Superhero : A Biography of Christopher Reeve

Details the life of Christopher Reeve, from initial fame playing Superman, through volunteer work and raising children, to the devastating accident that left him paralyzed

Shoddy flummery masquerading as biography. This ``life'' of the actor best known for playing Superman presupposes an absurdly simple-minded public. The prose is more suited to an overly enthusiastic third-grade reading primer. And lets not forget the cynicism that surely inspired this travesty. Reeve was a bright young man, with a small gift for acting when he won the role of Superman (based largely on his resemblance to the cartoon character). He had a chance at semi-stardom, but squandered it with a series of extremely poor role choices. Every year, he faded further into obscurity, until a horse-riding accident left him paralyzed. Hollywood loves a cripple, especially when theres an added fillip of mawkish irony, and so Reeve has returned to the limelight. Veteran quickie biographer Nickson (Emma: The Many Faces of Emma Thompson, not reviewed, etc.) shamelessly vultures onto Reeves tragedy with smarmy avowals of admiration: ``Chris is not just a brave man, hes someone who refuses to accept the idea of defeat in this, or in anything regarding his life. Hes showing us what people at their best can be . . . and he deserves all the support we can offer him.'' The Newsweek cover story last year on Reeve and his situation was more revealing and detailed than Nicksons hash and rehash of other already-published magazine articles. Readers who cant get enough of Reeve are best advised to wait for his autobiography (see p. 650). -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

In Nickson's chummy bio, Christopher Reeve comes off as "a gentleman, and a superhero," from his self-consciously nondancing early teens to his paraplegic present. Nickson tastefully emphasizes the riding mishap that paralyzed Reeve and his subsequent courageous battle to recover from it, and he shows that Reeve had been an exemplary citizen and role model before the accident, too. The cautions about scandalous contents so often sounded about Hollywood bios need not be sounded here, and that doesn't mean the book has a false or sugarcoated feel to it. Rather, it warmly conveys a man of strong character who continues to be involved in film, directing the TV movie In the Gloaming (1997) and looking for further projects, not least because, as Nickson notes, "soon his insurance will run out, which will leave him in a very difficult financial situation." Perhaps this book will help assure a bright future for an admirable human being, actor, and disabled rights activist. Mike Tribby