To Major Tom: The Bowie Letters
Written: Jul 11 '02 (Updated Jul 11 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A great way to tell a story
Cons: Some parts read like a record catalog
The Bottom Line: For everyone who ever wrote a fan letter- though it may leave you wishing you thought of this first.
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| Refined_edge's Full Review: Dave Thompson - To Major Tom |
I bought this book in London, so I'm not terribly surprised that there isn't much detail about it available on this site. It's by Dave Thompson, and if you can find it, it's an interesting read.
"To Major Tom" is a novel told entirely through a series of letters written by Gary to David Bowie over a period of about 30 years. It begins with raving fan letters at the age of 14, and slowly becomes a thoughtful commentary on the UK music from the '70s to the present by an ordinary guy who just loves music. It's probably just as good as reading a Bowie biography in some regards, as it really details his career, his music, and even certain aspects of his personal life (those a simple fan is privy to, anyway).
It's a great way to tell the story of someone's life- through the music he listens to. And if you ever wanted to know every single David Bowie ever released in the UK, and some other countries as well, this is more interesting than a discography. The author's really has a lot of intelligent things to say about music.
The book did start to drag towards the end. It's quite long, and around when Gary got married and started having kids, I began to question the reality of the whole thing. I understand a teenager, and even a young single man continuing to write fan letters, never getting a reply. But doesn't there come a point where you stop. It's not even a question of Gary being in the closet. Certainly, Bowie's bisexuality is mentioned, but that's not really an issue in this story. I tried to think of it as a journal instead, and that got me through the rest of it.
It's different. Give it a shot if you can find it.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Refined_edge
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Member: Jennifer
Location: New Haven, CT
Reviews written: 115
Trusted by: 11 members
About Me:
I like music. All of it. And cheese. And bizarre roadside attractions.
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