A review by atomic_tourist
Just Kids by Patti Smith

Just Kids is Patti Smith's life story, as told through the lens of her friendship-romance with Robert Mapplethorpe. I would have believed it was fiction, though-- Smith has amassed such a colorful array of life experiences, both tragic and comedic. And this memoir is about those experiences and the people who shaped them. I expected a book about her rise to fame, but music is in the sidelines of Just Kids.

Fans of 'classic' rock 'n roll will enjoy Just Kids more than I did, as Smith pays tribute to her idols and influences; there's whole passages about Brian Jones and Jimi Hendrix that I could not appreciate. Same goes for fans of poetry, especially French Symbolist poets like Baudelaire and Rimbaud.

I was able to appreciate the beauty of Smith's affection towards Mapplethorpe. Hope my friends are all taking notes-- one of y'all better publish a memoir about me one day!