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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
Throughout all my schooling I don't believe I ever learned about the AIDS crisis. I don't know what people my age know about this disease that not so long ago claimed the lives of thousands in the LGBT community, devastating the equal rights movement that had just begun to gain real momentum. I want to ask them, I want to educate them.
This incredibly well researched book alternates between the development of HIV and the life of Freddie Mercury, with the unfortunate convergence of the two in 1982. Although the writing could be clunky and repetitious at times, I found it to be an incredible insight into a disease about which I knew so little, and the band which I love more every day; and the extraordinary impact of both on history as we understand it today.
This incredibly well researched book alternates between the development of HIV and the life of Freddie Mercury, with the unfortunate convergence of the two in 1982. Although the writing could be clunky and repetitious at times, I found it to be an incredible insight into a disease about which I knew so little, and the band which I love more every day; and the extraordinary impact of both on history as we understand it today.
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
I finished this book weeks ago, getting ready for the movie and it is still in my head.
Knowing the usual about his life already, this highlighted his childhood and trail to becoming a member of queen. Having it coinciding with the AIDS epidemic was an interesting way to blend the two stories together.
A great insight into freddie's life and how people treated sufferers of aids and the stigma of gay people in those times.
Knowing the usual about his life already, this highlighted his childhood and trail to becoming a member of queen. Having it coinciding with the AIDS epidemic was an interesting way to blend the two stories together.
A great insight into freddie's life and how people treated sufferers of aids and the stigma of gay people in those times.
Not what I thought it would be at all. 3 stars for Freddie just because he is a fascinating subject even when the writing is disjointed and hard to follow. A lot of interesting information in here but not given to us comprehensively. I had to go back in the audio several times to see what I missed.
I think it could have been so much more
I think it could have been so much more
I thought I would really enjoy this but sadly this was poorly written, problematic, and full of outdated homophobic & biphobic ideas.
Some serious concerns with the editors of this book, including really problematic writing and quotes from medical professionals with no context - digesting that boarding schools cause homosexuality or that for some reason gay people are nor promiscuous than straight, etc. Never dealt with the band's homophobia. Also, who organized this thing? Super repetitive sections rather than flow of ideas.
I enjoyed reading about Freddie's life with the context of the AIDS crisis, though.
Saw the movie and it diverged heavily from the facts in the book.
I enjoyed reading about Freddie's life with the context of the AIDS crisis, though.
Saw the movie and it diverged heavily from the facts in the book.
challenging
emotional
informative
slow-paced
I'm feeling really conflicted about this book. The majority of it was a struggle to get through, and I'd put it aside for days at a time because of how uncomfortable and unappealing it was to read, yet those final chapters had me sobbing and felt like a completely different book.
I am entirely unclear as to the motive of this book, and even more so by the final, post death, chapters. This book starts, strangely, with the accepted transmission of HIV/AIDS from chimpanzee to human in 1908. It was new information and I was intrigued, but seems an odd way to frame the biography of Freddie Mercury. Then, only a chapter or so later, a great deal of time is devoted to pondering whether boarding school is what turned Freddie gay.
This is an extremely problematic stance to take and in 2016 the authors well and truly knew better than to spout bullshit like that. And from there it only got worse. I felt incredibly uncomfortable with the borderline creepy obsession with whether Freddie was queer/gay/bisexual and when it started and, without clearly reaching a conclusion, continually ruminating on what his sexuality could possibly be. A) it's non of our goddamn business and B) it felt incredibly reductive to be so intensely focused on only this one aspect of his life.
There is a LOT of repetition in this book and truly it could have lost a third of its length at least without the constant repetition of how often he went to gay bars and engaged in casual sex. And this is where my feelings of creepy obsession come in to play : whether this is the intention of the authors it came across as incredibly critical, judgemental, slut shaming and victim blaming. It was extremely uncomfortable and aggravating to read paragraph after paragraph constantly referring to, and guessing about, his sex life and how many partners he may or may not have had and exactly what he did with them. Again, it's not our business what consenting adults do, and coupled with all the detail about the migration of HIV/AIDS throughout the world and throughout the gay community it sounds a lot like shaming and also suggesting he got what's coming to him.
Yet again, from the final chapters which were written with a lot more personal admiration and affection, talking about the influence and impact Freddie's death had on the AIDS crisis and getting necessary funding and respect, it would seem the exact opposite.
Why then did the authors feel the need to spend multiple agonising chapters trying to pin point the exact night and partner where Freddie contracted the infection. It was not necessary, added little to the idea of who the legend was, but instead put me off reading and left me feeling incredibly creeped out.
Sadly I don't feel that I know more about Freddie Mercury than I did before I started. In fact, a Tumblr post I read a few years ago seemed to know him more intimately. Queen have been fairly private, as has Freddie's inner circle, and I never felt that these authors had managed to break through the walls and get the detailed information I wanted. If these authors were given exclusives, or access to his loved ones and extended interviews, I didn't see it reflected in the book. And this means his defining personality trait was dying of AIDS complications.
