First off, let me be perfectly clear. Fred Rogers was an amazing educator who loved children unconditionally. Everyone was his friend and neighbor, including the "adult children". What a national treasure!
This biography by Maxwell King was disappointing. It was poorly written, repetitive, and not the tribute to Fred Rogers he deserved. The only thing that saved this audiobook was the incredible narration by LeVar Burton. A digital or physical book wouldn't have this.
OVERALL REVIEW: 3.0 stars
Writing: 2.0 stars
Maxwell writes in a non-emotional, monotone way that may have been to model or pay tribute to Mr. Rogers. It didn't work.
Additionally, much of the material was cut and pasted from other sources. This caused so unnecessary and bothersome repetition, which was annoying.
In the extra End Credits, the author is interviewed. He states that he only talked to Fred Rogers twice - once for about an hour and a half, and the other for a brief hello. This biography really should have been written by someone who understood the nuances, quirks, and uniqueness of Mr. Rogers. I hope that another writer steps up and writes the definitive biography of Fred Rogers.
Finally, a good copywriter and editor were desperately needed for this book. The audiobook is over fourteen hours long!
Narration: 5.0 stars
The narration was beautifully done by the multi-talented and multi-hyphenated LeVar Burton.
Character development: 3.0 stars
The main character was Fred Rogers.
The secondary characters include many family members, friends, mentors, colleagues, and everyone who ever met Mr. Rogers in his life. I'm exaggerating, but it is fairly accurate.
The tertiary characters are the television product development, television production, television stations, educational television, and PBS television. Yes, there was a lot of television, which Mr. Rogers had nothing to do with and didn't tell much about him. It was extraneous fluff.
The character development could have been better for Fred Rogers. He was a deep, complicated, and cerebral person. The addition of more about his personal life, including his immediate family, wife, and close friends, would have been lovely.
Memorable: 3.0 stars
There was so much about Fred Rogers that I wanted to know, and it wasn't covered. Where did his passion for children come from? Why was he a vegetarian? What were his sons' and grandchildren's relationships like with him? On and on ...
Entertaining/Educational: 3.0 stars
There were many rumors about Fred Rogers that I had never heard.
It was funny to think that there was a rumor about his being in Special Forces, seriously? Or being a convicted child molester, no way! Where do these crazy stories come from?
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Perfect.
Book title: 5.0 stars
Excellent.
Lukewarm recommend
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: audiobook
The Good Neighbor by Maxwell King
14 hours, 7 minutes
Oasis Audio
Release date: 9/4/2018
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)
TRIGGER WARNINGS
None
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
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