment to another woman.

    A thoughtful, revealing, and winsome book about life, love, and the creative process, the New York Times bestseller Kiss Me Like A Stranger is one actor's life in his own words.

    Editor's Note

    In memory…

    Gene Wilder is best known for his performance as Willy Wonka in “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.” It’s a role that perfectly captures the warmth, humor, and thoughtfulness that defined both his career and his life.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateApr 1, 2010
    ISBN9781429909952
    Author

    Gene Wilder

    Gene Wilder (1933-2016) began acting when he was thirteen and writing for the screen in the early 1970s. After a small role in "Bonnie and Clyde" pulled him away from a career onstage, he was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for his role as Leo Bloom in "The Producers", which led to "Blazing Saddles" and then to another Academy nomination, this time for writing "Young Frankenstein". Wilder appeared in twenty-five feature films and a number of stage productions. His first book, about his own life, was Kiss Me Like A Stranger. It was followed by the novels My French Whore, The Woman Who Wouldn’t, and Something to Remember You By and a book of stories, What Is This Thing Called Love?.

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    Reviews for Kiss Me Like A Stranger

    3.5/5

    132 ratings10 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Though I enjoy his movies, I would not consider myself a Gene Wilder fan. I'm not sure I've ever thought about him outside the characters he's portrayed. It was kind of a weird experience reading the life story of a complete stranger, especially one as brutally honest as this. Wilder tiptoes around nothing. Still, it was surprisingly readable, at once touching and funny. I got a little choked up reading about Gilda Radner's final days. Wilder focuses mostly on his personal life and romantic relationships, though there is also a fair amount of information about his experiences as an actor and later writer. It's refreshing to read a memoir written at the proper time in a person's life: after they've settled down with the right person, are more or less retired from what made them famous, and have the time to sit back and reflect. While I wouldn't recommend this to someone who hates Gene Wilder movies, you certainly don't have to be a fanatic to enjoy this tale of self-discovery.
    • 3/5
      This is a great summer read! I've always loved Gene Wilder, watching him go from sweet and gentle to manic and loud on the screen is always an exhilarating experience. The story of his life is just as divided as his on-screen persona was, some things came easy to him and others were extremely difficult. He tells his life story in snippets, as if in a journal or diary rather than a proper novel, which makes for an easy and refreshing read. Recommended for those who love his work or are interested in the ins and outs of normal, neurotic love:)
    • 2/5
      I love Gene Wilder, but I've read only a quarter of this book. He chronicles his life, year by year, production by production, but I'm disappointed. I prefer a memoir that offers insights about the author's personality--revelations, aha moments, transformation, redemption. Or funny stories about celebrities. Or writing that shows a love of words. Kiss Me... wasn't emotional or funny or literary. This memoir would be a great resource for anybody doing research on American theater and film, but it didn't hold my interest.
    • 4/5
      Listened to this unabridged audiobook - read by the author. Enjoyed his writing and reading style very much. Tastefully written; reminded me of all the wonderful movies Wilder has worked on (in front of & behind the camera).
    • 2/5
      I'm a huge fan of "Young Frankenstein" (YF) and I like "The Producers very, very much. I think Wilder was just perfect in both movies. So I was more than a little predisposed to a very good review of his book, but instead I found it poorly written, dull, skimpy, and not very funny. YF spans about 8 pages and the pages in KMLAS include a lot of air, i.e., a typical page had a bit more than 300 pages, and chapters were short, with a blank page+ between each. Air. And within these 8 pages, there were breakaways to describe the latest wisdom from therapist Margie, the breakup of his marriage and how painful it was (really?), and plans for the next movie. Margie.....Wilder shares many of the insights and advice that Margie dropped on him over the years. Dull. Obviously a big deal for Wilder but dull nevertheless. So what are some of the wonderful inside scoops, the behind-the-scenes stuff from YF. "Walk this way", "Eyegore", "...you take da blonde..." all things we've heard a million times. And the marriages....I lost count. But, despite all that what you really wanted to hear about was the marriage with Gilda, the Love Story. Wilder writes on page 202 - "if the dog hadn't eaten the rat poison, I honestly don't think that Gilda and I would ever have gotten married." Ah, true love.
    • 1/5
      This was a very disappointing book. I figured the guy who wrote Young Frankenstein would be able to write a decent book. I was wrong. It was all whining about his sexual hang-ups and not even very reflective at that.
    • 2/5
      I suppose I should've known by the book's title that Wilder was playing his cards close to the chest when he wrote the book. It's mostly about his career. His disclosure about his life comes out in tidbits and, at times, feel inconsequential. There's a part where he mentions his dad died then goes on about his career like it was no more than a cold day. I gave it 2 stars instead of 1 because there were some interesting insights into working with Richard Pryor and Gilda Radner, but the book could've been much deeper. The guy has been a brilliant actor. But there are parts of his life he doesn't want to show the public, I get that, and if you're okay with that then read it. Otherwise, put it down.
    • 4/5
      I listened to this book on audio, narrated by the author. His reading was enjoyable to listen to. I knew him mainly from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and this was a more faceted portrait. He was much more poetic and sensitive than I would have imagined. Also a bit neurotic (less surprising). There were a couple of cringey moments when he lamented the lack of sex from his third wife (who had stage four cancer at the time), but otherwise it was an entertaining read.
    • 4/5
      Very nice, easy to read and revealing. I only wish I'd been able to listen to him narrating his own audiobook.
    • 4/5
      Amazing to read, I just couldn’t put it down.

    Book preview

    Kiss Me Like A Stranger - Gene Wilder

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