A review by iamninjabuni
Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain by Charles R. Cross

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.
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