The writing style is just so bland I had a difficult time finishing this book.
It was an absolute chore to read this book. Half of the content that was included felt like it was thrown in to get it more than 150 pages versus the 300 plus it is.
I’m glad I’m a fast reader because I wouldn’t waste any more time with this book. ( )

Hearing negative things about Dr. Seuss? People change. People grow. Read this well-researched book and make up your own mind. ( )

It was well written, but I could not finish (very rare with me) as I disliked the man so much. Curious, since I loved his books growing up. ( )

Don't like many Dr. Seuss books, but this biography about the man behind the books was great! ( )

I remember reading many Dr. Seuss books when younger and more recently reading them to my nephew. Despite that, I didn't know much about the man behind them beyond his name. As I read this, I found things to admire about the man and things I didn't admire so much. In the end, it left me a little disappointed in the man.

Oddly enough, I didn't realize cancer had played a role in his life until I read this book--and a head and neck cancer at that!

What I liked:

Learning that he struggled with his creations gave me hope. He worked hard to create the final products that we saw. He would discard or throw out things that he didn't feel were working. He refused to compromise on his standards. Considering how much I struggle with writing, it was nice to see that it didn't always come easily to him either.

He believed in writing to people rather than writing down at people. He managed to change the world of children's literature.

He produced many memorable stories and characters. Many still endure to this day.

He did mentor some authors and artists. I also remember reading the Berensteins and P. B. Eastman--two authors who published in the same department as Seuss's books.

How he and Helen worked as a team for so many years--complementing each other. It was something different than what he had with Audrey.

What I didn't like:

He could be difficult and tempermental--it probably made him difficult to work with. He threw his weight around after achieving success, managing to get control over one of the children's divisions even at the expense of the owner's wife's role in that department.

He fell in love with Audrey while he was married to Helen (and Audrey was married also). It's unclear in this book if they had a sexual affair while both were still married--it seems implied that they might have after Helen committed suicide (while Audrey was seeking her divorce).

That Audrey shipped her daughters off to live with their father after she and Ted got married because she didn't feel Ted was ready to have kids around. (Though he did later develop good relationships with them both apparently.)

Helen apparently committed suicide (reasons behind it only speculated at in this book).

He smoked a lot through his lifetime. In fact, his cancer was possibly attributed to this habit. He also drank often (though not to the level of alcoholism, though his sister apparently suffered from that affliction.) ( )