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  • Baggage

  • Tales from a Fully Packed Life
  • By: Alan Cumming
  • Narrated by: Alan Cumming
  • Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (162 ratings)
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Baggage

By: Alan Cumming
Narrated by: Alan Cumming
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Summary

A joyous and poignant book about the world of professional acting, the messiness of life and how every experience - good or bad - shapes who you are, from the New York Times best-selling author of Not My Father’s Son.

'No one ever fully recovers from their past. There is no cure for it. You just learn to manage and prioritise it. I believe the second you feel you have triumphed or overcome something, anything - an abuse, an injury to the body or the mind, an addiction, a character flaw, a habit, a person - you have merely decided to stop being vigilant and embraced denial as your modus operandi. And that is what this book is about, and for: to remind you not to buy in to the Hollywood ending.’

Baggage chronicles the actor’s life in Hollywood and the ways in which work has repeatedly whisked him away from personal calamities to sets and stages around the world. Taking us through the highs and lows of his career, his struggle with mental health, each failed relationship or encounter with a legend (Liza! X-Men! Gore Vidal! Kubrick! Spice Girls!), every bad decision or moment of sensual joy, Cumming shows how every experience - good or bad - has shaped who he is today: a happy, flawed, vulnerable, fearless middle-aged man, with a lot of baggage. Startlingly honest, both poignant and joyous, Baggage shines a light on how to embrace the complicated messiness of life.    

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Alan Cumming (P)2021 Canongate Books

What listeners say about Baggage

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  • 06-11-21

Fantastic

Brilliant second memoir from one of my very favourite actors. Alan details his ongoing fight to save Tonka, an adult chimpanzee who starred with him in the film 'Buddy', from terrible conditions at a base for retired showbuisness animals. Petition in the link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/~/article-4580370/index.html

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3 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars

I wanted to like this more…

I had read excerpts of this book in the paper, and it really sounded good. In the end I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. There are bits that are good and the whole book is enjoyable enough, but a little self indulgent for me. Alan’s performance is great, as would be expected.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Powerful and uplifting

Absolutely loved this book and it was all the better for hearing Alan's own voice narrating it. Honest and frank, yet also careful not to fully identify others in his life, I feel honoured to have been invited into his thoughts.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great

He’s a great character & an interesting man Story well read made me chuckle quite a few times I like Alan and would cheerfully have him round for tea

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

From start to finish this was a great listen.

Alan Cumming has lived such an interesting life, formed friendships with superstars and and won awards aplenty however his story is told with both humour and humility.

If you merely quite like Alan Cumming (as I did before listening to this) you’ll come away a committed fan. Several times while listening I was left thinking how much fun it would be to spend an evening in his company.

One of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to. Buy it!!!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Love love love this book

Brilliant, sad, laugh out loud funny, Alan has a gift in telling his story, it was both touching and hilarious in equal measure, can’t wait to hear the next book👏

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Incredibly funny sad honest and insightful journey - loved this book

Loved this book - so engaging with some extreme highs and lows. The author narrates the book this amazing and heartfelt account - less harrowing than Not My Fathers Son - although I would give that 5 stars too!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

fairly enjoyable

it was quite entertaining but too much about Cabaret, got a bit repetitive in places.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Refreshingly Honest

The best Audio book I’ve listened to so far. Highly recommend. Alan’s openness and honesty was moving. His openness to love and be loved.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Light-hearted, easy listen

Nowhere near as good or as deep as ‘Not my father’s son’ but then again it’s a completely different animal. Amusing stories from Alan’s life and career, and about a lot of the people he meets along the way. Nice easy listen, with a good few chuckles thrown in.

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