Mad man made good
August 18, 2022, the Times Literary Supplement, UK


In James Patterson’s thriller Jack and Jill (1996), a madman stalking a child in a branch of Toys “R” Us pauses to reflect on the in-store Muzak:

The overhead speakers were playing the chain’s irritating and moronic theme song: “I don’t wanna grow up, I’m a Toys ‘R’ Us kid.” Over and over and over, the kind of mindless repetition that kids loved … I don’t want to grow up either, he said to himself. I’m a Toys ‘R’ Us kid killer.

Patterson wrote that jingle while working at the advertising firm of J. Walter Thompson North America. He became its CEO while still in his thirties, retiring in 1996 to concentrate on his writing. By the 2000s he was the world’s bestselling living author. More than 450 million copies of his books are in print.

Yet his impressive literary career is less a second act than an extension of his first profession. To the more genteel world of publishing he brought an aggressive marketing ethos, and he recreated himself as a lucrative brand name. Even the title of his autobiography – James Patterson by James Patterson: The stories of my life (by James Patterson) – evinces the “mindless repetition” of that Toys “R” Us ditty. Autobiographies tend to be artful self-presentations, but this one is the work of a master salesman. One approaches it with a combination of curiosity and scepticism.

The author presents himself as a hard-working, family-oriented individual from a blue-collar community, a folksy figure calculated to appeal to the average Joe and Josephine. His “least favorite word” is “elicit” and he is unimpressed by status; he has rejected the “fancy-pants” country-club set. (Fortunately, he’s still willing to share stories of golfing with three presidents, co-writing novels with Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton, and meeting celebrities.) At times Patterson echoes the anti-intellectual bias of mainstream American culture: he finds “the inner world of literary people [to be] borderline crazy and completely overrated.” This homespun persona, however, exists in tension with a more complex figure glimpsed between the lines, someone a mystery writer possibly intended to conceal in plain sight. Despite the brief, anecdotal chapters, he advises “not to skim too much”: his book is as much an essay on “the craft of storytelling” as it is “this ego biography that you’re reading”.

He was born in 1947 in Newburgh, New York. Although he describes himself as “kind of a working-class storyteller”, his family were middle-class. His father, “a quiet but tough man”, sold insurance while his mother taught. Both parents were readers, but Patterson didn’t develop a feeling for literature until after he left high school. He was an achiever, nevertheless, gifted with a “goofy-high IQ” and the determination “to be number one in, well, everything“. His strong work ethic derived in part from attending Catholic schools through college, where rigour and discipline were enforced by corporal punishment, but the drive to succeed stemmed primarily from his desire to please a demanding father. He has since undergone counseling for “anger issues” related to his upbringing and come to accept himself less for his achievements than for being “a reasonably nice person who mostly tries to do the right thing”.

Patterson presents convincing evidence that he can be kind and compassionate. But “kindness” becomes a refrain, almost as if it were another jingle for the sensitivity he wishes to impress on his female demographic. “My wife, Sue, says that sometimes I’m too kind”, he admits, and Sue duly provides a guest-written chapter, testingifying directly that he is “sweet and thoughtful”. He insists that caring authors like Kurt Vonnegut and Tom Wolfe are his role models, and that he was hired to work at a psychiatric hospital after high school (despite a lack of qualifications) “because I have empathy for people. You be the judge of that.”

Empathy – or the canny manipulation of emotion – has helped make him a global phenomenon. While his thrillers eschew nuance and at times credibility, they expertly exploit primal feelings. (In their focus on propulsive plots, simple English and exaggerated characters, they somewhat resemble interwar pulp fiction: Patterson has recently rebooted 1930s stalwarts the Shadow and Doc Savage.) But he’s not all sweetness and light, as those “anger issues” attest. A non-skimming reader will discern more than a little passive-aggressive score-settling. The writer Jimmy Breslin was brusque to him once: “I figured he wasn’t really a bad person… but what a prick”. And don’t get him started on Stephen King, who called him a “terrible writer”. Patterson disagrees, branding his style “colloquial”. He discusses a controversy concerning one of his titles, The Murder of Stephen King – “A cool story with Stephen King as the damn hero” – in some detail. King’s representatives asked that he withdraw the book; Patterson acceded “out of respect”. He complains that this gesture was never acknowledged: “I still enjoy King’s scary novels … but I guess he has trouble with thank-you notes.”

