Greenlights - McConaughey

 

I had a 12 hour drive to Florida  ahead of me and I wanted to listen to a good book.  I couldn’t decide in my head but as soon as I brought up Audible, Matthew McConaughey's book, “Greenlights' ', was listed at the top of the biographies.  I’ve read a number of good biographies, and I like Matthew McConaughey, primarily since he appeared in the movie Contact with Jodie Foster, one of my favorite books.  His portrayal of the mysterious man of God, in that movie, was good and really launched his career.  Apart from his good looks, he really sold the “Man of the Cloth'' to the audience.  And maybe that’s because, after reading his book,  in his real life McConaughey is a man of great spirituality.  That said, you will not find his religion in any orthodox Church.  He is entirely unorthodox having created his spirituality in the Church of Life and penned his own belief system based upon the green light of a traffic signal.  It’s all about how we avoid the reds and yellows and optimize the green lights.  This is what he bases his premise of green lights…not disrupting the flow, but allowing what comes at you to continue.  Compare that to the philosophy of “The Art of Racing in the Rain”, a book of tragic circumstance--that you must see in advance, that what manifests before you-- so as not to lose your grip on the road of life. The analogy to driving, can’t be missed in either case, but in McConaughey's life, which is unlike most common people, after a few good turns and basket full of optimism,  set him up to avoid the red lights all together and thus blow though any yellows if it became necessary.  Not that that’s a bad thing.  It’s just uncommon.  Most of us get traffic tickets.

Despite  a well crafted read (or listen) I was disappointed that it appears McConaughey has never read “The Great Gatsby”.  Whereas Gatsby’s “Green Light” is different, in writing circles, to not make mention of the most famous green light in literary history,  in a book called Greenlights, is a tremendous faux pas and I will have to blame the publisher and not McConaughey.  Despite his talents he does not appear to be well read..   Had he known, he would have included it...or least explained why it doesn’t apply to  his life.  From my perspective, McConaughey deeply believes in the Green Light. “The orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter. Tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther.”  Come on!! This is exactly the optimism of McConaughey’s “Greenlights”.  And for fear of copyright infringement, it literally entered the public domain on 1 January of this year.  Perhaps they didn’t want to wait.  But the absence of reference is critical to me. 

Not to detract from McConaughey’s intellect.  I was surprised that he is indeed a keen observer of life.  He has enormous self awareness and introspection.  So much introspection that he has been compelled to trek the world in search of the source for inspiration he finds in his dreams.  Again, the common person does not have the means to go on these extended journeys of discovery on multiple continents. What’s amazing to me is he kept a journal and a scrap book.  Many journals, in fact, as he kept a deep record of his thoughts, feelings, and the inner workings of his soul.  Anyone who reads it will be better for it.  It makes me wish I had kept a journal.  And because I’ve always been fond of bumper stickers he had me early with his call out to the importance of these early memes.  We all have bumper stickers for our own lives...he just remembered to keep them...or write them down.

The other thing  I really like about McConaughey, apart from definitely being a man of letters, is that he is a poet.  Perhaps his profession has trained him to be a man of words, but I think, perhaps, his ability to use words, has aided him in his profession. And he has grown the role so fully that he is now a master.  So can there be any doubt that he’s written his own book?  What’s doubly appealing, that, as an actor, he narrates his audio-book.  I can tell you, the time I spent listening to his story while driving to Florida, in his words, through his voice and characterizations, was as entertaining as any of his movies or any, perhaps audiobook, I have listened to.  However, do miss his scrapbook of pictures in the audiobook version.  Had I had it to do over, I would listen and read the book in front of me.  Alas. it is doubtful I will give Greenlights a second read.  In today’s world, reading one book, and making it through, is a high complement, let alone, with so many classics to read and reread, this will not be one of them.

I’m a fan of McConaughey, this book is for his fans, and will no doubt win some new ones.  I will continue to be a fan and recommend this book to those who would like to see, feel, (and hear in the case of an audio-book) the life of a man’s life that has been well considered and well lived.  And he’s only 50.  I’m going to start with 4-stars for Matthew.  Deduct 1-star for missing the criticality of Gatsby's Green Light, and then add 1-star back for his narration of the audio-book.  Well done Matthew!