In the end: Una biografia non ufficiale di Chester Bennington (Gli scrittori della porta accanto)

by Rosanna Costantino

«Ho fatto un bellissimo viaggio nella vita di Chester Bennington.Ho attraversato paesaggi meravigliosi e posti incantevoli, radure smisurate e boschi maestosi. Ma mi sono imbattuta anche in aride alture e spaventosi e bui anfratti. Ho pianto e riso a perdifiato. E ho avuto paura, ansia, mi sono sentita persa e ho ritrovato un’altra me stessa.»Chester Bennington, frontman dei Linkin Park, è stato inserito tra i 100 migliori cantanti metal di tutti i tempi secondo Hit Parader. Ha avuto un’infanzia difficile e per tutta la vita ha lottato contro i demoni della depressione e della dipendenza. La musica è stata la sua salvezza, lo strumento attraverso cui ha raccontato i suoi tormenti interiori, aiutando così milioni di persone ad affrontare le stesse inquietudini.Nonostante il successo e tutti gli sforzi per non arrendersi, la depressione ha avuto la meglio e il 20 luglio 2017, a soli 41 anni, è stato trovato senza vita nella sua casa di Los Angeles, lasciando sgomenti i fans e il mondo della musica.Ancora oggi, la sua arte catartica continua a infondere un essenziale e inesauribile conforto.

Genres: Music

365 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 4, 2021

About the author

Rosanna Costantino è nata in Basilicata nel 1981. È sposata e ha due bambini.
È laureata in Lettere Moderne, è giornalista pubblicista e ha lavorato a Il Quotidiano del Sud-Basilicata come correttrice di bozze.
Crede con fermezza che si debba fare della propria vita come si fa un’opera d’arte. Per questo vive intensamente di molteplici passioni: adora perdersi nei colori e nelle forme dei quadri pittorici, nelle parole danzanti di un buon libro o lasciarsi trasportare dalla magia dei fotogrammi di una pellicola cinematografica. Ma la sua passione più grande è la musica, la cui forza propulsiva ha dato vita alla biografia non ufficiale ma appassionata di uno dei suoi idoli più amati, Chester Bennington.

Reviews

[Alicia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Abgebrochen

[Simon Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initially I started searching for a book on Linkin Park, upon finding this and reading the reviews which tended to be more on the positive side despite some people saying the translation was poor I decided to give it a go.

So glad I did this book is heartbreaking yet heartwarming at the same time and in every respect a true dedication to the spirit of Chester Bennington seen from a fans perspective.
I’ll hold my hand up and say honestly by the time linkin park did their fourth album my interest in their music had somewhat diminished gone were the ruckus banging anthems and heart stopping screams.
But this book made me re listen to them and saw them in a totally different light and for the beautiful epic works of art they are I now love that entire catalog and I’m left wanting more.

The translation really is not a problem with only a handful of noticeable mistakes that really didn’t bother me it certainly didn’t take anything away from the joy of reading this beautiful book which I will cherish the memory of reading while listening and enjoying linkin park’s music and Chester Bennington’s incredible voice.

[Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was the first time I read a book and felt the fortunateness of someone writing such a book. It collected what I missed and expressed what I feel.

I spent over a month reading this book, and I usually open it at my bed after a day’s hard work. As a person being pushed to go forward, the reading time is a precious “Me Time” of escaping and healing.

Thank you for taking me on a road trip and see an organized detailed life about Chester and Linkin Park. I relate so much to it, it brings up my memory when I first heard of Given Up. From that moment I knew that I would not need to yell my anger, because Chester had taken the burden for me. Most teenagers who listen to rock music turned out to be more emotional, dramatic and rebellious, but that is not the case of LP fans. The songs made me calm and mature, just like their most recent albums. The coolest thing for a person is not to shout loud, instead it is the ability to keep calm, to chill on failure and loss, and most importantly to love.

This book, along with the time of reading it, is sealed in my memory about Linkin Park and Chester.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gathered from various interviews and sources, the author provides information about the making of each album and the meaning of various songs.

