Hitman

As a fan of wrestling in the 1990's, one wrestler that seemed to be near the top in that period was Bret "The Hitman" Hart.  Those who have followed his career know about among other things, The Montreal Screwjob.  What many may not know is all of the small things that lead to that point, as well as the things that shaped not only his career, but his life, as well.  To that end, Hart has come out with his own autobiography Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling.

As with many autobiographies, the story is told through the eyes of Bret Hart, so any objectivity can be thrown out the window.  The entire story covers his early years as one of twelve children in the Hart household and goes all the way to the funeral of his father Stu Hart in 2003.  Things that happened after that get a brief mention, since according to Hart, the "Hitman" character, as well as pro wrestling as he knew it, died when Stu Hart's funeral happened.  The actual autobiography is divided into his life before the then-WWF, the WWF years, and everything from The Montreal Screwjob forward.  Bret Hart isn't quite on the level of Mick Foley or Chris Jericho when it comes to the enjoyment factor of reading autobiographies, but Hart's main strength in reading his book is about honest emotion.  From the jealousy that threatened, if not tore, the family fabric, particularly after his younger brother Owen's death, to the stories from the road in the old Stampede Wrestling days in the 1970's and 80's, Hart does his best to cover everything of importance to him.  Even the interactions with other wrestlers such as Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, and Shawn Michaels over time are covered.  In many respects, Hart's autobiography reads more like a confessional than anything else, as he told stories about his unfaithfulness to his wife, and the constant up-and-down relationship that the marriage experienced, some due to that unfaithfulness, some not.  Some of the bitterness towards the likes of Hulk Hogan or Triple H may have a few readers calling sour grapes, while that same bitterness could be seen as confirming what they already (claim to) know.

Overall, Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling is a fascinating read, but like a roller coaster, be prepared to experience the gamut of emotions when reading.  It's not the best wrestler autobiography out there (it took me two tries to get through it), but it definitely is worth checking out.