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finch_kid's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Chronic illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Mental illness, and Addiction
pt105's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent book which looks into the intriguing, yet depressing world inside Kurt Cobain. A must read for anyone who loves Cobain, Nirvana, or Seattle grunge.
rebecanunez's review against another edition
4.0
"Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain" de Charles R. Cross es una exploración profunda y conmovedora de la vida del icónico líder de Nirvana. Publicada en 2001, la biografía ofrece una visión detallada de la complejidad de Kurt Cobain, desde sus humildes comienzos en Aberdeen, Washington, hasta su ascenso meteórico como figura central del movimiento grunge y su trágico final.
La obra de Cross se destaca por su exhaustiva investigación y acceso a fuentes cercanas a Cobain, incluidos amigos, familiares y el propio músico. La narrativa, a pesar de abordar momentos oscuros y a veces dolorosos, está impregnada de empatía y comprensión hacia el sujeto, proporcionando una perspectiva completa y matizada de su vida.
La estructura de la biografía sigue un formato cronológico que abarca desde la infancia de Cobain hasta su tumultuosa adolescencia, el ascenso de Nirvana al estrellato y los desafíos personales y profesionales que enfrentó. Cross destaca los elementos clave que influyeron en Cobain, incluidas sus relaciones familiares, sus luchas con la fama y las presiones del éxito.
El retrato de Cobain en "Heavier Than Heaven" es multidimensional. Aunque se centra en su genio musical y su impacto cultural, también aborda sus batallas personales, incluida su lucha contra las adicciones y su relación complicada con la fama. La biografía busca comprender y contextualizar la complejidad de Cobain como artista y ser humano.
La prosa de Cross es cautivadora y evocadora, permitiendo a los lectores sumergirse en la mente de Cobain y sentir la intensidad de sus experiencias. Las descripciones de la música, los conciertos y los momentos íntimos proporcionan una narrativa rica y envolvente que captura la esencia del espíritu creativo de Cobain.
"Heavier Than Heaven" también destaca el entorno cultural y musical de la década de 1990, situando la vida de Cobain en el contexto de la escena grunge y los cambios sociales de la época. La obra aborda el impacto duradero de Nirvana y la figura de Cobain en la cultura popular.
En resumen, "Heavier Than Heaven" es una biografía exhaustiva y conmovedora que rinde homenaje a la complejidad de Kurt Cobain. Charles R. Cross logra equilibrar la objetividad con la empatía, ofreciendo a los lectores una mirada profunda a la vida de un ícono musical cuyo legado sigue resonando en la cultura contemporánea.
La obra de Cross se destaca por su exhaustiva investigación y acceso a fuentes cercanas a Cobain, incluidos amigos, familiares y el propio músico. La narrativa, a pesar de abordar momentos oscuros y a veces dolorosos, está impregnada de empatía y comprensión hacia el sujeto, proporcionando una perspectiva completa y matizada de su vida.
La estructura de la biografía sigue un formato cronológico que abarca desde la infancia de Cobain hasta su tumultuosa adolescencia, el ascenso de Nirvana al estrellato y los desafíos personales y profesionales que enfrentó. Cross destaca los elementos clave que influyeron en Cobain, incluidas sus relaciones familiares, sus luchas con la fama y las presiones del éxito.
El retrato de Cobain en "Heavier Than Heaven" es multidimensional. Aunque se centra en su genio musical y su impacto cultural, también aborda sus batallas personales, incluida su lucha contra las adicciones y su relación complicada con la fama. La biografía busca comprender y contextualizar la complejidad de Cobain como artista y ser humano.
La prosa de Cross es cautivadora y evocadora, permitiendo a los lectores sumergirse en la mente de Cobain y sentir la intensidad de sus experiencias. Las descripciones de la música, los conciertos y los momentos íntimos proporcionan una narrativa rica y envolvente que captura la esencia del espíritu creativo de Cobain.
"Heavier Than Heaven" también destaca el entorno cultural y musical de la década de 1990, situando la vida de Cobain en el contexto de la escena grunge y los cambios sociales de la época. La obra aborda el impacto duradero de Nirvana y la figura de Cobain en la cultura popular.
En resumen, "Heavier Than Heaven" es una biografía exhaustiva y conmovedora que rinde homenaje a la complejidad de Kurt Cobain. Charles R. Cross logra equilibrar la objetividad con la empatía, ofreciendo a los lectores una mirada profunda a la vida de un ícono musical cuyo legado sigue resonando en la cultura contemporánea.
iamninjabuni's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
2.0
The author took a lot of liberties, especially at the end, when there is no definitive way to know where Cobain was or what he was up to during his last few days. Even the police and hired private investigators could not determine the timeline. The story he tells of the last moments of Kurt's life is especially frustrating because it is entirely made up, giving feelings and actions that the author could not know. Charles Cross also seems to have some distain for Kurt and often frames him as a bratty, whiney, entitled child. And maybe he was, but that's not what I came here to read. I was looking for something a little more objective with stories rooted in fact.
Learning (after the fact) that this is the Courtney Love Approved tale of events also docked some stars. I should have known by how little Dave Grohl is mentioned throughout the book and by the way the author doesn't seem to have any quotes from him at all. Their feud is more legendary than Kurts parent's divorce (see what I did there?). When Grohl is mentioned it is usually to say he was about to be kicked out of the band, which does not gel with any other accounts of the Nirvana story.
I guess we will never get a completely real telling of Cobain's life. This book gave a good picture of his early years, but the final narrative reeks of outside influence and trying to save face.
