Pearl : The Obsessions and Passions of Janis Joplin

Rating:
Summary: the life and times of Janis...
Review: 'The Obsessions And Passions of Janis Joplin' is a very accurate description of the book - it doesn't deal much with the artist, it tells a lot more about her sex life and drug abuse. I myself prefer at least a bit more information on the music of the musician in question, but I must admit the book does a good job of showing us the confused, extremely talented, both loved and rejected personality that was Janis Joplin.

Rating:
Summary: Cartoonish portrait
Review: This book has a tabloid quality to it. The "obsession" part of the title more accurately reflects the author's own obsession with sleazy assertions. It's unfortunate the way he twists the personal accounts of friends and associates to fit his agenda/theory about the life of Janis. This account is stereotypical, salacious and fails provide any new insight beyond the standard caricature of Janis as a boozy, promiscuous broad.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: This well-written book is very descriptive! From Port Arthur, Texas, to San Francisco's Haight / Ashbury, scenes of tragedy & revelry are given a jolt of life. Author really sought out the witnesses who are still around (and not too wasted) to tell the tales. Great book for fans of San Francisco, rock music, and of course Janis.

Plenty of sleaze, drugs, and sex, but author nicely presents the tender-hearted girl that was Janis Joplin.