Scan barcode
A review by hernamewaslily
Why Marianne Faithfull Matters by Tanya Pearson
3.0
Why Marianna Faithful Matters by Tanya Pearson is an essay-cum-memoir that repositions Marianne Faithful’s role in history from 60s it-girl to a musical star in her own right. Pearson mixes academic writing with personal anecdotes, drawing on her own experience with addiction and making music to understand and emphasise with Faithful, who likewise suffered from addiction. Unfortunately, the essay loses its control in the last third. It’s almost as if Pearson ran out of steam but hadn’t reached her word count yet (relatable).
There are chapters that had so much potential, such as one about reading Faithful via her breasts, which have often eclipsed her other talents, that could have been great, but because it doesn’t quite hit the mark, it just comes across as undeveloped and sloppy.
I didn’t dislike this book, I found it interesting and compelling, and it did make me reconsider my own view of faithful who I’d only known as Mick Jagger’s girlfriend, so Pearson was successful in this aspect. I think Pearson could have spent more time researching and developing her argument, or, considering that Pearson predominantly writes about women in music, she could have condensed this into a tightly edited and focused piece of writing and published it as part of a collection of other essays instead.
There are chapters that had so much potential, such as one about reading Faithful via her breasts, which have often eclipsed her other talents, that could have been great, but because it doesn’t quite hit the mark, it just comes across as undeveloped and sloppy.
I didn’t dislike this book, I found it interesting and compelling, and it did make me reconsider my own view of faithful who I’d only known as Mick Jagger’s girlfriend, so Pearson was successful in this aspect. I think Pearson could have spent more time researching and developing her argument, or, considering that Pearson predominantly writes about women in music, she could have condensed this into a tightly edited and focused piece of writing and published it as part of a collection of other essays instead.