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Il book club di David Bowie. I 100 libri che hanno cambiato la vita della leggenda
Tre anni prima di morire la rockstar svelò i 100 libri che più avevano influenzato la sua carriera e cambiato il suo modo di guardare il mondo. Questa è la sua eredità: un invito irresistibile a immergerci nei libri e nel loro potere di trasformarci. Il Book Club di David Bowie è molto più di una lista di libri da leggere nella vita: è un viaggio unico nella mente di uno degli uomini più brillanti del nostro tempo. 100 brevi saggi per scoprire il lato più intimo del Bowie lettore. Dall'Iliade a Lolita, da Lo straniero all'Inferno di Dante, con Il club del libro di David Bowie John O'Connell passa in rassegna la lista dei libri preferiti da David Bowie - questo incredibile regalo dell'artista al mondo - attraverso 100 brevi saggi, ognuno dei quali offre una prospettiva diversa sull'uomo, il performer, e il creativo che è stato David Bowie, sul suo lavoro come artista e sul periodo storico in cui ha vissuto.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published November 12, 2019
313 people are currently reading
5086 people want to read
About the author
John O'Connell
157 books62 followersJohn O'Connell is a former books editor at Time Out magazine and writes regularly for the Guardian and The Times. He is the co-author of I Told You I Was Ill and The Midlife Manual.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 358 reviews
January 2, 2020
Bowie’s Bookshelf by John O’Connell is a 2019 Gallery Books publication.
Because reading is, among much else, an escape—into other people, other perspectives, other consciousnesses. It takes you out of yourself, only to put you back there infinitely enriched.
This is such a cool little book! I won a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway and was smitten with it the instant I laid eyes on it.
Book people tend to like other book people, and Bowie should get a nod of approval from voracious readers, even if you are more of a casual fan, because -as his son, Duncan, has pointed out, he was a ‘beast of a reader’. In 2013, David drew up a list of a hundred books that had influenced him the most.
I had never seen or read his list before now. Naturally, I was very curious to see what books might have influenced someone as diverse as David Bowie. However, I was a little worried that I might not know any of the books on the list. I had imagined David Bowie’s taste in reading material would differ vastly from my own simple taste.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by how many books on the list that I recognized. That doesn’t mean I’ve read them, just that I’d at least heard of them. In truth, I’ve only read three books on his list. But I plan to add more than a handful of them to MY list.
Naturally, Bowie was well read and had a wide range of interests. The list itself is very telling. What John O’Connell has done here, is to write a brief composition about each book, speculating on how or why it may have made an impression on Bowie.
One would have to know Bowie pretty well, I’d think, to assume such a task, but the author did an admirable job, in my opinion. Since I’ve only read three of the books, I can’t really speak to how close to the mark O’Connell’s theories were, but it was fun to read his hypothesis, even if a few of them were a bit odd. Sometimes, the influence is very clear, though, and I had a few “a ha” moments while reading these essays.
There were some interesting tidbits about Bowie sprinkled throughout as well- including how he traveled by train, never in airplanes, and carried with him an entire trunk full of books, neatly arranged.
The author also gives readers a suggested Bowie tune to listen to while reading each specific title on the list.
I thought this book was unique and original, and is one that Bowie fans will relish, and book lovers will cherish. The book is insightful and informative, maybe a little nostalgic and poignant, but also really fun too!
Because reading is, among much else, an escape—into other people, other perspectives, other consciousnesses. It takes you out of yourself, only to put you back there infinitely enriched.
This is such a cool little book! I won a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway and was smitten with it the instant I laid eyes on it.
Book people tend to like other book people, and Bowie should get a nod of approval from voracious readers, even if you are more of a casual fan, because -as his son, Duncan, has pointed out, he was a ‘beast of a reader’. In 2013, David drew up a list of a hundred books that had influenced him the most.
I had never seen or read his list before now. Naturally, I was very curious to see what books might have influenced someone as diverse as David Bowie. However, I was a little worried that I might not know any of the books on the list. I had imagined David Bowie’s taste in reading material would differ vastly from my own simple taste.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by how many books on the list that I recognized. That doesn’t mean I’ve read them, just that I’d at least heard of them. In truth, I’ve only read three books on his list. But I plan to add more than a handful of them to MY list.
Naturally, Bowie was well read and had a wide range of interests. The list itself is very telling. What John O’Connell has done here, is to write a brief composition about each book, speculating on how or why it may have made an impression on Bowie.
One would have to know Bowie pretty well, I’d think, to assume such a task, but the author did an admirable job, in my opinion. Since I’ve only read three of the books, I can’t really speak to how close to the mark O’Connell’s theories were, but it was fun to read his hypothesis, even if a few of them were a bit odd. Sometimes, the influence is very clear, though, and I had a few “a ha” moments while reading these essays.
There were some interesting tidbits about Bowie sprinkled throughout as well- including how he traveled by train, never in airplanes, and carried with him an entire trunk full of books, neatly arranged.
The author also gives readers a suggested Bowie tune to listen to while reading each specific title on the list.
I thought this book was unique and original, and is one that Bowie fans will relish, and book lovers will cherish. The book is insightful and informative, maybe a little nostalgic and poignant, but also really fun too!
September 14, 2024
I was a big Bowie fan back in the early seventies, a time when I was in my teens and he was releasing what to me remain his most iconic albums: Hunky Dory & Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. He was fresh, his voice just a little off, and his lyrics somewhat strange but always conveying a story. I wasn’t quite so enamoured with the albums that followed but in 1983 he released Let’s Dance in which a re-invented Bowie produced a collection of tracks that everyone I knew loved and played to death. And he would, of course, continue to re-invent himself, as he always had – often when I wasn’t watching.
But what of the man? I knew surprisingly little of him, really, and I certainly hadn’t perceived him to be a voracious reader. I suppose his lyrics had to come from somewhere; something had to be feeding his mind, planting seeds for the many varied stories he told in his songs. Bowie is described as an autodidact, who struggled with formal education but spent a lifetime self-educating. So it turns out he was a huge reader, reading constantly, including sometimes from a library of circa 1500 books he often carted around with him when he travelled. This book provides a list of the one hundred books he considered most important and influential (note – these are not necessarily the books he most enjoyed).
There’s a real mix here. I recognised quite a few, but there are only two books (plus one magazine and one comic) that I can actually claim to have read. There are about half a dozen books I’ve sometimes planned to read but haven’t gotten around to yet (by authors such as Hitchens, Martin Amis, DeLillo and Capote), quite a few I really don’t fancy and a fair few more I’d never heard of. There’s a good sprinkling of science fiction, a little philosophy, some poetry, and much of the rest is an eclectic mix of the avant-garde and the obscure. Getting on for a third of the books was written before he was born.
