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Baggage

Tales from a Fully Packed Life
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( 4,073 ratings, 512 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Baggage by Alan Cumming is a deeply personal memoir where the author candidly explores his journey from a tumultuous childhood to his successful career in the entertainment industry. Cumming reflects on the emotional burdens and family challenges he has faced, providing an introspective look at his life experiences and the resilience needed to overcome them. The book combines humour and honesty, offering readers an intimate glimpse into his personal growth and self-discovery.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you love candid memoirs filled with wit and warmth. The author shares personal stories with charm, exploring deep themes of identity and healing, all while his unique voice adds depth and humour to the narrative.

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From the New York Times bestselling author of Not My Father's Son comes a joyous and poignant book about the world of professional acting, the messiness of life and how every experience - good or bad - shapes who you are.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Baggage chronicles the actor's life in Hollywood and the ways in which work has repeatedly whisked him away from personal calamities to sets and stages around the world. Taking us through the highs and lows of his career, his struggle with mental health, each failed relationship or encounter with a legend (Liza! X Men! Gore Vidal! Kubrick! Spice Girls!), every bad decision or moment of sensual joy, Cumming shows how every experienceβ€”good or badβ€”has shaped who he is today: a happy, flawed, vulnerable, fearless middle-aged man, with a lot of baggage.

Startlingly honest, both poignant and joyous, Baggage shines a light on how to embrace the complicated messiness of life.

'To read Baggage is to spend time with the most engaging companion in the world. Charm, wit, insight, entrancingly disarming self-knowledge, hilarious stories by the basketful, Alan Cumming's attributes are endlessly enriching and enchanting. Only one negative, I just hated to see the right-hand page count, the pages yet to be read, thinning down and reminding me, like a tolling bell, that this joyous ride was coming to an end' - Stephen Fry

'It seems fundamentally unfair that Alan Cumming is, in addition to being a fine actor and a wicked performer, such a hell of a good writer. But he is. He's observant, honest, often trenchantly funny, always emotionally honest. He's an international treasure' - Neil Gaiman

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The biography and memoir by Alan Cumming offers a candid and charming exploration of his life, blending humour and honesty. Critics have praised him for being an engaging storyteller, making readers feel as though they are in a private conversation with him. The book is celebrated for its authenticity, wit, and insightfulness, with Cumming's cleverness and charm shining through on every page.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781838856670

Publisher: Canongate Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 June 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Canongate Books

Edition: Main

Illustration: integrated B&W photos

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 195g

Pages: 288

About the Author

Alan Cumming's many awards for his stage and screen work include the Tony, Olivier, BAFTA and Emmy. He is the author of two children's books, a book of photographs and stories, a novel and a memoir, Not My Father's Son. He is a podcaster (Alan Cumming's Shelves) and an amateur barman (NYC's Club Cumming).

@alancumming | alancumming.com

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    There is absolutely no logical reason why I am here. The life trajectory my nationality and class and circumstances portended for me was not even remotely close to the one I now navigate. But logic is a science and living is an art. The release I felt in writing my first memoir, Not My Father's Son, was matched only by...
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