The part-time stint at the psychiatric hospital was formative. There, Patterson filled the slack hours at night with second-hand paperbacks and, to his surprise, discovered a passion for literary fiction: “I started reading like a man possessed during those long, dark nights of other people’s souls.” He movingly describes how writers such as James Joyce, Samuel Beckett and Jean Genet freed his mind and inspired him to be a writer. After college he attended graduate school, hoping to write “the Pretty Good American Novel”. He fell under the sway of modernism, invested in style rather than plot and disdained commercial fiction.

But graduate school was a dead end, in part because Patterson felt (and feels) ambivalent about academia, and because he needed to support his writing habit. He drifted into advertising, started to enjoy thrillers and ceased to be a “literary snob”. He also perceived a new opportunity: realizing he wouldn’t win stars as a modernist, he decided he could write bestselling thrillers. His first mystery, The Thomas Berryman Number (1976), was rejected thirty-one times before it landed at Little, Brown. The book had literary pretensions, starting with the title: “Thomas” was a tribute to the novelist Thomas McGuane, “Berryman” a nod to the poet John Berryman. It won a prestigious Edgar award for best first novel, but sold modestly. The art of the bestseller had yet to be mastered.

And yet, as Patterson tells it, his breakout book, Along Came a Spider (1993), almost happened by accident. He’d written a “full-length outline” of several hundred pages before realizing that the outline itself, with its short chapters and minimal detail, was the finished novel, “keeping [it] bright and hot”. Readers agreed, and the book climbed to number two on the New York Times charts. Revealingly, Patterson doesn’t mention the vital role played by advertising. When he insisted that Little, Brown run television spots for the book, they demurred, so he created one himself. The publisher reluctantly agreed to split the cost; once the ads ran, sales sold.

Patterson continued to refashion Publishers’ Row in the likeness of Madison Avenue. Once established as a thriller writer, he proposed writing a romance. His publisher objected that this would hurt his “brand”; again the prevailed authored, and the book (Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas, 2001) was a success. He then produced books in multiple genres – fantasy, science fiction, children’s, young adult, nonfiction – at a clip, mostly by hiring (openly credited) co-writers. Patterson designs the plots and provides his collaborators with detailed outlines, revising their chapters as needed. His name graces 400 or so titles to date.

He is a fiction factory and cheerfully admits it. But at the same time he wants his craft to be acknowledged, and he has wider philanthropic aims. The former altar boy is on a crusade against childhood illiteracy, donating millions of dollars to the teaching profession, school libraries and independent bookstores. He considers his works for children “the best books that I write”, although his adult books can be instructive as well. The early novels featuring detective Alex Cross are laced with allusions to books by accessible and recondite authors alike. “Teaching is in my blood.”

Patterson dislikes dogmatism. He wishes more people displayed the open-mindedness literature cultivates. “My entire life”, he says, “I honestly have had no idea who the hell I am … [I’ve] no particular identity, [I’m] just another lost soul.” That existential self vies with the constructed persona of James Patterson by James Patterson, of course, but it is not a unique struggle. His autobiography reveals as much about the nature of being human as it does about the consequences of becoming a brand name.

Michael Saler is Professor of History at the University of California, Davis. He is writing a history of modern fantasy

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Loved learning how he became a best selling author. I was confused by how he jumped topics or time periods

Oh my goodness, where to start! If there's one person I'd like to have coffee with, it would be this man. Narrated by the man himself, it felt like we were simply having coffee--it's more of a conversation than a narration of his words. Quick, entertaining prose has you riveted throughout the entire book. He has a compelling and interesting story. Patterson's autobiography is one that I personally relate to, but it's a slice of life that anyone would enjoy and be fully entertained. This is an instant handseller, for sure!

Leave it to James Patterson to create an autobiography that was not your typical autobiography. Yes he tells the story of his life but not the I was born on this date and place and went to this elementary school etc. No he shares small snapshots of his life told in sometimes humorous stories. He goes behind the scenes of how he got started and an ad writer. He gives us the scoop on how he can publish so many books in a year and the different collaborations that comes up with, Dolly being one of the most unique. A heartwarming book that makes you feel that you are spending time with a close friend.

A wonderful book about how one of the most famous writers today became who he is.

The short chapters made for a quick, easy read (like all his books). The stories were funny, sad, inspiring, and most of all, entertaining.