The author tries to explain in what way each book was significant for Bowie, what he took from it or how his discovery of the text tied in to a particular song he wrote (for example the phrase homo superior in ‘Oh! You Pretty Thing’ was scavenged from Olaf Stapledon’s science fiction novel Odd John). There’s also a thread of autobiographical commentary running through the piece, so we learn quite a bit about Bowie’s development as a person and as an artist as we make our way through the list of books. In fact, I found one of the most interesting elements to be how the books seemed to help shape the man and that the changes wrought duly steered him towards an ever more off-centre collection of books.
I didn’t find myself wishing to rush out and grab many titles listed here, but I did find it a fascinating study of this chameleon of a man.
My sincere thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc & NetGalley for supplying an early copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
But what of the man? I knew surprisingly little of him, really, and I certainly hadn’t perceived him to be a voracious reader. I suppose his lyrics had to come from somewhere; something had to be feeding his mind, planting seeds for the many varied stories he told in his songs. Bowie is described as an autodidact, who struggled with formal education but spent a lifetime self-educating. So it turns out he was a huge reader, reading constantly, including sometimes from a library of circa 1500 books he often carted around with him when he travelled. This book provides a list of the one hundred books he considered most important and influential (note – these are not necessarily the books he most enjoyed).
There’s a real mix here. I recognised quite a few, but there are only two books (plus one magazine and one comic) that I can actually claim to have read. There are about half a dozen books I’ve sometimes planned to read but haven’t gotten around to yet (by authors such as Hitchens, Martin Amis, DeLillo and Capote), quite a few I really don’t fancy and a fair few more I’d never heard of. There’s a good sprinkling of science fiction, a little philosophy, some poetry, and much of the rest is an eclectic mix of the avant-garde and the obscure. Getting on for a third of the books was written before he was born.
The author tries to explain in what way each book was significant for Bowie, what he took from it or how his discovery of the text tied in to a particular song he wrote (for example the phrase homo superior in ‘Oh! You Pretty Thing’ was scavenged from Olaf Stapledon’s science fiction novel Odd John). There’s also a thread of autobiographical commentary running through the piece, so we learn quite a bit about Bowie’s development as a person and as an artist as we make our way through the list of books. In fact, I found one of the most interesting elements to be how the books seemed to help shape the man and that the changes wrought duly steered him towards an ever more off-centre collection of books.
I didn’t find myself wishing to rush out and grab many titles listed here, but I did find it a fascinating study of this chameleon of a man.
My sincere thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc & NetGalley for supplying an early copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
July 24, 2019
I've never been the type of person into hero worship, not if a group, singer nor movie star. There have been groups I've loved, singers I've enjoyed but I wasn't one who screamed and yelled myself horse in an audience. Bowie wasn't a favorite but I liked some of his music, some I didn't. I am guilty if being surprised of what an avid reader he was, couldn't pass up the opportunity to find out what he read. So interesting.
The books are listed one by one, with a description of what the book entails, what it meant to Bowie and why. Where was he in his life at the point that the book spoke to him. Some of the books are strange ones, some I've heard of and read, some comics and cartoons that those in the UK had heard of, I did not. He loved to read about art, critical evaluations of literature, hard hitting fiction, and so many others. Varied interests depending where he was in his life.
This was such an intriguing read. It has been said that it was possible to get a feel for a person based on the books they've read. If that is so, Bowie was a talented, well read, multifaceted but a flawed one with many issues he had to overcome.
I found this absolutely astonishing.
"Bowie hates aircraft so he mostly travels across the States by train, carrying his mobile biblioteque in special trunks which open out with all his books neatly displayed on shelves. In New Mexico the volumes dealt mainly with the occult, his current enthusiasm." This portable library stored fifteen hundred titles, enough to make Clark's later observation to a journalist that Bowie "really read alot" while making The Man Who fell to earth seem like s but of an understatement."
A list of his books are included.
ARC from Edelweiss.
The books are listed one by one, with a description of what the book entails, what it meant to Bowie and why. Where was he in his life at the point that the book spoke to him. Some of the books are strange ones, some I've heard of and read, some comics and cartoons that those in the UK had heard of, I did not. He loved to read about art, critical evaluations of literature, hard hitting fiction, and so many others. Varied interests depending where he was in his life.
This was such an intriguing read. It has been said that it was possible to get a feel for a person based on the books they've read. If that is so, Bowie was a talented, well read, multifaceted but a flawed one with many issues he had to overcome.
I found this absolutely astonishing.
"Bowie hates aircraft so he mostly travels across the States by train, carrying his mobile biblioteque in special trunks which open out with all his books neatly displayed on shelves. In New Mexico the volumes dealt mainly with the occult, his current enthusiasm." This portable library stored fifteen hundred titles, enough to make Clark's later observation to a journalist that Bowie "really read alot" while making The Man Who fell to earth seem like s but of an understatement."
A list of his books are included.
ARC from Edelweiss.
November 26, 2020
This book ended way too soon. I could have read it if it had been three times as long
July 24, 2025
I was expecting more input from Bowie himself. Instead, the author starts out with a possible explanation of why some books are not on this list. I felt a bit impatient and wondered why it didn't get straight to the books that were actually on the list.
In fact, the book as a whole felt more like an exploration, even speculation, into why Bowie did, or didn't choose a book with facts about the book and the author, along with some information about the book's place in social/cultural history. The emphasis seemed very much more on the books chosen rather than Bowie himself.
In fact, the book as a whole felt more like an exploration, even speculation, into why Bowie did, or didn't choose a book with facts about the book and the author, along with some information about the book's place in social/cultural history. The emphasis seemed very much more on the books chosen rather than Bowie himself.
November 14, 2019
These are not David Bowie's favourite books, thrynarenthe ones that had a material difference on him. Bowie was such a talented and creative person whom liked to surround himself with new information. This is a list of 100 books that influenced him and there is essays on why he thought they did. This is a well researched and written book. This is a boo that fa s old and new will enjoy. After all, I enjoyed it and I wasnt a fan at all.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Bloomsbury Publishing (UK & ANZ) and the author John O'Connell for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Bloomsbury Publishing (UK & ANZ) and the author John O'Connell for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 8, 2019
I had no idea David Bowie was such a voracious reader. The vast spectrum of literature he embraced, his compulsion with books and how they inspired, influenced and impacted his life are meticulously documented by the author. I am an avid reader but so many books referenced within that I had never heard of. Enjoyable biographic bits and backstory peppered into the mix. Thanks to Gallery Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 21, 2021
As a fan of David Bowie and books, I had high hopes for this one. But instead of any real insight into why these books made it into Bowie's favorites, we get what feels like a fan giving a book review often followed by a "Bowie must have thought/felt/done/etc about this book". I would have been much happier with what he actually thought vs some magazine writer deciding what Bowie thought. I don't do well with nonfiction books where the author finds in necessary to guess what the subject was thinking - that's speculation, not fact.
Anyway, this book was slightly saved by, at the end of each chapter/book, the author lists a Bowie song that fits the book and another book that might of interest to the reader. The author was obviously working with what he had but unless Bowie left behind his own thoughts, I feel this book was better off not being written.
Anyway, this book was slightly saved by, at the end of each chapter/book, the author lists a Bowie song that fits the book and another book that might of interest to the reader. The author was obviously working with what he had but unless Bowie left behind his own thoughts, I feel this book was better off not being written.
October 10, 2019
Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
2016 was a horrible year. It started with the death of Bowie and ended with the death of Carrie Fisher. And let’s not talk about the election okay?
If one knew anything about David Bowie, other than his music and Iman, one knew that he loved to read. There was a list of 100 books that influenced Bowie that was released before his death in conjunction with a show of his costumes at the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario). After his death, his son, Duncan Jones, founded the David Bowie Book Club, a podcast series that is working its way though the list. O’Connell’s book provides a brief overview of each work on the list, but, perhaps more importantly, the influence it might have had on Bowie as well as pairing the book with one or more of his songs as well as further reading.
One question this book raises is if the complete 100 book list is easy enough to find online, why read this book? Part of it is because of the essays that accompanies each work. The essay not only serves as an introduction to the various books but also details about when Bowie most likely read the book for the first time, biographical information about the author and Bowie, and details about what songs refer to the book. There are also references to Iggy Pop.
Some of the books on this list were introduced to Bowie by his half brother Terry. This includes the influence of the Beats as well as writers that he felt an affinity for – such as Fitzgerald and Carter. It also includes writers who wrote about him such as Camille Paglia or authors that he met or wanted to meet.
Some writers, like Carter and Fitzgerald are not a surprise, but Bowie also read heavily into history – not only Howard Zinn but also a door stopper about the Russian Revolution. There are some writers or books that are somewhat surprising - such as The Leopard or Day of the Locust (tbh, I’m surprised that anyone likes Day of the Locust). Beano and Homer even make the list, and there is a good number of Harlem Renaissance Works on it and less famous works as well. I want to read A Grave for a Dolphin now, and I had never heard of it before. There are stories about recommendations that he made to friends and backing musicians, such as the Street by Ann Petry.
O’Connell’s writing is engaging, and the book is an easy one to dip in and out of. The hardest part is dealing with the grief of Bowie’s death. (OH, and not wanting to strangle O’Connell when he writes that Bowie read the most of any person on Earth type hyperbole because I know some people he should meet.
2016 was a horrible year. It started with the death of Bowie and ended with the death of Carrie Fisher. And let’s not talk about the election okay?
If one knew anything about David Bowie, other than his music and Iman, one knew that he loved to read. There was a list of 100 books that influenced Bowie that was released before his death in conjunction with a show of his costumes at the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario). After his death, his son, Duncan Jones, founded the David Bowie Book Club, a podcast series that is working its way though the list. O’Connell’s book provides a brief overview of each work on the list, but, perhaps more importantly, the influence it might have had on Bowie as well as pairing the book with one or more of his songs as well as further reading.
One question this book raises is if the complete 100 book list is easy enough to find online, why read this book? Part of it is because of the essays that accompanies each work. The essay not only serves as an introduction to the various books but also details about when Bowie most likely read the book for the first time, biographical information about the author and Bowie, and details about what songs refer to the book. There are also references to Iggy Pop.
Some of the books on this list were introduced to Bowie by his half brother Terry. This includes the influence of the Beats as well as writers that he felt an affinity for – such as Fitzgerald and Carter. It also includes writers who wrote about him such as Camille Paglia or authors that he met or wanted to meet.
Some writers, like Carter and Fitzgerald are not a surprise, but Bowie also read heavily into history – not only Howard Zinn but also a door stopper about the Russian Revolution. There are some writers or books that are somewhat surprising - such as The Leopard or Day of the Locust (tbh, I’m surprised that anyone likes Day of the Locust). Beano and Homer even make the list, and there is a good number of Harlem Renaissance Works on it and less famous works as well. I want to read A Grave for a Dolphin now, and I had never heard of it before. There are stories about recommendations that he made to friends and backing musicians, such as the Street by Ann Petry.
O’Connell’s writing is engaging, and the book is an easy one to dip in and out of. The hardest part is dealing with the grief of Bowie’s death. (OH, and not wanting to strangle O’Connell when he writes that Bowie read the most of any person on Earth type hyperbole because I know some people he should meet.
August 13, 2023
Una colección muy bien estructurada de los 100 libros que marcaron la vida del cantante. Compara cada libro con una etapa de su vida y, además, te recomienda otros para leer si es que esos te han gustado. Escrito de una forma exquisita en forma de ensayo 😌⚡️, John O’connel es un fantástico experto musical, tengo ganas de leer más artículos de él ☺️💗.
October 25, 2019
When Bowie first shared his list of 100 favorite books, I immediately started to work my way through them. It even inspired me to create and maintain my own list of 100 favorite books. So, of course when I saw this title, I knew I had to read it.
O'Connell thoughtfully dives into the history of Bowie in relation to the choices he made with the books, giving backstory and insight into how they may have shaped certain aspects of his life, or his art. As a Bowie fan I loved reading this unique take on his life, but as a reader, I loved reading about the books themselves and am using this to better prioritize my own reading choices. I think I will read many of those books even more thoughtfully as a result of O'Connell's information.
A must-read if you love Bowie, and a wonderful read if you just love books and want a glimpse into how words can change one's life.
O'Connell thoughtfully dives into the history of Bowie in relation to the choices he made with the books, giving backstory and insight into how they may have shaped certain aspects of his life, or his art. As a Bowie fan I loved reading this unique take on his life, but as a reader, I loved reading about the books themselves and am using this to better prioritize my own reading choices. I think I will read many of those books even more thoughtfully as a result of O'Connell's information.
A must-read if you love Bowie, and a wonderful read if you just love books and want a glimpse into how words can change one's life.
January 19, 2020
Not necessarily the best book, but had some interesting information about books that Bowie felt influenced him in some way. Felt more like a book you skim than one you sit and absorb, skimmed was all I did. One thing I did like was after each passage a song recommendation and another book if you enjoy that one.
January 13, 2020
Kimley and I are going to discuss this book on an upcoming episode of Book Musik.
