Brat - Andrew McCarthy

Brat

By Andrew McCarthy

  • Release Date: 2021-05-11
  • Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Score: 4
4
From 196 Ratings

Description

Fans of Patti Smith's Just Kids and Rob Lowe's Stories I Only Tell My Friends will love this beautifully written, entertaining, and emotionally honest memoir by an actor, director, and author who found his start as an 80s Brat pack member.
 Most people know Andrew McCarthy from his movie roles in Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo's Fire, Weekend at Bernie's, and Less than Zero, and as a charter member of Hollywood's Brat Pack. That iconic group of ingenues and heartthrobs included Rob Lowe, Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, and Demi Moore, and has come to represent both a genre of film and an era of pop culture. In his memoir Brat: An '80s Story, McCarthy focuses his gaze on that singular moment in time. The result is a revealing look at coming of age in a maelstrom, reckoning with conflicted ambition, innocence, addiction, and masculinity. New York City of the 1980s is brought to vivid life in these pages, from scoring loose joints in Washington Square Park to skipping school in favor of the dark revival houses of the Village where he fell in love with the movies that would change his life. Filled with personal revelations of innocence lost to heady days in Hollywood with John Hughes and an iconic cast of characters, Brat is a surprising and intimate story of an outsider caught up in a most unwitting success.

Reviews

  • Enjoyable read.

    3
    By Horklespank
    A thoughtful memoir with pacing issues.
  • Great Read!

    5
    By wisdomoflemons
    I enjoyed this look at Andrew took us back to his earlier life. This lead me to read his other travel books - they’re fantastic, very insightful.
  • Insightful and Entertaining

    5
    By Ilovejeh96
    There was always just “something about him” as I watched his films. Reading this book helped me realize what that “something” was and is. Andrew McCarthy is a thinker. He is humble. He is remarkable in his talent, yet undeniably human. His writing flows beautifully, and I never felt as if he dumbed it down for the general public. If you were a fan of his famous 80s films, you might read this and become an admirer of the man he became.
  • Loved it!!

    5
    By JulieRae65
    Like a trip down the memory lane of my youth. Brought back some great memories. Enjoyed all of it. Worth the read!
  • Simply Awful

    1
    By jasnyc65
    Exactly like his acting , less than zero
  • What an amazing writer!

    5
    By iplay88keys
    For somebody from my 80s past on whom I always had a crush, Andrew McCarthy exposes his soul through his writing. More so than his acting ever could convey. I read this memoir so much more quickly than most others I have read. His beautiful words have an indescribable rhythm to them, and I found myself transported back to my 80s youth. The final few paragraphs brought tears to my ears, more so than any cheesy ending from “Pretty in Pink” ever could. (And for the record, I am in the minority of fans who always thought that Molly Ringwald’s character should have ended up with Duckie, because I did! And 33 years later, I’m still so glad that I did.)
  • Could put it down

    5
    By koouu I'm
    The 1st chapter I was crying my eyes out when I read how mean his Dad was to him. He was more then a one hit wonder and 40 years of writing and acting and he put 110% in every he does. He uses every opportunity to entertain us his fans.
  • Eye Opening

    5
    By ChristmasMorning1
    A compelling and relatable insight into young Hollywood in the 80’s from Andrew McCarthy’s observant (even if he’d argue he didn’t have a clue at the time) and honest perspective. It leaves me wondering if he realizes how brave he was while white knuckling it during those years. He’s a smart guy. Maybe (hopefully), he knows.

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