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Still Me
With a New Afterword for this Edition.
When the first 'Superman' movie came out I was frequently asked 'What is a hero?' I remember the glib response I repeated so many times. My answer was that a hero is someone who commits a courageous action without considering the consequences - a soldier who crawls out of a foxhole to drag an injured buddy to safety. And I also meant individuals who are slightly larger than life: Houdini and Lindbergh, John Wayne, JFK, and Joe DiMaggio. Now my definition is completely different. I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles: a fifteen-year-old boy who landed on his head while wrestling with his brother, leaving him barely able to swallow or speak; Travis Roy, paralysed in the first thirty seconds of a hockey game in his freshman year at college. These are real heroes, and so are the families and friends who have stood by them."
The whole world held its breath when Christopher Reeve struggled for life on Memorial Day, 1995. On the third jump of a riding competition, Reeve was thrown headfirst from his horse in an accident that broke his neck and left him unable to move or breathe.
In the years since then, Reeve has not only survived, but has fought for himself, for his family, and for the hundreds of thousands of people with spinal cord injuries in the United States and around the world. And he has written 'Still Me', the heartbreaking, funny, courageous, and hopeful story of his life.
Chris describes his early success on Broadway opposite the legendary Katherine Hepburn, the adventure of filming 'Superman' on the streets of New York, and how the movie made him a star. He continued to move regularly between film acting and theater work in New York, Los Angeles, and at the WIlliamstown Theatre Festival in the Berkshires. Reunited with his 'Bostonians' director, James Ivory, in 1992, he traveled to England to work with Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins in 'The Remains of the Day'.
The Man who cannot move has not stopped moving. He has established a charitable foundation to raise awareness and money for research on spinal cord injuries. His work as director of the HBO film 'In the Gloaming' earned him an Emmy nomination, one of five that the film received. His speeches at the Democratic National Convention and the Academy Awards inspired people around the country and the world. He has testified before Congress on behalf of health insurance legislation, lobbied for increased federal funding for spinal cord research, and developed a working relationship with President Clinton.
With dignity and sensitivity, he describes the journey he has made -physically, emotionally, spiritually. He explores his complex relationship with his parents, his efforts to remain a devoted husband and father, and his continuing and heroic battle to rebuild his life.
This is the determined, passionate story of one man, a gifted actor and star, and how he and his family came to grips with the kind of devastating, unexplainable shock that fate can bring to any of us. Chris and Dana Reeve have gathered the will and the spirit to create a new life, one responsive and engaged and focused on the future.
When the first 'Superman' movie came out I was frequently asked 'What is a hero?' I remember the glib response I repeated so many times. My answer was that a hero is someone who commits a courageous action without considering the consequences - a soldier who crawls out of a foxhole to drag an injured buddy to safety. And I also meant individuals who are slightly larger than life: Houdini and Lindbergh, John Wayne, JFK, and Joe DiMaggio. Now my definition is completely different. I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles: a fifteen-year-old boy who landed on his head while wrestling with his brother, leaving him barely able to swallow or speak; Travis Roy, paralysed in the first thirty seconds of a hockey game in his freshman year at college. These are real heroes, and so are the families and friends who have stood by them."
The whole world held its breath when Christopher Reeve struggled for life on Memorial Day, 1995. On the third jump of a riding competition, Reeve was thrown headfirst from his horse in an accident that broke his neck and left him unable to move or breathe.
In the years since then, Reeve has not only survived, but has fought for himself, for his family, and for the hundreds of thousands of people with spinal cord injuries in the United States and around the world. And he has written 'Still Me', the heartbreaking, funny, courageous, and hopeful story of his life.
Chris describes his early success on Broadway opposite the legendary Katherine Hepburn, the adventure of filming 'Superman' on the streets of New York, and how the movie made him a star. He continued to move regularly between film acting and theater work in New York, Los Angeles, and at the WIlliamstown Theatre Festival in the Berkshires. Reunited with his 'Bostonians' director, James Ivory, in 1992, he traveled to England to work with Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins in 'The Remains of the Day'.
The Man who cannot move has not stopped moving. He has established a charitable foundation to raise awareness and money for research on spinal cord injuries. His work as director of the HBO film 'In the Gloaming' earned him an Emmy nomination, one of five that the film received. His speeches at the Democratic National Convention and the Academy Awards inspired people around the country and the world. He has testified before Congress on behalf of health insurance legislation, lobbied for increased federal funding for spinal cord research, and developed a working relationship with President Clinton.
With dignity and sensitivity, he describes the journey he has made -physically, emotionally, spiritually. He explores his complex relationship with his parents, his efforts to remain a devoted husband and father, and his continuing and heroic battle to rebuild his life.
This is the determined, passionate story of one man, a gifted actor and star, and how he and his family came to grips with the kind of devastating, unexplainable shock that fate can bring to any of us. Chris and Dana Reeve have gathered the will and the spirit to create a new life, one responsive and engaged and focused on the future.
324 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
About the author
Christopher Reeve
32 books51 followersChristopher D'Olier Reeve was an American actor, director, producer, and writer. He established himself early as a Juilliard-trained stage actor before portraying Superman/Kal-El/Clark Kent in four films, from 1978 to 1987. In the 1980s, he starred in several films, including Somewhere In Time (1980), Deathtrap (1982), The Bostonians (1984), and Street Smart (1987). He also starred in many plays, including the Broadway plays Fifth Of July (1980 - 1982) and The Marriage Of Figaro (1985). In 1987, he led a public rally in support of 77 Chilean actors, directors, and playwrights who had been sentenced to death by the dictator Augusto Pinochet for criticizing his regime in their works. Pinochet canceled the sentence after the ensuing media coverage, and Christopher was awarded with three national distinctions from Chile for his actions. In the 1990s, Christopher acted in such films as Noises Off (1992), The Remains Of The Day (1993), and Village of the Damned (1995).
In May 1995, Christopher was paralyzed in an accident during the cross country portion of an Eventing competition. He was in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He lobbied on behalf of people with spinal cord injuries, and for human embryonic stem cell research after this accident. He founded the Christopher Reeve Foundation and co-founded the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. Reeve died at age 52 on October 10, 2004 from cardiac arrest caused by a systemic infection.
Christopher married Dana Morosini in April 1992, and they have a son, Will. Christopher also had two children, Matthew and Alexandra, from a previous relationship with Gae Exton. Dana Reeve died of lung cancer in March 2006.
In May 1995, Christopher was paralyzed in an accident during the cross country portion of an Eventing competition. He was in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He lobbied on behalf of people with spinal cord injuries, and for human embryonic stem cell research after this accident. He founded the Christopher Reeve Foundation and co-founded the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. Reeve died at age 52 on October 10, 2004 from cardiac arrest caused by a systemic infection.
Christopher married Dana Morosini in April 1992, and they have a son, Will. Christopher also had two children, Matthew and Alexandra, from a previous relationship with Gae Exton. Dana Reeve died of lung cancer in March 2006.
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August 24, 2019
Sometimes when you look forward to a book and then wait for it, you are disappointed by it. Not this one! I’ve had it on hold from our library most of the summer and it was worth the wait!
After I finished Me Before You back in June I was so angry about the selfish attitude motivating the main character’s suicide, and even more about its potentially disastrous influence on young people. I told my friend, Jane St. Clair*, about my frustration with its conclusion and she suggested this book as a perfect off-set, not to mention, remedy.
The title, Still Me refers to what Christopher Reeve’s wife, Dana, said to him after he was thrown from a horse in 1995, severing his C-1 and C-2, rendering him a quadriplegic for the rest of his life. In a moment of despair, he suggested he would be better off dead. Dana promptly disagreed, saying, “You are still you and I love you!” (Everyone needs a ‘Dana’ in their life!) Reeve said that turned his whole way of thinking around. Shortly thereafter, the rest of his family also arrived on the scene and affirmed his life and their love for him.