July 26, 2019
This is an interesting idea which is done well. John O’Connell has taken the list which Bowie made of the 100 books which had most influenced him (but not necessarily his favourite books, as O’Connell firmly points out) and has given a brief description of each book, something of its history and a suggestion of how it came to influence David Bowie.
In general, O’Connell does this very well. There is a lengthy introduction in which he describes Bowie’s almost addictive reading habit and relates this to the man and his extraordinary art. He generally (but not quite always, I think) manages to avoid pretentiousness and gives us a good idea of the influence of reading on Bowie himself. I liked this little passage: “This isn’t the story of David Bowie’s life… But it is a look at the tools he used to navigate his life, not to mention a shot in the arm for the unfashionable theory, one that I’ve always liked, that reading makes you a better person.” That gives an idea of the aims of the book and O’Connell’s style, both of which I liked.
The list is extremely eclectic, from Camus to Viz and The Beano and from art and philosophy to thrillers. O’Connell takes each book in the list and relates it to Bowie’s career and personal life. This is a tricky task, necessarily a little speculative in places, and he manages to do it credibly and engagingly. It’s one to dip into rather than read at a sitting, but a couple of sections at a time are rewarding and have suggested several things I may want to read myself.
I did baulk slightly at the end of each section where there is a “Read while listening to...” with suggestions of Bowie tracks. I wouldn’t dream of listening to Bowie while reading anything – it would be an insult to both Bowie and the book. Perhaps “After reading, listen to...” would have been better. This is followed by an Amazon-style “If you liked this, then try...” suggestion which I have to say I found rather patronising.
Minor quibbles aside, this is an interesting, readable book which I can recommend.
(My thanks to Bloomsbury for an ARC via NetGalley.)
In general, O’Connell does this very well. There is a lengthy introduction in which he describes Bowie’s almost addictive reading habit and relates this to the man and his extraordinary art. He generally (but not quite always, I think) manages to avoid pretentiousness and gives us a good idea of the influence of reading on Bowie himself. I liked this little passage: “This isn’t the story of David Bowie’s life… But it is a look at the tools he used to navigate his life, not to mention a shot in the arm for the unfashionable theory, one that I’ve always liked, that reading makes you a better person.” That gives an idea of the aims of the book and O’Connell’s style, both of which I liked.
The list is extremely eclectic, from Camus to Viz and The Beano and from art and philosophy to thrillers. O’Connell takes each book in the list and relates it to Bowie’s career and personal life. This is a tricky task, necessarily a little speculative in places, and he manages to do it credibly and engagingly. It’s one to dip into rather than read at a sitting, but a couple of sections at a time are rewarding and have suggested several things I may want to read myself.
I did baulk slightly at the end of each section where there is a “Read while listening to...” with suggestions of Bowie tracks. I wouldn’t dream of listening to Bowie while reading anything – it would be an insult to both Bowie and the book. Perhaps “After reading, listen to...” would have been better. This is followed by an Amazon-style “If you liked this, then try...” suggestion which I have to say I found rather patronising.
Minor quibbles aside, this is an interesting, readable book which I can recommend.
(My thanks to Bloomsbury for an ARC via NetGalley.)
January 2, 2022
David Jones a quien el mundo conoció con muchos otros nombres como El Duque Blanco, Ziggy Stardust en su época glam o por su nombre artístico David Bowie cambió la música y como vimos el arte en muchos aspectos para siempre. Bowie hizo lo que supo desde niño, sobrevivir a la locura convirtiéndose en muchos personajes, mutar, avanzar, jugar consigo mismo y dejar un legado imposible de superar. Esa voz es inmortal, el hombre de mirada mística que inexplicablemente jamás fue un Lucifer en el cine (pero sí en su vida real) aunque incursionó en muchas películas y terminó inspirando el comic Lucifer de Neil Gaiman.
David Bowie aparte de ser un camaleón de la música y con su imagen también fue un lector envidiable, su miedo a utilizar aviones a menos que fuese estrictamente necesario lo obligó a trasladarse por trenes en los que aparte de acompañarse de sus músicos llevaba unos baúles especialmente diseñados para él repletos de libros de todo tipo de género, libros que podían ir desde el ensayo, la poesía, el humor, la narrativa, biografías, historia y mucho ocultismo, un género que estudió en silencio y que en cada disco incluía bien escondido en algunas letras.
En el año 1998 llegó a escribir reseñas de libros que adoraba para la librería “Barnes & Nole, Bowie fue invitado a realizar una lista de los 100 libros que un lector voraz debería leer en su vida, en esa lista no están todos los que lo marcaron o inspiraron, aquí es como una selección ligera de los miles de textos que lo convirtieron en ese artista enigmático. Las letras del Duque Blanco son literarias, es difícil no verlo así, uno lee sus liricas sin la música y gozamos a un poeta de un nivel magnifico. Extraño que nunca coqueteó con la publicación de un libro escrito por él, aunque sí llego a comentar que trabajaba en una obra de cuentos con aires distópicos. Es obligatorio mencionar algo que pocos hacen y es que muchos consideran que el germen de la caída del Muro de Berlín lo sembró David Bowie dos años antes de que ocurriera al hacer un concierto en Berlín Oeste a mediados de 1987 en el que dedicó el tema “Heroes” a ese público que se encontraba del “otro lado” algo que terminaría en cientos de detenidos y con gritos de que “el muro debe caer”, dos años después ocurrió.
Y de esta manera debo hablar del libro editado por Blackie Books “El Club de lectura de David Bowie” un trabajo en el que se presenta esa lista de 100 obras que resultaron ser una gran influencia en la vida y el mito de nuestro eterno Duque Blanco. Como dije anteriormente no están todas las que lo marcaron pero sí es un abanico bastante amplio y una selección bastante variopinta en la que podemos encontrar algo como libros indispensables dentro de una biblioteca “El extranjero” de Albert Camus, “Lolita” de Vladimir Nabokov, “El marino que perdió la gracia del mar” de uno de sus ídolos Yukio Mishima con quien compartía muchas cosas en común, “Mientras agonizo” de William Faulkner, “1984” de George Orwell, “En el camino” de Jack Kerouac, “El gran Gatsby” de Scott Fitzgerald, “El maestro y Margarita” de Mijaíl Bulgákov, “A sangre fría” de Truman Capote entre tantos otros, también hay libros históricos con una fuerte tendencia a desenmascarar la Rusia comunista como “El cero y el infinito” de Arthur Koestler o de Orlando Figes “La revolución rusa (1891-1924) que inspirarían fuertemente muchas de sus canciones. Es curioso como ningún autor originalmente en idioma español se encuentra en la lista, quizás el que podría acercarse un poco es Junot Díaz con su libro bastante sobrevalorado en mi opinión “La maravillosa vida breve de Óscar Wao” con ese spanglish característico. A resaltar que únicamente son dos los autores que se repiten Anthony Burgees y George Orwell y también es muy extraño que Bowie siendo un gran estudioso de los temas ocultistas solo se mencione “Dogma y Ritual de la Alta Magia” de Eliphas Levi, quizás sea porque estos temas lo llevan a un pasado que no quería mover nuevamente, aunque su último y lapidario trabajo “Blackstar” fuese un testamento verdaderamente basado en simbología y temas ocultos.
