Love, Janis by Laura Joplin Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Love, Janis
Book Review: The best book on Janis - I've read them all
Summary: 5 Stars
When this book was first published, I read a review on it. I don't remember where I read it or by whom it was written. The writer gave the impression that it was written by Janis' straight and nerdy sister who just wasn't part of, and didn't understand "the scene". The writer went on to say that there was some value in Janis' letters and that if you were a true Janis fan that you should probably read it, but recommended other books on Janis over this one. The implication was that Laura Joplin tried to present a Janis that was much straighter and more clean cut than she was in truth. So, having read this review, I didn't bother to read the book, especially since I'd read so many others.
Recently I went to see the Broadway Play Love, Janis and after hearing some portions of the letters read as part of the play, my interest in the book was sparked and I purchased it. Having done so, I think the writer of that review owes the world, and certainly Laura Joplin an apology. This book was beautifully written by someone who, as her sister, could give us insights that no one else ever could. I would like to include here a quote from the book, which certainly proves to me that Laura Joplin understood it all.
She was explaining the talents that each member of Big Brother and the Holding company brought to the group. "Janis brought her roots in blues. She knew the blues, and wanted her audience to know them through her. If the audience sought to have all its senses aroused at a concert, then Janis, as trance enhancer, brought total commitment to her music. Hers was not a music born merely of the vocal cords anyway, but an ensemble piece within her physical presence alone. She coaxed the music with urging arms and strutting steps. She delved deep within herself, so that piecs of her soul seemed to dance along the harmonies and ride the tidal waves of sound that defined her voice."
Laura Joplin does not shrink from her sister's drug and alcohol use, her bisexual love affairs, or anything else. She talks of Janis' insecurities and where they originated. She tells her story with deep honesty. The book includes the Joplin family tree. Not just a list of grandparents names but a small history of each forefather explaining what brought them together and brought her parents eventually to Port Arthur, Texas and also gives the reader a glimpse of the sturdy stock from which Janis came. It shows you a soft and sensitive, loving side of Janis' that we surely knew was there, but the truth of which could only really be provided by Laura's glimpse into personal family history. Of course Janis, growing up in the 50's and 60's would not have been a wild hippy child during her younger years. Hippies hadn't happened yet. The 50's and early 60's were very "straight" times. This book is where you learn how the Caterpillar turned into the Butterfly that she became. I think we are incredibly fortunate that Laura Joplin was willing to set the record straight and willing to share such personal tidbits from their home and family life. There must have been alot of soul searching and emotional moments that went into creating this book and we should be grateful to Laura for having done it. I deeply treasure this addition to my collection of books on Janis, just as I treasure the music that our Janis, queen of the blues, left as her legacy. I hope wherever she is that she is able to know how many people she touched; the ever growing number of fans she still has and how many of us truly always will Love Janis.
Book Review: Wow, what an amazing book...
Summary: 5 Stars
I have to say that about 3 chapters into this book I didn't think I was going to make it through...and then it got really interesting. This is Janis' story told from the perspective of a family member, her sister. One of the most intriguing things about this book is the transformation of the author's point of view. This isn't something that's completely evident at the beginning, but it slowly unveils itself throughout Laura's writing process...and very eloquently as well. She did a magnificint job of pulling together the right resources in order to constantly remind the reader that Janis' life wasn't about her death at all. Rather, it was a series of high and low events that unfolded given the influences of the times, as well as the pressure and awe of stardom. The letters from Janis give the reader a more detailed look into her thoughts and feelings, as well as a very affective gauge in which to see where she was in terms of her addictions and feelings. In addition to this, being a child of the 80's, it was wonderful to read about all of the sociological change that was going on during that time. I learned a great deal about the beat and hippie generations, drug use and abuse at that time, and about what stardom represented during then as well. It left me wanting to hear more Janis, and to read more biographies that have been written in the same manner.Book Review: Wow...Janis is a real person like you and me.
Summary: 4 Stars
I found this book in a half-price book store and was ever so happy that I bought it and read it. What was nice about this book was that is was NOT a hatchet job on Janis...those books one can read by Albert Grossman on Elvis. This book incorporated letters written by Janis to her mother and sister Laura. These letters show that Janis was a person just like you and me...with feelings and excitedness that she was beginning to make it. I disagree with some reviewers that this was a story about Laura's favorite sister, and that she sugar-coated the issues with Janis, but I think this was a wonderful story about two real human beings...a sister in Port Arthur and a sister who just happened to make it big in San Francisco. Janis's letters show that she was a real human being and suffered from problems that we all experience...and that she was not a social or rock icon...an untouchable. This book is definitely worth reading knowing that Janis is portrayed as a real human being...and a real person.Book Review: extremely well written
Summary: 5 Stars
I WAS PLEASANTLY surprised at the way this book showed us the real Janis. I was expecting a glossed over version of her life, but Janis's sister told the good and the bad. Through it all you can sense the love and affection her family had for her. Laura Joplin is an excellant writer and her insights on why Janis did the things she did was very refreshing. I was 13 years old when Janis died and had already begun to be a part of the rejected "hippie" crowd. My crowd was the first in our school to be a part of that culture. I identified with alot of what Janis went through and I remember buying her albums and listening over and over. I loved her. I remember the days of pot and LSD and speed, and my personal favorite, quaaludes. The drug culture was much different then and much safer. I thank God for a praying Grandmother and for a fear of needles, or I could have gone further and ended up like Janis. Few of our group ever experimented with injecting, but I could understand how Janis got caught up in it. This book showed a side of Janis that was so much like us and showed that she was really an insecure girl wanting acceptance like the rest of us.
Thank you Laura, for giving us insight to the real person your sister was.
Book Review: love, janis book
Summary: 5 Stars
once i started to read this book i couldn't put it down until it was finished, was sad to see it end. it gives alot of detail into janis joplin's early family life as well as school and friends and the start and finish of her music career. would recommend this to any joplin fan, a must have!!