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funteamjen's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book - I expected an egotistical, narcissistic pop star (and there was a little of that), but I was really surprised by Elton John's self-awareness. He is honest and aware of his faults and the mistakes he's made, but he's also been able to learn from them and move forward. His work ethic and passion are inspiring.
amwebster70's review against another edition
5.0
At the beginning of the book, I almost put it down. There are a lot of music references that were unfamiliar to me. But you need that information for the remainder of the book. It's an excellent read and makes me love Elton John the person and not just the entertainer/celebrity. He's honest and raw and doesn't hold anything back.
samantha13's review against another edition
4.0
An incredibly insightful look into the life of a legend. The novel spans his entire career all the way to present day. It is not with every memoir that you really get the sense the subject was an integral part of the process, but this was all Elton. This book was honest and raw. Whether you are a fan or not this is a great read. You will definitely learn something new about Elton and hopefully gain a new level of respect for him such as I did.
beckeal's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the personality he put into his writing. His sense of humour is right up my alley. Made for a very enjoyable read.
My only criticism is that I found it a little befuddling that he was so completely open about so many of his thoughts and feelings in some circumstances but then not others. Wanting to maintain some privacy makes sense, but it’s a bit iffy for your readers once you’ve established a certain level of candour.
Overall, one of the best celebrity autobiographies I’ve read. What an amazing human!
My only criticism is that I found it a little befuddling that he was so completely open about so many of his thoughts and feelings in some circumstances but then not others. Wanting to maintain some privacy makes sense, but it’s a bit iffy for your readers once you’ve established a certain level of candour.
Overall, one of the best celebrity autobiographies I’ve read. What an amazing human!
monkeyboystiff's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing book, funny and interesting
I'm not really a major Elton John fan, I like his songs and know he has a reputation as a diva but that's about it.
This was a fascinating look into his life, and really hilarious. It was also brutally honest, noone was more scathing of Elton's diva ways than Elton himself!
I'm not really a major Elton John fan, I like his songs and know he has a reputation as a diva but that's about it.
This was a fascinating look into his life, and really hilarious. It was also brutally honest, noone was more scathing of Elton's diva ways than Elton himself!
annniina98's review against another edition
4.0
Once you get through the name dropping in the beginning, this is really good!
caratomlinson3's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
4.0
kathywadolowski's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I'd been waiting on reading (well, listening to) Elton John's "Me" for a while, as I expected it was going to be emotional and absorbing and I wanted to be in the mood for it. Thankfully I was right on both counts, as Elton John gives us everything you want in a memoir—stunning honesty, interesting fun facts, captivating storylines, and insight about his life that you really can't get anywhere else.
Yesss there were definitely tidbits about your favorite songs; like, did you know that Philadelphia Freedom was born from tennis? Or that Elton hated recording "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (a personal fav) and vowed it would never see the light of day? But insights like these, while super interesting for a fan, are still just scratching the surface of what he explores in this book.
He details his fraught relationship with his parents, his excessive shopping habit, the devastating depths of his drug addiction and the difficulty he had conquering it, the tragic deaths of many of his friends, and many other trying times. And don't worry, because there's plenty of love, light, and inspiration to be found here as well.
Elton reallyyyy put in the work to become the star that he is, and acknowledged several times the stroke of luck and happenstance that sparked his whole career. You never got the sense he took any of it for granted, and it's clear his talent and work ethic made him more than deserving of his success. And while that success may have caused a lot of hard times and heartache, it was also the source of so much joy. Of course the songs are legend, as well as so many of his famous friendships, but the chapters about his husband and his journey to fatherhood add even more layers to Elton John ~the celebrity~. And through the good and bad moments, he never sugarcoats or shies away from the reality of his own actions.
So whether you love his music or music in general (me), watched "Rocketman" and wanted to know more (also me), or simply enjoy learning about captivating people (also also me), you should give this memoir a go! It might also prompt you to relive your experience at his 2022 farewell tour and go on a days-long listening tear. <3 Well, maybe that's *just* me...
Bonus: if you listen to the audio version you can spend 12 hours with Taron Edgerton which is time well spent let me tell you.
Yesss there were definitely tidbits about your favorite songs; like, did you know that Philadelphia Freedom was born from tennis? Or that Elton hated recording "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (a personal fav) and vowed it would never see the light of day? But insights like these, while super interesting for a fan, are still just scratching the surface of what he explores in this book.
He details his fraught relationship with his parents, his excessive shopping habit, the devastating depths of his drug addiction and the difficulty he had conquering it, the tragic deaths of many of his friends, and many other trying times. And don't worry, because there's plenty of love, light, and inspiration to be found here as well.
Elton reallyyyy put in the work to become the star that he is, and acknowledged several times the stroke of luck and happenstance that sparked his whole career. You never got the sense he took any of it for granted, and it's clear his talent and work ethic made him more than deserving of his success. And while that success may have caused a lot of hard times and heartache, it was also the source of so much joy. Of course the songs are legend, as well as so many of his famous friendships, but the chapters about his husband and his journey to fatherhood add even more layers to Elton John ~the celebrity~. And through the good and bad moments, he never sugarcoats or shies away from the reality of his own actions.
So whether you love his music or music in general (me), watched "Rocketman" and wanted to know more (also me), or simply enjoy learning about captivating people (also also me), you should give this memoir a go! It might also prompt you to relive your experience at his 2022 farewell tour and go on a days-long listening tear. <3 Well, maybe that's *just* me...
Bonus: if you listen to the audio version you can spend 12 hours with Taron Edgerton which is time well spent let me tell you.
joko88's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.75
Very charming, which is helped by the fantastic narration of Taron Egerton. Funny and lighthearted but also serious and sad at times, it’s a great look at Elton’s life where he would be the first to admit how ridiculous his life is and has been