En pocas palabras, David Bowie fue un genio que todo lo que leía lo convertía en arte, el Duque Blanco era un alquimista de las artes, su voz era magnética y funcionaba como un sonido que hipnotizaba a quien lo escuchara. Esta lista analizada de manera muy inteligente por el periodista musical John O’Connell muestra claramente la importancia literaria de David Bowie en su música.
“El Club de lectura de David Bowie – Una invitación a la lectura a través de los 100 libros que cambiaron la vida del mito” editado por Blackie Books debe leerse como una guía literaria. El Duque Blanco fue sin duda uno de los músicos que pasaran décadas y el mundo seguirá estudiando su obra musical y su personaje místico y mítico.
David Bowie aparte de ser un camaleón de la música y con su imagen también fue un lector envidiable, su miedo a utilizar aviones a menos que fuese estrictamente necesario lo obligó a trasladarse por trenes en los que aparte de acompañarse de sus músicos llevaba unos baúles especialmente diseñados para él repletos de libros de todo tipo de género, libros que podían ir desde el ensayo, la poesía, el humor, la narrativa, biografías, historia y mucho ocultismo, un género que estudió en silencio y que en cada disco incluía bien escondido en algunas letras.
En el año 1998 llegó a escribir reseñas de libros que adoraba para la librería “Barnes & Nole, Bowie fue invitado a realizar una lista de los 100 libros que un lector voraz debería leer en su vida, en esa lista no están todos los que lo marcaron o inspiraron, aquí es como una selección ligera de los miles de textos que lo convirtieron en ese artista enigmático. Las letras del Duque Blanco son literarias, es difícil no verlo así, uno lee sus liricas sin la música y gozamos a un poeta de un nivel magnifico. Extraño que nunca coqueteó con la publicación de un libro escrito por él, aunque sí llego a comentar que trabajaba en una obra de cuentos con aires distópicos. Es obligatorio mencionar algo que pocos hacen y es que muchos consideran que el germen de la caída del Muro de Berlín lo sembró David Bowie dos años antes de que ocurriera al hacer un concierto en Berlín Oeste a mediados de 1987 en el que dedicó el tema “Heroes” a ese público que se encontraba del “otro lado” algo que terminaría en cientos de detenidos y con gritos de que “el muro debe caer”, dos años después ocurrió.
Y de esta manera debo hablar del libro editado por Blackie Books “El Club de lectura de David Bowie” un trabajo en el que se presenta esa lista de 100 obras que resultaron ser una gran influencia en la vida y el mito de nuestro eterno Duque Blanco. Como dije anteriormente no están todas las que lo marcaron pero sí es un abanico bastante amplio y una selección bastante variopinta en la que podemos encontrar algo como libros indispensables dentro de una biblioteca “El extranjero” de Albert Camus, “Lolita” de Vladimir Nabokov, “El marino que perdió la gracia del mar” de uno de sus ídolos Yukio Mishima con quien compartía muchas cosas en común, “Mientras agonizo” de William Faulkner, “1984” de George Orwell, “En el camino” de Jack Kerouac, “El gran Gatsby” de Scott Fitzgerald, “El maestro y Margarita” de Mijaíl Bulgákov, “A sangre fría” de Truman Capote entre tantos otros, también hay libros históricos con una fuerte tendencia a desenmascarar la Rusia comunista como “El cero y el infinito” de Arthur Koestler o de Orlando Figes “La revolución rusa (1891-1924) que inspirarían fuertemente muchas de sus canciones. Es curioso como ningún autor originalmente en idioma español se encuentra en la lista, quizás el que podría acercarse un poco es Junot Díaz con su libro bastante sobrevalorado en mi opinión “La maravillosa vida breve de Óscar Wao” con ese spanglish característico. A resaltar que únicamente son dos los autores que se repiten Anthony Burgees y George Orwell y también es muy extraño que Bowie siendo un gran estudioso de los temas ocultistas solo se mencione “Dogma y Ritual de la Alta Magia” de Eliphas Levi, quizás sea porque estos temas lo llevan a un pasado que no quería mover nuevamente, aunque su último y lapidario trabajo “Blackstar” fuese un testamento verdaderamente basado en simbología y temas ocultos.
En pocas palabras, David Bowie fue un genio que todo lo que leía lo convertía en arte, el Duque Blanco era un alquimista de las artes, su voz era magnética y funcionaba como un sonido que hipnotizaba a quien lo escuchara. Esta lista analizada de manera muy inteligente por el periodista musical John O’Connell muestra claramente la importancia literaria de David Bowie en su música.
“El Club de lectura de David Bowie – Una invitación a la lectura a través de los 100 libros que cambiaron la vida del mito” editado por Blackie Books debe leerse como una guía literaria. El Duque Blanco fue sin duda uno de los músicos que pasaran décadas y el mundo seguirá estudiando su obra musical y su personaje místico y mítico.
December 1, 2019
Not long before his death, David Bowie, always an avid reader, made a list of the 100 books that had most influenced him. This book comprises short essays about each of these books and the reasons why they had such an impact on him, and in so doing explores various aspects of Bowie’s life and ideas. It’s an eclectic choice of books, for sure, from Camus to Dante, Martin Amis to Flaubert. At the end of each essay there’s a “you might also like this” suggestion, plus a suggestion of what to listen to while (or preferably after) reading one of Bowie's recommended books. This is definitely not a book to plough through in one go, as that would become quite tedious, but as a book to dip in and out of I found it an original and engaging concept, well-executed and with some thoughtful insights into Bowie’s character and career. Not just for the Bowie fan, either, but for anyone interested in other people’s reading tastes.
June 8, 2020
http://librodelosviernes.blogspot.com...
Es una buena selección de libros pero si no eres fan con conocimiento de Bowie puedes sentirte un poco perdido, como me ha pasado a mi. Hablaba de cosas y/o personas que no conocía y por eso se ha hecho una lectura densa y larga. Aún así me llevo algunos libros de la lista para futuras lecturas.
Es una buena selección de libros pero si no eres fan con conocimiento de Bowie puedes sentirte un poco perdido, como me ha pasado a mi. Hablaba de cosas y/o personas que no conocía y por eso se ha hecho una lectura densa y larga. Aún así me llevo algunos libros de la lista para futuras lecturas.
