Touching from a Distance

by Deborah Curtis

The only in-depth biographical account of the lead singer of Joy Division, written by his widow. Revered by his peers -- Bono described his voice as "holy" -- and idolized by his fans, Ian Curtis left behind a legacy rich in artistic genius. He was a mesmerizing performer on stange, yet also introverted and prone to mode swings. Engimantic to the last, Ian Curtis died by his own hand on 18 May 1980. "Touching from a Distance" describes Curtis's life from his early teenage years to his premature death on the eve of Joy Division's first American tour. It tells how, with a wife, child and impending international fame, he was seduced by the glory of an early grave. What were the reasons for his fascination with death? Were his dark, brooding lyrics an artistic exorcism? In "Touching from a Distance" Curtis's widow, Deborah, explains the drama of his life and the tragedy of his death. Includes discography, gig list and a full set of Curtis's lyrics, some of which appear in print for the first time.

• ISBN13: 9780571207398
• Publish Date: 4 June 2001 (first published 6 September 1995)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 17 October 2007
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Faber & Faber
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 240
• Language: English

Reviews

[thepunktheory]

You find out how Deborah and Ian first met, how they fell in love and how Ian got famous. His wife wrote about how torn Ian was. Of course this book is a bit one-sided as you see everything through Deborah's eyes but still this book gives you an inside on how hard it could be to life with him, how much Deborah was suffering when Ian fell in love with Annik Honoré. You can also see how hard it was for Ian and how he finally ended it all with committing suicide.This is an amazing book that helps you to understand the great artist Ian Curtis (it's kind of an emotion-rollercoaster). I recommend reading this book especially if you want to watch the movie "Control" that is based on it. It' definitely easier to follow the movie when you read the book before. I also recommend you watching the movie because it shows you also more of the other sides (Ian's, Annik's etc.) and helps you to complete the picture.