Before reading, Still Me, I don’t think I paid much attention to Christopher Reeve. Yes, I knew who he was and had seen him in a couple movies, such as, Somewhere in Time and Remains of the Day--never was a Superman fan. But probably because of Superman, I don’t think I ever thought of him as a serious actor. But then I have to confess, I think serious actor is an oxymoron anyway. This book, as it turns out has made me rethink my prejudice against actors, and I am happy for it. I couldn’t have been more wrong about Reeve. Not only was he a very dedicated, extremely well-trained and accomplished actor, he put those same character traits and skills to work to build a life after his accident. With the devoted love of his wife, Dana, his three children, siblings and parents, he strove heroically to make the best of the next nine years of his life, for himself, but also to help others who were similarly affected. He took on the role as spokesperson for pari- and quadriplegics, seeking funding for research especially.
This book is a testament of human will, drive, and determination in the face of overwhelming odds. Of course, Chris Reeve had the advantage of a considerable income that many who find themselves in his circumstance do not have. (And yet the character in Ms. Moyes book, Me Before You was also extremely wealthy with a loving family and even the young woman who tried her best to convince him of his worth as Reeve’s wife did and those factors weren’t enough for him to choose life.)
Reeve narrates his life story in flashbacks, but it is almost eerie to see how it builds up to the accident. How he matures, meets his wife, he overcomes his lifelong fear of marriage, they marry, have their son and then, boom. Memorial Day, 1995, certainly a day he wouldn’t forget.
Christopher Reeve seems to have been an agnostic, who nevertheless had a very strong moral code. He very much believed in love, family, doing good for others and putting them ahead of self. Very inspirational. If you know anyone with any kind of mobility limitations, this is a powerful book, practically guaranteed to motivate. I stayed up late last night not wanting to put it down.
*Jane used to be very active in the natural death side of the end-of-life movement, until it got so ugly she had to drop out for her own sanity. Before she did, she wrote, Walk Me to Midnight which is an excellent novel which deals with the subject without being the least bit didactic. Highly recommended, and not just because I am her friend. ☺
After I finished Me Before You back in June I was so angry about the selfish attitude motivating the main character’s suicide, and even more about its potentially disastrous influence on young people. I told my friend, Jane St. Clair*, about my frustration with its conclusion and she suggested this book as a perfect off-set, not to mention, remedy.
The title, Still Me refers to what Christopher Reeve’s wife, Dana, said to him after he was thrown from a horse in 1995, severing his C-1 and C-2, rendering him a quadriplegic for the rest of his life. In a moment of despair, he suggested he would be better off dead. Dana promptly disagreed, saying, “You are still you and I love you!” (Everyone needs a ‘Dana’ in their life!) Reeve said that turned his whole way of thinking around. Shortly thereafter, the rest of his family also arrived on the scene and affirmed his life and their love for him.
Before reading, Still Me, I don’t think I paid much attention to Christopher Reeve. Yes, I knew who he was and had seen him in a couple movies, such as, Somewhere in Time and Remains of the Day--never was a Superman fan. But probably because of Superman, I don’t think I ever thought of him as a serious actor. But then I have to confess, I think serious actor is an oxymoron anyway. This book, as it turns out has made me rethink my prejudice against actors, and I am happy for it. I couldn’t have been more wrong about Reeve. Not only was he a very dedicated, extremely well-trained and accomplished actor, he put those same character traits and skills to work to build a life after his accident. With the devoted love of his wife, Dana, his three children, siblings and parents, he strove heroically to make the best of the next nine years of his life, for himself, but also to help others who were similarly affected. He took on the role as spokesperson for pari- and quadriplegics, seeking funding for research especially.
This book is a testament of human will, drive, and determination in the face of overwhelming odds. Of course, Chris Reeve had the advantage of a considerable income that many who find themselves in his circumstance do not have. (And yet the character in Ms. Moyes book, Me Before You was also extremely wealthy with a loving family and even the young woman who tried her best to convince him of his worth as Reeve’s wife did and those factors weren’t enough for him to choose life.)
Reeve narrates his life story in flashbacks, but it is almost eerie to see how it builds up to the accident. How he matures, meets his wife, he overcomes his lifelong fear of marriage, they marry, have their son and then, boom. Memorial Day, 1995, certainly a day he wouldn’t forget.
Christopher Reeve seems to have been an agnostic, who nevertheless had a very strong moral code. He very much believed in love, family, doing good for others and putting them ahead of self. Very inspirational. If you know anyone with any kind of mobility limitations, this is a powerful book, practically guaranteed to motivate. I stayed up late last night not wanting to put it down.
*Jane used to be very active in the natural death side of the end-of-life movement, until it got so ugly she had to drop out for her own sanity. Before she did, she wrote, Walk Me to Midnight which is an excellent novel which deals with the subject without being the least bit didactic. Highly recommended, and not just because I am her friend. ☺
March 29, 2015
4.5 stars
Being a huge Superman fan, of course I already knew who Christopher Reeve was. He soared into the sky in the original Superman and its sequels when I was born and growing up, but sadly I didn’t pay the man in the blue cape much attention until I became a superhero fan later in life. Even if I wasn’t a big fan of the movies or any of the stories back then, I was one of many who heard the tragic news of his riding accident. I remember my father, who always loved Superman, who always loved horses, discussing the tragedy with my mother. I remember her watching Christopher Reeve in ‘Somewhere in Time’ and remarking what a good movie it was.
Now as a fan of both the man and the legend, I was fascinated by this autobiography, which speaks in great detail of his accident, the tragedy of struggling with it, the medical procedures and all the horrors his body went through at first and would continue to struggle with for the duration. Only after he discussed the tragedy and the aftermath of that wake did he discuss, in detail, how he became established as an actor. The book initially begins with the accident, merging smoothly with reflections on relationships and commitment issues. Once the acting had taken off only is Dana then mentioned, and the relationship sounded from his words as romantic and powerful as it seemed portrayed to the media.
I knew he was an actor already, but I had no idea until this book how active and well accomplished he was with so much – horseback riding obviously, but other than that he always loved playing the piano player. It was a consideration for a lifelong career and he had been playing at concert level since childhood. He was also an enthusiastic sailor who spent weekends with his family, riding the heights of life on the water. He was a pilot as well, again an amazing feat. He also enjoyed playing a large variety of sports.
His enthusiasm for acting is obviously incredible. He speaks of his trials and triumphs, how he learned, his different methods of learning and how he learned through trial and error to try what worked and what not. Any fan of acting, whether you are a fan of him or not, would enjoy these segments of the book immensely. He chronicles his starting point especially and what roles and relationships meant to him. It was particularly interesting when he went back to acting later and discussed in detail directing a movie when he was paralyzed and all the difficulties encountered by it. Also his period of inactivity and frustration with acting when his career was on a bad streak. I do wish he would have mentioned much more about Superman than he did, but he discussed these movies less besides the audition and successes of the first one.
What makes this book work so wonderfully well is Reeve tells his story with utter honesty but not with expecting sympathy (which is impossible not to give). He tells his tales of acting and his enthusiasm with humility and for a love of the art and craft of doing it. He enthuses about all life has to offer and how blessed he’s been in so many sports, music, activities, and of course his family and children.
His writing tone is wonderfully complex but simple – it’s easy to read his emotions coming clear through the writing. Tragedy seeps through the pages easily, and, even though he is not a professional writer, the emotions come through. It does switch around a bit with life and where it’s at and how he came to be who he is, and he doesn’t speak in too much detail of his family life, but overall it is a detailed portrayal of his life and worthy to be called an autobiography.
The end of the book includes speeches he has delivered. The book ends on hope with the potentials of a cure or at least progress for him and for so many others. Throughout the writing of his book you see his struggle to come to terms with his new life and do the best he can with it. But while it is coping as well as it can be coping, the last paragraph especially haunts and I found it especially beautiful.
Christopher Reeve will always stand in my mind as Superman.
"I have to stop this cascade of memories, or at least take them out of their drawer only for a moment, have a brief look, and put them back. I know how to do it now: I have to take the key to acting and apply it to my life. There is no other way to survive except to be in the moment. Just as my accident and its aftermath caused me to redefine what a hero, I've had to take a hard look at what it means to live as fully as possible in the present. How do you survive int he moment when it's bleak and painful and the past seems so seductive?"
