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Searching for Candy: John Candy: A Biography

Tracey J. Morgan (Goodreads Author),

Joe Shooman (Editor),

Rob Salem (Goodreads Author) (Foreword)

3.84 · Rating details · 172 ratings · 43 reviews

An unauthorised biography about John Candy.

Legendary comedic actor, John Candy, is often described as one of the sweetest men in Hollywood.

Police Academy legend, Tim Kazurinksy, once said that “John wasn’t just a one in a million guy - he was a one in a hundred million guy”.

Incredibly talented, full of heart and extraordinarily hard working, with over forty movies un ...more

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Kindle Edition, 291 pages

Published March 5th 2019

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Average rating 3.84 ·

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· 172 ratings · 43 reviews

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Jun 14, 2019 Literary Redhead rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed, netgalley-review, autobiography-biography-memoir, entertainment

This unauthorized biography of the guy often called the sweetest man in Hollywood is as engaging as the actor himself, featuring interviews with more than 70 of his colleagues and friends. Includes an extensive review of his legendary career in comedy and film, from Second City to movies such as Cool Runnings and Spaceballs. It’s a compelling Candy tribute, capturing the charisma of the guy who especially won my heart in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, which my husband and I saw just weeks ago. ...more

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Mar 27, 2019 Tracey Morgan rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

I may be biased. 5*

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Mar 24, 2019 Susan Van rated it liked it

Candy bio

This is the first Candy bio I've read, and by that token, I learned a lot. That said, I have to comment on the writing. I didn't catch any misspelled words, but oh, the run-on sentences! The author states at the beginning of the book that she isn't really a writer. My goodness, that is quite an understatement. An editor would have certainly fixed those problems easily. I did enjoy the book and am pleased that the author shared all the info she worked so hard to glean. Thanks for the mem ...more

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May 07, 2019 Terry rated it it was ok

This biography reads like a 7th grade book report. It's rife with grammatical errors and makes me wonder whether English is the authors first language. A very awkward cadence that I was never able to get in step with. The list of people that declined to be interviewed for this book (including Candy's family) is impressive. In fact, the only SCTV cast member to contribute was Dave Thomas. Overall, a very shallow examination of a talent who deserves better. ...more

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Jul 25, 2019 Tara rated it liked it

Shelves: 2019-reading

Great topic, terrible writing

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Jun 29, 2019 Nathan rated it really liked it

3.75 stars, but rounded to 4. A heartfelt tribute to a legend. Jordan amasses an impressive slew of people who interacted with Candy throughout his life, and the many anecdotes generate a sweeter story than what an everyday biography would otherwise provide. As is likely the author’s goal, it’s apparent that the man only became a more charitable and lovable human as time went by. So many of these celebrity stories really bring out the duality of man; he sure seems to have been an exception to th ...more

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Mar 31, 2020 Janet Flora Corso rated it really liked it

Perfect for fans

This is a fan written biography, a true tribute and a great read for all fans, old and new. The author researched well, made so many good connections with friends and coworkers of Candy, and relates the story with admiration. The conversational style honestly reads easily, while it is not necessarily excellent, and there are some editing issues (not referring to the difference between British and American English- that's not an issue). To me it makes it better because I am a big ...more

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Apr 03, 2019 Colin Creed rated it it was amazing

When I was a kid, I loved John Candy. I was absolutely enthralled with his movies, especially The Great Outdoors, Brewsters Millions, Splash, Planes Trains and Automobiles, Uncle Buck … Plus the greatest cameo in a movie ever, The Blues Brothers (I still quote him from this movie, even though his role was small, his presence was large ...Orange Whip anyone?). As a teenager, myself and a group of friends went to see Cool Runnings, really expecting, well, not much from a Disney Movie about some Ja When I was a kid, I loved John Candy. I was absolutely enthralled with his movies, especially The Great Outdoors, Brewsters Millions, Splash, Planes Trains and Automobiles, Uncle Buck … Plus the greatest cameo in a movie ever, The Blues Brothers (I still quote him from this movie, even though his role was small, his presence was large ...Orange Whip anyone?). As a teenager, myself and a group of friends went to see Cool Runnings, really expecting, well, not much from a Disney Movie about some Jamaican bobsledders. But emerged into the sunlight quoting and laughing at the movie, John could do this to people.

When he died, i was of course really saddened by this. His life on screen had been such a large part of my childhood. But it coincided with me growing up and in a way kind of forgetting about John for many years. Thankfully, picking up Searching for Candy has reignited by love not only for John Candy's movies, but for the man himself.

First of all, I must say how incredibly well researched this book is. I counted myself as a pretty big fan of John, but i knew pretty much nothing about what is in this book. About his life, the people who knew him well and the background to the films he was making. The book starts even before he is born and goes through his youth and his early days as an actor / comedian and gives a real sense on what made John the man he became.

