Roger Ebert: Author as well as movie critic
Ebert's written works ranged far and wide, from collections of his reviews (positive and negative) to a guide to London and tips on how to use a rice cooker.
Roger Ebert was a movie critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.
Michel Euler/AP
In addition to becoming one of the respected and beloved movie critics in America, Roger Ebert was also admired for his skills as a writer.
Books by Ebert, who died April 4, ranged from movie guides to compilations of reviews to memoirs that looked back on the many years he served as a critic.
A staple of his work was 鈥淩oger Ebert鈥檚 Movie Yearbook,鈥� which was published yearly and compiled his work from the previous two-and-a-half years. Ebert released 鈥淵earbook鈥� every year, except for 2008, starting in 1999. His 2013 鈥淵earbook鈥� edition came out this past December.
Ebert's best-known books are probably 鈥淎wake in the Dark: The Best of Roger Ebert,鈥� a collection of his work which was released in 2006, and his recent memoir 鈥淟ife Itself,鈥� which came out in 2011. In 鈥淟ife Itself,鈥� Ebert discusses everything from his childhood to his recent health difficulties, which left him unable to talk, eat, or drink.聽
Other works by the critic honored the movies he loved and addressed those he hated. In 鈥淭he Great Movies鈥� (2003) Ebert discussed films he admired. This was followed by two further editions, "The Great Movies II" in 2006, and "The Great Movies III" in 2011. He also published 鈥淚 Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie鈥� in 2002, 鈥淵our Movie Sucks鈥� in 2007, and 鈥淎 Horrible Experience of Unbearable Length鈥� in 2012, all of which were compilations of reviews of movies which he had given two stars or less.
In addition, Ebert penned titles including 鈥淨uestions For The Movie Answer Man,鈥� which came out in 1997 and featured his answers to readers鈥� letters, and various movie recommendation books in the 鈥淓bert鈥檚 Essentials鈥� series such as 鈥�33 Movies to Restore Your Faith in Humanity鈥� and 鈥�25 Great French Films.鈥�
More offbeat works included a cookbook he wrote titled 鈥淭he Pot and How to Use It: The Mystery and Romance of the Rice Cooker鈥� and 鈥淭he Perfect London Walk,鈥� which Ebert wrote with author Daniel Curley and photographer Jack Lane and in which the three co-authors describe their journeys throughout London. Ebert also penned the novel 鈥淏ehind the Phantom鈥檚 Mask鈥� and the screenplay for the 1970 film 鈥淏eyond the Valley of the Dolls.鈥�
鈥淟ife Itself鈥� was particularly well-received by critics, with reviewer Janet Maslin calling it 鈥渃andid, funny and kaleidoscopic.鈥�
鈥淚t communicates a whole lot of gusto and very little grief,鈥� she wrote of the book. 鈥淚ts globe-trotting, indefatigable author comes across as the life of a lifelong party.鈥�
writer Gerald Bartell was similarly won over.
鈥淭ales from childhood, interviews with film stars and directors, funny and touching stories about colleagues, and evocative essays about trips unspool before the reader in a series of loosely organized, often beautifully written essays crafted by a witty, clear-eyed yet romantic raconteur,鈥� he wrote.
In his third edition of 鈥淕reat Movies,鈥� Ebert himself wrote about how he felt about the power of the movies.聽
鈥淏ecause we are human, because we are bound by gravity and the limitations of our bodies, because we live in a world where the news is often bad and the prospects disturbing, there is a need for another world somewhere,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淎 world where Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers live."