Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon--And the Journey of a Generation by Sheila Weller Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon--And the Journey of a Generation
Book Review: A Great Biography AND History of the music and times of the 70s
Summary: 5 Stars
What a great job Sheila Weller has done with this book! It was hard to see all three of them revealed, warts and all (and believe me, THEY ALL THREE HAVE WARTS!!) but in some other way it was refreshing and good to know that behind some of the most amazing music ever were three women facing the same things we all do.
Poignant, well-written, delicious, addictive (read my copy in two days!!) and a great reminder of "the good old days."
Book Review: FABULOUS BOOK !!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a fabulous biography that unfolds the legend of three amazing women. The author masterfully weaves zeitgeist, music, feminism and the innate passion that lived in the heart of these three prodigies into a well articulated and accessible story. If the 1970s was a time for you and you love music...I can't imagine NOT reading this book!Book Review: A Book I Couldn't Put Down
Summary: 5 Stars
I didn't live through the sixties (though I wish I had), so I wasn't
sure how much I would like this book. But I always loved the three
women it's about, so I figured I'd get it. Well, not only did I learn
things about these women that I had never known and could not have
imagined (Carole King living in the mountains, for one thing), but from
all the atmosphere and reporting I felt I was right there with Carole,
Joni and Carly, living their lives along with them as if I was the
friend on the other end of the phone at night. And I felt I was
immersed in the times. Now when people talk about the sixties, I know
what they mean, because of this book. I bought it to take on a
vacation, and I was just going to dip my toe into it before the
vacation but really save it for the trip itself. Well, I ended up
reading almost all of it before the vacation, because I just kept
carrying it around in my briefcase and opening it up when I had a free
few minutes here and there. I wish it was longer, so I could have
something to read on the beach.
Book Review: Great Subject, terrible book
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought this book because I'm a woman of this generation of artists. Joni Mitchell and Carole King defined my life from age 18 to 30, and maybe even after that. Carly Simon is kind of a lesser talent, and a much lesser influence, on women my age, I think.
The author is a very poor writer, and whoever edited this book needs to be bounced. It reads like "Entertainment Tonight", and it is very often difficult to follow a sentence from beginning to end without scratching your head and trying to figure out what is being said.
I'm not sorry I bought the book, as the fascinating information on the subjects is worth it, but be prepared for a difficult read to get to the good stuff.
Book Review: I love this book!
Summary: 5 Stars
Wow, I just finished "Girls Like Us". I loved every page of it and highly recommend it. Its about three amazing women, but it reveals a lot about our culture too. You couldn't make these stories up, it really recreates the headiness and newfound freedom of the world they helped forge, along with all the dangers that were part of the package.
The book is full of things I did not know about the lives of Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon. Everything is here, the music, the personal history, and the love lives that were so intertwined with their art. It is a close up view of three living legends.
The books reminds us how tough it was for each of the three women to face the hurdles of the times, both in the music industry and their personal lives. I had forgotten what it was really like for all of us in those years. And, that reality informed the choices we all made. It was indeed the journey of a generation, as the title suggests.
This book is meticulously researched, well written, and totally engrossing.
I have ordered six copies, for myself and for birthday gifts for my close friends. Before I could mail it to her, one of them called to tell me she was reading a book that I have to get immediately, sure enough it was "Girls Like Us." So, I decided to give that copy to a young friend who is in college and who loves music. I suspect this book will fascinate her. Its not just the stories of the three women's lives, although that is fascinating reading. It's the way the author, Sheila Weller, weaves them all together, making it a much bigger story that still resonates today. I suspect a lot more of us will be giving and getting this book this year, its a book about old friends, and its a real gift to be able to meet them again in such a vivid personal portrait.