AIDS is a tragic part of our world history and present, and a cruel and tragic end for so many people. But each victim was a lot more than a diagnosis they do not succeed in showing us that Freddie Mercury contained multitudes.
I am entirely unclear as to the motive of this book, and even more so by the final, post death, chapters. This book starts, strangely, with the accepted transmission of HIV/AIDS from chimpanzee to human in 1908. It was new information and I was intrigued, but seems an odd way to frame the biography of Freddie Mercury. Then, only a chapter or so later, a great deal of time is devoted to pondering whether boarding school is what turned Freddie gay.
This is an extremely problematic stance to take and in 2016 the authors well and truly knew better than to spout bullshit like that. And from there it only got worse. I felt incredibly uncomfortable with the borderline creepy obsession with whether Freddie was queer/gay/bisexual and when it started and, without clearly reaching a conclusion, continually ruminating on what his sexuality could possibly be. A) it's non of our goddamn business and B) it felt incredibly reductive to be so intensely focused on only this one aspect of his life.
There is a LOT of repetition in this book and truly it could have lost a third of its length at least without the constant repetition of how often he went to gay bars and engaged in casual sex. And this is where my feelings of creepy obsession come in to play : whether this is the intention of the authors it came across as incredibly critical, judgemental, slut shaming and victim blaming. It was extremely uncomfortable and aggravating to read paragraph after paragraph constantly referring to, and guessing about, his sex life and how many partners he may or may not have had and exactly what he did with them. Again, it's not our business what consenting adults do, and coupled with all the detail about the migration of HIV/AIDS throughout the world and throughout the gay community it sounds a lot like shaming and also suggesting he got what's coming to him.
Yet again, from the final chapters which were written with a lot more personal admiration and affection, talking about the influence and impact Freddie's death had on the AIDS crisis and getting necessary funding and respect, it would seem the exact opposite.
Why then did the authors feel the need to spend multiple agonising chapters trying to pin point the exact night and partner where Freddie contracted the infection. It was not necessary, added little to the idea of who the legend was, but instead put me off reading and left me feeling incredibly creeped out.
Sadly I don't feel that I know more about Freddie Mercury than I did before I started. In fact, a Tumblr post I read a few years ago seemed to know him more intimately. Queen have been fairly private, as has Freddie's inner circle, and I never felt that these authors had managed to break through the walls and get the detailed information I wanted. If these authors were given exclusives, or access to his loved ones and extended interviews, I didn't see it reflected in the book. And this means his defining personality trait was dying of AIDS complications.
AIDS is a tragic part of our world history and present, and a cruel and tragic end for so many people. But each victim was a lot more than a diagnosis they do not succeed in showing us that Freddie Mercury contained multitudes.
"He was a loveable rogue, and very costly to be around, always bumping into expensive things and demanding champagne..."
ðŸ¤
Looking past the fact that this book was a grammatical nightmare, often misspelling the same name twice within the same paragraph and getting dates wrong, I was nevertheless hooked on every detail.
The history of HIV|AIDS has been the catalyst of some deeply thought provoking conversations this week.
I appreciate a book that digs itself into my dreams and hangs about in my mind.
********************
And honest to goodness, even though I know how the story ends, I had to read it multiple times to make myself believe it. Freddie is gone, and it wasn't really that long ago. He died in 1991 and I met my husband in 1992.
*********************
"I kinda like it...
crazy little thing called love..."
ðŸ¤
Looking past the fact that this book was a grammatical nightmare, often misspelling the same name twice within the same paragraph and getting dates wrong, I was nevertheless hooked on every detail.
The history of HIV|AIDS has been the catalyst of some deeply thought provoking conversations this week.
I appreciate a book that digs itself into my dreams and hangs about in my mind.
********************
And honest to goodness, even though I know how the story ends, I had to read it multiple times to make myself believe it. Freddie is gone, and it wasn't really that long ago. He died in 1991 and I met my husband in 1992.
*********************
"I kinda like it...
crazy little thing called love..."
informative
slow-paced
This book does what it set out to do, I think, but it does so in a sort of wandering, speculative, poorly edited way. As a young fan of Queen, whose life only overlaps Freddie's by 18 months, this book provided me with helpful musical and cultural context for Freddie's life and work, as well as an occasional insight into the probable history of the AIDs pandemic. The authors' tendency to editorialize did not enhance the narrative, though.
This is an incredibly well researched, compassionate biography. It firmly situates Freddie’s life and legacy within the greater context of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and queer history in general. It did well what the film Bohemian Rhapsody failed to do. It showed Freddie’s humanity in all it’s complexity and ambiguity.
Two warnings:
1. There’s lots of bi-erasure with the authors often referring to Freddie as a gay man.
2. Due to it’s deep dive into the HIV/AIDS epidemic it is incredibly upsetting and difficult to read at times.
Two warnings:
1. There’s lots of bi-erasure with the authors often referring to Freddie as a gay man.
2. Due to it’s deep dive into the HIV/AIDS epidemic it is incredibly upsetting and difficult to read at times.