The Hardcore Diaries by Mick Foley Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Hardcore Diaries
Book Review: Not as good as "Have a Nice Day!", better than "Foley is Good"
Summary: 4 Stars
I got the book last night. I finished it the next afternoon/early evening.
Though I've never posted it much anywhere or anytime, I am a huge critic of Foley's second book, Foley Is Good. It's a raging irony that Foley starts that book talking about writing a screenplay for Have A Nice Day, but abandons the project after realizing he wasn't doing well with it, and another writer applauds him for being an honest critic of his work. Then, he proceeds to turn in the worst of the three autobiographies he's written. After the wonderful story and tone of his first book, Foley Is Good just turned into, "Hey, I'm champ, but I've got nowhere to go with this, and I won't be champ for long. I'm losing my talent, I'm losing my ability, I (stink). I no longer have the dedication or the passion I once did. And Vince McMahon may be openly criticizing my wife and me, but that's okay, because he's awesome! (Forget) Barry Blaustein!"
Problem number 2 with Foley Is Good? Lists - too many of 'em. Unless your book title makes it clear that your book will be nothing but lists, lists are a sign of a few things, in my ever-so-humble opinion:
1) Your story's not long enough or interesting enough to justify a full book;
2) You've run out of ideas; and/or
3) You have no idea where your book is going.
Take a good look at The Big Show: Inside ESPN's SportsCenter by Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick for another classic example of too many lists screwing up a perfectly good book/story. But getting back to Mick, I mean, Jiminy Flippin' Christmas, was it really that captivating to find out what Mick's favorite theme parks and rides were/are? Or his favorite movies? Did it really give the reader that much insight about who Mick Foley was then, and what he'd been up to since Have A Nice Day! ended? Granted, Have A Nice Day had about fifteen-some-odd years of tales to tell, whereas Foley Is Good only covered a year-and-a-half, maybe two years.
But, as Bill Cosby once said, "I told you that story to tell you this one." The Hardcore Diaries, with the exceptions of a few "flashbacks" and nonsequiturs, covers an even smaller period of time than Foley Is Good... and does a much better job at telling the story and keeping the reader's attention and staying focused on what he has to say, in the order that he has to (or wants to?) say it. Foley seems to keep a much more neutral tone towards one Vince McMahon in this book - despite part of the book talking about his "Kiss My (Posterior) Club" angle with Vince and Melina, I'd argue that he was previously a member of said club back before it came about, judging by what he said in Foley Is Good. To his credit, however, this book shows that while he may still respect McMahon, there's a question whether he still likes him.
Foley also keeps a much more interesting tale to tell in this book. Covering a period from around last year's Wrestlemania to last year's One Night Stand, Foley goes into detail about planning the angle(s) with him and Vince, Edge, Terry Funk, Tommy Dreamer, how the ideas started out, how the ideas changed, what changes he liked, what changes he didn't like, etc. To his credit, Foley lists many of the ideas on his part that weren't so good, and doesn't really defend them too harshly. It's as if perhaps he learned to be a better critic of his own bad ideas. Of all the wrestlers out there who've written an autobiography, only Foley seems to be able to give us such insight into the creative process and backstage. Like his previous autobiographies, there are nonsequiturs and flashbacks aplenty, but they don't come anywhere near the level of distraction and pointlessness that the ones in Foley Is Good did. Dare I say - he seems to tie these ones in better with the main story, with his life post-Foley Is Good and post-Wrestlemania 22.
As a good friend of mine says, "Sometimes it's not so important what someone says, compared to what someone doesn't say." Based on that philosophy, it's hard to not notice that Mick doesn't have anything nice to say about Triple H, HBK, and a few others - in fact, the closest he seems to get to mentioning them is vague references about the DX reunion and how certain people seemed to have changed their tune about the things he did, now that he's no longer doing those things for them. Strangely enough, he seems almost cordial and professional with Ric Flair, despite noting their previous history. More surprisingly enough, he doesn't make a single mention of Al Snow - nary an Al Snow joke to be found. Makes me wonder....
