Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain

Rating:
Summary: Cross Clearly did not bite the hand that feed him
Review: I was intrigued by the excerpts of journal entries and details of Kurt's past. I can't help but shake the dirty feeling of invasion of his privacy. Nor can I ignore that the book seemed to repeatedly act as a excuse for this death. Within almost every chapter the foreshadow of his final day was reiterated - all of the readers knew the ending so why treat us as though we are unintelligent. With the controversy surrounding the details of the amount of heroin in Kurt's system and the fact that he was able operate the gun under that influence, and not to leave out the difference in the last bit of a letter's handwriting, Cross ignored the speculation of a possible homocide. For all of his research, Cross left out the things that spoke more loudly to the world who didn't want to accept the suicide. It seems a pity that he didn't at least disprove the theories. I believe that Kurt, even more so after reading this book, was a result of a past that haunted him and a drug addiction he couldn't do without. I just would have liked to have seen a little more bias and reality to that last chapter. It started out as Kurt's story and ended up as Courtney's. There was more to him than her.

Rating:
Summary: Fairer Than Purgatory
Review: I was given the book as a present for my birthday less than 48 hours ago. And I literally stayed up all night to finish it. Contrary to the criticisms I have read here (no puppets, no Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow) this book treads a middle way through the twin perils of extremism that any biography with access to friends and family would have to tread. It is neither the work of sycophant blindly worshipping Kurt and accepting everything he said or did at face value nor a tabloid smear doctor trying to slander and reduce Kurt's gifts as an artist to dumb blind luck. Cross does his cross-referencing. When he debunks or departs from what Kurt said, it serves to clarify what the likely source (if there was one or if one could ever be known) of the demons that drove Kurt to create and destroy his own life. BTW, multiple sources are used so this is not the Gospel of KC according to Courtney or even Charles Cross for that matter. A lot of work is done to balance the view presented here of him and even though Cross published the Rocket for years, he doesn't attempt to use the book to promote the importance of his own place in the story of Cobain/Nirvana/Sub Pop. Sure, there's some speculation in some places, but it's reasonable and safely inferable from what multiple sources (including Kurt himself) said and recalled. All biography has to tread this ground. In that regard, I found it a very humane and moral book. In the final analysis, Kurt will be portrayed and recalled as someone who had special importance for a brief time in his generation to the popular culture at large and rock and roll history and this book does justice to both his contributions as well as his limitations.

Rating:
Summary: Heavy Piece of Excrement
Review: The kind of exploitation Kurt deplored.So much made up information in this book, it made me jump out of my chair and pound the wall. Where the author couldn't get the facts, he invented them. I know. I was there during Kurt's short life. Those who turned down Mr.Cross for an interview were punished by being specifically targeted as villains or crazies. Mr. Cross was successful in one aspect, and that was to nail those book readings. Congratulations, Mr. Cross for adding more salt into one family's wounds. RIP, Kurt.

Rating:
Summary: Puppet Show incident overlooked
Review: Cross's sources are impeccable, but he seems to be in awe of Courtney Love. He overestimates the impact of Nirvana - who were only a big rock group, and were not comparable with either the Sex Pistols or the Beatles. Also, he claims that Nirvana's performance on the British TV show The Word was as controversial as John Lennon saying The Beatles were bigger than Jesus. This isn't even partly true. The Word was a freak show presented by a Mancunian monkey, and swearing was not unusual. A member of L7 bared her pundenda on this show, and a regular guest used to regurgitate the contents of his stomach and then offer them to the audience to drink. More damningly, Cross says nothing about Cobain's secret passion for puppetry. I met him in Newcastle, England, on the Sub Pop tour, and he delighted me by chatting for hours about his love of Punch and Judy, Larry the Lamb etc. In his pocket, he carried three walnut shells, with which he re-enacted parables from the Bible. Inspired by this, I became a puppeeter, using peanut shells and conkers soaked in brine.