Being a huge Superman fan, of course I already knew who Christopher Reeve was. He soared into the sky in the original Superman and its sequels when I was born and growing up, but sadly I didn’t pay the man in the blue cape much attention until I became a superhero fan later in life. Even if I wasn’t a big fan of the movies or any of the stories back then, I was one of many who heard the tragic news of his riding accident. I remember my father, who always loved Superman, who always loved horses, discussing the tragedy with my mother. I remember her watching Christopher Reeve in ‘Somewhere in Time’ and remarking what a good movie it was.
Now as a fan of both the man and the legend, I was fascinated by this autobiography, which speaks in great detail of his accident, the tragedy of struggling with it, the medical procedures and all the horrors his body went through at first and would continue to struggle with for the duration. Only after he discussed the tragedy and the aftermath of that wake did he discuss, in detail, how he became established as an actor. The book initially begins with the accident, merging smoothly with reflections on relationships and commitment issues. Once the acting had taken off only is Dana then mentioned, and the relationship sounded from his words as romantic and powerful as it seemed portrayed to the media.
I knew he was an actor already, but I had no idea until this book how active and well accomplished he was with so much – horseback riding obviously, but other than that he always loved playing the piano player. It was a consideration for a lifelong career and he had been playing at concert level since childhood. He was also an enthusiastic sailor who spent weekends with his family, riding the heights of life on the water. He was a pilot as well, again an amazing feat. He also enjoyed playing a large variety of sports.
His enthusiasm for acting is obviously incredible. He speaks of his trials and triumphs, how he learned, his different methods of learning and how he learned through trial and error to try what worked and what not. Any fan of acting, whether you are a fan of him or not, would enjoy these segments of the book immensely. He chronicles his starting point especially and what roles and relationships meant to him. It was particularly interesting when he went back to acting later and discussed in detail directing a movie when he was paralyzed and all the difficulties encountered by it. Also his period of inactivity and frustration with acting when his career was on a bad streak. I do wish he would have mentioned much more about Superman than he did, but he discussed these movies less besides the audition and successes of the first one.
What makes this book work so wonderfully well is Reeve tells his story with utter honesty but not with expecting sympathy (which is impossible not to give). He tells his tales of acting and his enthusiasm with humility and for a love of the art and craft of doing it. He enthuses about all life has to offer and how blessed he’s been in so many sports, music, activities, and of course his family and children.
His writing tone is wonderfully complex but simple – it’s easy to read his emotions coming clear through the writing. Tragedy seeps through the pages easily, and, even though he is not a professional writer, the emotions come through. It does switch around a bit with life and where it’s at and how he came to be who he is, and he doesn’t speak in too much detail of his family life, but overall it is a detailed portrayal of his life and worthy to be called an autobiography.
The end of the book includes speeches he has delivered. The book ends on hope with the potentials of a cure or at least progress for him and for so many others. Throughout the writing of his book you see his struggle to come to terms with his new life and do the best he can with it. But while it is coping as well as it can be coping, the last paragraph especially haunts and I found it especially beautiful.
Christopher Reeve will always stand in my mind as Superman.
"I have to stop this cascade of memories, or at least take them out of their drawer only for a moment, have a brief look, and put them back. I know how to do it now: I have to take the key to acting and apply it to my life. There is no other way to survive except to be in the moment. Just as my accident and its aftermath caused me to redefine what a hero, I've had to take a hard look at what it means to live as fully as possible in the present. How do you survive int he moment when it's bleak and painful and the past seems so seductive?"
December 21, 2010
Before his accident, I never gave Christopher Reeve much thought. He’s one of the handsomest men I’ve ever seen, and I enjoyed "Superman I" and "Somewhere in Time," but none of that had much impact on my life. I just don’t go crazy over movie stars. After his accident, though, I couldn’t help but feel for him, and the whole thing was so ironic. "Superman" became a quadriplegic. As he became more of an advocate for the disabled, then I really began to admire him, but I didn’t know the half of it until I read his autobiography. Now I’m a die-hard fan - not of the actor, but of the person.
Still Me covers Christopher Reeve’s entire life up till the actual writing, and corny as it sounds, it’s an inspiring story of personal triumph. He describes everything about his life: his parents’ divorce, his love of sports and theater, his years at Julliard, his rise to fame, his two marriages, his accident and its aftermath. He opens with the accident and the first few months in the hospital, and then takes you back, so you really get the contrast. But just as his title says, he’s still him. When he was younger, he strove for excellence in sports and acting. Faced with bigger challenges, he struggled to overcome them, too. He achieved things that were deemed medically impossible, and besides using his fame to become a prominent advocate for the handicapped, he continued his creative work by directing, no longer acting.
So in sum, Christopher Reeve’s life story is nothing short of inspirational. He left me wanting to go out and tackle all the obstacles in my way. After all, my obstacles are a lot smaller than his. And this is the main feeling he gives his readers. If he went beyond the expectations of his doctors, by pushing ourselves, each of us can succeed beyond our wildest dreams.
Still Me covers Christopher Reeve’s entire life up till the actual writing, and corny as it sounds, it’s an inspiring story of personal triumph. He describes everything about his life: his parents’ divorce, his love of sports and theater, his years at Julliard, his rise to fame, his two marriages, his accident and its aftermath. He opens with the accident and the first few months in the hospital, and then takes you back, so you really get the contrast. But just as his title says, he’s still him. When he was younger, he strove for excellence in sports and acting. Faced with bigger challenges, he struggled to overcome them, too. He achieved things that were deemed medically impossible, and besides using his fame to become a prominent advocate for the handicapped, he continued his creative work by directing, no longer acting.
So in sum, Christopher Reeve’s life story is nothing short of inspirational. He left me wanting to go out and tackle all the obstacles in my way. After all, my obstacles are a lot smaller than his. And this is the main feeling he gives his readers. If he went beyond the expectations of his doctors, by pushing ourselves, each of us can succeed beyond our wildest dreams.
February 4, 2017
I tried really hard to get through this book, but I'm just over halfway through and I can feel it dragging me into a reading slump and so I've decided to put it down. I really thought this would be an extremely interesting read but it was very dry and fragmented. It went back and forth through his life in such a random and unclear way that I had trouble following what was happening. This was definitely a big disappointment!
February 10, 2019
Done reading STILL ME. This is an inspiring autobiography of Christopher Reeve before his death in 2004. The highlight of the book is his experiences after a horse accident in 1995. The said accident resulted to paralysis and changed his life upside-down. On the exterior, his spinal cord was severely injured. He needed to work with a team of specialists and physical therapists to recover. The period of recovery was rough. He had regular breathing problems that could have ended his life unexpectedly. Psychologically, depression and despondency were inevitable but Christopher Reeve chose to fight his demons every day. He's SUPERMAN, right? He worked with psychologists to improve his new perspectives in life. His celebrity reputation helped him spread awareness and create funding projects for further research.
The book contains insights worth remembering to but this is, by far, my favorite. It's found in page 274, "I was told by so many experts - doctors, psychologists, physical therapists, other patients, and well-meaning friends and family members - that as time went by not only would I become more stable physically but I would become well-adjusted psychologically to my condition. I have found exactly the opposite to be true. The longer you sit in a wheelchair, the more the body breaks down and the harder you have to fight against it. Psychologically, I feel I have established a workable baseline: I have my down days, but I haven't been incapacitated by them."
The book contains insights worth remembering to but this is, by far, my favorite. It's found in page 274, "I was told by so many experts - doctors, psychologists, physical therapists, other patients, and well-meaning friends and family members - that as time went by not only would I become more stable physically but I would become well-adjusted psychologically to my condition. I have found exactly the opposite to be true. The longer you sit in a wheelchair, the more the body breaks down and the harder you have to fight against it. Psychologically, I feel I have established a workable baseline: I have my down days, but I haven't been incapacitated by them."
February 15, 2021
Read this years ago and recall being surprised what a good read it was. Some aspects have stayed with me over the years, too.
March 19, 2019
Once read, never forgotten.
The man was a Super man not only on screen, but in life. An astounding, brave, awe inspiring person, who took what fate threw at him and just kept going.