This book definitely shines a light on the deep inner struggles Chester battled with for years. Reading parts of song lyrics Chester wrote from the various bands he was in, and having an understanding of the context of what he was going through at the time, really highlights the gravity of pain he struggled with.

The translation was ok overall. Towards the end there were some sentences that didn’t make sense which was frustrating but honestly, it didn’t really matter because being able to read about Chester and Linkin Park was worth the tiny grain of frustration.

If you’re a Chester Bennington fan, a Linkin Park fan or just a music fan in general, you’ll appreciate this book. The last part of the book shared parts of Chester’s bandmate, Mike Shinoda’s grief and how he used music to get through some of the hardest days after the loss.

[Brandon Johnson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure where to begin. Like the book, I'll just jump back and forth, all over the place. The errors from the translation are astonishing... I mean hundreds. It makes it very frustrating to read. Content wise, it's one long quote. Mixed in you'll get to read the lyrics of what seems like every song Linkin Park ever did. You'll also get to read every artists (and fans) tweets after Chester's passing. I'd recommend finding another book if you're looking for something on Chester or Linkin Park.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this biography about Chester and the creation of Linkin Park.
While reading each page, I had the voice of Chester in my head ❤ Rest in Peace

[Leila Chandler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good biography, very thorough and containing a lot of information. I like that it didn't end with Bennington's death, but continued with chapters about his impact, his fans, mental health, and how his wife moved forward, as well as comments by his friends and other musicians.
Unfortunately, the translation in English was just awful. It is loaded with basic errors in grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure. Either the translator didn't know English, or just used Google Translate. I was surprised to read in the acknowledgements that the English translation was further reviewed by another writer.....how is it so bad then? Even the direct quotes from people were inaccurate and full of errors, which is pretty serious considering they are direct quotes! In particular, there is a well-known quote by Chester where he is explaining about his depression shortly before his death when he says, about his brain, "There's another Chester in there that wants to take me down!" and in the book it says "There's another Chester in there that's like once it takes me down". That doesn't even make sense. I also found it funny at one point near the end it said that the band members had a "harpy relationship", which is a pretty hilarious mental image. Harpy is NOT the same as happy haha.
I do think a major publishing house should take this up!

[thebookswitch]

non mi sento di assegnare stelle perché non vorrei darne troppe o troppo poche, qui di mi limito a scrivere ciò che penso.
premetto che di Chester e i Linkin Park sapevo già tutto, ed è per questo motivo che qiesto libro è un NI.

Sono state messe su carta, e alcune volte riposate anche in maniera troppo pesante, cose che tutti i fans dei Linkin Park possono trovare online, cose che sono state dette milioni di volte su interviste sentite.
Rileggere tutto quello che ha passato chester sin da bambino, ha riportato a galla ricordi miei e il dolore che ho provato al tempo, nel conoscere anche la sua di infanzia.

questo libro secondo me andava i postato diversamente, e arricchito con cose che in giro sono difficili da trovare, alcuni mome ti sono stati scritti davvero in lentezza, e ripetendo sempre le solite cose.

Avevo aspettative molto alte per questo libro, ma diciamo che in parte sono state deluse.

[Faery · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quando l'ho comprato ero super entusiasta, essendo grande fan dei Linkin Park e di Chester, ma mi sono subito dovuta ricredere.
Si percepisce la passione dell'autrice nello scrivere il libro ma sinceramente l'ho trovato un po' noioso e stilisticamente non così ben scritto.
Mi aspettavo qualcosa di diverso.

[Christine Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Linkin park defined my generation, starting at around age 12 when One Step Closer premiered. I was instantly gripped by the entire Hybrid Theory album. At the time, I obviously didn’t understand the deeper meaning to all the lyrics, although I could sing them to you word for word.