There may be criticism of Foley's story in that he's no longer a top guy in the company, and Triple H and HBK are, and of course that they should be getting the lion's share of the show. In turn, Foley's tone (or lack of tone) toward them might be sour grapes, or even Foley doing what's popular (at least among the Internet Wrestling Community). I'm not sure I have an answer for the sour grapes criticism. But as for doing what's popular - since when has Foley followed trends in wrestling?
The reader will likely note a change in tone by its author as the story progresses... one that seems more distraught, more depressed, and even betrayed. As I'm currently going through what might be considered a similar time in my own life, some of the things he writes when the tones changes hits close to home for me... perhaps a little too close for me. In a strange way, I preferred this tone over the one in Foley Is Good as in the current book, he actually seemed to give a damn about what he was trying to do, and how he felt like it wasn't happening... and maybe parts of that were his fault and other parts were the fault of others.
Make no mistake, the trademark Foley humor is still there. Though he does openly re-use at least two jokes from Foley Is Good, he seems to even joke about that, suggesting an idea of "Hey, why not? What're you going to do about it?" and/or "I know I used these before, but I'd rather use them in a book that doesn't (stink)."
I also can't help but wonder if this book also serves as his final goodbye to pro wrestling. It really seems to hit him that not many people seem to give a damn about what he has to offer and to say, and that once you're off the road and out of the business full-time, out of sight, out of mind. I can only imagine how much Foley's tone with that resonates with some of the old-time wrestlers and retired NFL players.
Bottom line - The Hardcore Diaries has an interesting tale (tales?) to tell, and takes its readers through many moods and emotions and tones. Thank you, Mick, for writing such a great story... and for finally eliminating the taint of Foley Is Good. I can't believe I tore through that 300+ page hardcover in about a day.
Definite thumbs up.
Book Review: Do Not Buy This Book (Particularly From Amazon)
Summary: 2 Stars
I almost never write reviews on Amazon, but I feel so strongly about this piece of garbage book and the trouble I had in getting it that I must write a review.
First of all, I ordered this book from Amazon and spent more money for 1 day shipping than the book itself cost. I wanted the book as soon as possible since I have read Have A Nice Day 10 times and Foley Is Good 5 times from cover to cover. Though the book was listed as being immediately in stock it took Amazon almost a week to send me my copy. At least Amazon refunded my shipping cost, but their delay in sending it to me almost made me get it too late to be able to read it while on vacation from work.
Actually, I wish I had never read this book. Due to my "testicular fortitude" as Foley would put it; I was able to read the book in 2 days. It was quite an ordeal and I will regret never getting back the hours of my life I wasted reading this muck. I will now share with you the major faults of this book so you will not have to waste your lives on it.
1. The book is the worst edited and written book in the history of literature. It is filled with poor grammar and other writing errors, which I could live with. What I can not live with is the rambling structure of this mess that makes it incomprehensible. One chapter is on One Night Stand 2006, the next is on him visiting some sick kid some place, the next is on him wrestling Randy Orton in 2004, and so on in a muddled mass of confusion that is hard to follow.
2. Paul Heyman and Mick Foley have heat with each other because Heyman bad mouthed Foley in a writing meeting. That is the only thing you will learn about professional wrestling if you read this book that you can not read for free on internet wrestling web sites. Everything else is the general bashing of Vince McMahon (yet not his no talent daughter who actually writes all the shows), Triple H, and Shawn Michaels you can read on any web site along with general bashing of unnamed people behind the scenes. Details are very few in this so called tell all and things that were promised to be in this book such as Flair and Foley sitting next to each other talking over their differences on an airplane back from Afghanistan are not in here.
3. Mick Foley likes to visit sick / injured / dying people. One anecdote about Foley's charitable work would be okay (though he has already written about it ad nausea in other places), but it is half the book. Foley stroking himself over what a great humanitarian he is gets real sickening real quick. The whole McMahon organization does tons of charitable stuff, but nobody else needs to prattle on about it like Foley does.
