Customer Reviews

Michael Jackson: The Magic and the Madness

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I loved this book. I read it so fast and it's a thick book. I recently read "Be Careful who you Love". And it was so obviously biased and tabloid cheap- it left a really bad taste in my mouth. People have labeled that one un-biased ok not true for sure.

This author has a lot more legitimate interviews and a lot more compassion. But he is also real about how Michael is eccentric he has played the victim role a lot rather than take hold of his life.

What I discovered and found most shocking really was Michael and Lisa Marie really had something sexual and honest for a minute. The truth as the author puts it really is stranger than fiction. They really did love each other.

I think Michael has been through a tedious three ring circus of a life. He has been through hell really. At the end of the day at least he has been able to maintain compassion, believe in God, Love his children his fans and despite everything his family. Personally I believe it to be his best attribute.

I thought the book was very fair. Read it if you are interested in the truth about Mr. Jackson.

Michael Jackson: The Magic and the Madness is pretty sensationalistic. Then again, so is the star who's the focal point of this book. J. Randy Taraborelli's notorious biography of Michael Jackson is very well written, with plenty of sources and documentation to support its assertions as well as an authorative tone of investigative journalism which really leads me to believe that what it describes is true.

Some of the book's most interesting points are about Michael and the Jackson siblings' relationship to Joe and Katharine Jackson. Taraborelli's thesis about the domination of Katharine Jackson over the Jackson children is fascinating stuff, as is his probe into the relationship between the two superstars, Michael and Janet. His analysis of Michael Jackson's music is also detailed and convincing, and he has many small anecdotal touches which add immensely to the flavour and make this book a very fast read indeed. Examples include a fan of the Jackson 5 who was allegedly seduced by Jackie Jackson; a secretary who claimed she was beaten up by Katharine and Janet Jackson; and a Soul Train dancer who may have taught Jackson his signature "Moonwalk" move but says that Jackson's version is not really a "Moonwalk".

I only have one criticism of this book, which is directed at the final few paragraphs of this book where Taraborelli steps out of objective mode and tries to state his thesis about how Michael Jackson became who he is. I felt that he had made his points well and clear before this without having to moralize about it. Nevertheless, it's a small flaw in what is otherwise a highly engaging biographical work. I've been hoping that Taraborelli would add some new chapters which would cover the turbulent decade in Jackson's career since this book's publication -- the Dangerous album, HIStory, "Scream", Blood on the Dance Floor, the marriage to Lisa Marie Presley...given his authority and smart writing, Taraborelli's observations and research into this material would be essential reading. But it's never too late, and one can always hope...

A riveting read in the typical conversational style of Taraborrelli. I zipped through it in about 1 week and couldn't put it down.

It details Jackson's early life to the present day and you definitely get an excellent interpretation of how the crazy success of his youth, coupled with difficult family relationships shaped the man and his actions today.

It is certainly testimony to the destructive nature of phenomenal wealth on a family, where greed seems to be the prime motivator even though they do love each other also. I suppose every family's dynamics are different and even difficult and the Jacksons have certainly lived theirs in the spotlight.

Taraborelli gives a very good insight into Jackson's character and you begin to understand some of the choices good and bad that he has made and is still making in his life. He is someone who has rarely experienced the word "NO" and this is obvious in his approach to situations - giving a very good impression of a belligerent teenager at times.

It's good to see photos as well, cause you can do a chronology of the changes made through plastic surgery and see finally the devastation of his face today. It is very sad, especially when you see photos of him in 1983-1984 when he was musically and physically insurmontable.

Unfortunately the way Jackson has chosen to live his life has overshadowed the incredibile musical legacy and sometimes I tend to forget what an important contributor he has been to our times.

