I just finished Killing Yourself to Live. It was okay. Throughout the novel the author visited the most famous death sights of the most famous rock and roll stars. This was an all-right plan for writing a book, especially if you are a rock critic, but the actual rock and roll seemed to get lost.
My sights were set high when the first morbid attraction visited was the hotel where Sid killed Nancy, leaving her dripping with blood under the bathroom sink, but the other venues of death seemed to trail off and meander.
Throughout the book Klosterman intersperses tales from his own life, mainly about three women he loves separately, but with the same amount of passion. As the novel progresses, he ends up losing all three as he voyages across the country: one to marriage, on to an ultimatum, and one because he suffers from what must be a mental handicap to think it's kosher to have three women stashed about the United States. However, the author manages to make the entire relationship side of the book highly relateable to the everyman (not to mention the individual members of KISS), even if that everyman has no lady.
As I spent the last day or so storming my way through this novel I gained an insatiable itch to be back out on the road traveling. I do not hunger to visit the sights of the Skynard or Buddy Holly plane crashes, or do i long to visit where K.C. blew his brains out in a backyard greenhouse, but the book was still somewhat inspiring. I do however intend to see where Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil in exchange for guitar skills, and I fully intend on that happening come summer.
The book was applicable to me personally because I can identify with Klosterman, a man Mid-Western rural background who now writes for a living. As I pace the steps to become some sort of writer, this book provided me with insight into what being a rock critic is somewhat like, and made my mind up to stay mostly clear of that field.
All in all, it was worth the read due to the half inspiration, half information qualities that I have covered above.
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I have been reading this book off and on lately. I am finding to like it. Have you read his Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs?
ReplyDeleteyes, i read it a couple of years ago, or maybe it just seems that long. i've been considering rereading it, but i've got several on the list first. what do you think of it?
ReplyDeleteI only got through about a fourth of it last year then got distracted and never finished it. It was good to the point I got. I really need to finish it. I also got his novel, Owl City for Christmas which I am excited about reading.
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