Life Itself Audiobook By Roger Ebert cover art

Life Itself

A Memoir

 Preview
Get this deal Try for $0.00
Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm PT.
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just $0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible Premium Plus.
1 audiobook per month of your choice from our unparalleled catalog.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Life Itself

By: Roger Ebert
Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
Get this deal Try for $0.00

$14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime. Offers ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm PT.

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $28.79

Buy for $28.79

Get 3 months for $0.99 a month
"The best thing Mr. Ebert has ever written." - Janet Maslin, New York Times

"To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try. I didn't always know this, and am happy I lived long enough to find it out."

Roger Ebert is the best-known film critic of our time. He has been reviewing films for the Chicago Sun-Times since 1967, and was the first film critic ever to win a Pulitzer Prize. He has appeared on television for four decades.

In 2006, complications from thyroid cancer treatment resulted in the loss of his ability to eat, drink, or speak. But with the loss of his voice, Ebert has only become a more prolific and influential writer. And now, for the first time, he tells the full, dramatic story of his life and career.

In this candid, personal history, Ebert chronicles it all: his loves, losses, and obsessions; his struggle and recovery from alcoholism; his marriage; his politics; and his spiritual beliefs. He writes about his years at the Sun-Times, his colorful newspaper friends, and his life-changing collaboration with Gene Siskel. He shares his insights into movie stars and directors like John Wayne and Martin Scorsese.

This is a story that only Roger Ebert could tell. Filled with the same deep insight, dry wit, and sharp observations that his readers have long cherished, this is more than a memoir -- it is a singular, warm-hearted, inspiring look at life itself.

 Art & Literature Biographies & Memoirs Entertainment & Celebrities Journalists, Editors & Publishers Celebrity Happiness Memoir Funny Heartfelt Witty Feel-Good

People who viewed this also viewed...

The Great Movies Audiobook By Roger Ebert cover art
The Great Movies By: Roger Ebert
Opposable Thumbs Audiobook By Matt Singer cover art
Opposable Thumbs By: Matt Singer
Fascinating Memoir • Personal Anecdotes • Flawless Narration • Compassionate Portrayals • Insightful Reflections

Highly rated for:

All stars
Most relevant
Roger Ebert might just have been the happiest man alive – I know that’s not true, but it may be close. He’s either the greatest liar or luckiest man who ever lived; I believe the later.

He shares with us his life – though he doesn’t pat himself on the back for doing some of it right or wallow in misery for the things he did wrong (particularly alcoholism) – he really does celebrate all of it in these pages. I sincerely thank him for that.

This is a book that clearly demonstrates that it’s the little things in a life that make it grand – he spends more time telling us about his inability to rid himself of a single one of the books he’s owned in his life than he does aggrandizing the life of the most celebrated movie critic ever.

He shares the love he had for the people in his life – the newspaper friends, his parents, and his beloved wife. He shares the joy he felt in revisiting the little places he had found and loved in cities around the world. He shares the wonder found in books, movies, and life in general.

This really is a book that makes me want to be a better person – and one that shows me the way to go about it. I can’t recommend it more enthusiastically. Listen to it twice.

An Owner's Manual for Living a Fulfilled Life

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is a memoir of his life that takes you back into the 60's, which is difficult for me to relate with. I was looking for more movie review related stories but this was not that sort of book.. my bad.

Not what I had in mind..

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This wasnt an incredibly in depth memoir but some of the Hollywood Elite stories made this a mostly fun and entertaining listen. John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, and others kept it interesting. Edward Herrman did a fantastic job with the narration. A light take on the life and career of one of the most famous movie critics in american media history.

One and a half thumbs up

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you consider the audio edition of Life Itself to be better than the print version?

Absolutely. I am sure if I had read the book,the long lists of names and places would have been cumbersome. What brought this book to live esd Edward Herrmann's pitch-perfect reading.

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed the stories and reference to movies and Ebert's positive attitude, but was carried me away into the story was Edward Herrmann. It was both calm and restrained and yet full of warmth and emotion.

What does Edward Herrmann bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Uh, everything. Intelligence, feeling, drama - this dude is one of the great readers

Any additional comments?

did I mention how impressive Edward Herrmann was?

this book demonstrates the key role of the reader

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
What did you love best about Life Itself?
Edward Herrman's narration.

Who was your favorite character and why?
Roger Ebert's stories are charming.

Any additional comments?
Since the stories are non-linear, I am never bored by this book. I find the narration and story cadence to be soothing, I have listed to this three times already!

My favorite audio book of all time!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews