Karma: My Autobiography

THE OFFICIAL STORY OF A MUSICAL ICON - TOLD IN FULL FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS OWN WORDS

'I went to a lot of trouble to create Boy George and then I went through a whole battle for years about not wanting to be him. But now I enjoy and embrace it in a way that I wasn't able to as a young person.... I'm finally learning to be George Alan O'Dowd from Eltham.'


Karma is the definitive autobiography from the incomparable Grammy, Brit and Ivor Novello award-winning lead singer of Culture Club and LGBTQ+ vanguard: Boy George. Told in his inimitable style, Karma tells the story of the charismatic frontman - the drama, the music, his journey of addiction and recovery, surviving prison, meeting legends like David Bowie, Prince and Madonna, and the highs and lows of a life lived in the spotlight and in the headlines.


This is the explosive and searingly honest account of Boy George's life as a child growing up in sixties London, coming out to his Irish Catholic family and exploring his sexuality through the hedonism of the seventies - the glam rock and punk rock revolution that birthed Culture Club - and the heydays of the nineties, to finally embracing the man and artist that he is today. With all the humour, honesty, sarcasm (and hats!) that you'd expect, Karma gives us a unique insight into Boy George's incredible story and the true evolution of a music icon.


'Culture Club is always going to be one of those lovers I go back to. I've railed against it and that Boy George character I created. For years I convinced myself I was a creature of habit, unchangeable, immovable. But eventually you have to look in the mirror. Not looking for spots, looking for something deeper. Why the hell am I here? I would say life is the point of life.'

• ISBN10: 1785121006
• ISBN13: 9781785121005
• Publish Date: 9 November 2023
• Publish Status: Forthcoming
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Bonnier Books Ltd
• Imprint: BLINK Publishing
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Karma is a charming but chaotically written (ghost written?) autobiography by Boy George of his life and experiences. Released 9th Nov 2023, it's 296 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout.

This is not a rigorously chronological retelling of Mr. O'Dowd's life. It comes across more as a stream-of-consciousness series of retellings from his life and memories. Readers who are expecting a straight list of chronological facts will be sorely disappointed. There's also not a lot of scandalous (legally actionable) gossip and there's little dishing of dirt to be found. What there is, and it goes throughout the book, feels like a warm and friendly visit with a very campy, sweetly loopy uncle. He doesn't spend time talking about his legal troubles or incarceration. (Which is a positive with this book, his life has enough tragedy and it's a welcome relief that he doesn't drag it out and rehash it over and over for public consumption).

The unabridged audiobook version has a run time of 7 hours 41 minutes and is narrated by the author himself. His voice will be familiar to most fans from interviews and media and he has a campy, friendly, delivery with humor and wit (and he giggles fairly often, which might drag some listeners out of their listening rhythm). Sound and production quality are high throughout.

Four stars with the definite codicil that it's mostly aimed at fans of his iconic work who aren't expecting a dish-all kiss and tell memoir. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.