Author: Brian Jay Jones
Genre: Biography
Summary: (Part of a summary from Amazon) This extraordinary biography—written with the generous cooperation of the Henson family—covers the full arc of Henson’s all-too-brief life: from his childhood in Leland, Mississippi, through the years of burgeoning fame in America, to the decade of international celebrity that preceded his untimely death at age fifty-three. Drawing on hundreds of hours of new interviews with Henson's family, friends, and closest collaborators, as well as unprecedented access to private family and company archives, Brian Jay Jones explores the creation of the Muppets, Henson’s contributions to Sesame Street and Saturday Night Live, and his nearly ten-year campaign to bring The Muppet Show to television. Jones provides the imaginative context for Henson’s non-Muppet projects, including the richly imagined worlds of The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth—as well as fascinating misfires like Henson’s dream of opening an inflatable psychedelic nightclub.
An up-close look at the charmed life of
a legend, Jim Henson gives the full measure to a man whose
joyful genius transcended age, language, geography, and culture—and
continues to beguile audiences worldwide.
Rating: Excellent
Rating: Excellent
Why I Like It: Easy to listen to &entertaining. So interesting, especially because I really didn’t know much about Jim Henson. But my children grew up with the muppets, sesame street, etc. being a big part of their lives.
Other: Audio, this is what made this book so excellent – listening to the narrator, Kirby Heyborne, who has a wide range of voices, dialects & characters.
Reviewer: Patsy