Lesser mortals would have sank without trace had they to deal with what he did- what all quadriplegics have to deal with. Each and every one is an inspiration, a study in courage and resilience.
This book made me look at myself and life differently, with grateful eyes, and humility when realising with what extraordinary difficulty some people endure, just to draw breath, or speak ,or move.
I will never forget this book, just as we will never forget Christopher Reeve.
What a man . 'He made us believe a man could fly'. And this book does just that also.
The man was a Super man not only on screen, but in life. An astounding, brave, awe inspiring person, who took what fate threw at him and just kept going.
Lesser mortals would have sank without trace had they to deal with what he did- what all quadriplegics have to deal with. Each and every one is an inspiration, a study in courage and resilience.
This book made me look at myself and life differently, with grateful eyes, and humility when realising with what extraordinary difficulty some people endure, just to draw breath, or speak ,or move.
I will never forget this book, just as we will never forget Christopher Reeve.
What a man . 'He made us believe a man could fly'. And this book does just that also.
May 17, 2023
Still Me [1998] - ★★★★
In the 1980-90s, Christopher Reeve was the definition of success: ridiculously good-looking, talented and Juilliard-trained, he led a very active life, was the epitome of health and fitness, and was a loving husband and a devoted father to his three beautiful children. He was Superman in the film Superman [1978], was in The Bostonians [1984], TV film Anna Karenina [1985], The Remains of the Day [1993], and was previously offered and declined lead roles in such films as Body Heat [1981], Romancing the Stone [1984] and The Bounty [1984]. Then, in 1995, Christopher Reeve participated in an equestrian competition in which his horse made an unexpected refusal. This resulted in him falling head first forwards and suffering a broken neck. Reeve miraculously survived his fall, but was paralysed from the neck down.
Written just three years after his accident, Still Me is the actor's autobiographical book where he looks back on his life, paying tribute to all the people who helped him to become successful, as well as details his painful road to recovery. It is a frank, moving account of a man who tries to piece his life together after realising his predicament. Reeve details his early life, his acting aspirations and training, as well as the events that led up to the tragedy. He also covers his attempts to overcome both psychological and physical hurdles following his life-changing injury: depression, fear of running out of oxygen (as he could not breathe on his own), and his fear of being put in a wheelchair. What is also admirable is how much of this book is about other people as well, for example, about his loving wife Dana, whose loyalty to her husband becomes the story's centre point, about incredible neurosurgeon Dr Jane, who performed the very risky operation, and about the first paramedics to the scene of the accident. Reeve also details all the support that he received from both people he knew and complete strangers, including from his Juilliard-classmate Robin Williams and Katharine Hepburn. Later, Reeve also became a passionate activist for the disable people's rights and campaigned much to promote research into neurological conditions. Overall, Still Me may be an uneven account, but it is still an inspirational read and, certainly, a life account worth knowing. As one commentator put it: "Christopher Reeve wasn't Superman, Superman was Christopher Reeve."
In the 1980-90s, Christopher Reeve was the definition of success: ridiculously good-looking, talented and Juilliard-trained, he led a very active life, was the epitome of health and fitness, and was a loving husband and a devoted father to his three beautiful children. He was Superman in the film Superman [1978], was in The Bostonians [1984], TV film Anna Karenina [1985], The Remains of the Day [1993], and was previously offered and declined lead roles in such films as Body Heat [1981], Romancing the Stone [1984] and The Bounty [1984]. Then, in 1995, Christopher Reeve participated in an equestrian competition in which his horse made an unexpected refusal. This resulted in him falling head first forwards and suffering a broken neck. Reeve miraculously survived his fall, but was paralysed from the neck down.
Written just three years after his accident, Still Me is the actor's autobiographical book where he looks back on his life, paying tribute to all the people who helped him to become successful, as well as details his painful road to recovery. It is a frank, moving account of a man who tries to piece his life together after realising his predicament. Reeve details his early life, his acting aspirations and training, as well as the events that led up to the tragedy. He also covers his attempts to overcome both psychological and physical hurdles following his life-changing injury: depression, fear of running out of oxygen (as he could not breathe on his own), and his fear of being put in a wheelchair. What is also admirable is how much of this book is about other people as well, for example, about his loving wife Dana, whose loyalty to her husband becomes the story's centre point, about incredible neurosurgeon Dr Jane, who performed the very risky operation, and about the first paramedics to the scene of the accident. Reeve also details all the support that he received from both people he knew and complete strangers, including from his Juilliard-classmate Robin Williams and Katharine Hepburn. Later, Reeve also became a passionate activist for the disable people's rights and campaigned much to promote research into neurological conditions. Overall, Still Me may be an uneven account, but it is still an inspirational read and, certainly, a life account worth knowing. As one commentator put it: "Christopher Reeve wasn't Superman, Superman was Christopher Reeve."
October 30, 2008
"A few months after the accident I had an idea for a short film about a quadriplegic who lives in a dream. During the day, lying in his hospital bed, he can't move, of course. But at night he dreams that he's whole again, and is able to do anything and go everywhere. "
I'm writing this and Christopher Reeve has died, but he was still alive when I read his memoir. I held off for a long time before I read it, and that was silly because it's an inspiring book. I couldn't detect any self pity (or self congratulation)in his story of a terrible accident and the effect it had on his life and his family and friends. I hope his story inspires research on spinal cord injuries to continue.
I'm writing this and Christopher Reeve has died, but he was still alive when I read his memoir. I held off for a long time before I read it, and that was silly because it's an inspiring book. I couldn't detect any self pity (or self congratulation)in his story of a terrible accident and the effect it had on his life and his family and friends. I hope his story inspires research on spinal cord injuries to continue.
July 28, 2011
Amazing, poignant, heart breakingly tragic. A grand book by a brave and grand man. Made me feel rather pathetic about moaning about the state my kids leave there rooms in, and the fact that I have to wash up yet again. Talk about a time to reflect!!! I still think of this as a book that had the most effect upon my psyche. Read it and change the way you behave or act, we owe it to the fact that we are alive and well. Dont waste your life.
March 23, 2008
One of the best and most moving biographies I've ever come across. Reeve tells his amazing story with honesty, wit, humility and humour. While both parts of his life (pre and post accident) are very impressive, he wisely mixes things up to keep the reader engaged - perhaps illustrating his point that all aspects of life -- career, family/personal relationships and internal growth -- are interconnected. I was a casual fan of some of Reeves' work before his injury, but his post-accident work and accomplishments are awe-inspiring. He was a remarkable man.
October 15, 2013
This book was required reading in a class for my occupational therapy graduate studies program. The intention behind the assigned reading was to familiarize ourselves with and better empathize with someone's struggles after a severe spinal cord injury. Unfortunately, Mr. Reeve's writing made it very difficult for me to empathize with his challenges. There are probably a thousand people waiting to condemn me to hell for saying so, but there it is.
Hopefully, other thoughtful reviewers will allow me to praise Reeves' acting career, his many achievements and his work on behalf of spinal injury research and still provide thoughtful, impersonal criticism of his book without making me out to be some kind of monster.
While it is apparent that Reeves suffered a great deal as a result of the accident, we don't hear much about that in the book. Instead, he chooses to focus on the trappings of his upper-upper class lifestyle, his yachts, airplanes and horses. Clearly, these things are meaningful to him, and I appreciate that, but I would have better appreciated more open discussion about his injury, and how his life was altered as a result of it. Based on what my profession has shown me regarding the enormous expense of this injury, I can say that Reeves was a highly atypical SCI survivor. Many SCI survivors struggle with the financial cost of care, and with obtaining the right adaptive equipment to makes their lives easier. I would like to hear one of their stories.
Christopher Reeves provided a beacon of hope to many people suffering from spinal cord injuries, may he rest in peace.
Hopefully, other thoughtful reviewers will allow me to praise Reeves' acting career, his many achievements and his work on behalf of spinal injury research and still provide thoughtful, impersonal criticism of his book without making me out to be some kind of monster.