As you move through the book, the author gives a great narrative on the emergence of John's success, and his utter enthusiasm for what he was doing. The interviews and anecdotes from people who knew John well and people who even just had chance meetings with him really take you to that time and place. I sat with a bit grin on my face at the stories about John's kindness and genuine enthusiasm for what other people were doing and how he could help them to be happy, comfortable in his presence.

As the book progresses, the descriptions of Johns movies and anecdotes from the people who he worked with on the movies come thick and fast. His success is tangible, the fact that he himself changed not one bit, he still was the loveable, kind man that he had always been (as witnessed through the interviews from people who were present, some you will definitely know, some from people who you wont, all of whom have fantastic stories about John).

Searching for Candy is a well balanced book in this way, it doesn't concentrate on one great part of Johns life. It's a really great life / career overview without being a book that just skims the surface. Interviews with stars such as Mel Brookes are entwined interviews friends and from people who only knew him briefly, who have one solid gold anecdote about the great man. But what a meeting it was! It gives the impression that every minute of John's life was a pleasure, at least for the people around him, he made no secret of his inner demons but that never stopped him from being someone who people loved in every way.

I really enjoyed this book. Every page oozes with love from the author, from John's friends, from random strangers who knew John briefly. And in a world where most biographies and autobiographies are sensationalist, that lets face it, often tell some lies or embellish on things to sell books, Searching for Candy is an refreshing change. It's an honest account of a genuinely nice man, who just happened to be a really funny, incredibly talented world famous actor.

I forgot about John for many years. This book has made me dig out all of his old movies and even grab hold of some that I have never even seen. Big thanks to the author for lighting the way back to John. If you'd like to learn more about a Hollywood legend who seems to be pretty unappreciated these days, then this is the book for you. Highly recommended.
...more

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Mar 24, 2019 Nathan Mayer rated it really liked it

John Candy was the first celebrity death I remember, and was most certainly the first one that affected me. Growing up as an only child with parents that couldn't very often afford a babysitter, TV was my babysitter and I watched pretty much nothing but comedies and horror movies. I was 10 when John passed, but I had seen every movie of his at that point, most more than once. I was devastated to learn an actor I loved so much had been taken so soon. This, unfortunately, would be repeated in life ...more

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Jul 08, 2019 Ghoul Von Horror rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley, ebooks, 2019-books-read, bio-or-memoir

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book

I loved learning about John Candy. I'm a HUGE fan of him as a person and his work, as though you could separate the two. While I loved all the little things the book taught me there was just too much wrong with the book to overlook.

I didn't like the way the book was written. It didn't pace together the way a book should. It left so much to be desired. At times I would find myself trying to understand what the author was trying to tell me.

Beca ...more

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Apr 28, 2020 Jofussunshyne rated it liked it

A three star read. Overall, it was fine, the Author is competent and it’s a nice book, and the subject is obviously very dear to their heart and this truly comes across, but it does get to the point where it’s repetitively sweet. This isn’t a problem in real life, and I have no doubt that John Candy was a sweet, kind-natured man that everyone spoke so highly of, but it does repeat when everyone says the same, pleasant things again and again. Again, they will all true but it felt like I was readi ...more

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Nov 28, 2019 Mike rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley, nonfiction

This is essentially a fan's tribute biography of John Candy.

I've always loved John Candy. He was a comedy hero for the big guys. The kind of guy who was able to make you laugh, cry, and laugh again. Most bigger comedians (can we just say fat? I'm fat, I don't mind the term) entertain by making you laugh at them, John Candy always had you laughing with him. That is a rare skill.

This book is okay. It reads like a collective fan letter from various friends and co-workers. Many chose not to partici ...more

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Jul 13, 2019 Kristine rated it liked it

Shelves: amazon-reviewed

Searching for Candy by Tracey J. Morgan is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in early July.

Thorough, energetic writing, bevied by direct quotes. Morgan goes into the production of films and shows (i.e. SCTV, Brewster’s Millions, The Great Outdoors, Nothing But Trouble) a bit too deep, a bit too inside story for a looking-in-from-the-outside reader, and gets chronologically mixed up with the addition of fan and friend interviews, but the story redeems itself during Candy's personal moments off-s ...more

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Aug 14, 2020 Matthew Pavlichko rated it really liked it

I enjoyed this book very much. However, I would say that I enjoyed it more for my love of Candy rather than it being a great book. There’s nothing wrong with the book, but it reads a little like a fan website; very informal with a lot of personal comments which I could have done without. It was great to read how loyal he was to his wife and how generous he was with other people. At the same time, it was sad to read about how he generous almost to the point of being taken advantage of while being ...more

