Give how private Keanu Reeves is about his personal life, I would advise readers not to go into this book expecting to learn every detail of his life and I'm glad it's not possible, as I respect Keanu's right to keeping his personal life a private one.

That being said, this book is a deep dive into Keanu's filmography and offers some thoughts on his fellow actors. It was an enjoyable read if a little slow at times.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read it.

So, i was really hoping for a more in-depth look at Keanu Reeves.. I'm not sure if this book delivered.
This book talks about Keanu Reeves; his life, personality, etc. as if every character he's ever portrayed is a part of him. Which, I guess in a way is correct, and seeing as how Keanu Reeves is such a private person this is probably the best we could hope for.
That being said, the book was dull and difficult to read, I was forcing myself to pick it back up.

Thank you Abrams and Netgalley for an ARC of Keanu Reeves:Most Triumphant in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’ve always imagined Keanu Reeves to by humble and kind, reserved and quirky, shy and private. This book confirmed every thing that I thought. If you are looking to get the nitty, gritty on Keanu Reeves, you will be disappointed.

I feel like we’ve gone through adulthood together. From my high school days to now, Keanu has been making movies that I have enjoyed. This book describes how well he plays all of the parts in all of the movies he’s been in. I did realize there are a few of his movies that I have yet to watch.

**Keanu Reeves Most Triumphant is a strange read in that the author seems to want to tell the story of the actor through his movies. There’s a lot of film dissection and supposition about his costars and at the time culture, but basically at the end readers are left wondering why the author undertook the project. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley.

Thanks to Netgalley for a review copy. Wow, this was not what I expected - but in hindsight I should have expected quirky prose and wise commentary from a Keanu biography!

I'll give this four full stars. It opened my eyes to a ton of Keanu's filmography that I need to check out, and it was hilarious and so cringey at points that I just had to keep going and see where the author was going. From self-deprecating jokes about both the author and Keanu, to some cringey race discussion, to a thorough discussion of the Sad Keanu meme, I was never bored or ambivalent about continuing.

The style of this biography was unique to me. When I've read other star biographies, their life came first and mentions of films are kind of inserted where convenient or relevant. But in this we are told of Keanu's life through the movies, a near-complete filmography as far as I can tell, where instead Keanu's coincidental life events are tied in. The author clearly has done film studies and is an accomplished evaluator of the media. What was said actually makes sense, whereas usually the hoity-toity tone of film critics usually leaves me going "Yeahhh I didn't watch the same movie I guess". I like that Keanu was simply referred to as KEANU as each film was explored; he is his roles, they are him. It was very Keanu, idiosyncratic and charming.

I learned a lot and came away with a full list of movies to watch, and the book was incredibly easygoing in tone and very readable. The one gripe I had was the sometimes baffling use of long, one-sentence paragraphs; the writing style was very quirky and I was surprised that passed editing, but it somehow worked, flowed. Solid four stars from me!

Some people got really into baking during the pandemic lockdown, others started an indoor garden, Alex Pappademas? He rewatched every movie starring one Keanu Charles Reeves. This book is the outcome of those hours watching and researching all things Keanu
I am what you would call a fair weather fan of Keanu Reeves. I've seen his blockbusters (Bill and Ted, Matrix, John Wick), shared a few "sad Keanu" memes, but I'm no means and expert or have seen everything from his oeuvre. (In fact, I don't think I watched the last 2 Matrix movies). Because of that, I learned a lot while reading this book. And added some films to my watch list. But, I can't give it a full 5 stars. It more-or-less followed a chronological order of Keanu's filmography, but then would also get scattered, trying to make connections to early or later films. It also started to drag about halfway through. The author's writing still is loose and funny kept me engaged enough to keep going. Well, that, and I wanted to get to the Always Be My Maybe cameo!
Overall, I'd recommend this to fans of the 90s, Keanu, movies, and pop culture.
While I received an ARC of Keanu Reeves: Most Triumphant from NetGalley for free, this had no bearing on my rating and review. Thank you to NetGalley and Abrams!

My thanks to Abrams Publishing, as well as to @NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Keanu Reeves: Most Triumphant: The Movies and Meaning of an Inscrutable Icon.

