A review by secrethistory
Love is the Cure: On Life, Loss, and the End of AIDS by Elton John

3.0

Three stars is almost unfair. I would have enjoyed this book a lot more had it not been for a few tiny things that annoyed me throughout the book. Before I talk more about it, I'd like to say I am completely behind Elton John on everything in this book. The missing two stars does not represent the facts or the proposed solutions in this book--they are all spot on. With that settled...

Love is the Cure is part memoir, but mostly an essay on the history and current state of AIDS. The memoir bits are actually related to the essay bits, so it does not come across as an egotistical celebrity talking about himself instead of the issues at hand. For instance, the hands on treatment Elton John was given in rehab, and the compassionate way he was treated made him believe this was the best way to help anyone. The entire book is extremely personal--indeed that's the point of the book: to go beyond the statistics of HIV/AIDS and give real stories of real suffering. The effect is as intended--I was moved to tears, and was occasionally angered reading these individuals' stories. It really makes you feel connected.

Elton John is not a writer. I realize this. But the repetition in his writing really kept me from enjoying this book. "My dear friend," "dignity they deserve," "compassion," "As early as." The list goes on. "My dear friend" was almost always followed by a celebrity, and while I don't doubt he really is friends with many celebrities it seemed a bit name-droppy. "As early as" to me should imply that the following is the earliest date at which something could have happened. Elton John uses it obsessively to mean, "Wow, guys! Can you believe it happened this early?" The date is usually exact.

One small thing I really admired was that Elton John gives credit where credit is due. He admires the actions of men he really disagrees with on nearly every score--Republican Senators, corrupt foreign Presidents, U.S. President George W. Bush. He acknowledges their huge contributions to the fight against AIDS. Even pointing out the flaws of certain programs, like President Bush's abstinence only education, he appreciates the things that work.

I learnt a lot from this book. I thought I was fairly knowledgeable about AIDS--I wasn't. And even if you are, reading what is essentially a compilation of deeply personal, real stories of people living with HIV/AIDS will make you want to leap to action. I feel so much more connected to this cause than I did before, and I'm grateful for it. The HIV/AIDS pandemic is, as John explains, curable as long as we are willing to show kindness, love, and ignore the stigmatization of marginalized groups. Elton John is clearly very proud of his foundation, as he well should be. They're fighting to save lives, and that's a beautiful thing.