annieb123's Review of Janis

by Holly George-Warren

It's been said Janis Joplin was second only to Bob Dylan as the 'creator-recorder-embodiment of her generation's mythology'. But how did a middle-class girl from Texas become a '60s countercultural icon?

Janis' parents doted on her and promoted her early talent for art. But the arrival of a brother shattered the bond she had with her intellectual maverick of a father, an oil engineer. And her own maverick instincts alienated her from her socially conformist mother. That break with her parents, along with the rejection of her high school peers, who disapproved of her beatnik look and racially progressive views, and wrongly assumed she was sexually promiscuous, cemented her sense of herself as an outcast. She found her tribe with a group of offbeat young men a year ahead of her, who loved her intellectual curiosity, her passion for conversation, and her adventurous search for the blues. Although she never stopped craving the approval of her parents and hometown, she left Port Arthur at seventeen determined to prove she could be loved.

She tried college twice, and dropped out both times. She ran off to California, but came back when her heavy drug use scared her into it. She almost signed up for a life as a domesticated, hang-the-curtains wife. But instead, during a second stint on the West Coast, she launched a career that would see her crowned the queen of rock and roll.

What no one besides Holly George-Warren has captured in such intimate detail is the way Janis Joplin teetered between the powerful woman you hear in her songs and the little girl who just wanted to go home and feel emotionally safe there. The pain of that dichotomy fuelled her music - and ultimately killed her.

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Janis: Her Life and Music is a biography and cultural retrospective about the life and impact of Janis Joplin. Due out 22nd Oct 2019 from Simon & Schuster, it's 384 pages and will be available in hardback, ebook, and audio formats. Author Holly George-Warren is a well known culture writer, producer, and music consultant.

This is a competently written factually based chronological biography of the iconic singer. It begins with a family history going back several generations and provides information about Janis' parents' families and her early childhood in Texas. This biography covers her adolescence and school years extensively. There is a lot of minutiae included (and I found it interesting), but it's not always seamlessly woven into the rest of the narrative. There were some places in the book that I found myself wondering what the significance was; it often seemed included for verisimilitude. I have no doubts about the veracity of the factual claims in the book. The book is meticulously researched and there are exhaustive references. Possibly one of the best aspects of the book for me was as a basis for further reading. There are good footnotes and sources for further reading that will keep the audience going for many more hours.

The early eARC I received of the book for review purposes doesn't contain the images to be included in the book, but from the notes and credits describing them, they seem to be impressively complete and extremely plentiful. Much of this book's value, in my opinion, will come from the photos and documents of Janis' life and career.

Competently written, sometimes dry, I did enjoy the book but wasn't completely enthralled. I believe the inclusion of the photographs and documentation to come in the final release, along with the author's competent prose will elevate this book.

Four stars.

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

Janis

by Holly George-Warren

Reviewed by annieb123 on May 17, 2019

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