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thewakeless's review
5.0
I had no idea who the Carters were. I did not care about country music. I couldn't even tell you were bloody Tennesse was on the map and boy did this book change everything for me. It invited me into a world, reading this book was a visceral experience and I learned so much. I honestly think this is the best biographical work I have ever read. To this day I still listen to the Carters and remember their stories fondly.
tarmstrong112's review
5.0
What an incredible book. I loved it. The Carter Family had an incredible story and I found it to be very interesting and entertaining. I loved learning about their early days in the music business and what life was like in the Poor Valley of Virginia. I enjoyed this book from cover to cover and I am very glad I read it.
myrto229's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this biography of the Carter family. I expected to enjoy it, as I've heard good things about it, and I love the music of the Carters. But I really zipped through the book because it was very easy to read, and well-written.
The story of the Carter family is really the story of the recording industry and the story of country music in the US, all rolled up into one biography. This book focused mostly on the inner family story of the three Carters and their relations, rather than intentionally bringing out the history of recorded music or the history of country music. I think that would have interrupted the flow of the story, and made for a less pleasurable reading experience, though the information might have been nice.
The story of the Carter family is a fascinating one, full of human drama, joy, sorrow, bitterness, and everything else that humans generate for themselves. I knew most of the story of the original Carter family (Maybelle, Sara, and A.P.), but I enjoyed getting to know the part of the story in the 1950s through the 1980s, when Maybelle's daughters, the Carter sisters, were at the height of their careers. The Hank Williams and Johnny Cash years are described here with the same compassion that the rest of the story gets, a mostly sympathetic narrative. Maybelle is especially developed here, as she was the most visible member of the original Carter family, since she continued performing long after the other two retired.
They had their share of fun times, but the overwhelming sense of the story is heartbreak. AP and Sara's divorce in the 1930s, followed by her marriage to her ex-husband's cousin, the dissolution of the trio in the 1940s, and AP Carter's decline into relative obscurity, along with the all other deaths and sadness of any other American family, make this story both ordinary and extraordinary.
It was a very pleasurable read.
The story of the Carter family is really the story of the recording industry and the story of country music in the US, all rolled up into one biography. This book focused mostly on the inner family story of the three Carters and their relations, rather than intentionally bringing out the history of recorded music or the history of country music. I think that would have interrupted the flow of the story, and made for a less pleasurable reading experience, though the information might have been nice.
The story of the Carter family is a fascinating one, full of human drama, joy, sorrow, bitterness, and everything else that humans generate for themselves. I knew most of the story of the original Carter family (Maybelle, Sara, and A.P.), but I enjoyed getting to know the part of the story in the 1950s through the 1980s, when Maybelle's daughters, the Carter sisters, were at the height of their careers. The Hank Williams and Johnny Cash years are described here with the same compassion that the rest of the story gets, a mostly sympathetic narrative. Maybelle is especially developed here, as she was the most visible member of the original Carter family, since she continued performing long after the other two retired.
They had their share of fun times, but the overwhelming sense of the story is heartbreak. AP and Sara's divorce in the 1930s, followed by her marriage to her ex-husband's cousin, the dissolution of the trio in the 1940s, and AP Carter's decline into relative obscurity, along with the all other deaths and sadness of any other American family, make this story both ordinary and extraordinary.
It was a very pleasurable read.
rebecita's review
5.0
Wow, the Carter Family deserves the best treatment, and this is it. This book has something for everyone. It's as authoritative and as relaxed as a country yarn, full of larger than life characters from the kin in Maces Springs to Nashville's country stars. On top of which the musical analysis enriches the story, rather than boring the casual reader. (How A.P. collected and copyrighted traditional songs, the way Maybelle developed her influential guitar playing.) I was fascinated by the chapters in musical history that have been overlooked by even fans of the Carter family - their years on border radio, touring with Chet Atkins, how the original family continued their legacy in later years. Plus no shortage of juicy details - Anita was pursued by both Elvis and Hank Williams (shots were fired!) Johnny Cash's mother baked Scripture cakes (every ingrediant from the bible)!
voya_k's review
4.0
Fascinating, well-researched book about the Carter Family (personally) and their impact on American culture. Great for narrative nonfiction lovers or people who like to read about bootleggers and poor mountain people in the early 20th century.
jennicakes's review
4.0
More like 3.5, but edging toward 4. This book had some boring moments, especially at the beginning, when discussion of Carter relatives that had nothing to do with recording music seemed to dominate. But, then, I read this book primarily to get the dirt on A.P. and Sarah's divorce, Hank Williams, Elvis, and, of course, Johnny Cash, all of who showed up in the second half of the book, and provided lots of gossipy fun.
On a less salacious note, my admiration for Maybelle Carter is now officially bottomless. After reading about her funeral, I can probably never listen to "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" without a box of tissues again. And Sarah begs to be novelized.
On a less salacious note, my admiration for Maybelle Carter is now officially bottomless. After reading about her funeral, I can probably never listen to "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" without a box of tissues again. And Sarah begs to be novelized.
jennicakes's review against another edition
4.0
More like 3.5, but edging toward 4. This book had some boring moments, especially at the beginning, when discussion of Carter relatives that had nothing to do with recording music seemed to dominate. But, then, I read this book primarily to get the dirt on A.P. and Sarah's divorce, Hank Williams, Elvis, and, of course, Johnny Cash, all of who showed up in the second half of the book, and provided lots of gossipy fun.
On a less salacious note, my admiration for Maybelle Carter is now officially bottomless. After reading about her funeral, I can probably never listen to "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" without a box of tissues again. And Sarah begs to be novelized.
On a less salacious note, my admiration for Maybelle Carter is now officially bottomless. After reading about her funeral, I can probably never listen to "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" without a box of tissues again. And Sarah begs to be novelized.
booksmarttn's review
5.0
Last year my daughter pointed me to John Green's 18 Great books that you probably haven't read. It is a quite eclectic list, some classics and then some odd recent things. I was intrigued by this title as the Carter family is near royalty, where I live. I'm only about an hour from the Carter Family Fold and Museum. This book was FANTASTIC! Well researched and well written. I knew very little about the rise and popularity of the Carters and what they did musically which set them apart. In many ways it is also a history of early radio and the rise of the modern music industry. This book is so engaging that you never feel like it is a history lesson. LOVED IT!
smartyboots's review against another edition
5.0
Great history of not just the Carter Family, but country music. I learned that if I want to be a big country star, I gotta start buying me some sawmills!