I was quite overjoyed with given the chance to read this book, then I started to read it and even though I did find it OK to read was I also a bit disappointed because it felt that much of the books information could I have easily have found on the internet.

This book may be about Bill Murray, but Bill Murray himself is lacking from the pages since he hasn't in anyway been part of the writing of this book, other than stuff he has said in interviews. That is hardly surprising since he is a very private person. Just try to give him a call and see if he gets back to you. You can be a world famous director and still have trouble getting in touch with him (Thank God Sofia Coppola never gave up). But as a source for information about Bill Murray does this book feel like more kind of gossip about him than real fact. Yes you get facts, him growing up, and his life and movies, but you never really get to know him since all the info is from old interviews and from what people around him say about him. And, it's listed from A-Z, which makes it feel even less biographical.

But I did enjoy reading it (sometime) because this is still Bill Murray and my favorite parts is the pages when ordinarily people tell tales of Bill Murray cashing parties and stuff. He can just show up and have a good time at a party and then leave. He may be private, but he is sure friendly when he wants to be.

Anyway, for a die hard Bill Murray fan can this be a fun book to read.  

For everyone else there is always Wikipedia.

I received this copy from the publisher through Edelweiss in return for an honest review! Thank you!

(I received an ARC of this title from the publisher via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review)

The Big Bad Book of Bill Murray is an encyclopedic compendium of everything Bill Murray, handily arranged in alphabetical order from About Last Night to Zombieland.

This is definitely a book for the hardcore fan. Those who are not die-hard aficionados will still find things to enjoy, but the book is designed for those most fascinated with Murray minutiae. I’m assuming most casual fans are not terribly concerned with Murray’s preferred maker of undershirts (it’s Zimmerli of Switzerland, by the way). On the other hand, the layout makes the book ideal for perusal rather than reading cover to cover, so it is easy to skim over the less interesting bits of arcana and jump to points of real interest if you find yourself dying to know the name of the dog Murray had in the 1980s.

The Big Bad Book covers not only the films Murray has worked on, but pretty much every project he’s ever been even tangentially related to. Airplane gets its own entry—because Murray famously turned it down. Schnakenberg has also included his personal ratings for each of the films Murray did sign on for, with a separate rating for Murray’s actual performance or contribution to the film (both on a 4-star scale). His summaries and various descriptions are clear, with lots of tidbits of trivia sprinkled throughout.

This is not a book optimized for digital, or at least not for display on a phone or e-reader. It will likely make a lovely coffee table book in print, but it is difficult for me to evaluate aesthetically, since the wide layout of the original didn’t translate well into digital.

Unsurprisingly, the famously private Bill Murray did not authorize this book or participate in its creation. Schnakenberg did speak to sources close to Murray when possible, but really this is a fan’s tribute to a favorite actor and not a biography. If you like Bill Murray, it will likely be up your alley. Otherwise, it’s a fun book to peruse but may not be for everyone.

First I was glad when I saw that I had been approved The Big Bad Book of Bill Murray on Edelweiss then I read the news about Christopher Lee and I felt less joyous. But alas life goes on and I hope this book will be good, because I really, really wanted it! 

I was expecting something more biographical rather than an encyclopedia of anything even tangentially related to Murray.  Definitely extensively researched, but due to it's format lacking in narrative.  Some of the entries are so tenuously connected to Murray that I really wonder at their inclusion.  But if you are curious about all the films he didn't do, they're in here.