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Sep 02, 2019 Matt rated it liked it

Shelves: 2019

Enjoyed my time with it enough. There's some interesting information in the book, a few fun anecdotes, and it's clear the author cares a lot about the subject which is great. However, on the whole it's a bit disappointing, there's too much of the authors own opinion on what must have been happening at certain points, about what John must have been feeling or thinking and none of that sat too well with me. It's certainly well intentioned but it struggled to hook me. Oh and the endless exclamation ...more

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Mar 24, 2019 Amanda Sorrento rated it it was amazing

As someone who has loved John Candy since childhood, I didn't know that it was possible to love him even more, but this book proved me wrong.
In 'Searching for Candy', Tracey, using beautiful and illustrative language and vignettes, has highlighted so many wonderful things about John and showered him in heaps of love, which he is very deserving of. I hope that so many more people will pick up this book and come to know what a beautiful soul John Candy is. ...more

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Feb 04, 2020 Laurie rated it liked it

Heartfelt, but sorely in need of a copy editor

You'll read some interesting stories about John Candy as well as be reminded of all of the great roles he has played. But, you'll also have to endure poor sentence structure, bad spelling, and a clear lack of fact checking.

These problems make me question the reliability of the author to tell us an accurate story, I'm afraid, so I'd be more interested in reading a biography that pays attention to the details. ...more

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Mar 07, 2021 Joe J rated it really liked it

Such a great unauthorized biography of John Candy. The author is not an author by trade and just had an admiration of John Candy and wanted to write about him. The author does a great job of telling the life story of John Candy, goes into his movie roles and the positive impact that he made on the world before his untimely and too soon passing in the early 1990s. I enjoyed it. The book kept my interest. It was not a hard read and I would strongly suggest giving it a read.

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Apr 28, 2019 Yvette Cherry rated it it was amazing

A beautiful trip down memory lane.

This book prompted me to go and watch all the movies John Candy made in his lifetime. I spent countless hours watching SCTV footage and going down rabbit trails watching all of John's former co-stars in roles that they have played. This book was beyond just reading entertainment for me, it prompted months of fun reminiscing. ...more

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Mar 06, 2020 Steve True added it

just tryin to get info from Tracey. I have stated on my radio that he was influenced by John Belushi. Well, what was the relationship between the two and how did Belushi influence Candy. Would love to get you on radio show to talk about that and help sell your books..DM me on twitter...@espnhomer..
show is 94.5 espn milwaukee.

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Oct 03, 2020 Sal rated it liked it · review of another edition

Written by a well-meaning fan. Some good interviews with people that John Candy has worked with. Unfortunately, there is some misinformation that could have been easily looked into. Lots of typos too. I did enjoy it though. Let’s hope someone writes a more in-depth, well-researched biography in the future.

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Apr 26, 2019 Mary schoultz rated it it was amazing

Special Biography

I felt this biography added a very real look at John Candy's life. He is one of my favorite actors and now after reading this book, he is one of my favorite people. ...more

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Jun 18, 2019 Jeff Young rated it really liked it

I would do have loved to have met John and this book helps me to have done that.

Thanks to the author for having given me this chance to know more about a comic hero and legend. How bless John and the family he loved so much.

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Nov 09, 2019 Phil Altimas rated it it was amazing

i love john candy, i first saw him in Uncle Buck and have since tried to watch all the movies. hes a huge larger than life guy and this boom cements that.
its well written with some great interviews and story's
its a must read for any candy fans ...more

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Mar 01, 2020 Bill Noyes rated it did not like it

Stay away from this bio

Love John Candy but this book was very disappointing. Trite, very poorly written and lacking in any substance. You won't learn anything new about John Candy from this book. ...more

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Apr 13, 2020 David Keep rated it really liked it

With love

John Candy was a joy, a funny actor and a man about whom only good has been said. This book is unashamedly written by a fan and is all the better for it. It’s the tribute he deserves

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Mar 13, 2019 Elle Howells rated it it was amazing

I’m a big fan of John Candy, love so many of his films. This book made me love him even more.

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Mar 13, 2019 Steve rated it it was amazing

A masterful telling of the life of an amazing man. I can heartily recommend it to fans of John, and those new to his legacy. 5*

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Apr 23, 2019 Stevey Andrew rated it it was amazing

Great read, fascinating. Well written.

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May 09, 2019 Nora rated it it was amazing

I enjoyed this book greatly
It was written with love and affection for an amazing man and actor.

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About Tracey J. Morgan

Tracey J. Morgan

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Morgan is an animal lover and John Candy biographer. She lives in Shrewsbury, UK, with a clowder of cats and her long-suffering boyfriend. She loves her allotment, making jam, listening to music, 80s movies, kitchen dancing, napping and she daydreams - a lot.