April 13, 2020
In de Nederlandse Orlando-editie!
Heel interessant, ook als je (te) weinig van Bowie weet en niks moet hebben van Ian McEwan en Don DeLillo.
Heel interessant, ook als je (te) weinig van Bowie weet en niks moet hebben van Ian McEwan en Don DeLillo.
October 22, 2020
Een modale of academische literaire gids kan me niet raken, maar als de invalshoek origineel is of uit een hoek komt die me sowieso fascineert, dan ben ik helemaal vertrokken! Steinz gids voor de wereldliteratuur of de beduimelde collectie cultliteratuurgidsen in mijn boekenkast: ik kan ze telkens opnieuw ter hand nemen en me laten inspireren.
En nu dus 'Bowie's Books'.
Ik maakte kennis met zijn lijstje op de ronduit geniale tentoonstelling David Bowie IS en had sindsdien hoog op mijn eindeloze prioriteitenlijst staan om die lijst eens volledig op te zoeken en uit te spitten. Toen dit boek verscheen, gebaseerd op de lijst, kon ik dat meteen schrappen en gulzig beginnen lezen.
Heerlijk.
Een eerlijk oordeel? Wel: eigenlijk 5 sterren voor Bowie's lijstje en 3 voor het boek. Dan komen we mooi op 4 uit.
John O'Connel verliest zich wat teveel naar mijn zin in speculatie: 'Bowie zal het waarschijnlijk toen gelezen hebben', 'Bowie zal het boek zo wel leren kennen hebben', 'Bowie zal er wel dat van gevonden hebben' 'Bowie moet wel dit gedacht hebben toen hij het las'. Zinloos en storend.
Maar verder vind ik dit een heerlijk manier om kennis te maken met een uitgebreid en verrassend scala aan boeken. Ja, ik kende er al heel wat van, maar ik werd minsten even dikwijls verrast. Het lijstje is bovendien leuk omdat het geen lijst van 'beste boeken' is, maar eentje van boeken die Bowie het meest beïnvloed hebben. Heerlijk om door te grasduinen: dit zal ongetwijfeld zijn sporen nalaten in de voorraad van Boekhandel Het Voorwoord
En nu dus 'Bowie's Books'.
Ik maakte kennis met zijn lijstje op de ronduit geniale tentoonstelling David Bowie IS en had sindsdien hoog op mijn eindeloze prioriteitenlijst staan om die lijst eens volledig op te zoeken en uit te spitten. Toen dit boek verscheen, gebaseerd op de lijst, kon ik dat meteen schrappen en gulzig beginnen lezen.
Heerlijk.
Een eerlijk oordeel? Wel: eigenlijk 5 sterren voor Bowie's lijstje en 3 voor het boek. Dan komen we mooi op 4 uit.
John O'Connel verliest zich wat teveel naar mijn zin in speculatie: 'Bowie zal het waarschijnlijk toen gelezen hebben', 'Bowie zal het boek zo wel leren kennen hebben', 'Bowie zal er wel dat van gevonden hebben' 'Bowie moet wel dit gedacht hebben toen hij het las'. Zinloos en storend.
Maar verder vind ik dit een heerlijk manier om kennis te maken met een uitgebreid en verrassend scala aan boeken. Ja, ik kende er al heel wat van, maar ik werd minsten even dikwijls verrast. Het lijstje is bovendien leuk omdat het geen lijst van 'beste boeken' is, maar eentje van boeken die Bowie het meest beïnvloed hebben. Heerlijk om door te grasduinen: dit zal ongetwijfeld zijn sporen nalaten in de voorraad van Boekhandel Het Voorwoord
November 14, 2019
Many millions of music listeners the world over loved nothing better than to listen to the legendary musician David Bowie's instantly recognisable dulcet tones. However, many more, like myself, have been intrigued and fascinated by the music and literature which he himself was inspired. In Bowie's Books, author John O'Connell uses the list Bowie wrote in his last years, featuring 100 books, pieces of music and wider publications (e.g. Viz) that impacted him and his mindset, to set the structure of the book. The list is a diverse and eclectic one and covers iconic literature right through to pop culture favourites; all of whom are related back to Bowie and his life. His love of reading has always taken a backseat to his lyrical prowess but I am so pleased it is now laid bare in this fascinating book which can be read from cover to cover or dipped in and out of wherever and whenever you like.
From the Beano to Jack Kerouac and Albert Camus to Dante's Inferno, Bowie's Books links the ideas of these publications together and back to the enigmatic showman himself. The books, music and other publications mentioned are those you engage with when you are hoping to learn more about yourself or the world around you and would hardly be described as lighthearted or incongruous with many of the books we read today; in many respects, they are classics and have very philosophical messages to them. Being both a Bowie fan and a book advocate, I feel lucky to have picked this up and know it will appeal to a wide range of people. Seeing the sources from which he drew his inspiration was amazing and a real treat. This is a phenomenal work of non-fiction and one I know I will remember for a very long time to come. Genius. Gone too soon. RIP David. Many thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for an ARC.
From the Beano to Jack Kerouac and Albert Camus to Dante's Inferno, Bowie's Books links the ideas of these publications together and back to the enigmatic showman himself. The books, music and other publications mentioned are those you engage with when you are hoping to learn more about yourself or the world around you and would hardly be described as lighthearted or incongruous with many of the books we read today; in many respects, they are classics and have very philosophical messages to them. Being both a Bowie fan and a book advocate, I feel lucky to have picked this up and know it will appeal to a wide range of people. Seeing the sources from which he drew his inspiration was amazing and a real treat. This is a phenomenal work of non-fiction and one I know I will remember for a very long time to come. Genius. Gone too soon. RIP David. Many thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for an ARC.
March 12, 2020
---- Disclosure: I received this book for free from Goodreads. ----
Was very excited to receive this. Anything that informed Bowie's mind I'm interested in, b/c he was just one of those singularly intriguing type of people that occasionally deigns to walk amongst us on this planet.
I'll try not to repeat what others have already said about this book. It is definitely the type of thing to read a bit of, set down, & then come back to again. Short brief bits of info. about the books on the list are provided, which I used to suss them out as possibilities for my "want to read" list. Some books unfortunately had too little information, & there doesn't seem to be any reason for the unevenness of the content. The song suggestions at the end of each section I found slightly annoying, although I can't say exactly why. Take them or leave them, they're only a sentence each, after all. Other readers seem to to appreciate them. My only real true complaint, however, is that the author inserts himself way too much into this. It's sold as an overview of the books on the book list Bowie provided for the gallery shows that occurred not long before his death. Technically, this is not a falsehood. Certainly though, this book is not sold on the author's re-telling of his ideas about Bowie, his Bowie encounter, or things (including books) he things Bowie would have liked. I couldn't be less interested in your thoughts, guy. I certainly don't appreciate your attempts to scatter them throughout my ingestion of material re: Bowie's influential life reads. That's not cool, man.
