TL;DR
8/10. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s autobiography, and on the strength of an extraordinary, almost unbelievable life, from a poor Austrian village to bodybuilding champion to Hollywood star to governor, I rate it an eight. I will be honest that I have skimmed rather than fully read it, so this is a personal impression, and that its considerable length is a real commitment. A remarkable life, well worth the time for the right reader.
Total Recall is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s autobiography, and it is a big book, well over six hundred pages, the kind of doorstop that takes a little resolve to sit down and read all the way through. I will be honest: I have skimmed it rather than read it cover to cover, so this is a personal impression rather than a full review. But what I have seen, and what I know of the man, points the same direction. Arnold has had a wonderful, incredible life, the kind people dream of, and that life is the reason the book is worth the time it asks. I rate it an eight, on the strength of an extraordinary story told by the man who lived it.
The sheer arc of his life is the selling point: there are not many people who can write an honest autobiography that runs from a poor Austrian village to the top of three completely different fields.
An extraordinary life
What makes the book compelling, even on a skim, is simply the magnitude of the life it covers. Schwarzenegger went from a small Austrian village in a year of famine to becoming a world bodybuilding champion, then one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, then the governor of California, and on to whatever he has turned his attention to since. That is not one remarkable career but three or four, each improbable on its own, and the story of how a single person willed his way through all of them is genuinely fascinating. Few autobiographies have this kind of raw material to work with, and the book draws its power from the undeniable, almost unbelievable trajectory of the man telling it. The life carries the book.
Keep reading
Telling an extraordinary life on the page — the remarkable arc behind Arnold’s story, in the craft of capturing a life in memoir.
Why I have always liked him
I have always liked Arnold, and that colors my read. I have enjoyed his performances across the whole span of his career, from the early ones where he was plainly not yet an actor and wrestling with the accent, to the more modern, polished work where he grew into a genuine screen presence. There is something likable about watching someone improve so visibly and never stop pushing. I even enjoy his commercials, though I will admit some of them are a little stupid. None of that is literary criticism, exactly, but it is part of why the book appeals to me: it is the life story of a public figure I have watched and rooted for over decades, and that affection makes the autobiography more engaging than the same story from a stranger would be.
The honest caveat
The honest caveat is the one I started with: it is a very long book, and that length is a real commitment. A six-hundred-plus-page autobiography asks for a serious investment of time, and that is exactly why I have skimmed rather than fully read it, the confront of sitting down with something that size is real, however interesting the contents. For a reader deeply interested in Schwarzenegger, the length is a feature, more of a great story, but for a casual reader it is a barrier, and I would not pretend otherwise. My eight reflects the extraordinary life and my genuine liking for the man, tempered by the honest admission that I have sampled rather than finished it, and that its sheer size is something to know going in.
Verdict
It is an eight, on the strength of an extraordinary, almost unbelievable life, from a poor Austrian village to bodybuilding champion to Hollywood star to governor, told by the man who lived it, and on my own long-standing affection for Arnold and his work. I will be straight that I have skimmed rather than fully read it, so this is a personal impression, and that its considerable length, well over six hundred pages, is a genuine commitment that takes some resolve. For anyone interested in Schwarzenegger, or simply in how one person willed his way through several improbable careers, it is a rich and fascinating story, with the length its main barrier. A remarkable life, well worth the time for the right reader.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Total Recall about?
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s autobiography, covering his journey from a small Austrian village in a year of famine to world bodybuilding champion, to one of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars, to governor of California, and beyond, told in his own voice across more than six hundred pages.
Why rate it an eight?
On the strength of an extraordinary, almost unbelievable life, three or four improbable careers in one, told by the man who lived it, and on my own long-standing affection for Arnold and his work. The magnitude of the life is what makes the book worth the time it asks.
Have you read the whole thing?
I have skimmed it rather than read it cover to cover, so this is an honest personal impression rather than a full review. It is a very long book, well over six hundred pages, and that length takes real resolve to sit down with all the way through.
What makes the life so compelling?
Its sheer arc. Schwarzenegger went from a poor Austrian village to world bodybuilding champion, then global movie star, then governor of California, not one remarkable career but several, each improbable on its own, and the story of how one person willed his way through all of them is genuinely fascinating.
What is the main drawback?
The length. A six-hundred-plus-page autobiography is a real commitment of time, which for a reader deeply interested in Schwarzenegger is a feature, more of a great story, but for a casual reader is a genuine barrier, and the reason I have skimmed rather than fully read it.