NEVER GROW UP

Daxing Zhang beautifully narrates this candid in-depth biography, translated from Chinese, of martial arts master and actor Jackie Chan. Zhang's Chinese inflections sound natural and bring pathos to the story, which is moving and personal. The work explores Chan's strengths and weaknesses, as well as his foibles such as spending lavishly and gambling to excess. Career breaks and setbacks are recounted with identical passion, though detail is at times excessive, for example, accounts of specific obsessive fans. Brief behind-the-scenes stories are narrated by the energetic Jennifer Lim, whose sudden appearances peppered throughout the audiobook can be jarring as they differ so much in tone from Zhang's presence. This is a fascinating life story that may be a bit too lengthy. But it's likely that fans will immensely enjoy it. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2018]