The Good Neighbour: The Life and Works of Fred Rogers (Biography)

Every now and again I read a biography and this year I really wanted to look at the life and works of everyone's favorite neighbor: Fred Rogers. Who, if you're not sure who that is, hosted the iconic Mr. Rogers' Neighbourhood which ran from 1968, and airing its last episode in December  2000. 

Now, growing up in Canada, and as a millennial myself, I never actually got to see the show in its prime, and if I did when I was 4 when the last episode aired, I don't actually remember it. However, I do remember when my family took a trip to Ludington, Michigan when I was 11, it was on the hotel TV playing. I'll never forget it because Mr. Rogers was showing the viewers on how to make a teddy bear, and I was utterly entranced. Not at how the bear was made, but just the kind and calming vibe this guy gave out. It literally had me in tears. 

This began what would be, a large fascination with the man behind the screen. And in this biography, not written by him, but largely by someone who knew him, it does not disappoint. As I've said, I don't review biographies on this blog usually, largely because I have no interest in them (my main exception being Nikki Sixx's autobiography The Heroin Diaries), but that doesn't really count for this genre. But an exception for me has been made here, where I'd really just like to share how good this biography is. 

If you read the biography, the author, Maxwell King, notes some very well-known rumors or held opinions about Fred Rogers, one being that the man was so kind and pure that some even compared him to Christ. This is one opinion you don't have to far to look, just search up any YouTube video of Rogers and the comments will say that for themselves. However, what the author does say is that Rogers wasn't perfect. He was flawed, sometimes stubborn, and in the book's own words "tone-deaf to adults" in some cases. Which, for me was an interesting assertion as some other biographies I've read tend to be biased on the assumption the person being discussed is "misunderstood". Not so much here, the book allows itself to be very open about Rogers' life and work, both the good and the bad. 

The reader starts from the very beginning of Fred's life, and slowly (almost painstakingly) makes their way towards the end of Fred's life. This is important (and also in some ways a peeve of mine), because, for 300-and-something pages, I expected the pacing to go very fast, but to read through the entire novel, you must be patient. There will be boring parts or details that seem meticulous but utterly unimportant. They're not, and they come full circle towards making the man that you read about. I think in this manner, the book has the same kind of feel as the show Mr. Rogers' Neighbourhood did since, like the show, it takes its time, does not shy away from the difficult themes (the good and the bad), and at the end, has you walk away feeling a little bit smarter, and a little more special. 

Maybe this was unintentional, but I do have great respect for that, even if the content was sometimes a little hard to read through, simply because it wasn't the content I was interested in. Regardless, the biography made me tear up again at certain parts, and I enjoy all literature that has the ability to not just tell but evoke emotion. I also felt a little closer to understanding the man, and now have even greater respect for his work and achievements. I don't want to include any quotes or any lines from the story, I feel like if you want to read this, you should, without me spoiling any bit of it. Just know that if you do decide you want to read this or do more research on Fred Rogers, the biography is not just a biography, but a very personal insight into the man behind the screen of the beloved kid's show, and in his own words "very special". So you may cry, you may be surprised, and you might just learn a little that you didn't know before. I know that I did. 

My Rating 

So, my rating may surprise you.

4 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's good, and like I said, does some wonderful things, but at the same time it might not be for everyone, so perhaps for this, I'd recommend an initial library borrow first, and then purchase if you really feel the need to keep it! 

If anything, do check out some of Fred Rogers' work. You may think "oh it's just for kids", but trust me, his message his for all ages, and for anybody. And I think that a person who can reach through the medium of television like he did, is incredibly a special person and worth looking at. 

~Meghan