Sonny Boy
A Memoir
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Sonny Boy
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Narrated by:
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Al Pacino
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By:
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Al Pacino
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
From one of the most iconic actors in the history of film, an astonishingly revelatory account of a creative life in full
To the wider world, Al Pacino exploded onto the scene like a supernova. He landed his first leading role, in The Panic in Needle Park, in 1971, and by 1975, he had starred in four movies—The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon—that were not just successes but landmarks in the history of film. Those performances became legendary and changed his life forever. Not since Marlon Brando and James Dean in the late 1950s had an actor landed in the culture with such force.
But Pacino was in his midthirties by then, and had already lived several lives. A fixture of avant-garde theater in New York, he had led a bohemian existence, working odd jobs to support his craft. He was raised by a fiercely loving but mentally unwell mother and her parents after his father left them when he was young, but in a real sense he was raised by the streets of the South Bronx, and by the troop of buccaneering young friends he ran with, whose spirits never left him. After a teacher recognized his acting promise and pushed him toward New York’s fabled High School of Performing Arts, the die was cast. In good times and bad, in poverty and in wealth and in poverty again, through pain and joy, acting was his lifeline, its community his tribe.
Sonny Boy is the memoir of a man who has nothing left to fear and nothing left to hide. All the great roles, the essential collaborations, and the important relationships are given their full due, as is the vexed marriage between creativity and commerce at the highest levels. The book’s golden thread, however, is the spirit of love and purpose. Love can fail you, and you can be defeated in your ambitions—the same lights that shine bright can also dim. But Al Pacino was lucky enough to fall deeply in love with a craft before he had the foggiest idea of any of its earthly rewards, and he never fell out of love. That has made all the difference.
‘A 5 ft 7in Hollywood giant … Al Pacino’s eccentric memoir really preserves his Bronx-reared turn of phrase’ The Times
'Surprising, introspective … His youth was grim, his money troubles serious, his fame unlikely. Al Pacino’s friends all died in poverty. How did he survive?’ Telegraph
‘This book is a beautiful trip … (from) one of the world’s greatest, most influential actors for more than 50 years. He’s audacious. He’s outrageous. He’s Al Pacino’ The New York Times
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What listeners say about Sonny Boy
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- tilly
- 13-12-24
What a wonderful, witty, funny kind man Al Pacino is
Al Pacino, I hope you read this review, I loved your book, your voice, you're stories, your thoughts feelings, and your deep happy chuckles. I loved that you narrated Sonny Boy yourself, what an experience to listen to you. You are a joy, thank you!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Drew Morrice
- 06-12-24
Al Pacino legend
Al's honesty and world wise aged voice had me hooked straight away,loved his New York Times
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tom Gurden
- 05-02-25
Amazing. Funny, insightful, personal, poignant.
Wow, what a book. Definitely my favourite ever memoir and absolutely my favourite ever audiobook.
Al’s performance in this book is so natural. It’s like he’s reading and having a conversation directly with you.
When he first started reading I thought he was a little awkward, a few odd pauses here and there. This soon either becomes smoother or just so natural in his delivery that it seems a normal part of the way he talks.
Highly recommend to anyone who is a fan or anyone who loves movies or just simply wants to hear from one of the all time great actors.
Thank you Al Pacino. Now, I’m going to go home and watch a few of my favourite Pacino films, and revisit some others, starting with (what else) The Godfather!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- bkilma
- 31-12-24
So Enjoyable!
I really enjoyed the honest, thoughtful and poignant story of Al Pacino’s life - I wasn’t a fan starting but am leaving as one.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Jodie
- 07-01-25
Great listen
I could listen to ‘sonny’ talk allll day.. such an interesting life.. highly recommend to anyone
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Terry
- 30-01-25
First class
Great listening from Sonny, enjoyed this immensely. Would love to have a long chat with him.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 06-11-24
A Chat With Pacino
I have read many memoirs and autobiographies in my time, but this is something else..... Narrated by Pacino himself, this takes the memoir to a new level. The book has a refreshing realism and a frank honesty that is both refreshing and revelatory. Pacino presents himself as he really is, with no embellishment and his narration is the best I've heard. It was a joy to listen to his deeply personal recollections and memories - it was like having Pacino in the room with me, just having a chat about his extraordinary life.
He is completely honest about the work of which he is proud, and that which disappointed him. He also is totally frank about his failings and weaknesses, his poor judgement and lack of skill in business dealings and the reasons for his decisions regarding his choice of roles. His candour is delightful and refreshing in an industry where image so closely linked to success. He has always gone his own way for better or worse, and his honesty allows the listener to feel an intimacy with him that is almost hypnotic.
By the end of the memoir, you feel as if you really know him and surely, that is the point of a book like this. His narration is simply wonderful! His style is intimate and informal; when he laughed in the middle of a sentence, I couldn't help but laugh along with him. When I heard a smile is in voice, I couldn't stop myself smiling too, but there were also memories of regrets, which he related without self-pity. His attitude to his life is quite unique, and there is a charming naivete to his character that is endearing. The book helps us understand this remarkable actor and an incredibly interesting human being. I highly recommend this book!
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Joe
- 09-12-24
A joy to listen to Al’s voice
A fantastic bio from arguably one of the greatest actors of all time. Yet Als narration was so chilled out, relaxed and soft you felt like it was just you and him sat chatting together. Incredible life, a real joy to listen to…all I need now is Morgan Freeman to write and narrate his bio…real soon
Al Pacino is a brilliant actor and have us a brilliant bio.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- BlueKJL
- 16-12-24
Excellent
Did not disappoint. Fantastic to hear first hand the story of a great actor and a good man
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- tony240610
- 26-11-24
Beautiful book
Like having a coffee with Al Pacino & reminiscing! Definitely one of my favourite audio books.
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