A wonderful book whether you are a James Patterson fan, or not. If not, you will become one after reading this. His life is as interesting as his novels.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy to review.

I hoped this memoir answers all of the questions I've gathered over the years while reading Patterson's fitty-lem published mysteries immediately upon release. My expectations are high. I need this memoir to share what the MasterClass did not. I need to meet the real Nana Mama. Untold stories in his colloquial writing style. The inner workings of his creative mind to have come up with the most famous jingle ever. The tables he sat at, the meals he shared, the places he traveled and a clue to his political beliefs. I want the stories of his life in the form of his signature short chapters. I want this signed deckle edge hardcover to be a page-turner and to eHighlight many quotes in the galley.

I came away with some of those answers. Such as what inspired his writing style of concise chapters with irony and wit, his successful ad career, famous neighbors and acquaintances. Actually there is a whole ass section name-dropping that was annoying but I soldiered through. 🙄

I have taken my time reading this memoir but finished on a quiet Saturday. JPxJP is very easy to read and much like his writing style. Short chapters. Straight-to-the-point stories. Easy to skip around since not told in chronological order. And speaking of books, I am like publisher Little, Brown with my little spreadsheet too. Hence my reading challenge: Keeping Up with Patterson. I know without fail there will be one new novel per year in each series: Alex Cross, Women's Murder Club and Michael Bennett. Now he is mastering nonfiction. Hate all you want but the man knows how to market, feeds and breeds readers, gives debut writers a chance to see their name in print and changed the publishing game on you heauxs.

I see what you did here, JP, and I respect it. The power of stories!

~LiteraryMarie (Full Live Read Available on site).

Summary:
The famous and beloved writer gives you glimpses into his life- before, during and after becoming one of the best selling writers of our time.

I have to admit to not knowing much about James Patterson before reading this book. It's really why I was so drawn to it. I've read several of his books- like millions of others. I've read an interview of his, but I didn't know his story. And let me tell you, there was far more to it than I ever thought there was.

Within these pages, you will learn about the raw deal he got in school. He takes you through his high school years and how he, and numerous other fellow students, were manipulated into changing their college plans.

Another thing I had no clue about was Patterson's highly successful career in advertising- before his successful writing career. He even tells you some of the campaigns he worked on that you may have heard of.

While he's giving you the tour of his past, he opens up about a devastating loss. He introduces you to his first love and walks you through what it was like losing her, and the blow it was when it finally happened. It really brought out a side of him I wasn't expecting, but really enjoyed reading about. Some of my favorite books of his aren't his crime/thrillers, but the fiction ones. I was able to see where those beautiful stories came from.

Patterson's humor is found throughout the entire book, which I loved. he didn't take anything too seriously and wasn't above poking fun at himself. I loved how he introduced you to his favorite cowriters.

Fans of Patterson will enjoy hearing his story from his perspective. Those who only know him from his books will have the opportunity to get to know him. Long standing fans will get the feeling of hanging out with him over lunch while he talks about himself. You may not get the most detailed story of his life, but you enjoy what you do get.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e ARC of this book.
What a delight! James Patterson as storyteller talks about his life. Short vignettes that jump all over the place but still make sense. I learned thing's I never knew. How could I have not known he was CEO at J. Walter Thompson? I really like the man far more than I expected to. Could have kept reading. Keep writing James. Love it all.

James Patterson is a storyteller! While somewhat of an autobiography, this is really just more of a collection of short stories about his life. They aren’t necessarily in chronological order, and that makes it hard to follow the timeline sometimes. Overall, I really liked the stories James Patterson told. It is interesting to see where he came from and what he sees as important in life. Spoiler alert: it’s his wife, son, sisters, and helping kids learn to love to read. I know he gets criticism for various things, but I liked James Patterson by James Patterson and thought many of the stories were heartwarming. There were some really odd stories, too, but overall, it was a really interesting look at his life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

James Paterson by James Paterson is a quick and fun read by an author whose brief and to the point style does not spare any pertinent details.
Paterson has always been a writer and he supported his avocation by working at an advertising firm in New York City. Paterson called himself a MAD Man. Despite rising to the position of CEO in the AD. firm, Paterson's overall goal was to be a published writer; he has become wildly successful. I have read a couple of Paterson's books non mystery books and after adjusting to his style, I enjoyed the stories.
Paterson's life has been interesting, and he has used his wealth to strongly encourage everyone to read!
The book includes a list of book recommendations!