Short review: recommend for reading-types w/ an appreciation for the art that is/was Bowie.
December 1, 2020
Este libro me deja dos hermosas y desoladoras conclusiones.
La primera, David Jones, o como todos lo conocemos David Bowie, fue un sujeto realmente único en nuestra época. Su talento, glamour, carisma e ingenio no es sino la suma de grandes obras precedentes y contemporáneas de las cuales él supo adaptar para su obra artística y también el improbable y auténtico genio que pudo nacer u criarse en sólo ese contexto en particular. Como Bowie no volverá a haber otro.
La segunda y más pesada, es que me abruma la cantidad de experiencias, vivencias y conocimientos que sujetos como él experimentaron y que sujetos como yo jamás podrá siquiera simular, pero Bowie no vivió a través de una pandemia. Punto para Diego (y todos los que se han tomado el tiempo de leer todo esto.)
La primera, David Jones, o como todos lo conocemos David Bowie, fue un sujeto realmente único en nuestra época. Su talento, glamour, carisma e ingenio no es sino la suma de grandes obras precedentes y contemporáneas de las cuales él supo adaptar para su obra artística y también el improbable y auténtico genio que pudo nacer u criarse en sólo ese contexto en particular. Como Bowie no volverá a haber otro.
La segunda y más pesada, es que me abruma la cantidad de experiencias, vivencias y conocimientos que sujetos como él experimentaron y que sujetos como yo jamás podrá siquiera simular, pero Bowie no vivió a través de una pandemia. Punto para Diego (y todos los que se han tomado el tiempo de leer todo esto.)
Read
August 11, 2019An exegesis of that list Bowie made of the hundred books which influenced him the most, and one which at its best has some lovely and insightful turns of phrase, really bringing out their interconnections. Of Berlin Alexanderplatz's protagonist, say: "Biberkopf is Shakespeare's unaccommodated man, out on an existential limb – the kind of man Bowie flirted with becoming on the heaviest of his heavy nights out. But he could never quite get there. There was always someone around to step in and pull him out of the mire." And for the books I don't know at all, the potted introductions to the likes of A Grave For A Dolphin and Infants Of The Spring are very informative.
Elsewhere, it's less sure-footed, sometimes just stating the bleeding obvious (eg on A Clockwork Orange), and elsewhere verging on outright wrong. For instance, it traces the notion of 'homo superior' back to Odd John, which is fine, and then talks about it being everywhere as a notion in the sixties that there was a hidden elect who oversaw human development and diffused knowledge, which is also fine. But then quotes Lovecraft in a list of examples, which...well, you can twist that around and see how it works, but if you don't already know Lovecraft's stuff, that passage could give you a very odd idea of it. Or when addressing Day Of The Locust, which is contrasted with West's mate Fitzgerald, who we're told only addressed Hollywood's upper echelons in The Last Tycoon, not the bottom-feeders who interested West. Well, true as far as it goes, but by failing to note the existence of the Pat Hobby stories, also deeply misleading. As for the notion that Burgess' Earthly Powers is a book which physically has to be read on Kindle...well, I never knew the old stereotype of Bowie fans as limp-wristed was intended so literally. Basically, you will learn something from this, but fundamentally it's a loo book. Although considered as such, not a bad one. Even within that category, mind, I could probably have done without the occasional cartoons.
(Netgalley ARC)
Elsewhere, it's less sure-footed, sometimes just stating the bleeding obvious (eg on A Clockwork Orange), and elsewhere verging on outright wrong. For instance, it traces the notion of 'homo superior' back to Odd John, which is fine, and then talks about it being everywhere as a notion in the sixties that there was a hidden elect who oversaw human development and diffused knowledge, which is also fine. But then quotes Lovecraft in a list of examples, which...well, you can twist that around and see how it works, but if you don't already know Lovecraft's stuff, that passage could give you a very odd idea of it. Or when addressing Day Of The Locust, which is contrasted with West's mate Fitzgerald, who we're told only addressed Hollywood's upper echelons in The Last Tycoon, not the bottom-feeders who interested West. Well, true as far as it goes, but by failing to note the existence of the Pat Hobby stories, also deeply misleading. As for the notion that Burgess' Earthly Powers is a book which physically has to be read on Kindle...well, I never knew the old stereotype of Bowie fans as limp-wristed was intended so literally. Basically, you will learn something from this, but fundamentally it's a loo book. Although considered as such, not a bad one. Even within that category, mind, I could probably have done without the occasional cartoons.
(Netgalley ARC)
August 31, 2023
Te amo mucho David Bowie <3
October 19, 2019
Bowie's Bookshelf: The Hundred Books that Changed David Bowie's Life from John O'Connell is a wonderful book on several levels.
For Bowie fans this takes Bowie's list of the 100 most influential (not necessarily favorite) books on his life and offers some contextualization with Bowie's life. There is certainly some educated guesses about exactly what each book may have meant or how it influenced his music, but for the most part the explanations make sense. Of course, without knowing from Bowie himself, it is mostly conjecture. But even that is fun and enlightening. If Bowie put a work on this list it likely has some trace in his artistic output and O'Connell makes a good faith effort to tease out the possibilities.
For ravenous readers or lit majors, the list is interesting in and of itself. The books are not limited in either topic or complexity. Most readers will likely have read no more than half of these books. I read quite a bit and have for almost 60 years and I have only read 32 of them. Some of these I still have no desire to read but the fact Bowie thought so highly of these has convinced me to read a number of the ones I haven't. O'Connell doesn't so much give a synopsis of each book, I doubt he has read all of them himself, but he does offer enough about each book to make the connection to Bowie's work. As such, there aren't major spoilers but there are also no in depth analyses either. Which is probably for the best.
For people who fall into both categories this book offers a glimpse into what helped to make Bowie into who he was and enough background on the books to couple with your own knowledge to make, perhaps, additional connections. Everyone finds different ways into the music they like, so while O'Connell certainly offers interesting avenues into the music through these books you may well find more. Or at least ways that speak more specifically to how you understand the music. This is not, and does not pretend to be, a definitive analysis of all connections between the books and the music. It does, however, offer a great first step or two, from which we can find our own paths forward.
