One of the most anticipated autobiographies of this generation, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Total Recall is the candid story of one of the world’s most remarkable actors, businessmen, and world leaders.
Born in the small city of Thal, Austria, in 1947, Arnold Schwarzenegger moved to Los Angeles at the age of 21. Within 10 years, he was a millionaire businessman. After 20 years, he was the world’s biggest movie star. In 2003, he was elected governor of California and became a household name around the world.
Chronicling his embodiment of the American Dream, Total Recall covers Schwarzenegger’s high-stakes journey to the United States, from creating the international bodybuilding industry out of the sands of Venice Beach to breathing life into cinema’s most iconic characters and becoming one of the leading political figures of our time. Proud of his accomplishments and honest about his regrets, Schwarzenegger spares nothing in sharing his amazing story.
Non-Fiction Book Review: Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story
Recently, I was in a local bookstore and came across a book with Schwarzenegger’s face plastered on its cover titled, Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story. I picked it up and thought, “Do I really want to read this?” I turned the book over, and on the back cover, there were no words, synopsis, or praise for the book. Instead, there was a photo of Arnold as The Terminator. That was enough for me, and I placed my purchase.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, a name synonymous with “action hero.” The first film I saw Schwarzenegger in was the 1984 James Cameron classic, The Terminator. It was what made me a fan of the man and his work. This was way before the advent of the internet, and IMDB was not around for me to look at his resume and see what else he’s done. Then, on either Showtime or HBO (or maybe on VHS), I watched Conan the Barbarian. There he was again! And, again, I was impressed.
Conan the Destroyer, Red Sonja, Commando, Raw Deal, and the one that truly sealed the deal for me, Predator. I knew nothing of Arnold Schwarzenegger other than he was a total bad-ass! Why did he talk funny? Why Is he so strong? These are the questions I had as a pre-teen. Years later, I found a copy of Pumping Iron. Pumping Iron, a 1977 bodybuilding documentary, seemed to pit Schwarzenegger with the relatively new probable force in the weight-lifting industry, Lou Ferrigno, who later starred as Bruce Banner/Hulk in the television series. I was a big fan of The Hulk, so I was at a crossroads on who to root for when the Hulk and Terminator went head to head. It wasn’t long while watching the documentary when I figured out who I would be cheering to win the competition – Ferrigno. It was an easy choice as Schwarzenegger was smug, cocky, arrogant, a womanizer, and disrespectful towards his opponent. My attitude towards Arnold shifted a little. It wasn’t until I read Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story that I got more insight into what happened that night.
As explained in the book, Schwarzenegger, like any competitor, was trying to get into the psyche of his opponent. And, it seemed to have worked as he ended up defeating Ferrigno. Of course, he is the one writing the book, so he gets to control the narrative. Whether or not it was all a tactic is up for me to decide to believe him or not.
My initial impression of Arnold was what most adolescents of my time envisioned him to be – like Hans and Franz. I mean, c’mon, he was all brawn and a no-brain type of guy, right? “I pick things up and put them down!” I could not have been more wrong or further from the truth. Mr. Schwarzenegger was certainly more than just a body, and his impressive resume speaks for itself: He earned the title of Mr. Universe at age 20, winner of Mr. Olympia a total of 7 times, an accomplished businessman and actor, then a successful politician who served as Governor of California between 2003 and 2011. It is no wonder why Time Magazine named Schwarzenegger one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2004 and 2007.
Born in Austria in 1947, Arnold, at a young age, had his sights set on becoming successful and making it to the United States. Not long after his arrival, Schwarzenegger made moves that put him on a path to a lucrative life and career. He pursued his passion for bodybuilding in America and made a name for himself in the States. However, fame and fortune did not happen overnight and, like many people, especially immigrants, he sought other ventures to make ends meet. One such endeavor was in real estate, where he made solid investments. As his notoriety in the bodybuilding world increased, so did his exposure in Hollywood. Soon enough, he was being sought after for roles in movies such as Hercules in New York. Arnold talks about this experience and how he was still learning English. The film sat on the shelves until later in his career, when he was more recognizable, and filmmakers wanted to “get in” on his newfound fame.
Talking about his early Hollywood days is what fascinated me the most about Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story, such as how initially he went to read for the role of Kyle Reese in Terminator but, instead, asked director James Cameron for the role of The Terminator as he had a keen understanding of the character, despite the fewer lines. The actor initially slated to play the part? O.J. Simpson. Yikes! Sorry, not sorry, but Arnold is The Terminator.
Or how Arnold and James Cameron would go back and forth about one of the Terminators’, now infamous lines, “I’ll be back!” Arnold, finding the English language confusing and difficult, had a hard time understanding contractions and wanted to read the line, “I will be back!” Cameron, God bless him, put an end to the conversation and told Arnold to just say the damn line. Thank goodness for that!
While the first 70% of the book was a great read, there was a lull in the next 20% when he discussed his political career. This section, in my opinion, was too long and dull. I found myself checking out and hoping that it would soon come to an end. I eagerly waited for the book to get back on track with the other, more entertaining aspects of his life. Yes, his life as a politician was integral, so I understand. I only wish this section was shorter as the “Governator” was keen on listing his accomplishments as governor. I get it, he is proud of what he was able to accomplish for California. But, Arnold went into great detail and was just an absolute bore for me. It was as if he was still campaigning.
Yes, dirt is aired and put out in the open during his early career as an actor, such as his rendezvous with a certain “red-haired” starlet. I was shocked by this admission as I was not mindful of the timeframe of when this book was written. This later became clear when Schwarzenegger spoke about his affair with his maid in the final 10% of the book. This revelation made it clear to me that, at the time of his writing the book, he had nothing to lose by these admissions. Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story is a great read, despite the minor hiccup when he went in too deep during his political career. Other than that, it is a fantastic read that helped me view Schwarzenegger as a human being and not just as the action hero/star I grew up watching in his films. It was a fantastic look at the man he wants us to view him as. While he made some admissions of his unruly behavior and sometimes offensive comments, the picture he painted of himself was clearly not a bad one. He did, after all, write the book.