4. Foley is a great liberal hero and if you are a conservative you are a bad person (Foley says it in his book). Personally, I am libertarian and not a huge George Bush fan, but the Foley bashing in this book of George Bush and all conservatives is enough to make anyone besides the most tree hugging left wing nut case sick. If Foley wanted to make some type of pointed and thought provoking political argument it might be okay (though it really does not belong in a wrestling book), but Foley just likes hurling insults at members of the current administration and conservatives as a whole. The worst part of any Foley biography up to now was the end of Foley Is Good where he went on a rambling left wing analysis of why Joseph Lieberman is a great person (though Lieberman has made it clear he wants to ban wrestling and most of what is on television), but here he took that 1 part and made it into most of the book.
5. The Mick Foley who wrote this book is not the same Mick Foley fans came to love and adore through his first 2 books and when he first became a WWF main eventer. Foley is now a self obsessed has been who is more worried about his wrestling legacy and name dropping B list celebrities he knows than giving fans what they want. Why give wrestling fans the story of Brian Gerwirtz (head Raw writer) attending a Ring Of Honor show to scout new talent when you can write 5 boring chapters on your kid being a religious zealot instead? Foley has no gratitude to McMahon, who made him a star, and every time Foley does not get his way it is a conspiracy against his legendary status (according to Foley he was the main event of One Night Stand, though Cena / RVD was always clearly billed as the main event).
If you have to read it, check this book out of the library.
Book Review: Mick Foley: Master Storyteller!
Summary: 5 Stars
I read "Hardcore Diaries" in just a few days. Once I started reading, I found it a very difficult book to put down. Mick Foley is a great story teller, and the stories he tells in this volume range from hilarious, thought provoking, entertaining, to down right moving. I particularly thought the chapters describing Mickey's discovery of church and the story of the Afghan boy were very touching. Mick Foley clearly has a big heart, and its wonderful that he is so willing to share that in the book. I have read all of his other books except for "Scooter," (yes, I even read "Tietam Brown" and enjoyed it immensely) and this volume compares very favorably to his previous autobiographies.
From a wrestling point of view, the book is highly informative. It is exactly what Mick Foley said it would be: an inside look at WWE. That does not mean it is a comprehensive account of what happens backstage, but it really offers major insight--that I don't think is to be found elsewhere--on what goes into producing WWE's programming. It certainly paints a very interesting portrait of Vince McMahon.
I found it very interesting to read Mick Foley's commentary on his recent six-month run back in WWE. I had gradually drifted away from wrestling and WWE in particular for the past few years, but Foley's work in that period brought me back. I share his frustration that the work with Flair and Melina did not lead to more, but I hope it will in the future. It was just a very interesting experience reading Mick Foley's thoughts on these events that I've already seen unfold on WWE programming.
The bottom line: I came away from this book having even more respect and admiration for Mick Foley than I did before. If you are a wrestling fan, buy this book. If you enjoy a well told story, buy this book. It will challenge you to think and prove to be emotionally moving as well. And Mick, if you are reading this, your "mistake" made for a great book. Thank you for reawakening my passion for the very strange and unique business that is pro-wrestling.
Book Review: A VERY SHORT EMOTIONAL JOURNEY
Summary: 4 Stars
Mick Foley is making a comeback. Whether or not it's a successful one is debatable. Although this seems to be the main theme throughout the course of Hardcore Diaries, ironically enough, the same can also be said for the book itself. In the oversaturated genre of wrestling autobiographies, Foley took a huge gamble on this one. It definitely pales in comparison to his first two best sellers Have a Nice Day and Foley is Good in terms of content and subject matter. What Hardcore Diaries does offer that the others have not is an expansive look into the mind of Mick Foley from around 2001 up till now. Because Hardcore Diaries spans only a short amount of time into the life of Mick Foley, another thing this autobiography offers that the other two have not is emotion, and lots of it. As with his wrestling career, Foley was not and never will be a polished, technically sound individual. But what he lacks for in mechanics, Foley more than makes up for in raw, human emotion, and his ability to make his audience feel it.
