My Life in Porn: The Bobby Blake Story,   ISBN:9780786720965

Customer Rating: 

I am in no place to judge one's life. I am not a fan nor have I veiwed any of Mr. Blake's films.
What I did pick up from reading this book was my own desire to read about a spectacle involing a rather injured soul.
For that I am sorry if there is anything to be learned from the pages of this Tall tale. It is desperation and how when you lack the courage to be honest about your own life you will end up writing about a life that is not your own.
I feel when Mr. Blake comes to terms with the role he played in the life he chose to live then he will have a more honest and accurate account of the life or lies he lived.
One thing all must remember about writing a novel make sure that the inside of the book is as reflective as the cover of the book, maybe that is the real problem with this story b/c once again mr. blake presumed that the reader only would be interested in the "Cover".
Hoping the reader would not see pass it's distraction!
I appauled you for taking a trick and turning it into a trade. You have learned that one lesson well!

****** to the reader if you wish to read a fairytale then this will offer much excitement for you!***********

Customer Rating: 

I take authors seriously, and as a reader of books I expect authors to take me seriously, as well. When I invest time and money to read a book I expect the characters to either be likeable heroes- or hated/despised villains. And Blake paints a pair of portraits of the two people he is, in neither way. He's too unlikeable- impossible to admire- to be looked on as a hero... and too lacking in commitment to complete the hard work it would take to be a decent villain.

At least the man seems semi-honest... Although he tries time and again to describe his flaws and poor choices of behavior as smart and honorable... but this is likely due simply to some sort of inner bend toward serial mis-aim.

I found it alarming that he admitted to such a psychotic tendency towards mean violence. In the book he admits to being a problem employee by making forceful demands, placing his hands around a boss's neck in a strangle-hold, a predisposition toward fighting, and being so angry at a fellow-actor that he purposefully injured him internally so badly during the act, that he needed medical attention afterwards. These criminal activities would land someone in jail in the real world. What's to admire about that? And what's more- Blake tells these stories posturing as a man who completed these thug activities with some sort of honorable mission in mind.

I also found it disturbing and ironic that a black gay man could hold the personal views he does about the chubby brothers in our little subculture. Don't get me wrong- I don't think Blake is the only person who holds negative views about plus-sized folks. But belonging to two different groups that have been ravaged by misrepresentations and stereotypes throughout our history, you'd think the dude woulda learned enough life-lessons by now to not make the type of derogatory statements he does. Especially since among his "fan base" I'm sure there are likely a number of such plus-sized men, who he appears to not mind insulting/offending. Putting myself in the place of these chubby guys- I'm not sure what would hurt more- being characterized in such a demeaning way by Bobby Blake the sexual-stunt-actor, or Bobby Blake the pastor. Either way- it's nothing but unnecessary and disappointing- honest or not. I'd have preferred more grace and class outta the guy.

This book will be a suitable read for some. But if you look for people to admire- stories to build-up, enforce good, and inspire, you really must look elsewhere. What's written on these pages would have been good stuff for a personal diary- but it's awful stuff to have been shared by someone whose success is based so directly on public perception. Unfortunate is the best single word I can come up with to describe the time I spent reading this book- a few hours of time I will never get back.

Customer Rating: 

Well, I read the book in a day and was left feeling that I had discovered very little about the porn industry, and even less about Bobby's life. Sure there were plenty of facts, but rarely any emotional backup whatsoever. The writing was abysmal. There were certain facts and episodes of Bobby's life throughout the book that were so repetitive it fast became insulting to an adult reader - not unlike a children's book reminding you what happened two chapters previous. I really had to strain through the egocentric text to get any sort of insight into what his subject matter truly involved.

Of the story itself I felt that Bobby Blake leads the reader to believe that his many relationship failures were wholly due to his partner's inadequacies, taking very little ownership himself of the problems at hand. If he did in fact play a role in the breakdown of those relationships he did not come across as man enough to admit them. His faith, which he vehemently protects, seems as carefree as his violent episodes and hedonistic lifestyle. As a gay man myself I certainly am familiar with the latter, however in Bobby's life it seems as one turns off the other turns on. I completely respect his faith and was very impressed with the devotion to his church and to his god, however I was left scratching my head at the man who later in his story seems to take some sort of enjoyment of seriously abusing the 'white guys' on the set of a porn movie who had hurled racist abuse at himself and the 'black guys' which the director of the movie had perpetrated. Bobby Blake also continuously mentions how he didn't drink or do drugs, yet one has to wonder if his size isn't in some partiality due to steroids. There are many of these gaps which appear to be a bit too sensationalistic to be truthful.

I can understand that being a porn star of his stature must breed an over-inflated ego. I understand also that you aren't likely to succeed in the industry without one. However, after grudgingly enduring the repetitive self-accolades I still could not reach the true grit of his story. I felt they got in the way and only wished Bobby Blake could have put aside how wonderful he thought he was for just a few chapters in order to get some real insight.

When I finally put the book down I had to come to the conclusion that not everyone can be a best-selling author with their first book. Though I found it excruciating to read at times, Bobby Blake's book was, I believe, in his own words...and isn't that what it was meant to be? I looked at the cover of his book again after I had finished reading it and reread the title. It was the Bobby Blake story..but was it? Was it not in fact Bobby Blake writing Edgar Gaines' story? The star persona was writing the story of a man, when in truth it should have been the other way around.

Customer Rating: 

This was one of the most remarkableist book I have ever read, It is well worth the money and time.

Customer Rating: 

He spent about 3 years making porn so you might suspect that the hundreds of pages would include lots of details about his "Life in Porn". Not so.
Lots about differences he sees between Methodists and Baptists, and odd jobs he did to make money growing up ... etc.
He repeats often his only regret was making his last movey without wearing a condom, which he now spends his time advising young black males to do, but often implies that off screen hi didn't use condoms either.
He implies that in his first movie it was about (enjoyable) sex on camera, but that as time went on it changed.
This is not well explained. At certain points (for example when he defecates on a man) he seems to be saying that Money is his idol and he will do just about anything for it.
In many other places it's clearly NOT about the money, it's about causing pain and humiliation. He likes to have sex that sends people to the hospital, and not consensually. He makes a passing remark that his seriously trying to hurt the other actor in the scene doesn't regret because surely the director will have clued them into his sadism. He enjoys smashing actors faces into concrete more than intercourse.
But then he sites over and over that he Didn't Do what the director expected or wanted. Dragging an actress across the set by her hair in one of his few Bi movies was clearly not expected by anyone there and like many of psychotic freak-outs was meant to scare the crap out of the other actors.
He even saysin his last movie that he felt like hurting one actor (a black man), even though the whole story line was about some black guys dominating white skin heads. The director or actors could hardly be prepared for that! He does do alot of sadistic things to the white guys of course, like beat one with a board till it breaks. After, one actor asks him if it was the hurting others that he really enjoyed and he says yes. It doesn't seem to occur to him that this appears to be a major, yet unexplored change in him while he was doing porn
He talks alot about the mental illness in his family, but doesn't connect it with his freakouts. He may have had "roid-rage" or self-loating about his homosexuality, but never gives any insight into his behavior making movies. He breaks up alot of relationships and blames the other guys even though he is a total control freak. He "punishes" partners who drink alcohol, but spends years and years picking up guys in bars. Surely SOME of them drank. Any insight to that? No!
The book is a mess with more questions generated than answered.
Pretty crappy overall.