While it is apparent that Reeves suffered a great deal as a result of the accident, we don't hear much about that in the book. Instead, he chooses to focus on the trappings of his upper-upper class lifestyle, his yachts, airplanes and horses. Clearly, these things are meaningful to him, and I appreciate that, but I would have better appreciated more open discussion about his injury, and how his life was altered as a result of it. Based on what my profession has shown me regarding the enormous expense of this injury, I can say that Reeves was a highly atypical SCI survivor. Many SCI survivors struggle with the financial cost of care, and with obtaining the right adaptive equipment to makes their lives easier. I would like to hear one of their stories.
Christopher Reeves provided a beacon of hope to many people suffering from spinal cord injuries, may he rest in peace.
March 12, 2015
Best book i have ever read. The personal, autobiographical account of how "Super Man" - which was not only a role but also pretty akin to the fortune, athleticism, and pinnacle success of his real human life - could suddenly wake up and find himself on the entirely other side of the pendulum. The amount of psychological processing and coming to terms and, for all reasons, basically living as two different people within one lifetime... I'm not sure another book can come close. This autobiography has so much humility and elements of what it means to be human, and explores them in a first-hand way that is remarkably honest.
Among my favorite excerpt, is how Christopher Reeves addresses the common question of "Did you think this happened for a reason" or "What was the meaning for this, etc." His discussion on this is so pragmatic, so well contemplated and reasoned, without any of the sugar-coating I was expecting to find. Yet, still up-lifting, in the most realist way what happened could be up-lifting. It calibrates the often seen post-tragedy delusional rose colored glasses with a sense of pragmatism and the strength of human perseverance.
Among my favorite excerpt, is how Christopher Reeves addresses the common question of "Did you think this happened for a reason" or "What was the meaning for this, etc." His discussion on this is so pragmatic, so well contemplated and reasoned, without any of the sugar-coating I was expecting to find. Yet, still up-lifting, in the most realist way what happened could be up-lifting. It calibrates the often seen post-tragedy delusional rose colored glasses with a sense of pragmatism and the strength of human perseverance.
July 19, 2008
This book was written by the actor Christopher Reeve a couple years after the accident that left him quadriplegic. He skips around between his rise to fame and life up until the accident and his life post-accident. He is so engaging, and it was interesting to read about what everyday life is like for someone who has to live with an unexpected disability of this kind. I think that this is an especially important book for anyone who is in the medical field, especially therapists and nurses. It's so easy to look at a patient as a diagnosis and not see and respect the person that they were. It's just an eye-opener, how one moment in time changed the course of his life so dramatically. Really good book.
April 14, 2012
What an amazing book. This gives remarkable insight into Christopher Reeve. I have always admired and respected him. This has deepened that respect. He is brutally honest about his feelings as he dealt with his accident. He was very depressed, to the point of wondering if it wouldn't be better if his life were to end. He was still struggling with those feelings three years later, when he wrote the book. He said that the experience had changed his definition of what makes a hero. Instead of being someone who does something courageous in the face of danger, he decided a hero is someone who presses on, when it doesn't make sense to do so. He is one of my heroes.
October 15, 2013
I was so excited to read this book. Christopher Reeve as Superman is such an iconic figure for my generation. The writing wasn't stellar, but I didn't mind that because it is his story, written in his language. There was more scientific knowledge shared than I was expecting, but that was interesting. I loved reading about his personal life and career. Several moments that made me smile such as the little boy living in the apartment where they shot the cat scene in Superman. I normally would not give a book 4 stars with this level of writing, but, hey, he's Superman!
August 15, 2021
I haven't finished it yet but I know this is going to be one of my all time favorite books. I have been in a huge reading slump but I am DEVOURING this book. I don't go crazy over actors but being a Smallville fan (Superman before he was Superman) and in the Occupational Therapy world and looking into books to learn more about individuals with different challenges I immediately selected this book. I loved Christopher Reeve in "Somewhere in Time" and for his work on the show Smallville. His story feels so honest and he pulls you in with every word. This is a book I will cherish forever.
March 12, 2017
Despite the excruciatingly painful personal story that Cristopher Reeve narrates in this autobiographical book, it's really moving and inspiring to read about himself as a human being. He takes us in a trip down memory lane, from his childhood, family issues, love, acting and his deepest fears and desires. He tells us how he mastered his craft and became the meticulous and professional actor that he was. And even after the unfortunate accident that left him prostrated in a wheelchair, he was still that passionate driven, loving, passionate and focused man. In a very intimate way he shares with the reader many details of his ordeal, and how he made an everyday conscious effort to adapt to life as a quadriplegic. He used his platform as a celebrity to fight for more funding in research in spinal cord injuries, and to bring awareness to this important health issue. His own view of what a hero must look life changed after this accident, and he himself became a true hero in the process.
November 5, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
An extremely honest celebrity memoir. Reeve handles his story with candor, humility, and awareness. Overall an uplifting read about overcoming life’s challenges as well as an intimate look into his life and career. It is impressive how he writes about the low points in his life and balances them so well with hope.
If you want an inspirational read during a hard time, read this. If you want to learn more about paralysis, read this. If you want an intimate look into a wonderful man, read this. If you want to learn how Reeve based his Clark Kent off of Cary Grant in Bringing Up Baby - READ THIS.
An extremely honest celebrity memoir. Reeve handles his story with candor, humility, and awareness. Overall an uplifting read about overcoming life’s challenges as well as an intimate look into his life and career. It is impressive how he writes about the low points in his life and balances them so well with hope.
If you want an inspirational read during a hard time, read this. If you want to learn more about paralysis, read this. If you want an intimate look into a wonderful man, read this. If you want to learn how Reeve based his Clark Kent off of Cary Grant in Bringing Up Baby - READ THIS.
August 28, 2021
Remember reading this years ago and enjoying it a lot. Always loved Christopher Reeve as Superman.
January 13, 2021
This book was more intense than I was expecting ... I've now read several books by people with spinal cord injuries, but usually not about a person who had a complete injury (because usually books are about them being able to regain some function), and never by somebody who couldn't breathe independently. The idea of being completely dependent on a machine for every breath is horrifying. Especially because he says "the connections of the hoses on these ventilators are tenuous at best. The nurses put tape over the joints, but they don't always hold very well, and you lie there at three in the morning in fear of a pop-off, when the hose just comes off the ventilator. I had several." p42 What on earth? He's lying there perfectly still, because he is physically incapable of moving any body part that could disturb the hose, and the equipment keeping him alive spontaneously falls apart, on a regular basis? Have these people never heard of duct tape? No wonder he was terrified of everything, including being given a shower.
At the end of the book he describes how it takes two people three hours to get him up and dressed in the morning. If he's going to a formal event in the evening he has to dress for it at nine in the morning, because that's when his aide is there. Then in the evening the aide has to push on his stomach to force his bowel to void. "Sometimes it can take nearly an hour to complete the bowel program, and it seems like an eternity. When I'm unable to detach myself mentally, I still can't help agonizing over the accident and the twist of fate that caused me to end up this way." p265 It's pretty easy to understand that, even though he was still a director, actor, and influential public speaker after his accident.
I noticed a strong contrast with the author of Little Big Steps: A Life-Changing Injury and the Inspirational Journey to Overcome the Odds. For instance, it sounded to me that Reeve's accident was entirely the fault of his horse doing a "dirty stop," so I was impressed that he said "Rabbit or no rabbit, shadows or no shadows, I think I may have done something to cause the accident, and I have to take responsibility for it." p17 I also noticed that Reeve is unusually polite and circumspect when describing people who treated him pretty badly (for instance, doctors, security guards, aides). He always notes that they are not malicious and didn't mean him harm. When Reeve was given his first shower in the hospital, he laughed really hard at a story of a woman getting hurt while helping her dog. His laughter is perfectly understandable considering the overwhelming physical and emotional stress he was under at that point, but when he talks about the incident in the book, he is careful to say that it wasn't nice of him to laugh a story of a woman getting hurt. I wonder if his care is a result of his personality, his age, or his time as a "role model" celebrity.
I found the parts of the book about his time as an actor surprisingly interesting given that I've never seen any of his work. It was fascinating that he was good friends with Robin Williams because they both transferred into Juilliard.
