cover image Choose Your Own Autobiography

Choose Your Own Autobiography

Neil Patrick Harris, read by the author. Random House Audio, abridged, 6 CDs, 7.5 hrs., $35 ISBN 978-0-385-36794-3

Harris relates the different adventures, roles, and challenges that he has faced over the years in this curious approach to the autobiography, using the classic choose-your-own-adventure style of storytelling. It’s an amusing approach to the nonfiction genre, but one that is not suited for the audiobook format, which he admits at the beginning of his recording. The adapted version and overall style of the audiobook fail to make it as enjoyable as it would be to read. With the entire book written in second person, the listener quickly loses interest in hearing you mentioned in nearly every sentence, as well as hearing the different choices that could be made if the listener were reading instead. However, the audiobook does have redeeming qualities: Harris is fantastic to listen to and repeatedly elicits smiles and laughs as he shares his past. Listeners will learn many behind-the-scenes elements of the different shows, movies, and musicals that he has participated in. They will also get to listen to a speech delivered by Harris when he was a child. The audiobook includes a PDF of favorite recipes and crossword puzzles. A Crown Archetype hardcover. (Oct.)