Definitely a book for anyone who is interested in the ordinary and extraordinary - very well written - the style is only eclipsed by the subject matter - the Enigma that is Michael Jackson

Years ago I read the initial pressing of this book, published in 1991. Obviously, much has happened in the life of Michael Jackson since then, so I sought out this updated edition, published in 2003. Ultimately, I was a bit disappointed. My main complaint was the "tabloidization" of this version (British? This is an import, after all)--overuse of exclamation marks, excessively positive phrasing, almost taking some of the objectivity away that was so prevalent in the first edition. Also, notable chunks of the first book were removed, others greatly edited down, and in some cases updated with new information. Granted, the years added to this book probably required cutting down in some sense. Yet, the "tabloid" feel continued in much of the newer segment (1990-2003), spending entire chapters on Jackson's love/sex life and literally mentioning his entire musical career from 1995 to 2003 in about one page. Sure, in those years his personaly life probably was of more interest than his musical career to many people, but I would have found the story behind his declining career and musical evolution much more fascinating than the space it was given.

On a positive note, the book (like the first edition) does not go out of its way to either defend or criticize Jackson's personal life. It does provide a revealing, first-hand account from someone who has had an inside look at Jacksons life since the 1970's, and for that alone it is probably the best source for an honest book on Jackson's glories and faults.

When I decided to purchase this book i did so because I have seen the author on numerous television shows talking about michael and thought that he would give a fairly accurate account of michael's life, and it turns out that I was right. instead of portraying michael as a weird child molester he portrays him as a caring, somewhat eccentric musical genius. I know that michael has his faults but who does'nt? he chronicles everything from the victory tour to michael's marriage with lisa marie to the hyperbaric chamber. while reading this book there will be times when all can do is shake your head at the things that michael suggests, and there will be times when you truly feel sorry for him, and then there will be times when all you can do is laugh. I know for a fact that one thing is for sure, after reading this book you will definitely view the king of pop in a new light, and maybe even understand why he behaves the way he does.

PROS: This book is incredibly difficult to put down. You think it's about to be another tabloid piece, but it truly comes off as factual. You'd think the author worked for MJ himself. Most of the stories you read in this book came up later in interviews with the family members. This in itself makes you want to believe the author. You will also discover that the movie The Jacksons: An American Dream got most of its plot and dialogue from this book, seriously. I mean JRT must have got some kind of profit from that movie. The author also does a fine job at exposing the many facets of MJ- the cruel businessman, warm charity worker, paranoid celebrity, selfish entertainer, creative genius, etc. He touches up on MJ's skin and surgeries, his sexuality, past relationship with Tatum Oneal, and Oedipus complex for his mother.

CONS: This book comes off as a tragic tale of a man whose suffered whether than benefitted from superstardom. The author and psychologists tried to offer reasons behind his psyche, but you'd still leave the book not understanding why Michael Jackson is such a recluse and depressant despite his many successes and fortunate opportunities to meet the biggest greats of this world. It's also an "unofficial" biography, so you still can't separate truth from fiction. The author lists many sources as anonymous. (His reason for this is because he said that the person feared they may lose their job for spilling beans about Michael Jackson. I highly doubt that those "anonymous sources" ever was in the company of Michael Jackson, or they would lose a job in the entertainment industry just for saying something like Michael Jackson cried alot. But whatever)

Bottom Line: Good read with fascinating stories from ex-wives of the Jackson 5 who stayed in the Encino household, J5 groupies, and former managers and lawyers of MJ. Be careful what you believe, though. The author has trashed MJ so much recently, and has gone from sincere to sensational, that you would begin to doubt the credibility of his former books.

This book is not only about Michael Jackson, but also about Motown Records, Berry Gordy, and the dynamics of America's #1 dysfunctional family, The Jacksons. Plenty of psychological profiles by a licensed therapist, which help to explain Michael's seemingly unexplainable motivations. Much more than a mere Michael Jackson bio, it also covers the rise to fame, and world surrounding Michael and his family. Taraborelli really did his homework, and you can tell that he really loves "The Motown Sound" regardless of the good and bad sides of the stories that unfold in this book. It's terrific reading whether you are a Jacksons/Motown fan or not. - Paula Martin -

I found this book at a used book store on Hollywood Blvd...just a few days after Michaels Jackson's death. Of course I'd read it every chance I got. The thing that was so strange was the moments in between reads. Flashes of his life on the news. Speculation of drug use. The looped image of him wrapped in a two dollar sheet to the morgue. Then I'd return to the book to read the story of his childhood, his adventures climb to stardom, his sadness-only thing is you know his tragic end. It broke my heart.