Learning (after the fact) that this is the Courtney Love Approved tale of events also docked some stars. I should have known by how little Dave Grohl is mentioned throughout the book and by the way the author doesn't seem to have any quotes from him at all. Their feud is more legendary than Kurts parent's divorce (see what I did there?). When Grohl is mentioned it is usually to say he was about to be kicked out of the band, which does not gel with any other accounts of the Nirvana story.
I guess we will never get a completely real telling of Cobain's life. This book gave a good picture of his early years, but the final narrative reeks of outside influence and trying to save face.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Addiction, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Suicide, and Mental illness
badseedgirl's review against another edition
2.0
I was born in 1974. That means I have my foot firmly planted in "Generation X." I owned a "Cabbage Patch Kid.". In 1986 I sat with my 6th grade class and watched in horror as the Challenger Space Shuttle exploded on live TV. In 1981, I did not "Want My MTV", I was only 7 years old for God sake, but by 1990 I did and that just so happened to coincided with the advent of the Seattle-based "Grunge Movement" hitting MTV hard. To this day i have a CD collection full of Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Bikini Kill, Stone Temple Pilots,Hole, and of course Nirvana. At the time of his death in 1994 Kurt Cobain was touted by magazines,industry insiders, and fans alike as "the voice of our generation." Now in 1994 I was working 32 hour a week and going to college full time so I take offense that my voice would be the guy who just blew his brains out and after reading Heavier Than Heaven by Charles R. Cross I am even more convinced I am right.
I should start out by saying that this biography was approved by Courtney Love and the Cobain estate. That is how Mr. Cross was able to get access to Kurt Cobain's diaries and this shows in the novel. The Estate ie. Courtney Love seemed more concerned with cleaning up and protecting her reputation and how she came across in the book and less on how Kurt was portrayed. This made for a very, very strange read. Saint Courtney as she will be referred to for the rest of this review is introduced as having a "history" of drugs but clean when she met Kurt. But I guess his powerful personality was just to much for her and dragged her back into drug use. The author goes out of his way to relieve her of all blame for Kurt's spiraling drug abuse and untreated mental illness. She is repeatedly self described in the novel as powerful and yet she is helpless to stop the drug abuse happening in her own home and in her own relationship. If she was as determined as she kept claiming she was in the novel to get and stay clean, she would have kicked Kurt Cobain's Junky ass to the curb. Instead Saint Courtney stayed and shot up with her husband, not because she wanted to but because she loved so much.
Kurt on the other hand comes across as a lying, self-centered, egotistical, douche-bag for the entire book. Every story he ever told about his childhood in every interview was a bald face lie. The only true thing he ever said was that has was from Washington and that his parents were divorced! Living under a bridge, LIE! Stealing his step-dad's guns to buy his first guitar, LIE! Homeless, well he was homeless because he made it impossible for his parents to live with him. he was jealous when his parents tried to move on after they became divorced and he was no longer the center of their universe. Kurt Cobain, The Voice of Generation X turned out to be a GIANT WHINER BABY who turned to drugs as an easy escape.
That is not who we are as a generation. Not then, not now.
As for the book itself. Although well written and apparently Mr Cross interviewed many sources for it, the voice of the book itself comes across as very one note. Was this because of the estate approval? I don't know and I feel I have wasted enough time on the "voice of my generation" so I will probably never find out. Someday I might like to read something from Krist Novoselic or Dave Grohl but not for a long while. This novel has left me with a "Negative Creep" "Sifting" for something better.
I should start out by saying that this biography was approved by Courtney Love and the Cobain estate. That is how Mr. Cross was able to get access to Kurt Cobain's diaries and this shows in the novel. The Estate ie. Courtney Love seemed more concerned with cleaning up and protecting her reputation and how she came across in the book and less on how Kurt was portrayed. This made for a very, very strange read. Saint Courtney as she will be referred to for the rest of this review is introduced as having a "history" of drugs but clean when she met Kurt. But I guess his powerful personality was just to much for her and dragged her back into drug use. The author goes out of his way to relieve her of all blame for Kurt's spiraling drug abuse and untreated mental illness. She is repeatedly self described in the novel as powerful and yet she is helpless to stop the drug abuse happening in her own home and in her own relationship. If she was as determined as she kept claiming she was in the novel to get and stay clean, she would have kicked Kurt Cobain's Junky ass to the curb. Instead Saint Courtney stayed and shot up with her husband, not because she wanted to but because she loved so much.
Kurt on the other hand comes across as a lying, self-centered, egotistical, douche-bag for the entire book. Every story he ever told about his childhood in every interview was a bald face lie. The only true thing he ever said was that has was from Washington and that his parents were divorced! Living under a bridge, LIE! Stealing his step-dad's guns to buy his first guitar, LIE! Homeless, well he was homeless because he made it impossible for his parents to live with him. he was jealous when his parents tried to move on after they became divorced and he was no longer the center of their universe. Kurt Cobain, The Voice of Generation X turned out to be a GIANT WHINER BABY who turned to drugs as an easy escape.
That is not who we are as a generation. Not then, not now.
As for the book itself. Although well written and apparently Mr Cross interviewed many sources for it, the voice of the book itself comes across as very one note. Was this because of the estate approval? I don't know and I feel I have wasted enough time on the "voice of my generation" so I will probably never find out. Someday I might like to read something from Krist Novoselic or Dave Grohl but not for a long while. This novel has left me with a "Negative Creep" "Sifting" for something better.
danimacuk's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
This biography is comprehensive and heartbreaking. It details the struggles Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain faced throughout his life with honesty
and compassion.
A must-read for those interested in the intersections of class, addiction, fame, and family.
and compassion.
A must-read for those interested in the intersections of class, addiction, fame, and family.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Classism, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Grief, and Vomit
Minor: Animal cruelty, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Violence