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eghimire_'s review against another edition
A sensitive, but tortured soul. I knew nothing of Cobain prior to this, nor ever listened Nirvana growing up. One of his entries, he’s so angry that someone stole few of his journals - moments written from his time at the mental hospital, concert tours, and lyrics. I can’t imagine that this publication is something he would have ever wanted to come to fruition. So yeah, I feel weird to say I loved reading this, to better understand the inner world of Kurdt. I’m sad that heroin took control of his life, in his effort trying to manage horrid stomach pains, the stress of the tabloids, the upheaval of his previous life into this new one as a demi god punk rock icon, with voices constantly yelling at you as to who you are or aren’t. When you’re in the midst of trauma and emotional pain, the harder you fight against it, the stronger it lives in the depths of your mind. It’s almost as if you’ve made a shallow cut on the neck that slowly oozes, and each time a scab appears - you peel it off again so the wound never heals. That’s how I see Cobain and his emotional turmoil in the last few years of his life. And he would’ve hated my psychological analysis nonetheless.
doritobabe's review against another edition
I first read this when it was initially published.
I re-read this now as a supplementary piece to [b:Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain|1149440|Heavier Than Heaven A Biography of Kurt Cobain|Charles R. Cross|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348289083l/1149440._SY75_.jpg|1136908].
One cannot review something as deeply personal as these (select) writings. Word on the street is that Cobain didn't want these to see the light of day, but Love made the decision to have them published.
We are judging if we rate. Just feel the words and cherish them as they are private thoughts and plans and feelings -- unguarded in a way that most readers are unfamiliar with, but are likely to practice for themselves.
I re-read this now as a supplementary piece to [b:Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain|1149440|Heavier Than Heaven A Biography of Kurt Cobain|Charles R. Cross|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348289083l/1149440._SY75_.jpg|1136908].
One cannot review something as deeply personal as these (select) writings. Word on the street is that Cobain didn't want these to see the light of day, but Love made the decision to have them published.
We are judging if we rate. Just feel the words and cherish them as they are private thoughts and plans and feelings -- unguarded in a way that most readers are unfamiliar with, but are likely to practice for themselves.
ancoetsu's review against another edition
3.0
i skimmed through most of this book, but as far as reading every line, that will be something that i do over the next 10 years or so. he was an excellent artist and devoted to making music. if you see it laying on my coffee table some day when you visit, pick it up and leaf through it.
huntersflapjack's review against another edition
I feel like I read my friend’s journal. I know it’s wrong to read it, but I only feel empathy. Human, like me.
meredithmegan87's review
5.0
This book is amazing and inspiring. Must read whether you appreciate Kurt Cobain or not.
paul_viaf's review against another edition
4.0
Voyeurism. Reading journals of famous people certainly brings about that frame of mind. The complexity of it is an amalgam of titillation, guilt, and curiosity, amongst other things. But when that initial feeling of guilt washes away, when that initial wall of intimacy is penetrated, one can just sit and begin to grow a comfort it might take years to form on a face-to-face basis. Many times we can go an entire lifetime without knowing someone wholly at all. It is important to note that just as in life, these journals are only one dimension of a person, not the totality. Although he did not voluntarily open up to me personally, I treat this intimacy with real respect. It is because I know how hard it is to be fragile. I know how hard it is to open up. I know how hard it is to know someone, really know them. And perhaps this journal is further evidence that no matter how intimate we get with someone, no one will truly get the entire picture, not even the person themselves.
Initial. The initial is the beginning. The outer most region of someone. It is an incomplete version. Initials, the letters of one name. They give the smallest of clues, if any clue at all. K.C. Kurt Cobain. What conclusions could be drawn from such miniscule letters? This is the starting point from which I chose to begin. I say chose because so much has been speculated about the monumental figure. I’ve seen many documentaries, so much footage, read so many articles, seen interviews, watched concerts, read lyrics, and yet I knew I knew very little if anything at all. After all of this familiarity with the man, I felt as if I was still at the initials, the beginning, the outer most region of his identity.
Proximity. One must consider proximity when it comes to beginning a relationship with a person. Reading a journal, unlike any other reading, feels like the beginning of a very intimate relationship. It is fast tracked. There is no grace period. Immediately one dives into the depths of a person. The reader is immediately thrust into close proximity to one’s true identity. It’s for obvious reasons. No one ever thinks, I’m going to become so incredibly famous that someday millions will give a fuck about my quotidian blurbs and most intimate feelings on any random thing in my life. But it happened. And the proximity to the most intimate thoughts of a person can be very uncomfortable initially. But once that washes away, once the relationship settles into something very familiar, once one learns the codes, languages, emotions, interests, desires, fears, and all the baggage that makes up a human, the proximity is pierced for both writer and reader. You find out about the foundations of human bonds. I found many similarities between him and I. That was comforting. It’s always great to meet a fellow weirdo. In that regard there is a fair amount of humor and quirkiness exposed. His relationship with his father seems to be an issue throughout. There’s also a fair amount of self-deprecation. At times I can't tell if he's mentally unstable, joking, an eccentric artist or what. I can't tell if I am either, so I just took it as he's all of them simultaneously. Yes, proximity can provide insights into such things. It also showed me our differences. Differences in eras, race, economics. All the ways people born across the country with different lifestyles and backgrounds can be.