I read the first version of this book -- the one that ended around 1991. I knew it would be a good read, mainly because I've read other biographies by J. Randy Taraborrelli (i.e. books concerning the Kennedy women and Grace Kelly) and they were very interesting narratives that were obviously well-researched. I had no reason to doubt that this book would be the same, and it was.

The book is quite lengthy (over 500 pages), but you barely notice because it is so interesting. Taraborrelli has interviewed MJ himself (back in 1978)as well as countless other people who were either part of the Jackson family or worked for them for many years. He documents almost all of his sources with the exception of those who've asked for anonymity. The amount of documented sources he provides is significant though, and really convinces you that this book is about as close to the real truth as you're going to get without actually having lived in Michael's world yourself.

Taraborrelli covers everything in this initial version, from the family's first years in Gary, Indiana to Joe Jackson's determined struggle to shape his boys into one of the country's most successful musical groups to Michael's life in the spotlight, the burden of responsibility he carried since he was a boy, and his meteoric rise to superstardom in the 1980s. The book includes plenty of interesting and often humorous anecdotes about Jackson family relationships, particularly the greed and jealousies that eventually (and almost inevitibly) developed due to Michael's unprecedented success. Everyone wanted a piece of Michael's pie and just about everyone was willing to do almost anything to stay in his good graces. Taraborrelli even describes an incident in 1989 where a million dollar "reward" was offered to anyone in the family or any associate who could talk Michael into appearing for a series of Jackson concerts in Korea. Needless to say, the scramble to convince him was comical. The family motto? Don't make Michael mad, because if you do and then you need him (for financial "assistance"), where the hell will you (or any of us) be then?

The author's psychological theories about Michael and how he ended up to be the recluse he became are also interesting and overall, very logical. Jackson's story is a sad one, even the story in this particular version which ends a full 18 years before his tragic death. You can almost predict where his life is going based on the information that Taraborrelli provides, and it's not a tough prediction to make.

The narrative includes interesting insights into Jackson's personality that many in the public may not realize -- such as the fact that MJ was very shrewd about business matters and was seldom the "whimp" that he often appeared to be in public settings. It is also evident that Jackson had a forgiving nature, and could never quite cut himself off completely from his family members, even when they tried to take advantage of him.

I'm anxious to read Taraborrelli's full version of this excellent book, which from what I can gather is contained in "Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story" due out on August 5th of this year. I know from experience that this author's research on Jackson's two marriages and his molestation trials will be thorough and as accurate as possible. It's interesting to note that in the initial version Taraborrelli predicts that Michael Jackson will probably die before he gets married.

If you're a Michael Jackson fan, or even if you're undecided about whether this man was more a saint or a sinner, this book is an excellent read about a fascinating musical genuis who found recognition and fame the world over, but paid a heavy price for it. My recommendation would be to wait for the final version to come out on August 5th and purchase it then, or to take out the initial version from the library, read it, and then read the extension after it is released.

There are many books out there about Michael that pretend to give an unbias account of his life. But in J. Randy Taraborrelli you have an author who truely believes in giving readers a balance account of the Michael Jackson story. He delves inside the life of the Jackson family in general, starting with the relationship between Katherine and Joe Jackson, giving us a greater understanding of his life. Also unlike other books that imply his "true loves are little boys" it looks at his relationship with people like Diana Ross-who I believe is the true love of his life-and Tatum O'Neal. The updated version of this book also goes into detail about his relationship with Lisa Marie Presley, which will surprise many.

If you ever want to read an unbias account of MIchael Jackson's life, warts and all this is the book to get.