Will You Read? Total Recall by Arnold Schwartznegger

October 1, 2012 by Jon.Peters

Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story; by Arnold Schwarzenegger; Simon and Schuster; 656 pages

Genre: Political autobiography

Synopsis: Mr. Universe, The Terminator, governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger writes this tell-all autobiography on the heels of a film comeback. We hear all about his rise and precipitous fall after revelations of an illicit affair and secret child surfaced after he left office. He leaves nothing out, to the likely revulsion of ex-wife Maria Shriver.

What Reviewers Have to Say: “What “Total Recall” actually turns out to be is a puffy portrait of the author as master conniver. Nothing in his upward progress seems to have happened in an innocent way.” -Janet Maslin, The New York Times

Also by This Author: Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder, The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, Arnold’s Bodyshaping for Women.

Related Books: My Life by Bill Clinton, Personal History by Katharine Graham, It’s Not Easy Bein’ Me by Rodney Dangerfield

My Gut Reaction: This should be a fascinating read. However you feel about the man, Schwarzenegger has lived a remarkable life. He came from nothing. He was The Mr. Universe and brought bodybuilding into the mainstream. He starred in some incredible action movies such as Terminator, as well as some really awful comedies, like Junior. He became governor of California on name recognition alone. And he lost his wife, his career, and his family when it came out he had fathered a love child with his maid. Will this be the book that heralds Arnold’s comeback? Probably not. Will this be honest? Thankfully, yes. Or as Arnold says in his book trailer, “This story, you know. So are you ready for the story you don’t?” However, we have to take him with a grain of salt, with so many (not just Janet Maslin!) dismissing him as a conniver.

What do you think? Will you give Arnold a chance to tell his side and read this?