Agassi was always an enigma during his career. Seemingly brilliant tennis player, under-acheiver, tortured soul and sex symbol rolled into one. As he progressed in his career, he seemed to grow up before our eyes. The book captures all of these dimensions of his life to perfection...and more.
The progression of his life throughout the book was fast-paced, fascinating and, most importantly, honest and real. Though a play on words, the title of the book is perfect. Rare is a self-portrayal as critical and incisive. Andre exposes events devoid of any hint of the self-importance one would normally expect from a celebrity of his stature. In a word, his presentation of his life is humble.
The scenes are described in stunning color, emotion and presented startlingly clear mental images. He also captures many of the scenes with hilarity (the scene when Andre's father meets Stephanie's father is worth the price of the book). Both haircut scenes (his and his son's later in the book) were comical.
Perhaps most interesting to many is his incredible portrayal of the mentally and physically grueling nature of the tour. I got the feel of almost actually being there when he describes the actual games. His explanation of the Sampras rivalry was priceless. His descriptions and views on other players, particularly Connors, like most of the book, gives the sense of being there. He seemed fair in his assessments and, like his tennis game, stayed just inside the line. The relationship with Shields was presented clearly without being critical. One gets no sense that she was at fault for the divorce or a bad person, generally. A difficult line to walk for anyone in such circumstances, but he managed it artfully. The description of his run-in with meth could not have been more forthcoming and, to me, was courageous given the hysteria surrounding the issue in America.
I was sometimes surprised by the almost perfect diction, grammer and prose used in some scenes given the absence of a co-writer. After all, although Andre comes across as intelligent in television interviews, he has only a self-proclaimed 9th grade education. Regardless, he finally fessed up at the end that one of the better writers in this genre assisted. This, of course, is to be expected and does nothing to detract from the genuineness of the book.
My only complaint is that the book was not longer and needed more explanation for why he continually reminded the reader of his paradoxical "hate" for tennis. The words "hate tennis" appear 17 times in the book. Generally, it's just another person who he is letting in on his dirty little secret. I think 2 or 3 times as a shock to the reader would have sufficed. It seems his writing helper could have steered him clear of this overuse. Overall, thIs was a minor nuisance and has the nominal value of reminding the reader of his emotions at the time.
The real question was why he hates tennis. The answer to the question seems apparent in that he was forced to play from an early age and into his his early teens. His father was cast in an unfavorable light as the slave master, but it is apparent that he has now moved beyond that difficulty. Anyone generally hates something that is forced upon them. Regardless, it is unfortunate that he didn't explore the why a little deeper.
Regardless, this is one of those reads that you just want to go on because it's so well done. Some might be put off by the rather lengthy descriptions of the games, but for me, reliving some of those moments in such dramatic detail was awesome, particularly since he describes his emotions in the moment so perfectly.
I believe this is one of the more unique, well-written and inspirational books of its kind. It's an absolute must read for Agassi and sports fans, generally. Beyond that, almost anyone should read this as a testament to the ability to overcome the demons in one's soul and life difficulties generally.
Agassi presents such an honest portrayal that my estimation of him as a person increased immeasurably. Finally, the success of his foundation and work on his charter school as described were inspirational. I was never a huge Agassi fan, but I am now.
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Open: An Autobiography
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Reviews with images
Sharing the love for tennis.
While travelling with my husband, after the kids moved out, I went back to interests I had 'back in the days'. I also play tennis; in Belgium and in California and at least once a year we spent time in Las Vegas. So Andre's autobiography had plenty of areas I could relate to. I enjoy reading the book so much that I accidentally read some pages twice. Or sometimes I react out loud with laughter or 'oh no!'. In fact I like reading this book so much that I don't want to finish it. Topsport is a world of it's own and the players who are at the top are very special people. I like to be inspired and I was not disappointed with the stories in this book. I only wish Andre could have been less troubled but in the end it gave him what he needed. Open is another testimony of personal growth and discovering strength. Thank you so much for the gift this book is to me.
Top reviews from other countries
Luis Henrique Correia Lima de Oliveira
Sensacional!
Reviewed in Brazil on February 6, 2023
Mary
An excellent book and a very interesting character
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 6, 2024