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natfavre14's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
5.0
verse_is's review
One of the best auto bios I've read. His candor about his relationship with his father and mental illness was a surprise, but well written. Springsteen has a poetic voice at times that pulls you into the moment. Other times his personal reflections are like a philosophical treatise on how to live. I tore through the first half in about 2 days, but had to put aside as I became busy at work. I then finished the second half in about 2 days.
sarahtribble's review
5.0
Bruce Springsteen is my hero. I mean that with no hint of exaggeration. I was raised on his music; I think I may have come out of the womb already fluent in his lyrics. There may have been a time in my life prior to knowing all the words to all of his greatest hits, but I certainly don't remember it. Hearing the soulful opening harmonica chords in The River awakens something guttural in me and floods serotonin directly into my veins, and the triumphant saxophone in Born to Run gives me so much adrenaline that I could straight up run a mile in ten seconds flat. All that being said, I wasn't sure if I would like this book — or rather, I was scared that I wouldn't. They says never to meet your heroes, and I'll be honest: I was afraid that if I got to know Bruce in this book, instead of keeping him at a reverent arm's length like I have for the last 25 years, I might not like him, and that the love and nostalgia that have become foundational to my early life and my adult personality would be soured beyond repair. I'm lucky, therefore, that I loved this, and that it has become one of my favourite books I've read this year. Really, I needn't have been too worried. Bruce is an incredibly eloquent writer and a descriptive, imaginative storyteller, and the honesty and vulnerability he brought to each and every page drew me in right from the start. I especially enjoyed and appreciated how candid he was about his experiences with his mental health, both as a young man and in his early to mid-sixties after the Wrecking Ball World Tour. Given that he's a Baby Boomer (very unfortunate, I know, but at least he's a Libra Baby Boomer), one might expect someone in his generation to be dismissive and derisive about anxiety and depression, but Bruce is honest: he divulges his struggles with anxious thinking and describes how he found the right medication to treat his bouts of depression with plain sincerity and self-care, and I found it so powerful and comforting. If you love memoirs and/or the Boss, I would highly recommend this one. Yes, I'm obviously biased as shit, but I still stand by the recommendation. Bruce is a phenomenal writer who has lived a fascinating, extraordinary, but still down-to-earth life, and for me on this occasion, meeting my hero was nothing short of a dream come true.
musicsaves's review
5.0
FIRST LINE REVIEW: "I come from a boardwalk town where almost everything is tinged with a bit of fraud." Hey, I've been to that boardwalk...often! It's my favorite in my new neck of the woods. Gotta start keeping my eyes open for this guy! What a great read this was, too. Great insights into his songs and the process of bringing them to life, his personal struggles (and successes), all presented with some really excellent writing. However, like the concerts he never wants to bring to an end, this memoir also seemed like he didn't want to end it. Consequently, it went on just a few chapters too long.
musicboxmemories's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
A truly fantastic memoir - by far the best autobiography I've ever read. Bruce's voice shines through every word you read - Brilliant.
stacey1010's review
4.0
Easy read and very interesting. Such a great insight to the bosses life. Before music & during.
victoria_2000's review
4.0
Born to Run is a wonderful and honest autobiography, well worth the read if you love Bruce Springsteen. The difficult relationship he had with his father, his rise to fame, the racism faced by Clarence Clemons, the loss of several bandmates, misunderstood lyrics, his marriage with Patti Scialfa and the birth of his children are all explored in the book. My only disappointment while reading was that certain parts of his career did not receive much attention. I would have liked to have read more about Bruce's thoughts on Human Touch/Lucky Town and how he reflects on negative fan response to those albums.
ruffaloon's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0