I am Spock - Leonard Nimoy

Title: I am Spock
Author: Leonard Nimoy
Published: 1995


Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Review:
“I am Spock” is an autobiography written by Leonard Nimoy, an actor who is still best known for his portrayal of Spock on Star Trek. It was actually his second autobiography created to showcase a few more stories from his career in addition to trying to dispel the rumour that he hated playing Spock which had been initiated due to the title of his first book, “I am not Spock”.

I have never read that first book but it is made very clear here that he loved playing Spock and feels that whilst he has influenced that character, it in turn has influenced him. In fact there are quite a few internal dialogues contained within the book between Nimoy and Spock which are a nice touch and showcase that whilst they are different, there is a form of love between them.

In regards to the writing itself, it was clever, informative, humorous and entertaining. I really did enjoy it from start to finish but as someone who is interested in Star Trek I suspect I was always going to. As is regular with an autobiography from an actor there is a slight element of self-importance prevalent within the book that needs to be accepted and understood. However, I didn’t find it excessive and I actually enjoyed getting to find about how own thoughts and opinions.

You shouldn’t believe that this book is all about Star Trek however as there is much more to Nimoy than this. He is a talented actor and director in his own right and he tries to cover other aspects of his life in this book. It was particularly interesting to follow the stories about his interactions and involvement with other people and projects in Hollywood. The only thing missing in my opinion would be something about his amazing pop song “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins” but I suppose we can’t have everything!

One thing to note about the book is that it was written quite a while ago now round about the time he first appeared in The Next Generation. It therefore doesn’t include his appearances in the new movies, Fringe or anything else in his recent resurgence into the acting world. Personally, this is something I would love to see in the future as I really am curious to read about his more recent escapades and his thoughts on how Trek etc. has progressed.

Overall this was a thoroughly enjoyable book that does let the reader learn a little by more about Nimoy and his own thoughts. It can feel a bit one sided in its narrative but as long you accept that this is being told just from one person’s viewpoint it shouldn’t bother you. For any Trek fan this would be an enjoyable read and personally I am now considering picking “I am not Spock” in an attempt to read some of Nimoy’s earlier musings.