I just finished reading Gavin Edwards’ Last Night at the Viper Room, a biography of River Phoenix and a snapshot of the world of Hollywood at the time of his life and death. Edwards, a contributing editor at Rolling Stone, digs deep into the complex life of Phoenix, interviewing hundreds of his friends and fellow actors, as well as directors and other crew who worked on his films. Chronicling his unusual upbringing by his hippie parents, and their flirtations with the Children of God cult, Edwards paints a portrait of an artist who was clearly impacted by his unconventional childhood, but who decided not to be defined by it. The first of six children (that also included notable actor Joaquin), River was unfairly burdened with supporting the family once he became a childhood acting star, namely as a result of his breakout performance as the tough but sensitive Chris Chambers in Stand by Me. While Phoenix clearly possessed a greater passion for music (his band, Aleka’s Attic, initially signed a development deal with Interscope) than for acting, his gift was clearly in the latter, with an unending parade of people in the industry praising River’s natural talent and charisma. Edwards asserts that Phoenix was leading the new wave of Hollywood talent that included Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Keanu Reeves, and Leonardo DiCaprio, but he might have surpassed all of them had he not died of a drug overdose at 23. Indeed, the common theme throughout the book is what might have been if Phoenix had not succumbed to his own demons: Would he have been the greatest actor of his generation? Would he have gone on to countless Oscar nominations and awards? These questions, sadly, will never be answered. A fascinating read of a compelling figure – actor, musician, environmentalist, vegan, supporter of animal rights, drug addict – and for anyone who enjoys a cultural history of the 1980s and 1990s – it was one of those books I could not put down and wished would never end.