Rating: 
Summary: A must read for any rock fan
Review: This is a must read for anyone who loves music. I have read a few other books about the John Lennon of my generation Kurt Cobain, but none of them even come close to the attention to detail in this book. The author spent 4 years researching this book before ever putting pen to paper. The night I finished it I read for 3 hours straight. I couldn't put it down. Do yourself a favor and buy this great book. If you know someone who likes Nirvana and Kurt get it as a gift they won't be disappointed. To those who have given this book a bad review what planet are you from?
Rating:
Summary: aneurysm
Review: I'm going to stay away from that thing called "Kurt's death" which has drawn such scathing (and amusing) remarks from other readers. Yes, this book presents the pro-suicide defense without presenting its flip side--if you are an ardent Kurt-was-killed supporter, this will irk you. More than likely, that was the way it had to be if Cross wanted to get it published without many many lawsuits.Which, I think, is worth it. There's plenty of material that makes the he-didn't-commit-suicide case elsewhere (with which, to be fair, you should supplement this book). This flaw, however, does not take away from the fact that this is the best attempt to understand Kurt Cobain to date. Its primary goal is to get into Kurt's head, and it does this better than all the others; it is the most accurate (even beating "Come As You Are"), the most comprehensive, and--most importantly--the most human. It is somewhat humbling for such a huge fan of Kurt Cobain and his music like myself to see him struggling with such (to those who don't know better) seemingly easy-to-solve problems (you do want to slap some sense into him at several points in the book). But I'm clinically depressed, and I can't say I haven't struggled with the same issues and acted the same way as he did. It's not easy. Kurt was a sad, messed-up human being who was and remains a great person, and who had an amazing genius for communicating through music. If you can get past the less significant barriers, you find by the end that this is how Cross presents him to be. Kurt comes as he is here better than anywhere else.
Rating:
Summary: kurt would like it
Review: this was the best book on kurt cobain i have ever read. charles cross tells it like it is, and you finally understand kurt.interviews with courtney, unseen photos, excerpts from his diary. this is four years worth of work and it is expertly written. the final chapter is fantastic.he leads you through the life and mind of this genius and you feel like you were there.
highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Courtney's Brief
Review: The lines are drawn, the curse is cast -- if you know anything about the tragic/miserable death of Kurt Cobain, you're either going to accept the Courtney Love version, or the speculations of those who'd have you belive she offed the "grunge god" because he was preparing to divorce her. All fine and good. This book's solidly in the Courtney camp. Nothing wrong with that, really; maybe she genuinely has been overvilified. That said, as biography this leaves a great deal to be desired, if you're intrested in Cobain the musician. I don't think Dave Grohl was interviewed at all, Krist Novoselic not much more than that. There is little or no insight into the creative process -- i.e., how Cobain wrote/reworked his material. Instead, it's a pretty sad, even miserable story, of a kid with an amazing talent who was also a pathetic junkie and an inveterate whiner. Not that Cobain should conduct himself with the grace and dignity of, say, Robert Plant, but after about page 150 you'd just like to slap some sense into this brat. Proof that our idols are imperfect -- not just imperfect, but fairly pitiful human beings. RIP Kurt, I hope you've found a happier place.
Rating: 
Summary: Mysteries that may never be solved...
