r/AVGN 9d ago

Has anyone read his autobiography, if so thoughts? Discussion

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I just got the book for Christmas and am only 40 pages in but am enjoying it a lot.

247 Upvotes

92

u/Express-Doubt1824 9d ago

I read it, and being a fan of James I can say I genuinely enjoyed it. It's far from a masterpiece and nothing I'd recommend to someone unless they were an AVGN fan.

The writing style is just as James would speak, so from a literature standpoint, it's not good. But, it shares so much insight to James' life that it's a good read for cinemassacre fans.

It doesn't address bootsy or any other controversy so if you're looking for those answers, you won't find em here.

Enjoy the read!

26

u/Otterslayer22 9d ago

Did Bootsy ever do any thing else? I don’t remember seeing anything outside of Board James and his videos where he very calmly explains how to beat difficult NES games.

11

u/Level_Membership_907 8d ago

He makes music currently

9

u/Ryousoki 8d ago

He's also voice acting in a game on steam called CATATONIC GAME.

4

u/Otterslayer22 8d ago

Does he have his own you tube channel?

3

u/Valuable-Meal-6362 8d ago

Bootsy Spankins, P.I

3

u/Level_Membership_907 8d ago

He has a bandcamp and twitter that are fairly active. His music is great I definitely recommend it

25

u/TurkeyRoo 9d ago

I'd recommend the audiobook. Well read by James and is perhaps better suited to his style, but I'm sure either format is fine. Personally, I found it quite inspirational and I'd recommend it to any young person lacking in confidence, whether you're a fan or not. Also good for parents of young kids as James talks about how he navigated (both successfully and unsuccessfully) challenges he faced growing up. Overall, it was better than what I was expecting. He comes across as a normal guy telling his story. He's no Quentin Tarantino and he doesn't pretend to be. 3.5/5. I'm looking forward to his next book.

23

u/Mutant_Zac87 9d ago

I read it last year. It was a great read that shed light on how dedicated he's always been to making movies/videos. There were some genuine laugh out loud moments, too.

9

u/877_Cash_Nowww 9d ago

I want a Rasta Bimmy movie.

10

u/PvtHudson 8d ago

It's the balls on the dick.

6

u/FORESTMAN100 9d ago

No but, I've thought about getting it because I like AVGN/Cinemassacre, so reading this biography would be interesting. Since I'm seeing this now, I will write this down as to get eventually list.

4

u/nine16s 8d ago

It’s great! Don’t expect a literary masterpiece but if you’re a longtime fan of James, it’s an insightful look into both his cinematography methods as well as his upbringing, personal life, college life, and fatherhood. Get the audiobook if you can, it’s read by James himself.

2

u/TheWenzinator 8d ago

I’m about halfway through it, and I love it. James is a very special YouTuber to me, and I discovered him as James first, not AVGN, so this book is perfect for what it is. This entire book so far feels like one of those classic James turns on the camera and talks to you videos. Enjoy it!

4

u/AustiniJohnsini 9d ago

It's not great.

2

u/skywalker7i 8d ago

does he talk about the cheetahman con job and also his avgn movie not paying out all the tier bonuses to donors?

3

u/billybatdorf 9d ago

No time to read it

1

u/lukenog 7d ago

Busy Billy

1

u/billybatdorf 7d ago

Muh kids

0

u/Cold_Ad655 7d ago

Isn't it like 540 pages?

1

u/WTK55 8d ago

Only book I read in like 2023 and it's a good one lol

1

u/AyusoMuramasa 8d ago

It destroyed my opinion on James as a whole.

1

u/More_Mammoth_8964 8d ago

You definitely learn some things about James you would have otherwise not known about.

1

u/F1ameXgames 7d ago

I enjoyed it, had James and his father sign it when I went to TooManyGames last year

1

u/Massive-DMG 7d ago

I wish he'd talked more about AVGN considering it's, y'know, the #1 thing everybody knows him for. Outside the context of the movie it's hardly mentioned at all.

1

u/81-DeathKnocker 8d ago

It was very good. Some parts of it could have been quite a bit better written I suppose. But it was a very honest and interesting read. For any long time fan it’s likely worth the cost and a read. It’s not some shitty cash grab or ego project for sure. It’s kind a replication of all of the filmmaker autobiographies and writings that have inspired him over the years.

-12

u/boglim_destroyer 9d ago

Take a wild guess.

6

u/Otterslayer22 9d ago

Your read it while playing super Nintendo at a friends house?

-4

u/WaxWorkKnight 8d ago

Anyone who actually liked this book should be on a list and not allowed around children.

It makes the ramblings of an in destress schizophrenic look positively Shakespearean.

I guess if you're really into being face blasted by a no talent hack who thinks he's a cinema god then keep a towel nearby. You'll need it. Gene Simmons has less ego, and the average realty star is more self-effacing.

3

u/KenD1988 8d ago

You sound like you’re on that list.

2

u/CLearyMcCarthy 8d ago

James doesn't think about you as much as you think about him. Get help. Make a change.

3

u/DeathKorp_Rider 8d ago

I dunno, sounds like you have a fairly large ego yourself if you think that anyone who enjoys this book is a pedo

-7

u/PierreAubameyang 9d ago

Does he address the balding issues in the book?

1

u/KenD1988 8d ago

Didn’t realize it was an “issue”.