"The first person I met at Juilliard was the other advanced student, a short, stocky, long-haired fellow from Marin County, California, who wore tie-dyed shirts with track suit bottoms and talked a mile a minute. I'd never seen so much energy contained in one person. He was like an untied balloon that had been inflated and immediately released. I watched in awe as he virtually caromed off the walls of the classrooms and the hallways. To say that he was always 'on' would be a major understatement. There was never a moment when he wasn't doing voices, imitating teachers, and making our faces ache from laughing at his antics. His name, of course, was Robin Williams." p 170
"Robin Williams came up to visit during the run and seemed to enjoy it tremendously. One evening we went out to a local seafood restaurant, and as we passed by the lobster tank I casually wondered what they were all thinking in there. Whereupon Robin launched into a fifteen-minute routine: one lobster had escaped and was seen on the highway with his claw out holding a sign that said, 'Maine.' Another lobster from Brooklyn was saying, 'C'mon, just take da rubber bands off,' gearing up for a fight. A gay lobster wanted to redecorate the tank. People at nearby tables soon gave up any pretense of trying not to listen, and I had to massage my cheeks because my face hurt so much from laughing. Later Robin would use this material for his appearance at a huge gala for the Actors Fund at Radio City Music Hall." p206
I was also fascinated to hear about Kathryn Hepburn.
When Reeve is auditioning to act opposite her in a play (A Matter of Gravity): "Before I began, I called out into the darkness, 'Miss Hepburn, I would like to bring you greetings from my grandmother Beatrice Lamb; I believe you were classmates at Bryn Mawr.' There was a long pause. Then out of the darkness came the reply, 'Oh, Bea. I never could stand her.'"p178
"Once I ran into her at Lincoln Center. [...] At this point I hadn't seen her for quite a while. I came down and stood in the row below her during intermission. I was about to say, 'Hi Kate, nice to see you,' but she preempted me with 'Oh, Christopher, you've gotten fat.' She had a knack of throwing people off balance; she was a master of the unexpected." p 181
She leaves a message for him with his friend. "'Tell him I'm calling to say he was absolutely marvelous in The Bostonians. He was absolutely captivating.' Steve quickly wrote down the extravagant praise. Then she asked, 'What's he doing now?' Steve told her that I was in Budapest shooting Anna Karenina with Jackie Bisset. To which Hepburn responded, 'Oh that's a terrible mistake. He shouldn't be doing that. Good-bye.' You're up one minute and down the next." p182
"Then she says, 'You are my last piece of magic. I have so loved my portrait in your heart.' Nine actresses out of ten would say that directly to the grandson, with tenderness and poignancy. Hepburn played it straight out front, never looking at me, to underscore her disappointment and to indicate that she no longer respects him. There was nothing left for me to do; I had to walk off in silence. At that point, at most performances, she broke down, suddenly realizing that wasn't how she had wanted it to end. Sometimes she would move upstage toward the door wanting to call Nicky back, to embrace him one last time. But it was too late. It was a completely original and surprising way to play the scene." p 183
"Hepburn often used to say to me, 'Be fascinating, Christopher, be fascinating.' I used to think: That's easy for you to do, the rest of us have to work at it. [...] I learned that she was talking about unpredictability, about revealing the contradictions. She told me that if you're playing a character who's usually drunk, you have to find moments of complete sobriety in order to add dimension to the role. Not even a chronic alcoholic is drunk all the time. And she talked about how important it is to bring your own life experience to the work. She once said, 'You are already real; the character is fiction. The audience must see your reality through the fiction.'" p183 -- I'm learning watercolor and this sounds like putting pops of color into otherwise monochrome surfaces to add visual interest.
I was surprised to read that before he was out of school he was getting acting job offers right and left. He was a star in a soap opera when he was barely in his twenties. He turned down lots of movies. Then after he played Superman, his career went downhill. I was surprised that he did a lot of theater. He didn't talk about when he became very rich, which was a bit odd.
I was also surprised at how optimistic he is about research on curing spinal cord injuries. It's more than twenty years after this book was written, and as far as I can tell being C2 complete still means being dependent on a ventilator and unable to move. Perhaps we've learned more about helpful rehab for less severe injuries (such as visualization and trying to move body parts), but I haven't heard of treatments like stem cells making much of a difference.
It was pretty cool and amazing that he was able to direct a movie and even act in a movie even after his injury.
Other quotes:
"Will [a toddler] was on the floor playing. He looked up and said, 'Mommy, Daddy can't move his arms anymore.' Dana said, 'That's right, Daddy can't move his arms.' 'And Daddy can't run around anymore.' 'That's right; he can't run around anymore.' 'And Daddy can't talk.' 'That's right; he can't talk right now, but he will be able to.' Then Will paused, screwed up his face in concentration, and burst out happily, 'But he can still smile.' Everyone put down what they were doing and just looked at one another." p34
"With my involvement in research and fund-raising, my life became busier than it had been before the accident. I had to balance my roles as husband, father, a professional who still wanted to work in films and theater, and an activist. I established the Christopher Reeve Foundation as another way of raising money for the APA and helping with quality-of-life issues of the disabled. I made speeches all over the country, hosted fund-raisers, and lobbied in Washington. I was gratified by the last line in a Newsweek article that chronicled the new direction my life was taking. After listing my plans and activities, the writer concluded, 'We should all be so disabled.'" p138 -- This does have to be balanced with the fact that he was rich and famous to begin with. He is able to buy exercise equipment that insurance won't pay for, and he has three assistants so he can "dictate five letters to Sarah in the time it would take me to complete one using the microphone at the computer." p283 He also somehow has enough nurses and aides that his wife didn't have to become his nurse, which is very unusual.
"[Ellis Rabb's] point was that as I progressed in my career it would be more valuable to learn how to play parts closer to myself; that it would rarely if ever be necessary to put on tons of makeup and play so far against type. There were opportunities with Fenton that I hadn't explored because I'd decided that it didn't require 'acting.' He argued that a greater challenge than playing Edward IV would have been to find something original and interesting in Fenton instead of allowing my condescending attitude toward the part to come across the footlights.
"I rank that conversation as one of the most important of my whole career. [...] I learned that acting is about being truthful and figuratively naked onstage, as opposed to trying to disappear into some clever but remote characterization." p 161
"I was shown a seat in his office. He closed the door and settled in his rocking chair. After a long pause, he intoned, 'Mr. Reeve. It is terribly important that you become a serious classical actor. (Pause.) Unless, of course, they offer you a s---load of money to do something else.' I loved John Houseman from that moment on." p172
"[Ellis Rabb] told me that I was cheating the audience by coming out at the end as if I was in a hurry to go home. He reminded me that I was billed above the title and taught me how to take a proper curtain call. He coached me not to rush the entrance: once you arrive center stage, you stand at your full height and take time before you bow. Most important of all was what you should be thinking during a curtain call: you look to the balcony on one side, to the balcony on the other side, to the right side of the orchestra, to the rest of the orchestra, and each time, you think: Thank you for being here, it was a pleasure to perform for you, and then you bow. [...] What he suggested sounded egotistical to me until I learned that when people have witnessed a good performance, they want a chance to applaud. A proper curtain call completes the experience of the play for actors and audience alike." p 208 -- For some reason I was surprised that he had to be taught this. Doesn't everybody love reveling in applause?
"It wasn't long after the formation of TCC [The Creative Coalition] that our work was noticed both in Albany and in Washington. [...] One afternoon on my way back tot he airport after testifying on behalf of the NEA [National Endowment for the Arts], I was cornered by three officials of the Democratic Party who urged me to run for Congress. [...] I immediately replied, 'Run for Congress? And lose my influence in Washington?' I had learned that a member of the House has to worry constantly about money and the handling of special interest groups, whereas I and my colleagues at TCC were free to speak from the heart without obligations to anyone and would receive more coverage in the media. Unfair, perhaps, but that's the way the system works." p232 (This was from '94, before his accident)
"Sometimes I wish that I still couldn't stand food, because it's extremely difficult to stay thin." p259
Overall, he seems like a really decent guy and it's too bad he's gone now.
