Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain

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Summary: Awesome info on Kurt, but the ending is all wrong.
Review: The information you get on Kurt's life is awesome. A lot of stuff from his journals is put in, and the "time line" format is great. The problem is the ending. ... Buy the book for the information about Kurt's life...but not about his death. Or Rome.

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Summary: Also Heavier Than Toilet Paper, give it a flush.
Review: I had no idea what to expect with this book but I do love Nirvana. I have to side with Courtney on this project and say that it barely deserves a serious look. The only good bio I've read on a Seattle band is the one about Layne Staley from Alice In Chains. At least that info was a bit fresh. Kurt died in 1994 and I guess I just don't care that much any more. Layne is just gone...and there were a lot of unanswered questions I felt compelled to get answers to. I did.

Rating:
Summary: Heavier than Heaven
Review: I thought this book was awesome. When i read it, i'd already been a Nirvana fan for a little while, but i didn't really know the truth about Kurt or his life or anything like that. The book was really informative with facts, and it was pretty neutral. some books make him seem like an irresponible, freaky, loser, heroin-addict, and some books sound like they were written by a crazed fan. But this one was neutral and it was more sympathetic with him than anything else. I also thought that the point Charles Cross was trying to get across was actually pretty much proved and outlined pretty well by the end, whereas in other biographies you get the "this is what I'm going to prove" in the beginning, but at the end, they never really prove it. I cried for hours when I read this book. If you're really after the truth, you should read it. It's totally worth it. I've read it a couple of times, and I never get sick of it, and I pick up on new stuff each time I read it. Plus it has some really cute pictures. Oh, yeah, and if you're curious about Kurt's suicide (which seems to be the only thing people are interested in) there are accounts of what he did up to like 2 minutes before his death. So enjoy.

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Summary: Inside the mind of a genius.
Review: C. Cross gives a backstage pass into the mind of an artistic genius. The book is an absolutely intense study of creativity, passion, torture and talent at its best and at its worst. From detailed accounts of personal events, to Kurt's own writings and wonderful character analysis, C. Cross has really touched on brilliance here. As far as biographies go, this is perfection. For any Nirvana fan, Cobain fan, or just music fan, this is a must have.

Rating:
Summary: The best rock bio ever written
Review: What I said. Pure and simple. Really thoroughly researched and amazingly well-written. Azerrad book lets us know more on Kurt's creative process, but this book follows suit. I wish that somebody Charles Cross had written a biography of Alice in Chains, the unbelievable group of the 90s Seattle scene on which there are no decent books available.

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Summary: Fiction Writer
Review: Charles Cross should be ashamed of himself. Any one who uses Courtney Love as a source for a book should re think there motivation for doing so. She is a pathological liar, so that makes this book fiction. Don't buy it. If you want to read a book about the true life of Kurt, buy " Who Killed Kurt Cobain?" "The Mysterious Death of an Icon".

Rating:
Summary: Very informative
Review: A quick read that is hard to put down. You will look at Nirvana's music through a whole new light after reading this book, and it will give you an entirely new outlook on Kurt Cobain. Love him, hate him, he is either way a fascinating study in hedonism.

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Summary: A COMPANION BOOK THAN EXPLAINS JOURNALS
Review: I've said in my review of Kurt Cobain's Journals that if you don't know much about the Nirvana idol you'll need to read one of the many biographies about him to make sense of the book. The reason being that Kurt never dated his diary entries or letters and there is next to no editorial content or even footnotes in Journals to explain his writing. Heavier Than Heaven is the book you need to understand Journals. Not only has author Charles R. Cross written a meticulously researched account of Kurt's life with the co-operation of close friends and family including his widow Courtney Love, he was given access to the journals before they were published; Cross has been able to delve into Kurt's notebooks in detail, quoting several chunks of narrative, explaining the reason behind Kurt's thoughts at length. If you read this book with Journals it will help shed more light on Kurt's words and make things clearer.
Another book I recommend is the controversial Who Killed Kurt Cobain?, in which Ian Halperin and Max Wallace investigate "The Mysterious Death of an Icon" conspiracy theory that alleges Kurt might actually have been murdered. Although they put up a pretty strong case for foul play, nothing is proven; only lots of thought-provoking speculation and suspicious circumstancial evidence. A five star rating for this book as well.
Both biographies have a good selection of photographs - while Who Killed Kurt Cobain? has copies of the police homicide and forensic reports about Kurt's death and the suicide note found beside his body. Both books sit well with Journals and will help to keep the legend alive.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing and Compelling
Review: Although I was a Nirvana fan ten years ago, I have never felt the urge to read any much of the hype: ... and unauthorized celeb biographies are usually full of fluff. This one is different: Heavier Than Heaven reads like a novel, and the extensive research, background info and objectivity make it a MUST for any Nirvana/Cobain fan. Also alot of insight about the music biz. The final chapter of the book, and Cobain's life, is so dark and sad and real it will bring tears to your eyes. The best biography I've read in a long time.

Rating:
Summary: Not for everyone
Review: This book is a great book that I highly recommend but not for everyone. Those of you seeking the truth of Kurt's death will be left dissapointed. However the ones wanting to know about the man himself, Kurt Cobain will this book a treasure of knowledge on Kurt's life. This book will let you learn far more things about him then his own journals. As those focused on his song writing, they did not focus on the man himself.