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henrietta_reads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
What great fun it is to hear about Elton’s life & engagements with other wickedly famous folks. Some darkness, some light, and 100% human .
yasujirozu's review against another edition
4.0
Elton John and Alexis Petridis's Me is a pretty marvelous (auto)biography. While Elton John has lived a life that's almost larger than any life can possibly be, there's a great deal of personality in this book. He's candid about his failings, and instead of pointing the finger he more often than not takes a good look in the mirror. He comes off as wonderfully humane, not a two-dimensional product of a writer's team that is scared of tarnishing a reputation. The book is chock-full of self-deprecation and introspection, and since it's seeped in sarcasm and irony, it succeeds in being funny and truthful at the same time, which is not an easy feat to accomplish.
The chapters on how he lost many friends to AIDS were the most gut-wrenching, and I read those through listening to The Last Song on repeat. His take on fame and the bubble in which one lives is levelheaded, and taking into consideration his extravagant drug use, alcoholism and consumerism, is clearly that of a person who's learned through trial and error. There's a huge amount of namedropping, which isn't the least surprising if you're a rock star who has lived through the golden age of modern rock music, and there are some amazing anecdotes (my favorite funny moment was how he and Rod Steward always pranked each other, and how it once escalated in Elton John calling his people to shoot down that blimp), but the most memorable was his depiction of the moment he finally met Elvis Presley face-to-face, and how shocked and saddened he was to meet the King in such disarray. The book succeeds in this so well: it's a joy to read because it flows so well, and there are laugh-out-loud funny bits almost on every page, and yet it's able to make a complete U-turn and get serious. Elton John's infectuously exuberant personality shines through the page, and Petridis's writing and editing skills obviously contribute to this greatly.
And finally, there are so many artists and songs mentioned in the book that makes it a treasure trove for music fans. I for one will be eternally grateful to have learned about Beth Nielsen Chapman's beautiful Sand and Water.
The chapters on how he lost many friends to AIDS were the most gut-wrenching, and I read those through listening to The Last Song on repeat. His take on fame and the bubble in which one lives is levelheaded, and taking into consideration his extravagant drug use, alcoholism and consumerism, is clearly that of a person who's learned through trial and error. There's a huge amount of namedropping, which isn't the least surprising if you're a rock star who has lived through the golden age of modern rock music, and there are some amazing anecdotes (my favorite funny moment was how he and Rod Steward always pranked each other, and how it once escalated in Elton John calling his people to shoot down that blimp), but the most memorable was his depiction of the moment he finally met Elvis Presley face-to-face, and how shocked and saddened he was to meet the King in such disarray. The book succeeds in this so well: it's a joy to read because it flows so well, and there are laugh-out-loud funny bits almost on every page, and yet it's able to make a complete U-turn and get serious. Elton John's infectuously exuberant personality shines through the page, and Petridis's writing and editing skills obviously contribute to this greatly.
And finally, there are so many artists and songs mentioned in the book that makes it a treasure trove for music fans. I for one will be eternally grateful to have learned about Beth Nielsen Chapman's beautiful Sand and Water.
ambipure's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
The audiobook with Elton and taron is great
miraclemarg's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
sofi0518's review against another edition
4.0
Great dishy book about a legendary rock star. Loved the narration and style of the book. What a life Elton John has lived.
khristy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Writing: does what it’s supposed to do.
Plot/characters: this is nonfiction, but I found the story and the characters engaging. He doesn’t pretend to be perfect and seems to acknowledge his weaknesses and flaws. It was fun to get a backstage look at rock ‘n’ roll for the last 50 years.
Profundity: my biggest take away, was that you have to have people around you who ground you in the real world. If you live in a bubble and becomes completely disconnected from real life, it will seriously affect your mental health.
Plot/characters: this is nonfiction, but I found the story and the characters engaging. He doesn’t pretend to be perfect and seems to acknowledge his weaknesses and flaws. It was fun to get a backstage look at rock ‘n’ roll for the last 50 years.
Profundity: my biggest take away, was that you have to have people around you who ground you in the real world. If you live in a bubble and becomes completely disconnected from real life, it will seriously affect your mental health.
katiegrundy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
clarareads1999's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
4.0