Long. Maybe didn't need to be - there's lots of description of synopsis and gags. The best bit is the first section - the tale of Keaton in vaudeuville with his parents, trying to stay one step ahead of the authorities. It didn't seem to do him much psychological damage. Maybe a little more time in the classroom would've made him a better businessman. Or maybe not (Chaplin didn't).
I think Keaton was a genius - brilliantly trained who sound the perfect medium - silent comedy. He had an ideal patron in Joe Schenck and was protected for many years. Keaton benefited from a perfect storm of good fortune (vaudeville training, patronage of Fatty Arbuckle, the fact films were so new and silent, and had been doing for just the right amount of time)... then had a perfect storm of bad things, some of which TBH were his fault (moving to control-obsessed and cost-conscious MGM, blowing all his money on a ridiculously elaborate house, and most of all boozing). He had a lousy 30s but even then remained a box office draw at MGM longer than is commonly thought... had a bad second marriage... but the last two decades of his life were happy: a nice third marriage, plenty of work, critical acclaim. Died at an old age for a smoker.
I like how this book have credit to the later AIP films (my first exposure to Keaton) and to television.
A fine life, a worthy tribute. Maybe a little overlong.
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