What do you think?
Rate this book
Neil Diamond: Solitary Star
Mass market paperback about Neil Diamond.
Mass Market Paperback
Published January 1, 1988
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 29, 2026
I’m Gen X, so growing up, I heard Neil Diamond, and I love his song writing. My mom met him back in 1975 and became an instant fan (he was very pleasant, polite, and quiet and since my mom is too, it was a good interaction). I grew up listening to him. So I was very excited to come across this biography at a library book sale.
I’m on the fence about this book. On one hand, it was fascinating, with a lot of great detail about Neil’s albums, songs, and touring. Stories of making the recordings and the production. The making of Hot August Night, one of the better live albums ever.
I also liked that it was not a story that focused on Neil’s personal life. Jaye and Marcia Diamond were mentioned, but the biography didn’t focus on them (it ended with 1986). I didn’t want tawdry stories. Well, that’s not true; I want all the dirt. But the better part of me was happy it focused on the artist and the man and not his romantic partners or children, who deserve privacy.
What I did not like was that the biographer seemed to actively dislike his subject. The tone was negative. Neil Diamond is notoriously hard to nail down, as he is a very private person. But the author seemed to take this personally, along with the fact that Diamond didn’t cooperate with the biography.
So I’m giving the book four stars for detail and research, but three stars for the lack of objectivity, which averages out to 3.5 stars, but Goodreads only does whole stars, so here you go.
I’m on the fence about this book. On one hand, it was fascinating, with a lot of great detail about Neil’s albums, songs, and touring. Stories of making the recordings and the production. The making of Hot August Night, one of the better live albums ever.
I also liked that it was not a story that focused on Neil’s personal life. Jaye and Marcia Diamond were mentioned, but the biography didn’t focus on them (it ended with 1986). I didn’t want tawdry stories. Well, that’s not true; I want all the dirt. But the better part of me was happy it focused on the artist and the man and not his romantic partners or children, who deserve privacy.
What I did not like was that the biographer seemed to actively dislike his subject. The tone was negative. Neil Diamond is notoriously hard to nail down, as he is a very private person. But the author seemed to take this personally, along with the fact that Diamond didn’t cooperate with the biography.
So I’m giving the book four stars for detail and research, but three stars for the lack of objectivity, which averages out to 3.5 stars, but Goodreads only does whole stars, so here you go.
Displaying 1 of 1 review