“Life is great. Sometimes, though, you just have to put up with a little more crap.”—Michael J. Fox
Looking for a celebrity memoir sans the sob story? Michael J. Fox’s, Lucky Man: A Memoir fits the bill. In the book Fox chronicles his life before and after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease without so much as an ounce of ego or sugarcoating. It’s far from a celebrity tell-all and doesn’t even indulge in much of the dry name-dropping you might expect in a Hollywood tale. Instead, Michael J. Fox humorously yet simply tells the story of his life, his career, and his campaign to find a cure for Parkinson's.
In the first chapter “A Wake-Up Call,” readers learn about Fox’s experience waking up in a hotel room with a crippling hangover (he later admits to struggling with alcohol) to find that one of his fingers is uncontrollably twitching. He describes this, his first Parkinson’s disease symptom, by writing, “It was a chorus line of dancing pinkies—it was the freakin’ Pinkettes.”
Humor Through Parkinson’s Diagnosis
As disturbing as his Parkinson’s symptoms and eventual discovery that he had a disease were at the time, Fox’s optimism and good humor are common threads throughout the memoir. He readily discusses how, at the disease’s onset, he felt he was being punished, and he takes readers through his stages of denial, anger, and eventual acceptance. He even discusses how he came to see his diagnosis as a ‘lucky’ opportunity to live a more fulfilling and enriched life.
“Here’s one more ‘apparent perversity,’” Michael J. Fox writes. “If you were to rush into this room right now and announce that you had struck a deal—with God, Allah, Buddha, Christ, Krishna, Bill Gates, whomever—in which the 10 years since my diagnosis could be magically taken away, traded in for 10 more years as the person I was before, I would, without a moment’s hesitation, tell you to take a hike.”
The book starts in the middle of Michael J. Fox’s journey before taking readers back in time to learn some basics: Fox was a military brat who had a normal, well-centered childhood. He experienced a quick rise to fame when he was cast as Alex Keaton in the enormously successful Family Ties.
This sort of background is nicely balanced by now-famous industry anecdotes, including one about Cher snubbing him at an Academy Awards ceremony (though readers hoping for a heavy dose of these sorts of tidbits will be largely disappointed). Yet when Michael J. Fox writes about filming on location with famous co-stars, it’s clearly to give readers vital background information, not to earn bragger’s rights.
Poster Boy of Parkinson’s
Even so, Michael J. Fox seems well aware of his status as the unofficial poster boy of Parkinson’s disease and appears to intentionally be using his celebrity to give voice to others suffering with the disease who aren’t as easily heard. Written with honesty and frankness, it’s no wonder that Lucky Man moved quickly to the top of best-seller lists. On every page Fox’s talent, humanity, and decency shine through.
His writing is much like you might expect Fox to be in person: down-to-earth and sincere. A mix of mature language and an informal tone confirm Fox as a gifted writer. You read that correctly—Fox penned Lucky Man without the help of a ghost writer. As you read, you can almost hear him good-naturedly narrating in your head. Lucky Man is that real.
Fox clearly isn’t bitter nor does he seem to be looking for sympathy. Instead, he presents the facts of his life in the straightforward manner sprinkled with the wit you’d expect from him. This book hits all the right notes—you’ll find yourself laughing, crying, and learning. Whether or not Parkinson’s has touched your life, you’re sure to be inspired.
Lucky Man: A Memoir by Michael J. Fox is published by Ebury Press. Fox donates the profits from his book to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, which is dedicated to fast-forwarding the cure for Parkinson's disease.
