Customer Reviews

Gershwin

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This is probably the best Gershwin biography out there at the moment. It is very factual and academic. I wish that the author wrote in a more lively manner, though. Here we have one of the most fascinating figures of the twentieth century; an incredibly talented composer and pianist; a man who worked on Broadway, in the concert halls, in Hollywood; a man who knew many of the most fascinating figures in entertainment. You would think a biography of his life would be a spell binding page turner. No. This one drags in many places.

This is pretty dreary read. It records an immense amount of information but doesn't deliver a picture of the man. Stil, there's a lot of value here -- particularly with the supplemental material on Ira after George's death, the list of the Gershwin brothers' collaborations, and a thoughtful discography.

Surprisingly poorly written. Much of the book seems like it was thrown together from various notes without the benefit of a rewrite or an editor. A person will be introduced in one paragraph as so-and-so's friend who did such-and-such, only to be reintroduced again the same way a couple of paragraphs later.

Conversely, though less often, someone will be referred to by last name only with no introduction, prompting the reader to rescan the preceding paragraphs, thinking he missed something.

The result is that many of the stories the author tells are murky and confusing. It's also clear that he doesn't know a lot about music, though that may be OK if that's not the approach you're looking for. On the plus side, the book seems well-researched and contains a lot of detail. It's a shame he didn't go the extra step of having a cowriter or at least a good editor.