At the start, the book goes into great detail about the backstage politics of the WWE. Foley comes up this blockbuster idea/storyline that he feels will catapult him into the ranks of wrestling immortality. The storyline will also help push other wrestlers in the company into potential future main eventers. He manages to sell his idea to head honcho Vince McMahon and all is good. Towards the end of the book, Foley finds out that his plans have been unceremoniously squashed and he is left with a difficult decision to make. He is on his way out the door to leave the WWE forever when Vince McMahon offers a compromise. Foley hesitantly accepts the offer but the compromise puts Foley under enormous pressure. In order for the revised storyline to be a successful one, Foley knows he must take his badly beaten and battered body to a whole new level of brutality. That's not the problem though. Later, Foley discovers a whole new problem. Somewhere down the road, Foley lost his passion for the wrestling business and he only has a few short weeks to regain it and turn it into one last memorable performance in which no one will ever forget.
Unfortunately, the rest of Hardcore Diaries is more or less, filler. This is Foley's biggest problem as an author. He does a great job in captivating us with compelling and dramatic buildup on one page. Then on the next page, he goes into great detail about meeting Katie Curric, George Steinbrenner, his favorite porn star, and the children he sponsors in Asia. It's all interesting material to say the least, but none of it makes chronological sense. The book goes back and forth in time with no apparent reason and this significantly hurts maintaining the suspense that Foley intended for his readers to have. Perhaps if Foley spent more time on his transitions and less time apologizing for switching verbs to past and present tense, the emotional impact that Foley intended to hammer home would be felt throughout, instead of in short spurts.
Even if you're not a wrestling fan, Hardcore Diaries makes for an enjoyable read. Foley is one of the best conversational writers and his unique brand of sarcastic humor is virtually unmatched in the literary world. If you are wrestling fan and you're looking for an in-depth look into the behind the scenes chaos that circulates within the wrestling world, than I recommend Mick Foley's first two best sellers Have a Nice Day and Foley is Good. In terms of space allocated to Foley's involvement with the WWE, Hardcore Diaries only offers us brief, albeit in-depth, moments of Zen. However, if you're into the Rocky Balboa-like come from behind, do-whatever-it-takes to recapture your past success and turn it into one last hurrah of triumph and glory, than you will, beyond a shadow of doubt...be disappointed. Why? Because Hardcore Diaries is mostly just that - a colorful collection of journal entries into the life of one Mick Foley.
The reason why I recommend Hardcore Diaries is because it's uniquely different from Foley's first two autobiographies. It falls into it's own unique genre. The question we must ask ourselves is why we have any interest in diaries in the first place? They don't have a sound plot; most don't even make chronological sense. What most diaries do possess however, are great degrees of symbolism, frustration, emotion, and passion. Unfortunately, the one thing that no hardcore diary or any diary of that matter will ever possess... is any semblance of a happy ending.
Book Review: Hardcore Diaries
Summary: 4 Stars
I just finished the book, and a few quick comments.
*Of the three books, its easily the worst. That doesn't mean its a bad book by any stretch, but the first two are much better. In fact, I'm the one human being that liked Foley is Good better than Have a Nice Day.
Mick is considerably more self deluded that he was in the first two books. Not so much about his legacy as a performer, but his position in wrestling in 2006. I don't want to give anything away, but his opinion of his place on the card and role on the show for some major events is a little absurd. Some of this may be because I have the 20/20 hindsight of reading this in March 2007 instead of May 2006, but even then some of the things he thought were odd.
He is way more bitter than he was in the first two books. Everyone is out to get him, specifically the WWE creative team, HHH, Ric Flair and people who wanted him to go to TNA
He seems to think people care about his charitable contributions a hell of a lot more than his mindset and preparations for his big matches. The Flair, Edge and Orton feuds (Orton is a little better, but not much. Its still an "Oh by the way...) are glossed over in favor of chapters on adopting third world children and hugging Goose Gossage at some fund raiser. He was also far more political in this book. He does devote a lot of time to the ONS match, which was great.
The man has named his children Huey Dewey and Mickey.
Overall though, it was a fun, easy read, and I definitely look forward to a part four that isn't written in diary style