Love, Janis by Laura Joplin Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Love, Janis
Book Review: Compassionate Yet Ever So Truthful
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a biography at its best. Laura Joplin spares no punches, yet her honesty is her best tool in painting a deeply moving portrait of a tragically wonderful artist. She captures the conflicting personas of Janis, her phenomenal drive and recklessness. The news clips and personal letters she shares are perfect selections and reveal her best and worst.
"I had the Kozmic blues real bad once...when you die, you'll be alone--everyone is. Once you've really accepted this, then it doesn't hurt so much. Get it while you can...'cause it may not be there tomorrow."
That was Janis Joplin. This is "the" book to read on her.
Book Review: Family Details
Summary: 4 Stars
I really enjoyed this biography by Janis' sister. It was quite different than some of the other biographies out there in that it's written by someone with lots of details about Janis' early life and family. However it was funny to read about Janis from someone who seems so "straight". Her sister was obviously outside of the Janis-scene of the 60's, so it was an interesting perspective.Book Review: In Depth and Behind-the-scenes
Summary: 4 Stars
Most people my age do not know who Janis Joplin is, her legacy, or any of her music. Which is sad to me, but it can be expected when my age group is still in their teens and Janis has been deceased since our parents were younger.
Laura Joplin gets in-depth with the life behind-the-scenes of Janis Joplin. The Janis the United States came to know as the wild, passionate woman in the Russian lynx coat and painted Porsche. We failed to really look at what made her so special, how she became the gutsy blues singer she once was. Her sister, Laura Joplin, who is six years younger than Janis, chose to write the biography about her. Laura chooses to share with the reader even the most personal letters that Janis had written to her mother and the letters written to other family members as well. With these letters, the title of the book emerged, Janis's personal valediction at the end of each letter, Love XX Janis.
When I began the book, it took a long time for the book to get interesting. The second chapter is a full family tree of how the Joplin's (father, Seth's side) and the East's (mother, Dorothy's side) came to America, ultimately to Port Arthur, Texas and how their bloodlines eventually combined to create the Joplin family; which I didn't find particularly interesting but it was a good addition to the book. Laura Joplin goes to great lengths to explain Janis's background in terms of how she became Janis. Her childhood was thoroughly explained. This helps the reader to understand that Janis Joplin did not become Janis Joplin overnight. It was a life long journey with hardships and happy times sometimes in the same day. Laura shows the reader that Janis had to make hard decisions just like every other normal person, and that in reality Janis was a free spirit that just-so-happened to be part of one of the largest turning points of America's popular culture scene. Laura also exhibits to the reader that for a long time Janis was an outcast. Her child and adolescent years were spent during the 1950's and early 1960's before the love started to spread throughout the country. Those times were so-called "straight" times. People were supposed to be neat and cookie cutter. In truth, it appears that Laura Joplin was simply trying to show the world what Janis really was, not her public persona, but a whirlwind of emotions and inner beauty, waiting to explode in a guttural, trance-like sound. She did not once shy away from Janis's drug and alcohol abuse or her promiscuous behavior. Laura Joplin told Janis's story exactly how it happened, or at least she shared with the reader as much as she knew
When looking through reviews of the biography by fellow Amazon reviewers, many mentioned Laura's ability to write (or lack there of), a well put together biography. This is disappointing to me in a number of ways. One being, Laura Joplin was not trained to be an author, she was letting the world in on secrets only her and her family would know. I doubt she was trying to win acclaim or any award. I must agree that the book is not a challenging read, or a masterful piece of literature. Also, because Laura Joplin took her time to show readers and fans of Janis, such as myself, that press and interviews were maybe a quarter of the emotional turmoil that powered the voice behind the legacy.
Book Review: Interesting Book, Keeps your Attention
Summary: 5 Stars
I enjoyed reading this book and breezed right thru it. If you have any interest in Janis or the 60's this is a good book. I saw the play first and that made me want to read the book.Book Review: Janis Joplin: She Was More Than Music
Summary: 5 Stars
Janis' sister, Dr. Laura Joplin, provides the reader with special insight to many core concepts of Janis, such as Janis' mission of encouraging freedom of expression for all, on every subject, as well as her passion for ending racial and all other forms of discrimination. Janis so humorously exposed hypocracy and so wonderfully raised questions that many are afraid to ask. What irony that her gifts to the human race were cut off so prematurely by some of the traps of life.