Customer Reviews

Dark Horse: The Life And Art Of George Harrison

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

There are whole-hearted Beatles fans, who can't pick a favourite, and then there are the ones who focus only on ONE -- the bassist, the guitarist, and so on. And usually, if that's the case, they pick George Harrison.

Very little information is known on George so, when I had read basically every Paul McCartney book, I turned to tracking down this rather elusive book (it took me a few months to finally get it from the local library). And I must say I was rather disappointed.

There's no substance here. Basically everything is, as earlier reviewers have stated, from the rumour mill. The only light spots in the book, if you're the nebby type, are of Harrison's affections toward his father, Harold, who died in 1977, and his son, Dhani. Parts of the book also show Harrison's real generosity as a man, not Beatle.

The speculations become very irritating in some points -- as in the observance of the possible reasons leading to his breakup and divorce from his first wife, Pattie Boyd. Eric Clapton did eventually fall in love with her, and that's well-documented but Giuliano comes up with his own, unsubstantiated ideas about the "real" end of their marriage: George wasn't allowed to have sex for pleasure according to his devout religious beliefs (which has never been proved), and therefore, Pattie was possibly infertile. Giuliano concludes this after Pattie has had two childless marriages. Has he interviewed Ms. Boyd on any occasion? No. So there's no truth here.

Giuliano considers himself the darling of the Beatle book community but, it's interesting to note, the best reviews for his books come when the book is based around the Beatles' word themselves. Avoid this book, and stick to George's I Me Mine or the Beatles Anthology instead.

If you want more information about the life of George Harrison, this book is DEFINITELY NOT the place to get it. It reads like something out of the National Enquirer. As is the case in most of his books, the author injects himself into it, in this case, making the most of a very short association with George, which his wife Olivia once described in a letter to a British newspaper as lasting "about 10 minutes." Because of that, the book has little in the way of solid information on George and actually deserves less than a one-star rating. How about a zero?

I read this book because as an inveteterate Beatles fan, I was interested in the subject and treatment of guitarist, George Harrison. Instead of being a serious and comprehensive biography, I found this work to be little more than innuendo and hearsay. Mr. Guiliano tends to rely heavily upon cliches such as "the Quiet One" and gives a very surfacy overview of the man's talents and musical contributions. He does not provide substantial facts and many of his statements appear to be more of his subjective opinions rather than objective, factual (and hopefully) informative statements about his subject.

Read the Beatles' Anthology instead. You will be glad that you did.

This book is not worthy of being in any store. Complete rumor. If you are a George or Beatle fan steer clear of the trashy tabloid.

I opened this book with idle curiosity about the subject and finished it (barely) with contempt for the research and writing. It reads as idle and sometimes nasty gossip. There are glaring inconsistencies, and clumsiness with dates, which, considering it's many reprints, is simply unforgivable. The book concludes with a catalogue of dates that shed extraordinary light on the writer's egotism and ludicrous attachment to the subject of the book. I am grateful to the author at least for curing my interest in biography. From now on I'll just stick to the music. To say the book does not do justice to this immensely talented musician is a gross understatement. I am embarrassed that I bought this book. I eventually threw it away - just couldn't bear to think that someone might pick it up at the second hand shop.

To quote Olivia Harrison from "The Guardian" dated October 10, 1992:
"To rate himself the world's greatest rock and roll biographer (a laughable title in the first place) is nothing but delusion. He has only been in the vicinity of my husband for about 10 minutes and considers himself an expert.
...
His life is a 'curse' to himself and perhaps his admitted 300 acid trips by the age of 19 has something to do with it. I'm sick of this guy"

If you want to read about George Harrison, go and buy the "Beatles Anthology" and hear from the man himself.

A reader once wrote that "Geoffery Guiliano makes it his life to put out as much as he can about the life of The Beatles..." Well, actually, Guiliano makes it his life to try and dig up dirt and when he can't, just makes it up as he goes along.

Guiliano has long been known as the very worst kind of Beatles opportunist; somehow, likely by sheer volume, he's developed a reputation as an "expert", but he's traded on his friendships with Fab Four hangers-ons to pump out cheap low-brow books (mostly picture books, appropriately) and talk CD's on the group and the various members. Clearly, he doesn't really LIKE the group that much, as he is hell-bent on demystifying them.

With "Dark Horse" he's set his sights on George Harrison. As usual, he has little actual primary research, looks to limited press/media accounts for fodder, and then takes his common negative "demystifying" spin to the proceedings. If there's a negative character flaw anywhere in Harrison's persona, that's the one Guiliano settles on as his thesis. No one would ever assume Harrison to be perfect, but in this "author's" hands the quiet Beatle is simply a lazy lout.

Look folks...really...there is absolutely NOTHING whatsoever of value, historical interest or entertainment on this lightweight piece of junk. It's just designed simply to separate the casual Beatles fan from more of his hard-earned money. You're smarter than that, I just know you are. Don't buy this - if the public avoids this miserable type of garbage, hopefully Guiliano might someday go away.

Oh...don't buy his CD's or videos either.

This book is complete garbage. There is nothing in it that is factual. If you want to read tabloid material please go buy "National Enquirer" or something.. Don't give your hard earned money or attention to this guy. He never knew The Harrison's and the book is fabricated stories by zealous bad author. Please go buy George's book "I Me Mine" or The Beatles 'Anthology" book is want to learn the truth about the man.

Being a real Harrison fan for over 35 years I can safely say that this book isn't worth the paper it is printed on. Made up stories, inacurate details and dramas. No one could possibly have this much information about someones life, especially a Beatles private life. I find it hard to even justify writing this review. I am doing so only to warn others that they will be very disappointed if they read this book. Please do not purchase this book. Wait until "I Me Mine" (written by George himself) is re-issued. Hopefully coming out in the fall of 2002.

This book tries to peek into a private world, with mixed results. When George Harrison himself said of the author that "the guy knows more about my life than I do," as is quoted on the jacket of some editions, I don't think he meant it as a compliment. Rather, I think he meant that some of this stuff isn't true, which it may not be. Mostly Guilano rambles around quoting interviews and borrowing prose from his own other books.