At the end of the book he describes how it takes two people three hours to get him up and dressed in the morning. If he's going to a formal event in the evening he has to dress for it at nine in the morning, because that's when his aide is there. Then in the evening the aide has to push on his stomach to force his bowel to void. "Sometimes it can take nearly an hour to complete the bowel program, and it seems like an eternity. When I'm unable to detach myself mentally, I still can't help agonizing over the accident and the twist of fate that caused me to end up this way." p265 It's pretty easy to understand that, even though he was still a director, actor, and influential public speaker after his accident.
I noticed a strong contrast with the author of Little Big Steps: A Life-Changing Injury and the Inspirational Journey to Overcome the Odds. For instance, it sounded to me that Reeve's accident was entirely the fault of his horse doing a "dirty stop," so I was impressed that he said "Rabbit or no rabbit, shadows or no shadows, I think I may have done something to cause the accident, and I have to take responsibility for it." p17 I also noticed that Reeve is unusually polite and circumspect when describing people who treated him pretty badly (for instance, doctors, security guards, aides). He always notes that they are not malicious and didn't mean him harm. When Reeve was given his first shower in the hospital, he laughed really hard at a story of a woman getting hurt while helping her dog. His laughter is perfectly understandable considering the overwhelming physical and emotional stress he was under at that point, but when he talks about the incident in the book, he is careful to say that it wasn't nice of him to laugh a story of a woman getting hurt. I wonder if his care is a result of his personality, his age, or his time as a "role model" celebrity.
I found the parts of the book about his time as an actor surprisingly interesting given that I've never seen any of his work. It was fascinating that he was good friends with Robin Williams because they both transferred into Juilliard.
"The first person I met at Juilliard was the other advanced student, a short, stocky, long-haired fellow from Marin County, California, who wore tie-dyed shirts with track suit bottoms and talked a mile a minute. I'd never seen so much energy contained in one person. He was like an untied balloon that had been inflated and immediately released. I watched in awe as he virtually caromed off the walls of the classrooms and the hallways. To say that he was always 'on' would be a major understatement. There was never a moment when he wasn't doing voices, imitating teachers, and making our faces ache from laughing at his antics. His name, of course, was Robin Williams." p 170
"Robin Williams came up to visit during the run and seemed to enjoy it tremendously. One evening we went out to a local seafood restaurant, and as we passed by the lobster tank I casually wondered what they were all thinking in there. Whereupon Robin launched into a fifteen-minute routine: one lobster had escaped and was seen on the highway with his claw out holding a sign that said, 'Maine.' Another lobster from Brooklyn was saying, 'C'mon, just take da rubber bands off,' gearing up for a fight. A gay lobster wanted to redecorate the tank. People at nearby tables soon gave up any pretense of trying not to listen, and I had to massage my cheeks because my face hurt so much from laughing. Later Robin would use this material for his appearance at a huge gala for the Actors Fund at Radio City Music Hall." p206
I was also fascinated to hear about Kathryn Hepburn.
When Reeve is auditioning to act opposite her in a play (A Matter of Gravity): "Before I began, I called out into the darkness, 'Miss Hepburn, I would like to bring you greetings from my grandmother Beatrice Lamb; I believe you were classmates at Bryn Mawr.' There was a long pause. Then out of the darkness came the reply, 'Oh, Bea. I never could stand her.'"p178
"Once I ran into her at Lincoln Center. [...] At this point I hadn't seen her for quite a while. I came down and stood in the row below her during intermission. I was about to say, 'Hi Kate, nice to see you,' but she preempted me with 'Oh, Christopher, you've gotten fat.' She had a knack of throwing people off balance; she was a master of the unexpected." p 181
She leaves a message for him with his friend. "'Tell him I'm calling to say he was absolutely marvelous in The Bostonians. He was absolutely captivating.' Steve quickly wrote down the extravagant praise. Then she asked, 'What's he doing now?' Steve told her that I was in Budapest shooting Anna Karenina with Jackie Bisset. To which Hepburn responded, 'Oh that's a terrible mistake. He shouldn't be doing that. Good-bye.' You're up one minute and down the next." p182
"Then she says, 'You are my last piece of magic. I have so loved my portrait in your heart.' Nine actresses out of ten would say that directly to the grandson, with tenderness and poignancy. Hepburn played it straight out front, never looking at me, to underscore her disappointment and to indicate that she no longer respects him. There was nothing left for me to do; I had to walk off in silence. At that point, at most performances, she broke down, suddenly realizing that wasn't how she had wanted it to end. Sometimes she would move upstage toward the door wanting to call Nicky back, to embrace him one last time. But it was too late. It was a completely original and surprising way to play the scene." p 183
"Hepburn often used to say to me, 'Be fascinating, Christopher, be fascinating.' I used to think: That's easy for you to do, the rest of us have to work at it. [...] I learned that she was talking about unpredictability, about revealing the contradictions. She told me that if you're playing a character who's usually drunk, you have to find moments of complete sobriety in order to add dimension to the role. Not even a chronic alcoholic is drunk all the time. And she talked about how important it is to bring your own life experience to the work. She once said, 'You are already real; the character is fiction. The audience must see your reality through the fiction.'" p183 -- I'm learning watercolor and this sounds like putting pops of color into otherwise monochrome surfaces to add visual interest.
I was surprised to read that before he was out of school he was getting acting job offers right and left. He was a star in a soap opera when he was barely in his twenties. He turned down lots of movies. Then after he played Superman, his career went downhill. I was surprised that he did a lot of theater. He didn't talk about when he became very rich, which was a bit odd.
I was also surprised at how optimistic he is about research on curing spinal cord injuries. It's more than twenty years after this book was written, and as far as I can tell being C2 complete still means being dependent on a ventilator and unable to move. Perhaps we've learned more about helpful rehab for less severe injuries (such as visualization and trying to move body parts), but I haven't heard of treatments like stem cells making much of a difference.
It was pretty cool and amazing that he was able to direct a movie and even act in a movie even after his injury.
Other quotes:
"Will [a toddler] was on the floor playing. He looked up and said, 'Mommy, Daddy can't move his arms anymore.' Dana said, 'That's right, Daddy can't move his arms.' 'And Daddy can't run around anymore.' 'That's right; he can't run around anymore.' 'And Daddy can't talk.' 'That's right; he can't talk right now, but he will be able to.' Then Will paused, screwed up his face in concentration, and burst out happily, 'But he can still smile.' Everyone put down what they were doing and just looked at one another." p34
"With my involvement in research and fund-raising, my life became busier than it had been before the accident. I had to balance my roles as husband, father, a professional who still wanted to work in films and theater, and an activist. I established the Christopher Reeve Foundation as another way of raising money for the APA and helping with quality-of-life issues of the disabled. I made speeches all over the country, hosted fund-raisers, and lobbied in Washington. I was gratified by the last line in a Newsweek article that chronicled the new direction my life was taking. After listing my plans and activities, the writer concluded, 'We should all be so disabled.'" p138 -- This does have to be balanced with the fact that he was rich and famous to begin with. He is able to buy exercise equipment that insurance won't pay for, and he has three assistants so he can "dictate five letters to Sarah in the time it would take me to complete one using the microphone at the computer." p283 He also somehow has enough nurses and aides that his wife didn't have to become his nurse, which is very unusual.
"[Ellis Rabb's] point was that as I progressed in my career it would be more valuable to learn how to play parts closer to myself; that it would rarely if ever be necessary to put on tons of makeup and play so far against type. There were opportunities with Fenton that I hadn't explored because I'd decided that it didn't require 'acting.' He argued that a greater challenge than playing Edward IV would have been to find something original and interesting in Fenton instead of allowing my condescending attitude toward the part to come across the footlights.
