Rating: 
Summary: Suprising
Review: I thought this book would suck as all the conspiracy theorists claimed. It is actually extremely good, better than even Come As You Are. Kurt never slept under a bridge (among tons of other things he said) I pretty much figured. This book is very in depth with interviews from family, friends, band members, etc. Sure the last part is fabricated, but does seem extremely plausible and likely. If he was murdered or killed himself, we don't know and won't know unless an investigation is opened. I find quite a few things to be odd on Love's part but Kurt was an odd ball himself. Either way the murder/suicide thing goes, we are still without our leader and favorite band of all time. Definitely recommend, but give it 4 stars for some minor inconsistencies.
Rating: 
Summary: TRAGIC
Review: It's tragic that this is to be the basis for the Hollywood film about Kurt Cobain coming out soon. Yet again, the only person benefiting from this book and film is Courtney Love, and she is the main source of information for the book.
Cross claims to have over 400 interviews, but the book contains many false tales that are unsourced, and Cross takes great fictional liberties in writing the thoughts and emotions inside Kurt Cobain that he could not possibly know.
Courtney love approached Cross to do this book, making it possible for him to publish it financially, and giving him access to Kurt's journals if he would write it. She did this after the release of the documentary "Kurt and Courtney", after the book "Who killed Kurt Cobain?" and after Tom Grant's web site was extremely popular. It was written after a witness was found dead on a train track after testifying on video about Courtney's intentions to pay for Kurt's murder. It is a book written with an agenda.
Interestingly enough however, some of Cross's reports actually help support the evidence of foul play. Read this book with "Love and Death", and some of the other information on the internet, and it will add new dimensions. Also, you will be able to see outright lies presented as truth as impossible lies, and this should bring alot of the book into question.
I leave you with this description of a narcissitic personality, like the one pulling strings behind this author and book, one named Courtney Love.
"Narcissists are exploitive and opportunistic, out for themselves, using others to stay on top. Sleazy, immoral, pathological liars, completely untrustworthy, maliciously betraying people, devious to protect their image and be sure their deceptions will not be exposed, stabbing friends and colleagues in the back ruining relationships, and others, to triumph themselves, with violent psychopathic tendencies, and murder is an ultimate possibility."
This is a textbook description, written in 1990. Keep it in mind when reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: Biased trash
Review: As the book starts out describing how beautiful Courtney Love is, you know right away that the book is trash. It gets worse. Everything Kurt says and writes is depicted as a sign of suicide. Courtney Love adds to this by stating how happy they were and how he could never seem content. Yet, interviewers state how happy and contented he had been toward the year of 93 and 94. That's ignored, however, as the author writes more about how selfish, arrogant, and contradictory Cobain is. It's pure trash. I also know I'd hate it if when I die, people go through my diary. I know I've written 10x worse things than Cobain did in my journals.
Rating: 
Summary: To be taken with a grain of salt...
Review: This book would be worth something if the author did not get all of his research word from word from Courtney Love. Ironically this book is actually worth reading (if you so choose) as it reveals inconsistancies to factual evidence found in the recent release of the book "Love & Death: A New and Explosive Investigation into The Murder of Kurt Cobain." by Max Wallace and Ian Halperin. Read that book instead and learn what really happened.
Rating:
Summary: the lies are heart wrenching
Review: I don't claim to be a Kurt Cobain expert. Nobody is except for Kurt himself. His life will always be a mystery. This book,however, Describes events and thoughts that nobody in world could know in such detail. He couldnt know what he was thinking when nobody was around. In every paragraph the book contradicts what it said in the paragraph before that one. He lead people to believe the Cobains were happy. When Courtney said herself that he wrote unflattering letters about her. He told people he was gonna divorce her. I think the author should just stop writing forever if he won't even attempt to make it interesting. Hopefull this is his last fiction novel!
Rating: 
Summary: Taken by surprise
Review: Hey I'm a highschool student that is really into music, particularly punk and grunge. Just cause I'm young don't disregard this review. In my honors english class I was assigned to read a biography of my choice over 300 pages. My teacher recommended Heavier than Heaven to me knowing that I like grunge. Bear in mind I was never a heavy Nirvana fan but I like their music and I plan on picking up their greatest hits CD. Anyways, the first thing I noticed about this book was how incredibly detailed it was. I found it amazing how Cross was able to take into account such minor details of Cobains childhood and beautifully portray them in the first few chapters. After about an hour of reading I was fixed. By the end of the book I was nearly reduced to tears. Despite this being a biography and an assignment for my english class, this has got to be one of the greatest books I have ever read.
Rating: 
Summary: Arrogant author
Review: This book was well written, well under some circumstances. Charles R. Cross is an arrogant author as clearly noted in the title of this review. He thinks he knew everything about Kurt, when the fact is... he never met the man! Michael Azzerad who really met Kurt and acted as his official biographer should be the one acts this way, even his family doesnt act the way CRC does. Charles is like oh, I touched the heart shaped box, oh I touched his guitars. so what! we're not looking at your interviews and books to see what you have done man! On the chapter where Kurt dies, he says"kurt put the rifle into his mouth" or whatever I mean c'mon dude you must be stupid or think the fans are stupid to think that you know exactly how he died! No one does, if the man was murdered only a few people know I guess. Only god knows some of the details he added.. Overall good book, good detail thats my only problem with this book. fun to read but Who killed Kurt Cobain is the greatest Cobain book..
Rating:
Summary: Major issues
Review: The mainstream press has praised it to high heaven as the Cobain book to buy. However, there are some major issues here. It was a collaboration between Courtney Love and Charles Cross, which is a red flag off the bat. Love is blatantly trying to change history in it, and paint herself and her late husband in a totally different light. Some of it is based on diaries Kurt left behind. Diaries that could have been easily manipulated at some point or another. It's no secret that Kurt was prepared to divorce Courtney before he died. She admits it herself in taped conversations with Tom Grant in 1994 and 1995. People around them have also spoken out about the turmoil between the two at the time. Yet this book wants us to believe that they had a great marriage. Remaining Nirvana members are also accusing Courtney Love of changing history and pasting herself into things so they benefit her. Clearly a slap in the face to them, as well as Kurt's memory. Cross also likes to take speculation and present them the same way as he does facts. He writes of Kurt's last morning like he was actually there. Heavier Than Heaven has some major flaws, so read this book with caution.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Kurt Cobain biography I've read so far
Review: I am obsessed with Kurt Cobain, so most of the books I read have to do with him. This is the best biography I've read of him so far. The book is written very objectively, so it has positive and negative aspects, which was nice. I would definitely recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: one of the best cobain biographies
Review: to me this is one of cobains most concise biography which can insight the fans of his childhood and the days before nirvana became sucessful. the book also in times tells us of bands that kurt loved and revered. i looked into these bands and fell in love with them (especially the melvins and teenage fanclub). the book can be overshadowed by the nirvana fans who believe in kurts murder that the end of the book is focused in a view of courtney before his suicide. there is not a answer if his death is a murder but we must realize that the novel is told in truth and that kurt loved courtney. so take this into consideration if you are about to read it or already have.
|
