3.5
Last Night at the Viper Room
ByPublisher Description
A biography elucidating the Academy Award–nominee’s meteoric rise, his tragic end, and his legacy.
At the dawn of the 1990s, a new crew of leading men—Johnny Depp, Nicolas Cage, Keanu Reeves, and Brad Pitt—was rocketing toward stardom. River Phoenix, however, stood in front of the pack. But behind Phoenix’s talent and beautiful public face was a young man who had been raised in a cult by nonconformist parents, who was burdened with supporting his family from a young age, and who eventually succumbed to addiction, dying of an overdose in front of the Viper Room, West Hollywood’s storied club, at twenty-three.
Last Night at the Viper Room is part biography, part cultural history of the 1990s, and part celebration of a Hollywood icon gone too soon. Full of interviews from his fellow actors, directors, friends, and family, this book shows the role River Phoenix played in creating the place of the actor in our modern culture and the impact his work still makes today.
At the dawn of the 1990s, a new crew of leading men—Johnny Depp, Nicolas Cage, Keanu Reeves, and Brad Pitt—was rocketing toward stardom. River Phoenix, however, stood in front of the pack. But behind Phoenix’s talent and beautiful public face was a young man who had been raised in a cult by nonconformist parents, who was burdened with supporting his family from a young age, and who eventually succumbed to addiction, dying of an overdose in front of the Viper Room, West Hollywood’s storied club, at twenty-three.
Last Night at the Viper Room is part biography, part cultural history of the 1990s, and part celebration of a Hollywood icon gone too soon. Full of interviews from his fellow actors, directors, friends, and family, this book shows the role River Phoenix played in creating the place of the actor in our modern culture and the impact his work still makes today.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities153 Reviews
3.5
Prtsstk
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Ashley
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Espresso
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Bree
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“When the author was talking about River, he did a decent job at giving a detailed history and many accounts from friends and family. If it was just that, I'd probably give it a higher rating. However, the book was heavily padded with what everyone else was doing in Hollywood at the time, most of which felt like a continuous list without smooth transitions to just take up space. Also, once the book got to River's death and aftermath, it kept going just talking about other actors, such as Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, and seemed to go the way of the author's personal opinion (spoiler: he seems to really not like Pitt). I didn't go into reading this thinking it was going to be a generic book about the 90s, and so it seemed rather long and tedious. Other than some details from River's childhood history and the quotes from people who knew him, everything else interesting in this book I was able to find via Wikipedia or IMDB. I should also note that I listened to the audiobook and felt the reader off putting when he tried to do female voices.”Creepy Corner Books
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“River Phoenix and the Hollywood He Left Behind by Gavin Edwards is a poignant and insightful biography that captures the complexities of the late actor’s life. Edwards skillfully explores both Phoenix’s sensitive, compassionate side and the personal struggles that haunted him. From his unconventional childhood in a nomadic family to his rise as a beloved Hollywood star, the book paints a vivid portrait of Phoenix as a young man torn between fame and his desire for a more meaningful life.
What stands out in Edwards’ portrayal is the balance between Phoenix’s public image and his private vulnerabilities. The biography doesn’t shy away from the flaws that contributed to his tragic end, offering a nuanced look at the pressures he faced. Phoenix’s death outside The Viper Room is the heartbreaking conclusion to a life marked by promise and inner conflict.
For fans of River Phoenix or those fascinated by the darker side of fame, this book is both a celebration of his talent and a tragic reminder of the cost of stardom. It’s a compelling, bittersweet read that lingers long after the final page.”
About Gavin Edwards
Gavin Edwards is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone who has written five articles for the magazine about Blink-182 for the magazine since 1999. He is the New York Times bestselling author of seven books. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and their two sons.
Other books by Gavin Edwards
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