Review of GREENLIGHTS
Life perspectives from Matthew McConaughey
I didn’t know much about Matthew McConaughey before picking up his memoir, Greenlights. I recall him appearing shirtless in some of the tabloid magazines I loved in high school, staring in lots of romantic comedies, and causing a buzz for his dramatic weight loss for the movie, Dallas Buyers Club. But I didn’t know much about him as a person.
Turns out, he’s had a pretty interesting life.
I picked up Greenlights on audible after running dry of memoirs on my reading list. Something came up that reminded me about his book and downloaded it on a whim. I had heard rave reviews of the book and thought, “okay, let’s do it.”
I wasn’t a fan at first to be honest. McConaughey has finesse, especially in the audio version, and I can immediately see how people loved this book. It’s verbose – ignoring the rule of not using more words than necessary. His performance is entertaining as one would expect from a highly successful actor. And the book is peppered with quotable “bumper stickers” and “prescriptions” that remind me of horoscopes – everyone can find something in them. It was good enough to see it through, but I wasn’t convinced I’d get much from it.
But then I started to like it.
McConaughey has had an interesting life, one worth reading about, but what stood out to me is his continuous interest in reinventing himself – taking stock, reflecting, making a plan, and executing. Maybe reinventing isn’t the right word, but intentional growing across his life. He seems to never become complacent or lazy. He always strives to be better. That’s admirable.
And that is part of what makes his book interesting. He notes in the beginning that this isn’t a traditional memoir of sorts. His goal is to give readers some useful perspectives, “prescriptions” that can be applied in their own lives. Although the “bumper stickers” and “prescriptions” are like horoscopes, they prompted me to think and reflect on aspects of myself and my life too. So, if his goal was that, then I’d say he succeeded.
Not since I read Uncanny Valley has a book that I didn’t initially like turned out to be one that I did. I’m not sure if the book would have had the same effect if read rather than listened to, but I would recommend the audio if you have six hours to kill and want a bit of philosophical ponderings on life.
Published: October 2020
Format: Audio
If you think this sounds interesting, bookmark these other great reads:
On All Fronts: The Education of a Journalist by Clarissa Ward (2020)
Self-Portrait in Black and White: Unlearning Race by Thomas Chatterton Williams (2019)
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