It pains me to write this but Keanu Reeves: Most Triumphant wasn't what I expected. I guess I should have been prepared for that, considering what a private person Keano Reeves is. It felt to me like the book was more about the author's take on what each role the actor played told about Keanu, rather than a book actually about Keano Reeves. I ultimately found myself wondering if the author liked ANY of Keano's movies - or even Keano, himself. His comments started feeling rather snarky. (Maybe this is just the author's style of writing?)

It appears that Keanu Reeves: Most Triumphant is a big hit for most readers and that I'm an outlier with my review, so please take it with a grain of salt!

I was most disappointed in this book. So much of it was Keanu's movies and what they meant to the writer. How all the movies showed us parts of Keanu, at least in his eyes. I was disappointed and, after reading the first quarter of the book, I skimmed the rest of it! I appreciate being given the opportunity to read the book. Read this book if you really love all the details in movies!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Keanu Reeves: Most Triumphant.

This was a most triumphant read!

I've been a fan of Keanu Reeves since I first watched Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. I won't lie. I've had a huge crush on him since!

Even from the movie, I sensed he's a sincere person, his vibe is sweet and kind, no matter what character he's playing, he emanates a vulnerability and angst that is both attractive, mysterious and deeply endearing.

The author does a great job researching the actor's most popular (and not so popular) films and performances and what the actor brings to it, what he's trying to say in the character he's embodying in a particular movie, and how a common thread seems to run in all the characters he plays; someone challenging society's norms, who doesn't want to be like everyone else and is proud of it; a good guy, not a typical tough guy, but not a pushover. He's just someone who wants to live his life without bothering or bugging anyone else and doing what he likes to do.

From now on, whenever I watch a movie with Mr. Reeves in it, it will be with a newfound appreciation and respect for the man, the actor, and the human being he is.

I want to thank Abrams Books team and Net Galley for the chance to read an ARC of this book for a fair and honest review. I like the films of Keanu Reeves and was interested in this book. It was a comprehensive book, addressing his filmography in detail. At times, however, it seemed that the focus was scattered. Sometimes it was a description of Keanu Reeves films and the impact they had on his career . Sometimes , it was a more spiritual outlook, on his feelings and reasons for playing the roles. Sometimes, it was to make political statements , which , I have not seen ascribed to Keanu Reeves, and I can only assume were the feelings of the author.. To me, it was a bit disjointed. It was well researched, however, to me it was lacking in cohesiveness.

I am lost for words on how much this book surprised me. Now get Keanu be the narrator for the audiobook!

Keanu Reeves: Most Triumphant
The Movies and Meaning of an Inscrutable Icon
by Alex Pappademas
In Keanu Reeves: Most Triumphant, cultural critic Alex Pappademas attempts to address Keanu’s unmatched eternality and the other big questions raised by his career arc. Sharp, funny, deeply researched, and fully celebratory of the enigmatic actor, this is the first book to take Keanu’s whole deal as seriously as it deserves. Yes, even Johnny Mnemonic, where Keanu mind-melds with a dolphin. Along the way, Pappademas reveals the lessons we can learn from Keanu about Hollywood, our broader culture, and even life itself.

Oh.My.Golly!! This was a big thrill to get the advance copy of the book. I love how Alex Pappademas kept it real. As real as any mystery man can be. It was very interesting and of course some fun facts. I thank NetGalley, Alex Pappademas for the chance to read this wonderful book.

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. Keanu is a badass and this book was awesome. First I had no idea how many movies this man as been in and it sent me down a rabbit hole of watching movies over again. such a legend - you get a look into the backstory, what brought him to where he is now, and what keeps him where he is. I loved it. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A lot of times books written about actors that don't have the participation of the subject can turn into rote recitations of their filmographies or shallow dips into a pool of tabloid headlines. Thankfully, Most Triumphant is neither of those. Alex Pappademas is a writer I enjoyed from his Grantland days and he gives a thoughtful analysis of why Keanu Reeves has lasted as an actor and cultural icon. He doesn't blindly "Stan" him, he leaves that to the internet. I also appreciated Alex delving into Reeves' less known earlier work. All in all, I came out of reading this book with a deeper understanding of why Keanu has always appealed to me. Reasons I couldn't put a finger on, but Alex has guided me too with this thoughtful tome.