In summation, this journal provides a deep look into his insecurities, addiction, self-loathing, humility, quotidian concerns, ascent into stardom, and artistic prowess. It also showcases his great drawings. lively imagination, political and social beliefs, the transition of lyrics, the evolution of iconic songs, musical tastes, and provides some nice band suggestions. The journal is also a time capsule into the era of technology and musical scene. It’s a great addition to anyone that likes him personally or just rock history in general.
Initial. The initial is the beginning. The outer most region of someone. It is an incomplete version. Initials, the letters of one name. They give the smallest of clues, if any clue at all. K.C. Kurt Cobain. What conclusions could be drawn from such miniscule letters? This is the starting point from which I chose to begin. I say chose because so much has been speculated about the monumental figure. I’ve seen many documentaries, so much footage, read so many articles, seen interviews, watched concerts, read lyrics, and yet I knew I knew very little if anything at all. After all of this familiarity with the man, I felt as if I was still at the initials, the beginning, the outer most region of his identity.
Proximity. One must consider proximity when it comes to beginning a relationship with a person. Reading a journal, unlike any other reading, feels like the beginning of a very intimate relationship. It is fast tracked. There is no grace period. Immediately one dives into the depths of a person. The reader is immediately thrust into close proximity to one’s true identity. It’s for obvious reasons. No one ever thinks, I’m going to become so incredibly famous that someday millions will give a fuck about my quotidian blurbs and most intimate feelings on any random thing in my life. But it happened. And the proximity to the most intimate thoughts of a person can be very uncomfortable initially. But once that washes away, once the relationship settles into something very familiar, once one learns the codes, languages, emotions, interests, desires, fears, and all the baggage that makes up a human, the proximity is pierced for both writer and reader. You find out about the foundations of human bonds. I found many similarities between him and I. That was comforting. It’s always great to meet a fellow weirdo. In that regard there is a fair amount of humor and quirkiness exposed. His relationship with his father seems to be an issue throughout. There’s also a fair amount of self-deprecation. At times I can't tell if he's mentally unstable, joking, an eccentric artist or what. I can't tell if I am either, so I just took it as he's all of them simultaneously. Yes, proximity can provide insights into such things. It also showed me our differences. Differences in eras, race, economics. All the ways people born across the country with different lifestyles and backgrounds can be.
In summation, this journal provides a deep look into his insecurities, addiction, self-loathing, humility, quotidian concerns, ascent into stardom, and artistic prowess. It also showcases his great drawings. lively imagination, political and social beliefs, the transition of lyrics, the evolution of iconic songs, musical tastes, and provides some nice band suggestions. The journal is also a time capsule into the era of technology and musical scene. It’s a great addition to anyone that likes him personally or just rock history in general.
naleagdeco's review
2.0
It turns out I'm not really all that into Kurt Cobain's thought process.
This is a reproduction of entries from his journal, in some kind of seemingly chronological order. There's no real commentary. I do enjoy the visualness of the book, how it also reproduces the covers of journals so that you can get a sense of what he would actually have been writing into.
The last set of musician diaries I read were those Robert Fripp included in his various box sets ... and I found those incredibly enticing because for whatever reason I really wanted to get into his anxieties as an artist and the praxis of what makes King Crimson tick, and how each influences the other.
For whatever reason I did not feel this about the Cobain diaries. They were someone expelling thoughts in any which way onto a page, or the inclusion of a poem or comic which says something of the colour of Kurt Cobain's mind but not necessarily a clear cohesive narrative.
And that's fine, I have a feeling for people who are super into Cobain as an musician or a person or for people who enjoy piecing together a person's mind from the ripped fragments put down on paper, this will be a fun puzzle or window.
For me, perhaps as someone who enjoyed Nirvana but wasn't _transformed_ by it, or at someone with a very linear mental narrative, I found it mostly incohesive and I didn't find the kind of weight I wanted out of what Cobain thought of putting down. By the end there's a lot of stuff dealing with Frances Bean and Courtney. It's more focused but again ... I did not find it more profound than my own relationship woes.
Which is nice, Kurt is human just like most of us. But I guess I'm saying this publication is probably meant for someone but it's not meant for me. If you love artist minds or feelings-driven journals, you'll possibly enjoy this. But I don't think this is particular enlightening in and of itself.
This is a reproduction of entries from his journal, in some kind of seemingly chronological order. There's no real commentary. I do enjoy the visualness of the book, how it also reproduces the covers of journals so that you can get a sense of what he would actually have been writing into.
The last set of musician diaries I read were those Robert Fripp included in his various box sets ... and I found those incredibly enticing because for whatever reason I really wanted to get into his anxieties as an artist and the praxis of what makes King Crimson tick, and how each influences the other.
For whatever reason I did not feel this about the Cobain diaries. They were someone expelling thoughts in any which way onto a page, or the inclusion of a poem or comic which says something of the colour of Kurt Cobain's mind but not necessarily a clear cohesive narrative.
And that's fine, I have a feeling for people who are super into Cobain as an musician or a person or for people who enjoy piecing together a person's mind from the ripped fragments put down on paper, this will be a fun puzzle or window.
For me, perhaps as someone who enjoyed Nirvana but wasn't _transformed_ by it, or at someone with a very linear mental narrative, I found it mostly incohesive and I didn't find the kind of weight I wanted out of what Cobain thought of putting down. By the end there's a lot of stuff dealing with Frances Bean and Courtney. It's more focused but again ... I did not find it more profound than my own relationship woes.
Which is nice, Kurt is human just like most of us. But I guess I'm saying this publication is probably meant for someone but it's not meant for me. If you love artist minds or feelings-driven journals, you'll possibly enjoy this. But I don't think this is particular enlightening in and of itself.