James Earl Jones: Voices and Silences [Paperback]

James Earl Jones (Author), Penelope Niven (Author)

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Product Details

Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Touchstone Books (October 1994)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0671899457
ISBN-13: 978-0671899455
Product Dimensions: 22.6 x 14.5 x 3.8 cm
Shipping Weight: 590 g
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,191,061 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

Celebrated actor Jones, writing with Niven ( Carl Sandburg: A Biography ), has produced a compelling memoir. Raised by his hardworking grandfather and storytelling grandmother, six-year-old James began to stutter when the family moved from Mississippi, where he was born in 1931, to Michigan. Virtually mute for the next eight years, he recaptured speech by reciting poetry and prose. Jones reconnected with his estranged actor father during his journeyman years in Manhattan theater; in the 1950s he blossomed in the "democracy of the frontier" that was off-Broadway. He offers lively and nuanced reflections on his great and sometimes controversial parts, which include, on stage, Paul Robeson, and on film: the title role in Othello , Lennie in Of Mice and Men , Jack Jefferson in The Great White Hope and Troy Maxson in Fences. While Jones concentrates more on his professional than on his personal life, he also discusses his complicated multiracial heritage and his two marriages. He ends with tender thoughts about the almost spiritual richness of life on his New York farm and the joy he takes in his young son. As his career and his memoirs verify, Jones's lifelong struggle with language has produced some lasting words. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

At 62, James Earl Jones has earned a curious stature: a distinguished stage actor, lauded for playing Othello, Paul Robeson, and Jack Johnson, he also works frequently as a character actor in films. But his widespread fame is for his voice (as Darth Vader in the Star Wars films) and genial presence in TV commercials. In his memoir, Jones cheerfully accepts this state of affairs; he loves to work, and his role as a company pitch person pays too well to ignore. Among the highlights of this readable and entertaining volume is Jones's search for his father (actor Robert Earl Jones), who left his infant son to be raised by his grandparents. Readers will be stunned by Jones's account of his stuttering problem, which rendered him mute from the age of ten to 14. Recommended for all collections.
- Thomas Wiener, formerly with "American Film"
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com ^(beta)

Amazon.com: 4.6 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful person; a great actor, Jun 7 2000

By Jeremy M. Hoogsteen - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: James Earl Jones: Voices and Silences (Paperback)

This book gives wonderful background of the man who appears in many of the greatest movies and shows ever created. It shows how he overcame personal issues to succeed in his profession. I believe that this book is a good read for anyone wanting to see perserverance in action. Jones shows that anyone can do anything if they want it bad enough.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book that helped heal my wounds, Feb 25 1998

By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: James Earl Jones: Voices and Silences (Paperback)

Not only do I know James Earl Jones as an actor (rather than darth vader) I respect him as a very unique individual, who touched some parts in my life. I was having difficulty in school: I stammered in school and was very shy. There were things in my life that I held back for a long time. Like James. I hope that his name will carry on both on stage and off. I definitely recommend this book to those who want to know the person and get to understand him that way. I know I do!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A WORTHY SHOW BIZ BIO, Jan 11 2005

By Gail Cooke - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: James Earl Jones: Voices and Silences (Hardcover)

The voice is unmistakable - deep, resonant, compelling, and so are the words of James Earl Jones in the reflective memoir he has penned with Penelope Niven One of the most accomplished actors of our day, he has written an autobiography that is as intriguing as his performances.

Jones's 60 year history begins in rural Mississippi, moves to a farm in Michigan, continues as he struggles to find a place on the stage, and culminates in the theaters of the world.

He tells the story of his life on the professional level, including insights into his marvelous performances in "The Great White Hope," "Othello," and "Fences." He also relates his experiences on a personal level offering comments on his origins in a family of sharecroppers, a mother who abandoned him, his marriages, and his multiracial heritage.

This is also a book about voices. There are the stories he heard his grandparents tell, the sounds of life on hardscrabble land in the south. And, most surprisingly, the voice that enthralls audiences today once stuttered and then fell silent for eight years. Jones was mute from the age of six to 14. Of this experience, he wrote, "Because of my muteness, I approached language in a different way from most actors. I came to language standing on my head, turning words inside out in search of meaning, making a mess of it sometimes, but seeing truth from a very different viewpoint. In those years I spent in virtual silence, I grew a passion for expression."

Express himself he does. Whether written or spoken, the words of James Earl Jones add to the richness of our lives and language.

- Gail Cooke

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 5 reviews 4.6 out of 5 stars