Fast forward a few years, and it all made sense. An amazing album hit different. I’ve been suffering from various stages of depression since my young teenaged years and now well into my adult years. No matter the stage I’m in, Linkin Parks music has always gotten me through. In times where I felt no one could relate, turning their music on made me feel seen. It made me feel heard. Both Mike Shinodas visceral raps and Chester’s shrill screams and melodic chorus’s just sit deep in my heart and live rent free in my head.

Chester’s passing came at a busy time in my life. I was upset when I heard, but it passed quickly as I was going through a lot and I didn’t pay much mind to it at the time. (I know. Don’t come for me!)

Fast forward another 7 years and my now 6 year old daughter has found a love for Linkin Park and Chester. It’s taken me down a rabbit hole, and memory lane. NOW his passing has hit me like an absolute freight train. The thought of never being able to take her to see Chester perform is gutting. I am 7 years late in mourning, but I feel every inch of despair that a lot felt many years ago. It was natural that it was an instabuy when I came across this tribute.

The book was beautifully written. And although the translation was spotty at times, it didn’t detract from the messages in this book and the feelings the author was trying to portray. I’ve read A LOT and watched A LOT recently, so there wasn’t too much in it that I didn’t already know. But it was laid out perfectly and gripped me from start to finish. I finished it in about 18 hours. That includes 9 hours of sleep, lol. I could not put it down.

One thing that I really enjoyed about this book was that it wasn’t focused on his passing. Only about 7% of the entire book surrounded his death (besides many tributes from fellow musicians which I found cathartic). It focused more on who he was as a person, and the impact he made during his short 41 years with us. The book didn’t end with his death. Many great chapters continued after it. Overall, it was a book of healing. And I feel like my heart has healed a bit more after finishing it. I thank the author for putting into words what we have all felt with Chester’s passing. I will likely read it again.

[Rossinthebook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ricordo di aver avuto 14 anni la prima volta che sentii le sue urla dolorose, disturbanti, strazianti, che toglievano il respiro a chi le ascoltava poi la sua voce melodiosa che riusciva a donarti quella pace che spegne il rumore troppo forte dei pensieri.
Lui era il cantante dei Linkin Park, Chester Bennington.
Ricordo ancora le sensazioni che provai quando lessi la notizia della sua morte.
Per me non era morto nè un cantante nè un performer, per me era morto l'uomo che canzone dopo canzone aveva scritto e cantato la colonna sonora di ogni mio momento vissuto, bello ma soprattutto brutto.
L'uomo in grado di trasformare i sentimenti in parole e il rumore dei pensieri in musica.
L'uomo che con i suoi testi ti faceva pensare "Ok, allora non sono la sola a sentirsi così", facendoti sentire meno "inadeguata" per questa vita.
"In the end" è la biografia di Chester un essere umano speciale e raro, di quelli che nonostante tutti i pugni ricevuti nello stomaco dalla vita, si rialzano e continuano a costruire il loro sogno.
Ma per quanto tu riesca a realizzare il tuo sogno, per quanto tu sia amato, rispettato, famoso e realizzato a volte vincono i demoni. Quei demoni che non riuscirai mai a sconfiggere nè a lasciare andare.
Il libro è scritto con la passione di una fan e l'obiettività di una giornalista.
Emerge chiaramente quanto, dietro ad ogni pagina, vi sia una meticolosa e scrupolosa ricerca. Lo si evince sia dalle fonti citate che dalla perfetta analisi di ogni canzone.
L'autrice, grazie ad una scrittura intima e decisa, ci guida non solo attraverso la carriera musicale di Chester ma anche attraverso i suoi traumi, le sue dipendenze, le sue sfide emotive e le sue difficoltà personali.
L'aspetto che maggiormente mi ha colpito è il rispetto che l'autrice ha mostrato in ogni singola pagina, riuscendo a dipingere un quadro scrupoloso di un ragazzo molto dotato e carismatico a cui la vita ha dato tanto ma anche tolto tanto.
Rosanna Costantino non ha scritto una biografia, ma ha descritto un meraviglioso viaggio nella vita di un uomo tanto forte quanto fragile. Non c'è giudizio nelle sue parole solo rispetto. Un racconto magistrale e intimo della vita di una delle voci più belle e significative della musica mondiale.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I want to give this author her flowers for doing all the research she did for this novel.
I do wish there was more about Chester's early life. I don't think this is the author's fault, I'm just not sure detailed information about his childhood is out there ( other than a brief who did it). I think we all wish we could know more about his early life.
This novel was translated from the Italian language. While in general, it was well done, there are some spelling errors and misquotes.
All in all, a good tribute novel to Chester. He would have been proud. A must read for all Chester Bennington/ Linkin Park fans.