In the style of James Patterson, James Patterson writes about himself. That is a lot of James Patterson in "James Patterson by James Patterson". Are you confused yet? In this fascinating book James Patterson, the acclaimed and highly published author tells his story, but he does it by telling stories, fascinating stories of his life. It begins with his experiences as an aid in a mental hospital and more stories about his time as an usher where he meets many of the great rockers of his time. It continues with his tenure in the advertising world where he begins to write. Patterson tells fascinating stories of his encounters with names we all know, from the world of music to the heights of presidential politics James Patterson encounters and writes with them all. In this fascinating autobiography from Patterson, you will hear of his loves, his co-writers and workers, his children, and most interestingly how he writes a novel. The master storyteller tells his own life in a series of stories. Fascinating and entertaining as are all his books, this one gives a bit of insight into the man himself. For his fans, this is a read you will enjoy. Thanks to #NetGalley#JamesPattersonbyJamesPatterson for the opportunity to read and review this book.

James Patterson, my most read author personally, tells about his rise to fame in this autobiography. I have always wondered to myself, how does he keep putting thriller after thriller out? I definitely enjoyed reading this book about James Patterson's life and getting to know him a little better. This is unlike any other autobiography I have every read though.

I felt like James Patterson was in the room with me just answering some of my questions. This book is written in such a way that you get glimpses into his life but you also get to understand where he gets some of his writing technique from. I though it was really interesting to find out about Jame's life and where he got most of his style of writing from.

I think anyone that is a fan of James Patterson will truly enjoy this read. Who doesn't like to find out more about their favorite author?

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thanks to the publisher, author and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I feel like a friend just wrote me a long news-filled letter. Hey, I don’t know the amazing author James Patterson, but I feel like I do after reading his memoir. Thank you, James Patterson, for sharing a bit of your fascinating life with me. It’s cliche, but I could not put this excellent book down.

This was a wonderful autobiography from James Patterson. As someone who loves to read his novels, I knew very little about his personal life. He is open about everything and you learn much about him.

I enjoyed James Patterson’s autobiography very much. He has and still leads an interesting life. He talks about growing up, going to school and his career. I didn’t realize he worked for an ad agency. He is very open about his life and doesn’t hold back. A very quick and interesting read especially if you are a James Patterson fan. Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown and Company for the E-ARC. This is my own opinion.

The master of the Thriller/Mystery genre has written an autobiography. Opening up this book feels like sitting in James Patterson’s office across from his desk and he casually tells you the story of his life. There’s such a comfortable style to his writing of his own autobiography that makes it truly enjoyable to read.

James Patterson, the man, is a very complex and interesting man. The man is has #1 bestsellers every time you turn around is really an every day man and is a person just like the rest of us. It’s easy to put people that we enjoy reading on a pedestal and forget that they are just like us. That’s exactly why this book was so enjoyable,

I highly recommend this book. It was pleasure to spend some time with the man himself.

Thank you to #netgalley and #littlebrownandcompany for allowing me to read the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.

Everyone knows James Patterson, the #1 best-selling author in the world with more books to his credit than most people have on their shelves. When I had the chance to read his autobiography. — actually titled “James Patterson” — I jumped at the chance. Come to find out, I hadn’t actually read a single book by the man! . I have seen some movies made from his books and qualified a few of his Middle School titles for our school library but all those popular detective series and stand-alone stories created with collaborators, I hadn’t read a one.
Let me assure you, that didn’t spoil my enjoyment of this memoir in the least. Reading stories of Patterson’s life was like snacking on peanuts; I just kept going back for more. He has a comfortable informal style of writing, a self-deprecating wit, a charming zest for life and a fascinating life story which includes graduating from college summa cum laude, climbing his way to the position of CEO of a top ad agency in the era of Mad Men and working with some of the greats of writing and culture. What makes reading his story even more satisfying is his underlying core belief that we must do all we can to make our children readers. With that in mind, he funds scholarships and foundations all over the county to get books in the hands of kids, and provide programs for the teaching of reading. You gotta love a guy who puts his money where his mouth is.
And I’ve already got his newest book picked out, ready to read very soon!

