Torn Apart: The Life of Ian Curtis (Hardcover)

by Mick Middles (Author), Lindsay Reade (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Cloaked in mystique, Joy Division's extraordinary vocalist Ian Curtis tragically took his own life in 1980, leaving just two haunting albums and a depleted band that would famously evolve into New Order. 25 years later, the enigma of Ian Curtis has deepened to an unprecedented level. Devotees make regular pilgramages to both his hometown of Macclesfield and to Manchester, where the story of Joy Division and Factory Records has left a profound mark on the city. Examines his life, his work, his relationships and the cultural environment in which he lived and died.

About the Author
Mick Middles was the first journalist to interview Joy Division for the music press and formed a close association with the band that continues to this day. Lindsay Reade was a founder member of Factory Records as well as being fonder Tony Wilson's first wife. Their relationship formed the basis of the first half of the Factory based film 24 Hour Party People.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Omnibus Press (April 30, 2006)
• ISBN-10: 1844498263
• ISBN-13: 978-1844498260
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #767,495 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, Confusing, Interesting..., September 11, 2007

By	H. Adorno "Hillary Adorno" (Unionville, CT) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I found myself plowing through this book because it is filled with interesting facts about the post-punk scene in the Manchester area of England...the days when aspiring artists could walk into record label offices and be "found" instead of "made". However, it is a difficult read due the challenge of distinguishing who is sharing their point of view and when. The cast of characters (real life characters) is diverse and ever changing, so it is hard to follow who is sharing their story and in what `person' the story is being told. Ian's wife wrote her own portrayal of events (which I haven't read yet), but this book is missing her perspective. Even if Deborah Curtis didn't have a close relationship with Ian at the time of his demise, her input is clearly missing and it would have helped with some of the emotional gaps. We do get a lot of information from Annik Honore, the woman who participated in Ian's emotional love affair, but they had sporadic contact, over less than a year's time, so it's hard to tell how well Annik knew Ian. Did anyone `know' him for that matter? I came away from this book feeling like no one knew this man. So, the enigma lives on. I still recommend this book, but I'm still left wondering.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Could have used a good editor, June 18, 2007

By	T. Kelly (New York City) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have to agree that the book is a real pain to read because the writing is so lousy. I'm glad to finally have such a detailed account not only of the story of Joy Division but the whole Manchester scene in general. The information is good, but I just can't deal with the sub-standard writing.

An unfortunate strike against an otherwise interesting book.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars reviews from Amazon.UK , May 15, 2006

By	Robert Konkel "loungeracer" (Nantucket, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

here are the reviews found at Amazon.UK where the book is in circulation. Can't wait for this one.

5 stars.
This book takes you from the minutae of a child's life to an absolute monster of a tradegy.The the strength of this book
lies in the publication of the letters between Curtis and Honore and Mr.Middles identification of the many variables of epilepsy,fame,marital breakdown,love,art and business that broke a young and very talented guy. A great book.
Oh,and the depiction of Martin Hannet as somekind of MadHatter is brilliant...a real genius.

5 stars

This is an excellent biography featuring a lot of new information notably from Ian's family and from those who knew him intimately towards the end of his short life. Featuring photos from the Curtis family album, information about his childhood - right through to extracts from letters between Ian Curtis and Annik Honore.

Highly recommended and equally as important as Deborah Curtis's "Touching From A Distance".

If you want to know the real story of Ian Curtis - the one behind the myth - this book is for you.