Wendy S. (SmoothSailing) reviewed Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley on + 3 more book reviews
I enjoyed this book and enjoyed learning more about Elvis. It was a kind of fill-in-the-blank for me. I remember quite a bit about him, but this filled in the gaps. What I didn't know about Elvis, but learned from the book, I found interesting, shocking and at times sad. The book explores his many relationships with his parents, manager, friends, Priscilla and various girlfriends.
I wish I had never read this book. The facts in this book burst my bubble about Elvis. For the last 64 years I have been living in a fantasy world about the life of this extraordinary singer. Of course I knew there were bound to be drugs involved in the life of a super star of his magnitude, but I never realized to what extent in the latter years of his life. I have never believed any of the hype surrounding his death, but I do believe the facts in Peter Guralnick's book.
I've read other books about Elvis, most recently Last Train to Memphis - also by Peter Guralnick - in which the drug use had not yet escalated. I remember most of the events about the early years of his career including attending one of his concerts at the City Auditorium in Houston when I was 14; and really enjoyed reading about and reliving those times in Mr. Guralnick's book.
My belief in the authenticity of Careless Love caused me to remove my rose colored glasses and accept Elvis as a real live human being just as flawed as the rest of us.
I've read other books about Elvis, most recently Last Train to Memphis - also by Peter Guralnick - in which the drug use had not yet escalated. I remember most of the events about the early years of his career including attending one of his concerts at the City Auditorium in Houston when I was 14; and really enjoyed reading about and reliving those times in Mr. Guralnick's book.
My belief in the authenticity of Careless Love caused me to remove my rose colored glasses and accept Elvis as a real live human being just as flawed as the rest of us.