Rating:
Summary: -MORALLY WRONG-
Review: Fact of the matter is, I don't understand how all you REAL Nirvana fans out there could even possible agree with this book that Cross wrote. It reveals Kurt Cobain's most private thoughts, his heart! I just know that what I write in my diary, is not something that I'd like to share with the world. Even after I die. I think it is completely disrespectful to publish his diary. I, for one, will not read the book. Let the man rest in peace. It's just plain dumb, and I can't understand why people would even consider buying the book! Have none of you any respect for the legend himself? I'm saying, if you really are a Cobain/Nirvana fan, don't read the book! It's rude! You will again hear the common quite, "Curiosity killed the cat". Be cool, don't get too much involved into his once personal life.

Rating:
Summary: Author Charles R. Cross cuts through the myth and hype.
Review: Finally, a readable, engrossing tale of the Nirvana frontman,that focuses on more than the myth and hype that plagued the "grunge king." Author Cross gives us a readable tale, and focuses wisely on the early years of Cobain's life. The book manages to not skirt the issues of Cobain's depression and drug history, but wisely points out that there was more to the story of him and Nirvana than just that. Cross paints a portait of a REAL person, and not a myth. After reading the book, you may come away with the feeling that the story could be ANYONE's out of Small-Town Anywhere,USA. The book is very readable, and detailed, without undue details that can cause boredom when reading a biography of someone as highly volatile as Cobain. Entertaining, fact-filled, yet not depressing as one might imagine from a biography of this type. A sadness does prevail at the end of the book, for obvious reasons; however, I felt like I had been on one heck of a rollercoaster ride at the end, and wanted to keep going. Sadly, this would not be Cobain's fate. A must-read for all fans of Nirvana and popular music in general, as well as a cautionary tale for would-be musicians.

Rating:
Summary: amazing look into kurdt kobain
Review: At first I thought the book took too much of a fan's approach towards Cobain. However, as I read further, the book was extremely hard to put down. I found the information in the book to be incredible mainly because there were so many tiny details about Kurdt throughout his life. In fact, "Heavier Than Heaven" is the result of years of work and over 400 interviews. Anyone who considers themself a fan of Nirvana and Kurdt Cobain should definately get this book.

Rating:
Summary: Smells Like Kurt Cobain
Review: I had heard a lot of things about "Heaver Than Heaven." Some of it really positive, and some of it really negative. So I was kind of unsure if I wanted to buy this book. I felt intrigued by it, yet I didn't want to waste money on something I wouldn't enjoy or that would ruin my appreciation for one of my favorite artists. Luckily, this book is quite a good read and didn't make loose any appreciation for the man or his music. Although it was sad reading about his final few months. You almost wish you could go back in time and do something, or wish that things were different. This book is basically a good incite into the life of one of the 90s biggest rock stars. It's a must read if you are a Nirvana fan.

Rating:
Summary: fantastic book
Review: I think this was a great book to read.I really enjoyed how the book only FOCUSED ON KURT COBAIN.I read a lot of reviews on this book and how some people didn't enjoy it because it focused to much on Kurt and not on Nirvana but I think the author did a great job because most authors focus on things that don't even relate on the main idea of the book.The thing that I loved about this book was the fact that he added a little bit of family background on suicide and how it probably made an impact on Kurt later on in his life.I think this was a great book and I recommend it to people who wanna know more about Kurt Cobain.

Rating:
Summary: punk rock is freedom
Review: charles r. cross's illuminating, definitive portrait of the artist reveals our hero to be an astonishingly addicted, severely depressed individual who was, in the end, intent on killing himself. if there ever was a doubt in my mind about the death of k, it vanished in the day and a half that it took to read this most literate bio. quoting from k's journals, letters, and friends & relatives, cross brings to light the truth behind the lies... not only the lies and half-thruths kurt passed off as his personal history, but also the fabrications passed off by tabloid jouralists. if you're a fan of nirvana, you must read this. another, less literate, read is m. azerrad's "come as you are" which has funny interviews and lots of old show flyers and pictures of the band, etc.