Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Me by Elton John

21 reviews

mariposa517's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.75


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kelly_e's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring medium-paced

4.25

Title: Me
Author: Elton John
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: October 15 2019

T H R E E • W O R D S

Candid • Glitzy • Surreal

📖 S Y N O P S I S

In Me Elton John details his extraordinary life. From dreaming of being a pop star as a kid to early rejections, to touring the U.S. for the first time at twenty-three, to spinning out of control as a chart-topping superstar to getting clean and changing his life, John's memoir details the ups and downs of his storied life and career.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I always love a good celebrity memoir, because it's so tough for me to imagine what life would be like being famous, and Me did not disappoint. Elton John held nothing back. Writing with raw honesty, he doesn't paint himself exclusively in a positive light rather taking the reader along for all of the highs and lows, revealing his quirks along the way. As a reader, I was given an inside look into so many parts of his life that I had no idea about. I really appreciated how he connects to the reader with universal struggles, and how they contrast with some of the unbelievable experiences of his life.

Maybe this is to be expected, but for me there was just a little too much name dropping, celebrity gossip, and cussing, which ended up detracting from my enjoyment.

At the end of the day, this is a story of redemption and overcoming some of the harshest struggles, all while living life in the fast lane. If you're thinking of picking this one up, I highly recommend the audio and it pairs well with the Rocketman movie.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Elton John followers
• fans of audiobook memoirs
• readers who like redemptive stories

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"You want more time, you need to learn to live like this, you have to slow down."

"I had no idea how to live, but I didn’t want to die."

"Sometimes, you just have to step up to the plate, even if the plate is miles outside your comfort zone." 

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thealicejackson's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.0


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inkdrinkers's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

This is such a wonderful biography. I chose to listen to the audiobook, which Taron Egerton narrated after playing Elton John in the biopic "Rocketman". Taron did a wonderful job with the narration, and every voice and accent he put on were vibrant and funny!

While hard to listen to, this book was a fascinating insight to Elton John's life. From his rocky start to his sudden fame, down to the dirty details of his addictions and failed relationships. I really came away from this book marveling at all the life he's lived. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a good celebrity memoir!

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maddireads13's review against another edition

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funny informative fast-paced

5.0


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grimviolins's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring fast-paced

4.0


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marlampt's review against another edition

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dark informative reflective slow-paced

3.75


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kellypower_17's review

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dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

3.75

Inspired me in so many ways I never thought a book could.

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redhead_reader's review against another edition

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emotional funny informative lighthearted reflective fast-paced

5.0

I listened to the audiobook, which was largely read by Taron Egerton with Elton John reading the prologue and epilogue. Taron was phenomenal as the narrator. I laughed out loud so many times and thoroughly enjoyed his performance.
The memoir itself is great. Elton shares so much about his life; it truly is an in-depth look into the life of Elton John with the good, bad, embarrassing shame, joys, achievements, and all the moments in between. He’s a great story teller and I love how his essence seems to jump out from the pages unabashedly. I loved it.

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ilana_pop's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny informative inspiring medium-paced

4.5

From Reggie’s childhood to the birth of Elton John, from the rocking seventies to the hazy nineties, from singing in a Donald Duck costume to celebrated music maker. 
A candid memoire written in a fascinating way, with incredible humor, honest and raw, moving, compelling… including tantrums. One of my favorite artists in all honesty. 

Elton John has lived the real '70s pop star life' you imagine when you hear the words '70s pop star life'. A colorful period with crazy outfits, sex, drugs and rock and roll… He experienced it from the front row (or rather from the stage) and paints a particularly intense portrait of the period. Mercilessly honest, he doesn't shy away from exposing the ugly things as well. His drug and alcohol addiction are discussed in detail, as is his eating disorder. It's not a happy story, but it's part of the story. There is so much to discover about him. 
An incredibly layered person who writes great music, lost a lot of people, lived a completely crazy upside down life but also laughed and loved a lot.
A man who has lived many lives himself. A man who has had meaning in many lives. Has stood on the barricades against homophobia and AIDS. Dared to go against the press and paparazzi and stand up for themselves. 
An artist whose music I already loved, but now I also respect it very much as a person.

The impact Elton John has on music yesterday, today and tomorrow across different genres is huge. Rock, disco, classical, pop, musical, film… He has done just about everything, a real musical centipede. And boy,  can that man sing and write music. Not everyone is a fan of his music (which is completely okay) but you can't deny the impact he has on music.

 I listened to the audiobook and highly recommend it for long car rides. The full book narrated by Taron Egerton, who also plays Elton John in the great movie Rocketman, is available in full on Spotify. 
After 12 hours with Elton, it feels like saying goodbye to a friend.

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