I think there is enough here to make this a good read for not only the readers I mention above but even the casual readers who likes either literary lists and/or the interplay between different art forms and how they influence each other.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
For Bowie fans this takes Bowie's list of the 100 most influential (not necessarily favorite) books on his life and offers some contextualization with Bowie's life. There is certainly some educated guesses about exactly what each book may have meant or how it influenced his music, but for the most part the explanations make sense. Of course, without knowing from Bowie himself, it is mostly conjecture. But even that is fun and enlightening. If Bowie put a work on this list it likely has some trace in his artistic output and O'Connell makes a good faith effort to tease out the possibilities.
For ravenous readers or lit majors, the list is interesting in and of itself. The books are not limited in either topic or complexity. Most readers will likely have read no more than half of these books. I read quite a bit and have for almost 60 years and I have only read 32 of them. Some of these I still have no desire to read but the fact Bowie thought so highly of these has convinced me to read a number of the ones I haven't. O'Connell doesn't so much give a synopsis of each book, I doubt he has read all of them himself, but he does offer enough about each book to make the connection to Bowie's work. As such, there aren't major spoilers but there are also no in depth analyses either. Which is probably for the best.
For people who fall into both categories this book offers a glimpse into what helped to make Bowie into who he was and enough background on the books to couple with your own knowledge to make, perhaps, additional connections. Everyone finds different ways into the music they like, so while O'Connell certainly offers interesting avenues into the music through these books you may well find more. Or at least ways that speak more specifically to how you understand the music. This is not, and does not pretend to be, a definitive analysis of all connections between the books and the music. It does, however, offer a great first step or two, from which we can find our own paths forward.
I think there is enough here to make this a good read for not only the readers I mention above but even the casual readers who likes either literary lists and/or the interplay between different art forms and how they influence each other.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
November 15, 2019
4.5 stars.
I've actually got a different edition, white cover, paperback, published by Bloomsbury, titled Bowie's Books.
I loved this unique romp through Bowie's literary influences, and the links made to his creative output. John O'Connell is such a great writer, and his short essays really bought Bowie's books alive.
Review to follow in Otago Daily Times.
I've actually got a different edition, white cover, paperback, published by Bloomsbury, titled Bowie's Books.
I loved this unique romp through Bowie's literary influences, and the links made to his creative output. John O'Connell is such a great writer, and his short essays really bought Bowie's books alive.
Review to follow in Otago Daily Times.
June 20, 2020
I’m a huge David Bowie fan so was very keen to read this book. It’s a really enjoyable book about the one hundred books that David Bowie considered the most influential. It’s a real mix of books and it’s fascinating to learn more about the ones I haven’t read yet (quite a few are now on my wish list now!). There is a list of all the books at the start so you get an overview of the titles. Then you get each title with a short essay about the book and what Bowie liked about it or what he took from it. At the end the author suggests a song or two that would work well with the book and I really liked that element. It made me take time to sit and think about the books and Bowie’s music and the influence that he took from what he was reading. Some of the links seems somewhat tenuous but others I knew of and it was interesting to get more understanding of them. I also have to mention how fab it was to see that the author thinks Tin Machine may get proper recognition one of these days – I’ve always thought they were under-rated and I love both of the Tin Machine albums. I definitely recommend this book to fans of David Bowie but I think readers in general who are looking to find some new books to read would also enjoy this.
This review was originally posted on my blog https://rathertoofondofbooks.com
This review was originally posted on my blog https://rathertoofondofbooks.com
July 31, 2022
Es ist ein gutes Buch über zum Teil sehr gute Bücher. David Bowie hat eine Liste mit für ihn wichtigen 100 Büchern (inklusive einiger weniger Comics) erstellt. Diese werden durch den Journalisten John O’Connell in kurzen, einfachen, gut lesbaren Texten vorgestellt. Es wird versucht eine Verbindung zu David Bowie oder seinem Werk zu knüpfen, um die Relevanz der Bücher für ihn herzustellen. Für einen David Bowie Fan, der mehr über das Leben von ihm erfahren möchte, mag der Inhalt enttäuschend sein. Wer offen für diesen Ansatz ist, erfährt aber ein bisschen etwas über die Prägung Bowies und vieles über Bücher. Es sind Bücher dabei, die ich selber gelesen habe. Es sind für mich obskure Bücher dabei, die mich nicht interessieren. Und es sind Bücher dabei, die ich auch lesen möchte, die auf meiner Lesewunschliste gelandet sind. Und was gibt es besseres als neue Bücher zu entdecken? Einen Stern ziehe ich in der Bewertung ab, da mir eine Organisation der Bücher in eine Struktur fehlt. Um es mit einer Musikanalogie zu beschreiben: es handelt sich um 100 Einzeltitel in einer großen Playlist. Eine Organisation in mehrere Alben (Kategorien) mit jeweils 10 bis 15 Songs (Bücher) hätte die Lesbarkeit (und das spätere Nachschlagen) noch verbessert. Trotz dieser kleinen Kritik bleibt das Buch für mich ein gutes Buch.
November 20, 2019
I am a book lover, so when I find out that a celebrity or other person I admire also loves books I am further smitten. So this book that is part list, part book recommend, part biography was one I was very excited to read.
The best part was that after each little section about a book there was a recommendation for another book you might like and a song to listen to. And then at the top of many of the sections there were little bits of illustration that was wonderful. This is a lot of fun.
The part that I wasn't as enamored with was that some of the books seemed to be chosen by the author who was speculating that Bowie would have loved them. I didn't really care about those entries and would have preferred the book to be shorter with fewer entries if he could have stuck to only books Bowie actually cared about.
The best part was that after each little section about a book there was a recommendation for another book you might like and a song to listen to. And then at the top of many of the sections there were little bits of illustration that was wonderful. This is a lot of fun.
The part that I wasn't as enamored with was that some of the books seemed to be chosen by the author who was speculating that Bowie would have loved them. I didn't really care about those entries and would have preferred the book to be shorter with fewer entries if he could have stuck to only books Bowie actually cared about.
February 27, 2020
Not a Bowie fan, (I don't listen to much music to consider myself much of it) but I do love reading about people's favorite books and their reading habits. I don't find most people interesting readers but I was pleasantly surprised. Bowie had an eclectic list filled with everything from explorations of the occult to British mid century writers I have never heard of (but sound good enough to try). It was interesting to see such a broad exploration of titles and how they shaped his work and world view. Only drawback is he is such a fascinating reader who has such broad interests I would love to see his whole shelves.
I do suggest that anyone who is interested in reading any of these titles be aware that at times the author gives you a complete plot summary! And yes most of these books are old but many aren't especially well known.
I do suggest that anyone who is interested in reading any of these titles be aware that at times the author gives you a complete plot summary! And yes most of these books are old but many aren't especially well known.
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