The Bassoon King
My Life in Art, Faith, and Idiocy
Book - 2015
A comedic memoir by the actor best known for his portrayal of Dwight on The Office traces his experiences as a young misfit, his early career struggles and his post-success reconnection with the artistic and creative values of his Baha'i faith.
Publisher:
New York, New York : Dutton, [2015]
ISBN:
9780525954538
0525954538
0525954538
Characteristics:
xvi, 301 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 24 cm



Comment
Add a Comment2017 Audie Award Nominated: HUMOR
What a fantastically crafted and narrated audiobook. Rainn Wilson has so much to share with the world, and I'm so glad that he's found a voice here. I devoured this book. It was so hard and sad to turn it off between listening sessions. Fact - If you're a fan of The Office, memoirs, or narrative driven personal stories, this book is for you.
I chose to read this book because of my immense love for his best known character Dwight K. Schrute from "The Office". It was interesting to find that so much of what made Dwight such a fun character is actually a reflection of the real man Rainn Wilson. What a fascinating life story. From extreme hippie parents, to living in Nicaragua as a child, growing up poor, & finding fame in a TV show that wasn't slated to last more than the pilot show, Rainn has experienced it ALL!
He does talk about his faith journey from hippie parents to his own religion of choice, Baha'i. I am not discouraging people from learning about & researching the background of various faiths, but as a parent, I like for my husband & I to be the ones that oversees the timing & way in which these ideas are introduced to our children. As Christians, I believe it is imperative that we learn as much as we can about the faiths of those around us so that we can be the most effective missionary possible. Since Rainn is very clear about his thoughts on his religion as well as many others, including Christianity, I believe it is best for a parent/guardian to determine when/if this book is suitable to introduce to their children. My age recommendation is based on these thoughts & my own beliefs.
Age recommendation: 14 & older
On a scale of 1-10 stars, I give it a 7.
I picked this book because I was intrigued by the title. I really didn't read it because of his role in The Office. However, I found it to be an overall enjoyable read. I learned about his religious perspectives, and I enjoyed learning about his life.
Ok, I didn't rate this because it wouldn't be fair - BUT - I barley made it past the inane forward. I listed to about 2 mins of Chapter One and then returned it as fast as I could!
There's no reason not to give this 5 stars! I love memoirs, comedians, The Office, and Dwight Schrute, so all these things combined made for a fun reading experience. I was really surprised to learn Wilson grew up (A) very poor and (B) in the Baha'i faith. I know comedian memoirs are a dime a dozen lately, but I really enjoy learning where they came from and what led them to comedy. Their stories are always infused with some vague sense of sadness that satisfies my need for drama. :)
Because of his reputation and the character he plays on the office I expected a lot from this book and when it started I was a bit disappointed. Thankfully, the farther along I read the better it got. Perhaps because we are similar in age some of the memories which he shared really resonated with me and made me smile and continue to read about his journey. A lot of things in his life would mirror anyone else's; striving, defeat, failure, ultimate success, meaning and fulfillment. If you like Rainn Wilson, this book will most likely make you love him at the most and respect him more at the very least.
I'm not a huge office fan, and I really enjoyed this book! Forget Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and other writers who've penned their memoirs. This is the memoir that I will recommend.
Wilson had an interesting upbringing, wandering the world with an assortment of parents. A sure tip that the writing is good, I searched the cover and bio to confirm that there was no ghost writing for the actor. His descriptions of his Baha'i faith are educational and appealing enough to make me want to learn more.
An interesting guy, with an entertaining memoir. Office fan? Read it. Memoir fan? Ditto.
Fun book to read! Dwight Shrute makes a few appearances! And Rainn Wilson has a Zonkey!