Fame

The Hijacking of Reality

By: Justine Bateman

Narrated by: Justine Bateman

Entertainment shows, magazines, websites, and other channels continuously report the latest sightings, heartbreaks, and triumphs of the famous to a seemingly insatiable public. Millions of people go to enormous lengths to achieve fame. Fame is woven into our lives in ways that may have been unimaginable in years past.

And yet, is fame even real? Contrary to tangible realities, fame is one of those “realities” that we, as a society, have made. Why is that, and what is it about fame that drives us to spend so much time, money, and focus to create the framework that maintains its health?

Mining decades of experience, writer, director, producer, and actress Justine Bateman writes a visceral, intimate look at the experience of Fame. Combining the internal reality-shift of the famous, theories on the public’s behavior at each stage of a famous person’s career, and the experiences of other famous performers, Bateman takes the listener inside and outside the emotions of Fame.

©2018 Justine Bateman (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Loved it!

I am so impressed by this book and what Justine Bateman has done with her life. It’s not a memoir, but she adds her experience to the subject of fame.

What most impressed me is her work after her peak. I loved hearing about her current projects and how it relates to fame and I admire her insight and self-awareness.

I’m so happy to have “met” her through this book and am looking forward to reading her next one. Hope she writes more!

Right inside her head

The writing style of this book is like a flow of consciousness that puts you right inside Justine's head. I enjoyed the philosophical and points of view about fame. Most of all I found the perspective honest, which not everyone would necessarily agree with, but necessary.

Fame the audiobook

I enjoyed the back stories of perspectives unknown to the fans. Most don’t realize fans is short for fanatics. I think any movie or television fan should read/listen to this book. While I hoped there would be more science on the subject of fame, I enjoyed it. It’s a view of the human condition from a seldom discussed perspective.

it's not just about the famous

I was reading a memoir written by a major star. I found it fascinating but ultimately unengaging. I saw Justine on a talk show and then listened to her sample about memoirs and knew this was the book for me. I'm going to start out by saying I wasn't particularly a fan of hers. Not that I didn't get excited to see her on Desperate Housewives but I didn't really watch Family Ties so I didn't know much about her. I was really looking forward to going on the journey with her. She tells her story as a real insider. I really felt like she was pulling back the curtain and letting this mortal in. I liked her her stories about the rise and the inevitable slip. She seems to have a great perspective on her life and fame. I really feel that the things she talks about regarding fame are universal. We all play roles in our lives and identify ourselves as "something". Often our reality is very different from what we project and are perceived. I think that "Fame" is kind of a self help book hidden as a Hollywood story. Justine even hints at that in the end. I recommend this book but there are parts that feel "ugh. here we go again" but get past those because ultimately "Fame" gives these times of "fame at any cost" an interesting perspective.

Loved this book

i was aware that Justine Bateman was talented as an actor and director, but after listening to her audiobook , it's clear she is also a very intelligent woman. The way she was able to convey her experiences with such authenticity and emotion pulled me in. i finished this in one day. I loved this book for many reasons. Mostly I enjoyed that Bateman narrated it herself. She is a gifted writer and I hope she writes another book on her observations about life, because I'll buy it immediately.

Well you're trending now #1 as of 4/6/2021

Justine is a very good writer and audio performer of her book. She is very vulnerable and raw. I feel sorry for the pain she has endured due to her fame. This book is not what I thought it would be. It is much more heavy. I thought it would be a bit happier and give me some sort of guru insight into fame, but I did not get that. The language is a bit much for me. I do not like course language. This book reaffirms that it is better to not be famous and that fame should not be the summation of your self-worth. If it is then when you no longer have fame or less fame than your self-esteem with suffer. In fairness, I have no idea what it is like to be famous. I can only imagine. I use to be star-struck and desired to seek fame, but thank God I have found my value in Christ now.

Dante had Virgil, Fame has Justine Bateman

How fascinating it would be for those of us Alaskan pollacks, whitings, haddocks, or whatevers who used to sprinkle ourselves with artificial lobster flavor in hopes of getting scooped up into the glorious lobster trap, how fascinating it would be for us outside the lobster trap, if more of the trapped wrote such books as Bateman's Fame. Too much to ask, I know. But how much better would it be if they all narrated their audio versions too? Oh, well. At least Bateman gave us an archetype.

Comically, my previous five-star review (and I don't write many) was for Walking with Ghosts by Gabriel Byrne, gasp, A Memoir! Noted here in case someone cross-referenced to see if Bateman's opening salvo changed my mind. It didn't. It's great. Buy both.

Great book

Great insight into fame and its cause and effect. Interesting read no matter your career.

very relatable and relevant

a great insightful book. I spent most of the book laughing and saying how spot on her observations are. recommend to every 'famous' person and their spouse especially.

Great listen

Love this trip inside fame by Justine Bateman. Her performance outstanding. Edgy, honest. She has a distinct voice in her writing and performance that’s wonderful.