Review: Undoubtedly, Kurt Cobain was an amazing, original, musical genius, leader of (arguably) the greatest band of the past two (three?) decades. Also undoubtedly, Kurt Cobain was an extremely complex person, chock-full of apparent contradictions: emotionally wounded yet strong in many ways; magnetic yet simultaneously pushing people away; sensitive yet angry, even violent at times; ambitious yet hell-bent on self destruction; etc. In the end, Kurt Cobain was a wildly talented yet deeply disturbed human being who ended up blowing his brains out at the age of 27, despite having achieved everything he ever wanted: physical escape from his miserable upbringing, broken family, and dying hometown; fame and fortune in the world of music; a beautiful, loving wife; a healthy, normal child. The questions for any biographer of Kurt Cobain, then, are: 1) where did he (and his music) come from; 2) how did he become the leader of one of the greatest rock bands ever; and 3) what went wrong/why did he kill himself? Charles Cross, in "Heavier than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain," takes a stab at all those questions, and almost manages to answer them - but not quite. In the end, despite the author's prodigious amount of research, numerous interviews with key people who knew Cobain, access to Cobain's journals, and a straightforward writing style that avoids succumbing to the usual star-struck biographer syndrome, I cannot say that I truly understand Kurt Cobain. Is that the fault of the biographer, the reader, both, or neither? I don't know, but I've got to say that I found it frustrating to read hundreds of often difficult, even depressing and painful, pages on Kurt Cobain and STILL not really understand: 1) how on earth did Kurt Cobain, starting from where he did, come to create such brilliant, beautiful, terrifying, amazing music; and 2) what exactly was WRONG with him? Admittedly, the first question may be close to unanswerable, as it is really asking "what is genius, and where does it come from?" Who knows! On the second question, it's just astonishing to me that Kurt Cobain never really appears to have received an adequate diagnosis of - and treatment for -- his physical and mental problems. Instead, what we have is Cobain "self-medicating" with alcohol, acid, and heroin, in a futile (and self-destructive) attempt to stop the terrible pain (stomach and otherwise) he was in. In sum, what do we make of a person who, in his early teens, predicts that ''I'm going to be a superstar musician, kill myself and go out in a flame of glory," then goes out and does just that? "Heavier than Heaven" provides us with a good start at an answer, but ultimately doesn't solve this - or many other -mysteries surrounding Kurt Cobain. Perhaps nobody ever will...
Rating: 
Summary: Another way for Courtney Love to exploit her dead husband
Review: "Heavier than Heaven" is a well written book of myths written in simple enough language to bring mass appeal to all stupid americans who enjoy a story better than truth. The supposed validity of this book is forged by a few tid-bits of information suppposedly never heard of before in any other publication. Nevertheless, the book itself, in the core, is a propaganda piece and charles cross is the puppet of the machiavialian she-demon COUrTNEY LOVE. this greed monger female has the testosterone of a grisley bear and paints her husband as suicidal, pathetic, and weak. Whether you are a believer or not in the conspiracy thoeries, the truth is Courtney love drained the life out of kurt, a sweet boy who needed affection. To hear the REAL cobain story i recommend the movie KURT AND COURTNEY before Love has her way and has it pulled off the shelves.
Rating: 
Summary: So much fire...
Review: I've read the book for myself and I think it's pretty good. But, after reading the other remarks from other readers, I can see that there's a lot of heated remarks over this book. As far as I'm concerned, I've learned enough about Kurt, that I want to be a musician myself. It's helped me with my life and if you hate it for the fact that it doesn't portray him right, think about this: HAS ANY BIOGRAPHY ON ANYONE BEEN ACURATE?!?!?! I DON'T THINK SO!! If it's not right because of Love and Cross, then OH WELL!! He's gone now and no one will know the god-honest truth about him and what he would've done if he lived on. The price of fame...
Rating:
Summary: Unknown story of an everlasting hero
Review: For those that know much about kurt cobain, you know nothing. this book reveals all of the secrets of his life and dysfunctional history~with wonderful research and great writing. and unlike most books, written as an analysis, this has excerpts from kurt's diary, stories from his family and friends,quotes from interviews and things of that sort. wonderfully displayed in chronological order, without a doubt the best biography of the god of everything. a MUST have for nirvana fans.
Rating:
Summary: Heavier than honesty
Review: Heavier than Heaven- The title speaks for it's self. Over the past years, I've read numerous books on Nirvana and the late Kurt Cobain. But, none which covered such detail with brutal and complete honesty and emotions like Heavier than Heaven. Charles Cross really captures every moment, weather it be exciting and happy or painful. Thanks to all the wonderful people who put time to be involved in this book we now get a closer look at what happened in Cobain's short but tragic life. This is by far the best book I've ever read. Props to Cross! Some times the truth hurts the most.
Rating:
Summary: This book is a must
Review: I am a huge nirvana fan. i am not, however, a book reader. but i bought and read this book. the life of kurt cobain is brought back to life through this book. i found myself experienceing everything he went through in my own mind and it's so incredible to picture what kurt went through. if you are a fan, or if you're not a fan, and you're just interested in his life....buy this book and you'll see more magic now, than what we saw then.
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