Helpful Score: 1
Asimov's memoirs, some of which cover material previously printed in his two-volume biography, provides more personal insights than the earlier works, and also carries into the final illness which lead to his death in 1992.
Helpful Score: 1
Since the days when I was a teenager, and first read "I, Robot," I have always held Isaac Asimov in the highest regard. His FOUNDATION and ROBOT series are some of the best Sci-Fi books ever written, and I continue to reread them every couple of years or so...they are simply THAT good.
After reading "Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry," and learning just how close he was to Mr. Asimov, I decided it would be worthwhile to read things from Mr. Asimov's perspective. Unfortunately, I never made it that far in the book.
Mr. Asimov states quite clearly in the beginning that he holds himself in the utmost regard, and that he has a very large ego when it comes to his favorite subject: himself. He also states that he has always been seen as a man of great arrogance, and attempts to explain why that is. Alas, even in his explanation his arrogance shines through.
While reading through several chapters, it is quite obvious that if your opinions do not align with his own, then you are simply wrong. While I believe it may be unintentional, his contempt for certain topics also comes through. The more I read, the more I was amazed at what I was reading, and not in a good way. Rather than destroy the positive image I hold of Mr. Asimov, I have opted to discontinue reading his story.
While I'm sure that some will find this an informative read, I simply can not bring myself to finish the book. Perhaps because this is an autobiography instead of a biography. I'm not really sure. All I know for sure is that the more I read, the more offended I became by many of his statements. For me, I think that I would simply rather "know" Mr. Asimov as a fantastic Science-Fiction author: I don't believe I'd like him very much if I got to know him any better than that.
After reading "Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry," and learning just how close he was to Mr. Asimov, I decided it would be worthwhile to read things from Mr. Asimov's perspective. Unfortunately, I never made it that far in the book.
Mr. Asimov states quite clearly in the beginning that he holds himself in the utmost regard, and that he has a very large ego when it comes to his favorite subject: himself. He also states that he has always been seen as a man of great arrogance, and attempts to explain why that is. Alas, even in his explanation his arrogance shines through.
While reading through several chapters, it is quite obvious that if your opinions do not align with his own, then you are simply wrong. While I believe it may be unintentional, his contempt for certain topics also comes through. The more I read, the more I was amazed at what I was reading, and not in a good way. Rather than destroy the positive image I hold of Mr. Asimov, I have opted to discontinue reading his story.
While I'm sure that some will find this an informative read, I simply can not bring myself to finish the book. Perhaps because this is an autobiography instead of a biography. I'm not really sure. All I know for sure is that the more I read, the more offended I became by many of his statements. For me, I think that I would simply rather "know" Mr. Asimov as a fantastic Science-Fiction author: I don't believe I'd like him very much if I got to know him any better than that.
