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caitminch's review
5.0
there's this really horrible feeling you get in your chest when you reach the last third of this book. obviously you know what's going to happen, because it's a real recount of joy division and you know what happens to joy division because you're a fan and its basic cultural knowledge. but still you find yourself hoping that somehow things are going to go differently - you're so invested in hook's life and the silly stories of the band and how promising their future was. you can't bear the thought of it being over so quickly.
written by peter hook, this book isn't anywhere near being high brow literature. there's a lot of questionable tangents and petty snide comments towards people. regardless, it's mostly fun (some moments had me genuinely laughing out loud, definitely amplified by hook's informal tone and northern slang) and, as someone who's knowledge of joy division barely spanned further than the 2006 film control, i learned a lot.
definitely a book for any fan of joy division, whether their interest is casual or hardcore.
written by peter hook, this book isn't anywhere near being high brow literature. there's a lot of questionable tangents and petty snide comments towards people. regardless, it's mostly fun (some moments had me genuinely laughing out loud, definitely amplified by hook's informal tone and northern slang) and, as someone who's knowledge of joy division barely spanned further than the 2006 film control, i learned a lot.
definitely a book for any fan of joy division, whether their interest is casual or hardcore.
andrewgvnn's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
erichart's review against another edition
5.0
Often funny, ultimately heartbreaking, and always sincere account of the story of Joy Division by bassist Peter Hook. One of the most influential post-punk bands is way too often put on a pedestal, and the tragedy of Ian Curtis has created a myth surrounding the singer. Hook's account brings everything down to earth, a story of four young lads who loved to play rock and roll. Humanizing Curtis makes his death even more poignant. And at the same time, learning how they produced their songs makes one appreciate the music even more.
kerryanndunn's review against another edition
4.0
I’m glad I listened to this on audio as read by Peter Hook. He is so natural. It never feels like he is “reading” but rather like you are sitting in a bar and he’s just telling you a bunch of stories about his time in Joy Division. This is a great intimate history of the band from the perspective of one of its more forthright members. Hooky doesn’t pull any punches and constantly reminds you this is HIS BOOK so he’ll say what he wants. My only slight critique of the book is about the countless recounting of all the japes the boys played on each other and on other bands. It was nonstop. After hearing about half a dozen different japes I lost interest in hearing about the two dozen more. I think what I liked most was Hooky’s dissection of the Joy Division albums track by track. His insight is priceless and you should most definitely listen to the songs as he talks about them. All in all, I enjoyed this book. It kind of makes me want to read more about Joy Division.
rachel_lee's review against another edition
5.0
For those who are still convinced that Joy Division were miserable bastards.
jackselvester's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
fast-paced
3.75