Courtney Love: The Real Story

One of my fave books on Courtney Love. Poppy does a great job!

I just finished reading this book, and while it didn't go into ALL the details I was interested in, Loves Hollywood experiences (barely covered) plastic surgery (non-existent), and her days with Kurt (sugar coated), I STILL couldn't put it down. Not necessarily because it's great, but because the subject is interesting.This book would've been far better if it had been edited further. It would've meant no skipped chapters, therefore dispensing with areas mired in unnecessary details. Brite becomes quite dull as she babbles painfully long-winded chapters dedicated to every boring and picayune detail of Loves early childhood, and schooling. Then she glosses over relevant subjects that should've been expanded on, while completely deleting major areas of interest altogether. Although I enjoyed this book despite the flaws, it left me feeling somewhat cheated. I will still recommend you read this book. Why? It's about the life of Courtney Love! Even if you find her vaguely interesting, or you're a devout devotee, you'll STILL find this book an entertaining read, cover to cover, because of the subject matter, and when NOT writing drivel filler chapters, the author writes well. I will say however, that I found the Melissa Rossi book far more interesting and detailed where it counts.

This book was incredibly priced low.Very fast delivery.Was satisfied with the purchase of this book.Very different coming from Poppy Z Brite's other works

The incredible story of one of rock's most controversial stars, featuring excerpts from her letters and journals, interviews with courtneys mistress, lynn hershberg

What can I say? It's a book about one of my favorite people by my all time favorite writer. Loved it!

For a woman who claimed she would never have an authorized bio in her house, Courtney certainly seems intent on never allowing anything short of a very edited version of her own life to surface (not that I blame her). For the record, I loved Courtney back in the 90's before she became the fashion freak and Hollywood gadfly. Her music was powerful as was her message that young women should make their own music rather than become groupie trash. For that alone she should be put in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. However, as quickly as she could, she traded in her empowered feminist personna, began to starve, had massive plastic surgery, and abandonned her fans. Sad but true. Now on to the book. If you believe this author, Courtney was basically a modern day female Tom Sawyer. She has rotten parents (reading her mum's autobio might make you think differently), people try to use and abuse her, but Gosh darn it, that Courtney always rises again! One implausible story is how when Courtney was a teen stripping in Japan the owners of the club try to force her into prostitution. Not only does Courtney manage to stay a virgin (if you believe that one, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you), but she also tricks a guy into buying her a fur coat by only using her wit! Sorry, not buying. I liked Rossi's bio better, though it has problems as well. Since Rossi only can get second hand info on Courtney, obviously many to whom she had spoken had an ax to grind. Also, Rossi's own attitude often seems that of a high school journalist who wants so badly to be part of the "cool crowd" and when they reject her, she writes scathing articles about them. Rossi offers a better overview of Love's younger life while Brite (who had the benefit of Courtney's insight into her own life) writes more indepth about Love's years as a member of Hole and as Cobain's wife and widow. Really, you have to read them both to remotely get an idea of who Courtney is.

I remember there being some speculation about Poppy Z.Brite to author the biography of Courtney Love.Ms.Brite at the time riding a wave of popularity as an original voice in horror fiction.So it was aless obvious choice,yet intresting and subversive.This book captures the portrait of a woman whose personality bled like a torrent into every facet of her life.A rawexposed nerve perpetually lead to feel and at times felt too much.Courtney Love could never be contained! The album Live Through This being a padlocked diary of rage,venom,tears and trembling pressure.Slaped and labeled with all sorts of condesending judgements wheather earned or administered I found her behavior and reactions to be honest and pure,not tainted by reason or thought.Some twenty years after this publication was released she is still here.Oh yeah,she is a train wreck,the kind that takes out your vehicle and disfigures you!

Thanks

I've always been kind of fascinated by Courtney Love, and so I looked for a biography of her. All I could find was this one - but it would be impossible to read a better study of Courtney than this. Right at the beginning the author tells us that she actually knew Courtney, and of course this makes all the difference. I've read a few music bios and they are usually written by rock journos, hence a bit plodding and listy. This is completely different. I've found out that Poppy Z Brite is a novelist, and it completely shows in the way this is written - almost like a novel, with an insight into how it must have felt for Courtney, and a novelist's ear for brilliant prose. Now I'm reading one of Brite's novels - and loving that too. Anyone who is interested in Courtney Love, in Hole, Nirvana and the whole grunge scene, should read this excellent book

Excellent book, worth the read. Has good consistency in events compared to other biographies on Love and her late husband Kurt Cobain.

La jeunesse et l'ascension d'une déesse du rock'n roll qui a défrayé la chronique, dommage que le livre date de 1995...on aimrai avoir la suite.

I really enjoyed this book, I read it several times while I was traveling. Poppy writes in an engaging style and, regardless of what you choose to believe, she presents a side to Courtney Love that isn't usually portrayed.

It's a interesting read. I wanted to hear Courtney's story. As a posted to Kurt and David.