[CTrekker · Rating 1 out of 5]

If this would've been called "Copy and Paste: A cash grab" and consisted of just quotes connected by minimal narration, I think I would've felt less disrespected.

Instead, we have poor storytelling, cheap translation, random time jumps, abysmal formatting on kindle (one of the largest platforms), surface level meritless jargon about mental health, and attempts at poetic descriptions even at the most inappropriate places possible. There were a few inaccuracies, and I get it, a few mistakes are bound to happen when cumulating someone else's story, but when it's at the most sensitive part, it leaves a bad taste.

DNF at 66% - I simply couldn't take it anymore.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the edited version of the book. It is hard to rate since I can't read the original. The English edited version has A LOT of grammatical errors that aren't just the result of not being able to translate words from Italian. However, if you can overlook that, and for the most part I could, the book is good. I learned a lot of things about Chester and the book was a work of love from the author to honor him.

[Nick Nordstrom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book for Linkin Park fans, though the translation is rocky in some spots. What’s important is that the message of what Chester meant to his friends, family, fans, and the music industry is conveyed beautifully, and helped remind me why I love this band so much. It also contains lots of fun stories / facts about Chester that I did not know!

[Abbi Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a book that takes you through the journey of Linkin Park, specifically through the lens of Chester Bennington. While the translation is a little off, it still tells the phenomenal story of his life. Only rating it a 4/5 because there are issues with the translation that could've been written better.

[Alise Endziņa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried countless times while reading this book. It was incredibly moving and touched me deeply. Nearly a decade has passed since Chester left us, yet it still feels unreal. It's something my heart still struggles to accept.

[Shannon Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every linkin park fan should read this!! Goosebumps!!!!

[Devon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engaging quick read, but awful translation. So brutal.

[Rosanne Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, I waited ages for something like this. The translation has errors now and then tho, but it’s a must read for every Linkin Park Soldier.

[Vicky Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a touching tribute. The translation isn't great in a lot of places but doesn't take anything away from the sentiment.

[Mika82 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very emotional book🥲.

[Vincenzo Mannino · Rating 5 out of 5]

perfetto per conoscere e comprendere.la vita di Chester

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

"...A volte gli inizi non sono così semplici... A volte l'addio è l'unica soluzione..."

Mentre si scorrono le pagine è come fare un tuffo nella vita di Chester... da un'infanzia segnata da sofferenze... una vita di sacrificio vissuta e segnata dalla dipendenza per alleviare i demoni che lo assillavano... Immedesimarsi anche solo con il pensiero a ciò che ha vissuto Chester è doloroso, e l'autrice con le sue parole c' è riuscita benissimo, tramite le diverse testimonianze riesce a spiegarci quanto le parole e le canzoni dei Linkin fossero autobiografiche, per mostrarci il Chester che molti non conoscevano...È la storia di un grande uomo, fragile come tanti, che rimarrà immortale.. .

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una lettura bellissima, per fans e non. Tra le letture più belle di sempre.

Recensione sul blog Life is like a wave who rises and falls

[Emgee Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Linkin Park is one of my favorite bands and feel we lost an amazing soul when Chester left us. Amazing musician, amazing mind, tortured soul plagued by addiction. I enjoyed reading this book and even those who are not familiar with the band may find some interest within its pages.

[ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Linkin Park #makechesterproud

[Amandine · Rating 5 out of 5]

♥♥♥