Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Reviews of Becoming a Man: Half a Life Story

Becoming a Man: Half a Life Story
Becoming a Man Half a Life Story
Author: Paul Monette
ISBN-13: 9780349105499
ISBN-10: 0349105499
Publication Date: 5/19/1994
Pages: 288
Edition: First Edition
Rating:
  • Currently 2.8/5 Stars.
 2

2.8 stars, based on 2 ratings
Publisher: Abacus
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

4 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

Cosmina avatar reviewed Becoming a Man: Half a Life Story on + 70 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
I had just made the biggest decision to change my life one person can undertake. On the thousand mile car trip to my new home, I listened to an interview on NPR with Paul Monette about winning the National Book Award for this autobiography. Before I even went to unload my car, I stopped at a bookstore and bought this book. It is emotionally and powerfully honest. It is raw with the pain of the closet that imprisons gays. It shares his anger, his joy and his courageous pursuit of truth. Ultimately, this book is a brilliant work, exposing the truth of the man who wrote it. I also recommend Borrowed Time, another brilliant memoir written by Paul Monette and one of the best books I have ever read.
reviewed Becoming a Man: Half a Life Story on + 4 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
"Maybe one of the great American autobiographies....A book in which virtually every gay man will see himself; with which virtually every lesbian and bisexual will empathize; which will powerfully move the parents, siblings, and friends of gays....as witty as it is anguished and as full of understanding as of anger, this is Monette's best book." - Booklist
Paul Monette didn't need perfect grammar or perfect sentences to craft a remarkable and moving narrative.
reviewed Becoming a Man: Half a Life Story on + 200 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is a story of a homosexual man. It helps one understand their misery in not being accepted from childhood for who they are.
Zydeco avatar reviewed Becoming a Man: Half a Life Story on + 80 more book reviews
Poorly written with too many fragmented sentences and more metaphors than one book should ever contain.