Otherwise the book was interesting, but definately geared toward the film buffs who want to hear about every
single movement made in every single Keaton film. I am not one of those and so skipped many paragraphs of
"and then he did this..." or "and then the house exploded." I was willing to grant Keaton full master status
for his particular kind of intricate (and dangerous, being schooled in danger from his father's vaudeville routines)
style, but if I wanted to know more about a two-reeler I'd rather watch it than read about it.
And his personal story is nothing short of heart-breaking. Unlucky in love (until late in life), he saw his
dearest friend, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, brought down by a vicious scandal that ruined a brilliant career and
probably shortened his life. First-hand Buster saw all that fame and money could - and couldn't - do. After all
the years of growing up on the road, traveling with a drunken, abusive father, Hollywood was just one more illusion.