On the morning of May 27, 1995, Mr. Reeve was supposed to ride in a cross-country event in Culpeper, Va. He had taken up riding only recently, in a way, he writes, as a substitute for his stalled career. Mr. Reeve was increasingly frustrated because he seemed frozen in time, forever Superman in the eyes of the world as a result of the popular movies. He tried to audition for ''Pretty Woman,'' but was turned away.

Mr. Reeve writes that he had walked the cross-country course three times, making notes. ''I put on my safety vest and helmet and started out to the warm-up area,'' he said. A friend wished him luck. ''From that point onward, I have no memory,'' he said. Three days later, he woke up in the hospital. His horse had refused a jump and come to a sudden stop, hurling Mr. Reeve headfirst to the ground. The entire 215-pound weight of Mr. Reeve's body landed on his head, shattering his top two cervical vertebrae.

In the book Mr. Reeve describes the life of privilege that was ended by the accident. His father is the writer F. D. Reeve, a professor of comparative literature at Wesleyan College. His parents were divorced when he was 3. Mr. Reeve had a difficult relationship with his father. But what is striking about ''Still Me'' is the tone of forgiveness that Mr. Reeve takes toward everyone in his life, including the horse that threw him.

For several years he lived with Gae Exton, with whom he had two children, Matthew, now 18, and Alexandra, 14, but he was never able to commit himself to marriage, and they broke up in 1987. In the book he writes that he and Ms. Exton have a friendly relationship.

A Struggle Against Atrophy

He had been living the life of a bachelor when he met Ms. Morosini. In the book, Mr. Reeves recounts a passionate, romantic relationship. The couple married in 1992, and that year, Will was born. There were three years of happiness. Then came the accident.

Since then, his life has been a struggle to regain movement and feeling and to keep his body in shape for a cure. Mr. Reeve points to promising research into spinal cord regeneration using antibodies and nerve growth factors. ''I think human trials are a year away,'' he said in the interview. He believes that it is crucial that his body stay in shape, that his muscles be kept from atrophying, his bones from succumbing to osteoporosis because of his paralyzed state.

One theme that consumes him in conversation is his battles to get insurance companies to pay for his treatment. ''It is in the insurance companies' best interests to keep me in tiptop shape,'' Mr. Reeve said. Although there have been recent breakthroughs in the research, doctors have been cautious about a complete cure in the near future.