Sonny Boy: A Memoir
4.4 | 2,995 ratings
Price: 19.69
Last update: 01-05-2026
Top reviews from the United States
- Heidi PetersonRead This Book!I have loved Al Pacino from the first film in which I saw him: The Godfather. I found this memoir to be a great read right from page one. Al gives so much on these pages. From humble beginnings in The Bronx he made a great life for himself, with a little help from his friends and all the other people who believed in him. This is a strikingly honest and beautifully written book. The love he has for acting and for his friends and colleagues is so pure, his dedication and hard work so impressive. He is a truly gifted actor and it was not an easy journey for him to become successful. He takes us on a thoroughly enjoyable trip. I highly recommend it.
- MKM from NYCSonny Boy surprises!As a longtime fan of Al Pacino, I couldn't resist reading his recent autobiography. It's quite the eye-opener. Like many books of this genre, it reveals intimate and life-changing experiences throughout Pacino's life, from childhood to the present day. I found it to be well written, impactful, uplifting, surprising, not boastful, but clear and honest. Now in his early 80s, Pacino is again a new father, which is a surprise he dotes on.
After finishing Pacino's book, It made me want to see some of his lesser-known films, many of which are available to stream or borrow from a library. I made a list and hope to find the time to access as many of those films as possible. Thanks, Al! - a readerNo gossip; Candid and kind for the most part until some final ramblings"I didn't want to act; I HAD to act." And he never doubted that he would - even his school classmates voted him Most Likely to Succeed. He had a wild imagination, rich inner life, & innate energy & spark that couldn't be contained. His story is that of the tipping point in movies from the studio system to the Golden Era of the 1970s. He took every menial job to support himself while he studied acting, hung out in the Village of the 1960s, & read voraciously. He references his South Bronx boyhood throughout the book as his friends & family there shaped him. He credits his mother for instilling a love of movies/theatre & keeping on the path away from drugs that killed all his boyhood friends.
He grew up being mistaken for a non-English speaking immigrant & experienced bigotry for his ethnic looks but he didn't let that stop him pursuing his dream. He was lucky - The Godfather was his 2nd movie role! He reflects that he, DeNiro, & Hoffman were 3 NYC actors who changed the face of movies. The writing (assuming there's a ghostwriter here) is factual and breezy. He speaks positively about everyone he encounters. He's quite candid that he never wanted to be married & mentions who he dated but nothing more than X & I were living on the Upper East Side or Y introduced me to a director. His references to family all seem to be about his divorced parents and grandparents even though he had 4 children late in life. The way his career unfolded seemed to be serendipitous (his family was from a town in Sicily called Corleone - the role was meant to be).
The book takes a downturn about 2/3 when he moves to LA. He's 60, uncomfortable there, lives far beyond his means, & admits he doesn't like to think about money so he goes broke & has to return to making money through film, tv, seminars, & anything to pay the bills. He claims the idea of leaving money to anyone never crossed his mind; he missed his grandfather but never expected his death would mean a windfall. The final chapters of the book reflect upon aging - 70 makes him vulnerable & 80 he doesn't really want to talk about so he returns to the memories of his childhood bonds.
Pacino seems candid, including his quirks & mistakes, but gives us a 60 year history of movie-making. Great for movie lovers. - Judy O'ConnorA "Must Read"I bought the audio to take along on my daily walks but decided I needed to read the book because my hearing isn't great and his voice on that recording is somewhat gravely. (Maybe a good marketing ploy because you end up buying both the audio and the book!) I loved the book! It was insightful, honest and funny. I'm not even an Al Pacino fan because all I ever saw him in was "The Godfather" but the book was written in such a way that you couldn't put it down and shows a man who is not afraid of being vulnerable while completely at home with his choice of professions in life. Maybe next for him should be "author".
" - Miss MAn Entertaining ReadThis is an entertaining, funny read (who knew Al Pacino could be so amusing?). The best part of the book are his early years: growing up a street kid in the South Bronx, dropping out of high school and doing theatre.....Pacino is likable and humble and dishes on a lot of his movies. But I did feel that the 2nd half could have used some editing, hence the 3 stars.
- BlairGreat for Pacino fansSome crazy background on AL. Really liked it, but I would have wished for a little more info on Caritas way and heat...my 2 personal faves of his films but good read nonetheless
- Dale ConnorsPure PacinoIt was wonderful reading about Al. He shared the most wonderful stories of the stage and screen. A tad too much on his boyhood memories though
- Les CrawleyFor all Al Pacino fans!!I really enjoyed this book- it seems like they just rolled some tapes and were having a conversation with Pacino about his life. Verrry easy read- and I highly recommend getting this book.