Greenlights (Book 2, Post 2)

"You just gotta keep livin', man. L-I-V-I-N."

Whether he's starring in dramas like "Lincoln Lawyer" and "Interstellar," cracking jokes in "Dazed and Confused" and "Tropic Thunder," or cruising in those slightly awkward Lincoln car commercials, chances are you've seen Matthew McConaughey doing his thing on screen. Before reading Greenlights, I had a mixed (but largely negative) perspective of Matthew McConaughey. I believe this is at least in part due to his omnipresence in the media throughout my childhood. The same thing is happening to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce now! While these celebrities haven't done much wrong, they are constantly shoved in our face by media outlets aiming to profit off of their popularity. With that being said, when my friend recommended Greenlights to me, I was hesitant to give it a read. However, his persistence and reassurance that it was "the best book he ever read" forced me to give the book a try. 

Now, we that we have hit part two, I am excited to share my thoughts more deeply on McConaughey's work. I absolutely LOVED it! As someone who has never been intrigued by stardom, I worried that McConaughey would be unrelatable or "too Hollywood". 

However, this was not the case at all. McConaughey's memoir flows sequentially through the first 35 years of his life. Due to consistent journaling, McConaughey is able to recall stories from even his early childhood, making the book feel balanced in detail and flair. For example, McConaughey shares the stories of a whole summer of him stealing materials from a construction site near his dad's trailer to build his own tree house. He then ties this memory to his experience with the boat suspended in the tree in the hit film "Mud". McConaughey is not perfect, and neither is his background. His candid storytelling makes him sound more like a friend telling you a story after a few too many drinks around a campfire than an unapproachable celebrity.

One of my favorite aspects of the book is that McConaughey is able to share wisdom from his suprising unique and diverse experiences without appearing egotistical or making the book feel like a "self-help" book. McConaughey calls affirmations of our way forward "greenlights" and quick lessons he's learned along the way "bumper stickers". I found that this book was able to keep me very entertained while also teaching me a great deal about different ways to approach life.

Note: The images above display McConaughey's commitment and passion for his craft. He works to become characters he portrays, mentally and physically.