Beautiful Things: A Memoir is a 2021 memoir by American lawyer and businessman Hunter Biden, who is the second son of U.S. President Joe Biden and his first wife, Neilia Hunter Biden. It was published on April 6, 2021, by Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. In The New York Times reviewer Elisabeth Egan described the book as "equal parts family saga, grief narrative and addict's howl".[1]
.png) First edition cover | |
| Author | Hunter Biden |
|---|---|
| Audio read by | Hunter Biden |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Memoir |
| Publisher | Gallery Books |
Publication date | April 6, 2021 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (hardcover), e-book, audiobook |
| Pages | 272 |
| ISBN | 978-1-9821-5111-9 (hardcover) |
Synopsis
editIn Beautiful Things, Hunter Biden writes about his family and recounts his history of substance abuse and path to sobriety. He discusses the grief and trauma he experienced following the death of his brother, Beau Biden, and the 1972 car accident in which he was injured and his mother, Neilia, and his sister, Naomi, were killed. He also defends his time on the board of the Ukrainian company Burisma.
Biden told CBS that his cocaine addiction reached a zenith in 2015 after the death of his brother.[2]
Publication and promotion
editBeautiful Things was published in hardcover and e-book formats on April 6, 2021, by Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.[3] An audiobook, narrated by Biden, was released the same day.[4]
Biden promoted the book with a series of media appearances, including a CBS Sunday Morning interview by Tracy Smith and a CBS This Morning interview by Anthony Mason.[5] He also appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live![6] and WTF with Marc Maron.[7]
The book debuted at number four on The New York Times nonfiction best-seller list for the week ending April 10, 2021.[8] It also ranked number 130 on the Amazon Best Sellers and sold 10,000 copies in its first week.[9]
Reception
editBeautiful Things received favorable reviews, with a cumulative "Positive" rating at the review aggregator website Book Marks, based on seven book reviews from mainstream literary critics.[10] Marianne Szegedy-Maszak of The Washington Post called it "at once harrowing, relentless and a determined exercise in trying to seize his own narrative from the clutches of the Republicans and the press."[11] Seija Rankin of Entertainment Weekly praised Biden's "raw" depiction of addiction; Rankin, however, believed the book's narrative felt rushed and included unnecessary details that felt scripted.[12]
References
edit- ^ Egan, Elisabeth (March 30, 2021). "Hunter Biden's Memoir: 7 Takeaways From 'Beautiful Things'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 30, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
- ^ Sutton, Candace (April 12, 2021). "Shocking photos of Hunter Biden's crack addict teeth". News.com.au. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- ^ "Beautiful Things: A Memoir by Hunter Biden". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ "Beautiful Things: A Memoir by Hunter Biden; read by Hunter Biden". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ D'Zurilla, Christie (April 2, 2021). "Hunter Biden will talk about drug intervention, notorious laptop in CBS interviews". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ Bowker, Brittany (April 9, 2021). "Hunter Biden discusses new memoir, laughs off Trump criticism on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'". The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ Chatelain, Ryan (April 6, 2021). "Hunter Biden Opens Up About Being Target of Political Attacks". NY1. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ "Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction - Best Sellers - Books". The New York Times. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ Friedman, Roger (April 16, 2021). "Hunter Biden's "Beautiful Things" is a Sales Bust". RealClearBooks. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
- ^ "Book Marks reviews of Beautiful Things: A Memoir by Hunter Biden". Book Marks. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ^ Szegedy-Maszak, Marianne (March 31, 2021). "Hunter Biden's singular memoir of grief and addiction". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
- ^ Rankin, Seija (April 1, 2021). "Hunter Biden's Beautiful Things is an unflinchingly honest look inside the First Family: Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 7, 2021.