"I rank that conversation as one of the most important of my whole career. [...] I learned that acting is about being truthful and figuratively naked onstage, as opposed to trying to disappear into some clever but remote characterization." p 161
"I was shown a seat in his office. He closed the door and settled in his rocking chair. After a long pause, he intoned, 'Mr. Reeve. It is terribly important that you become a serious classical actor. (Pause.) Unless, of course, they offer you a s---load of money to do something else.' I loved John Houseman from that moment on." p172
"[Ellis Rabb] told me that I was cheating the audience by coming out at the end as if I was in a hurry to go home. He reminded me that I was billed above the title and taught me how to take a proper curtain call. He coached me not to rush the entrance: once you arrive center stage, you stand at your full height and take time before you bow. Most important of all was what you should be thinking during a curtain call: you look to the balcony on one side, to the balcony on the other side, to the right side of the orchestra, to the rest of the orchestra, and each time, you think: Thank you for being here, it was a pleasure to perform for you, and then you bow. [...] What he suggested sounded egotistical to me until I learned that when people have witnessed a good performance, they want a chance to applaud. A proper curtain call completes the experience of the play for actors and audience alike." p 208 -- For some reason I was surprised that he had to be taught this. Doesn't everybody love reveling in applause?
"It wasn't long after the formation of TCC [The Creative Coalition] that our work was noticed both in Albany and in Washington. [...] One afternoon on my way back tot he airport after testifying on behalf of the NEA [National Endowment for the Arts], I was cornered by three officials of the Democratic Party who urged me to run for Congress. [...] I immediately replied, 'Run for Congress? And lose my influence in Washington?' I had learned that a member of the House has to worry constantly about money and the handling of special interest groups, whereas I and my colleagues at TCC were free to speak from the heart without obligations to anyone and would receive more coverage in the media. Unfair, perhaps, but that's the way the system works." p232 (This was from '94, before his accident)
"Sometimes I wish that I still couldn't stand food, because it's extremely difficult to stay thin." p259
Overall, he seems like a really decent guy and it's too bad he's gone now.
June 2, 2015
~3 hrs. Read by CR himself.Description from the back cover of the hardback: When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked 'What is a hero?' I remember the glib response I repeated so many times. My answer was that a hero is someone who commits a courageous action without considering the consequences--a soldier who crawls out of a foxhole to drag an injured buddy to safety. And I also meant individuals who are slightly larger than life: Houdini and Lindbergh, John Wayne, JFK, and Joe DiMaggio. Now my definition is completely different. I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles: a fifteen-year-old boy who landed on his head while wrestling with his brother, leaving him barely able to swallow or speak; Travis Roy, paralyzed in the first thirty seconds of a hockey game in his freshman year at college. These are real heroes, and so are the families and friends who have stood by them."
The whole world held its breath when Christopher Reeve struggled for life on Memorial Day, 1995. On the third jump of a riding competition, Reeve was thrown headfirst from his horse in an accident that broke his neck and left him unable to move or breathe.
In the years since then, Reeve has not only survived, but has fought for himself, for his family, and for the hundreds of thousands of people with spinal cord injuries in the United States and around the world. And he has written Still Me, the heartbreaking, funny, courageous, and hopeful story of his life.
Chris describes his early success on Broadway opposite the legendary Katherine Hepburn, the adventure of filming Superman on the streets of New York, and how the movie made him a star. He continued to move regularly between film acting and theater work in New York, Los Angeles, and at the WIlliamstown Theatre Festival in the Berkshires. Reunited with his Bostonians director, James Ivory, in 1992, he traveled to England to work with Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins in The Remains of the Day.
The Man who cannot move has not stopped moving. He has established a charitable foundation to raise awareness and money for research on spinal cord injuries. His work as director of the HBO film In the Gloaming earned him an Emmy nomination, one of five that the film received. His speeches at the Democratic National Convention and the Academy Awards inspired people around the country and the world. He has testified before Congress on behalf of health insurance legislation, lobbied for increased federal funding for spinal cord research, and developed a working relationship with President Clinton.
With dignity and sensitivity, he describes the journey he has made--physically, emotionally, spiritually. He explores his complex relationship with his parents, his efforts to remain a devoted husband and father, and his continuing and heroic battle to rebuild his life.
This is the determined, passionate story of one man, a gifted actor and star, and how he and his family came to grips with the kind of devastating, unexplainable shock that fate can bring to any of us. Chris and Dana Reeve have gathered the will and the spirit to create a new life, one responsive and engaged and focused on the future.
Two things I come away with from this encounter:-Never give up
-There is always someone worse off.
October 17, 2018
I read this book a long long time ago. Still have it on my bookshelf. Christopher Reeves will always be the Superman in my heart. Despite his disability after the accident, he managed to accomplish a lot of things. He wrote his own autobiography which gives us a glimpse of his real struggles. Not just the glitter and glam on the silverscreen.
August 26, 2015
I picked this book up from one of those "Free Libraries" that have been popping up around neighborhoods, where someone will build a little box, and fill it with a small collection of books to share, inviting anyone to "Take One, Leave One." How glad I was to come across this.
Unbelievable story. Smart, intelligent writing that delves into expressing Reeve's turmoil, and grief but also a fascinating remembrance of his many achievements in his career and personal life. All this is told with open honesty and courage. I will come back to this book often to remember: never give up.
Favorite quotes:
"When a catastrophe happens it's easy to feel so sorry for yourself that you can't even see anybody around you. But the way out is through your relationships. The way out of that misery or obsession is to focus more on what other people around you need."
"As much as I remind myself that being is more important than doing, that the quality of relationships is the key to happiness, I'm actually putting on a brave face."
"I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."
"The most difficult lesson I've learned from all this, I'm very clear about it: I know I have to give when sometimes I really want to take. And.. how fragile our existence is."
Unbelievable story. Smart, intelligent writing that delves into expressing Reeve's turmoil, and grief but also a fascinating remembrance of his many achievements in his career and personal life. All this is told with open honesty and courage. I will come back to this book often to remember: never give up.
Favorite quotes:
"When a catastrophe happens it's easy to feel so sorry for yourself that you can't even see anybody around you. But the way out is through your relationships. The way out of that misery or obsession is to focus more on what other people around you need."
"As much as I remind myself that being is more important than doing, that the quality of relationships is the key to happiness, I'm actually putting on a brave face."
"I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."
"The most difficult lesson I've learned from all this, I'm very clear about it: I know I have to give when sometimes I really want to take. And.. how fragile our existence is."
December 24, 2010
I read this a few years ago, so I can't give a close review of the book. I picked it up interested in how Christopher Reeve's life changed after the accident that left him a quadriplegic. I'm not a Superman fan, but as the book's primary focus was not on that, it wasn't a problem for me.
If anything, I came away from this book with a strong appreciation for Reeve's wife, and the great significance she was to his coping and existence. Reeve's own struggles to rediscover himself on the other side of his accident are moving and worth your time to read.
If anything, I came away from this book with a strong appreciation for Reeve's wife, and the great significance she was to his coping and existence. Reeve's own struggles to rediscover himself on the other side of his accident are moving and worth your time to read.
January 26, 2012
Christopher Reeve was an AMAZING man and he wrote an amazing tale about his life! I highly recommend this book. In memoir form he lets us in on his life - before and after his life changing accident. I laughed out loud and I sobbed as well. I felt very blessed and touched by his life story and can't wait to read his other one. That one I have downloaded from audible.com because he actually narrates it himself. Should be great!
January 7, 2020
On May 27, 1995, actor Christopher Reeve was competing in an equestrian competition in Culpepper, Virginia when he was thrown from his horse, causing a C2 spinal cord injury that left him a quadriplegic for nine years until his death in 2004.
Still Me is a journey through the extreme highs and plummeting lows of a life that was fully lived by a man who many consider a hero to this day.
Still Me is a journey through the extreme highs and plummeting lows of a life that was fully lived by a man who many consider a hero to this day.
April 30, 2020
"This book was hard to finish. Sometimes I loved a chapter or section and other parts I didn't enjoy. At times I though he sounded conceited or egotistical. He did write a part about giving back to society who gave him his fame, that made me feel better. I liked reading about his career. There was a bad word or two." 2007
August 4, 2008
Christopher Reeve writes in his own words about his life as an actor before his accident that paralyzed him, and his life after the accident. Very eye opening and thought provoking. I often found myself asking "How would I handle this situation?" He was definitely an inspiration to many people.
July 14, 2008
As a fan of biographies I picked this one up as soon as it came out. I think it is a wonderful book and Christopher Reeve was a remarkable human being. We can all learn a little about how much we have to appreciate after reading this memoir. Christopher Reeve really was a Super Man.
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