James Patterson (The Stories of My Life) by James Patterson is the autobiography of a storyteller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher  Little, Brown and Company  and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis and Opinions:
James Patterson is a really prolific author, and although I have been reading his books since I was a teenager, sometimes I need a break.  I am behind on two of my favorite series  (Alex Cross and The Women's Murder Club mysteries), mainly because he writes non-stop, but I will have to make more of an effort.  I have stayed away from his YA/middleschool novels.  I learned that he actually writes quite a bit of non-fiction.

So, about this book, which I felt I had to read.  He has become one of the most successful and prolific writers of our time, or maybe any time.  He is a household name.  Yet, other than the fact that he writes, and has his own charity, I really didn't know much about him.

I should be up-front about this.  Sometimes he really annoys me....all those collaborations don't sit well with me -- is he actually  writing any of them?  As well, how does he have time for his wife and son if he is pushing out book after book.  Some of my questions were answered in this book.

Okay, some of the basics.  He was born in Newburgh New York, and has 3 sisters.  He was an altar boy, attended  a Catholic school in Newburgh and a Catholic college in the Bronx (full scholarship). None of those were his choice.  He got a scholarship to Vanderbilt, but only stayed a year.  He was a weed-smoking hippy, and almost a monk.  He was hired as a junior copywriter at a major advertising agency, moved to writing television ads, and continued to rise.  I think there was a little too much on his advertising career in this book.

Okay, more.  He has problems with authority figures.  He is a sports fan and a movie addict.  He loves music. During school, he worked as an usher at a concert venue, and attended Woodstock.  At 19, he worked summers as a psych aide at McLean Psychiatric Hospital in Massachusetts, which is really where he started writing short stories.  He knows a lot of famous people.

Okay, so above are "facts"....but it is the stories behind those facts that are told in this book, and they are simply wonderful.

I think the only thing that disappointed me was the lack of personal stories about Sue and Jack. This was a "business" book more than a personal life book....although he did a lot of name dropping of "friends".

I admit that I enjoyed this book a whole lot more than most of the autobiographies I have read.  A lot had to do with the writing style.  Patterson writes his books in short, concise chapters, and that is how he wrote his autobiography.  He told his life in short stories, a chapter per story.   It was a very fast and entertaining read, with a good amount of humor.  It did jump around a little, and I felt he often got side-tracked,  but that was okay.

James Patterson is one of the most prolific writers I have had the pleasure of reading. But that wasn’t always the case. When I finished reading this memoir, I couldn’t help but think of all the people we perceive as being an instant success in the writing world. I wonder how many of them haven’t quit their day job yet?

James had a very interesting life before he wrote his first bestseller. And he didn’t quit his day job for a while. He didn’t particularly like reading growing up. He worked in a mental hospital for a while where he met a few famous people. He wasn’t wealthy and famous. He was trying to figure out what his place was in the world. He also had to make a living. So it was off to the world of advertising for him. Writing copy and jingles. Did you know he wrote the “I’m a Toys ‘R’ Us Kid?”.

There were a lot of things I didn’t know about him. He has led a very interesting life. Golfing with presidents, being serenaded by Dolly Parton, meeting famous people, and putting out bestsellers left and right. And yet he tells funny stories of people not believing him when he tells them who he is.

The back of the book tells us the bare facts of the author. This put all of his work in perspective for me. Writing is hard work. And you need a Plan B. But never sacrifice your work for a publisher.

Very interesting and quite funny.

NetGalley/ June 6th, 2022 by Little, Brown, and Company

Thank you to NetGalley and @littlebrownandcompany for this ARC. Patterson writes his biography just like he writes all other books - quick, short chapters that keep you invested until you are shocking to find you finished the book in one sitting. He is everything I wanted him to be....nice, whitty, slightly arrogant (he is the best selling author of all time) and from a humble background. What I did not know is that he isn't as tall as I imagined and he is a major advocate of children's literacy WIN! In my business, I have been able to see the other side of celebrities and how they treat the "commoner". Some people treat others so unkindly that you no longer want to support anything they do (insert Dr. Phil and Bill Cosby). So when you read a biography, there is always a real chance they may not be who they thought they were. I was worried...will I still want to read his books? I am happy to say I am still a major fan! Phew - I would have really missed Alex Cross and the Women's Murder Club. #JamesPattersonByJamesPatterson #June2022 #LittleBrownAndCompany