Customer Reviews

I Walked the Line: My Life with Johnny

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

First of all, keep in mind as mentioned before....that %90 of this book consists of love letters from Johnny to Vivian. I almost found it uncomfortable to read these letters,like I was sneaking a peak in someones diary or desk drawer, but they are a window into the mans soul...a rare window into pre-drug afflicted J.R. Cash's soul at that...and utterly heartbreaking to read when you know how the story ends.

I don't see anything hateful here,Vivian Cash kept silent for all her life and the shots taken here are not all that harsh when you consider all things. Her waiting until June passed to tell these stories can be looked at two ways, it was done mercifuly or to someone not around to defend herself. Either way, it's a drop in the ocean for a woman who swallowed a lot of pain and lets not forget that bottom line is June was sleeping with her husband.

I don't hold any of the three main characters up to sainthood, any more than I do myself. I find lessons and inspiration from all 3 of them.

I don't find it hard to believe that Johnny would endorse this book, especially that late in his life. Johnny Cash never lied or hid from his sins, he lived with a lot of guilt from hurting many people, and he also helped a lot of people. Listen to his American Recordings Era music, watch the vidoe to "Hurt" and you'll see/hear a man trying to make peace with himself,his past and his faith.

There is nothing shocking about any of this, other than finally hearing Vivians voice, which is something many of us wanted to hear and I for one, actually expected much worse things to come out of this. Aslo nice, are the rare pictures of Vivian, she was incredibly beautiful.

If you've read, Johhnys autobiography, Marshall Grants book and John Jr's book, then you already know that these were real people, with complex feelings, emotions and times. Imperfect, just like the rest of us.

If you want fairy tales, watch the blockbuster movie, live in LaLa land and in denial.

I'm giving it 3 stars, only because it's more a collection of love letters than a full writing by Vivian Cash. But a great book for any die-hard Cash fan or romantic.

Okay, I realize you may think I'm prejudiced, but I WAS THERE and also lived this story.

Even Dad (JOHNNY CASH) and June made it public in one of their last interviews that this story IS TRUE...they admitted to it.

This is my MOTHERS story...like it or not, she tells the truth and I applaud her for her courage.

Not only did she completely keep her story to herself for almost FORTY years, I was there when Dad gave her the go ahead, and HE asked her to not leave anything out. Her intention was NOT to slam June...it was simply to tell the truth.

It happened, take all 3 of my parents off the pedistal and remember they were human beings.

Dad lived because he wanted to. God is what got him through the worst times.

My parents were married 13 years and had 4 children together. IT wasn't exactly a one night

stand! They were together from 1950 to 1966!!

I expected some people to have a negative reaction, but some of these reviews are pretty hate filled..

THREE of our 4 parents are gone. Please remember, your words are hurtful for the ones here left behind that grieve for them daily. VERY HURTFUL.

If you want to critique the BOOK, that's one thing, just don't critique my Mother who you didn't know at all. She was an amazing and very loving woman that had her heart broken, and loved a MAN for over 50 years!

A MAN...MY DAD...not Johnny Cash. He was a HUMAN BEING, Okay?

You aren't required to like the book, but show a little kindness in regards to my Mother , please.

~Kathy Cash

I found this book to be a very poignant telling of a remarkable love story. It is obvious from Johnny's letters to Vivian that he was deeply in love with her and she with him. Unfortunately, like all things, situations change. It is a tale of a story of love, hope, and faith. After Johnny's addiction to pills, it became a story of deceit, dishonesty, and unfaithfulness. I'm sure it was a very painful for Vivian to tell her story. I was in tears by the end of the book. I am thankful that she found the healing and the peace she obtained by writing it.

This is a wonderful book and shows a different side of Johnny Cash that was not seen by his many fans. The marriage between Johnny and Vivian had a lot more to it and lasted a lot longer than many realize. First of all there were three years ,while Johnny was in Europe in the Air Force that they were deeply in love ,communicated almost daily,developing and expanding their love before they were married.This was before Johnny's career in music even started or had they any idea of what a famous life was ahead for them. Through the letters we see the deep convictions Johnny had about life in general,his extremely deep faith,and deep love for Vivian.We also see the deep love that Vivian had for Johnny.Then came marriage and the unbelieveably rapid rise to music fame,the endless days away on the road,the lifestyle that came with it ,including the drinking and drugs,the raising of four children during thirteen years of marriage.

Although Vivian continued to love Johnny through these years,and remained faithful to him,she was unable to keep him from falling in love with June . She continued to love him all through the years and ,unbelievably never really seemed to allow hatred to consume her or even develop a hatred for June. It is hard to believe that Johnny would walk away from her,and there seems to be little reason that he ever had any hate for her ,even till the last years of his life.

What this book really shows, is that these people who make their living in entertainment world,lead such a complicated and driven lifestyle that few of us fans can even imagine.They give all,body and soul for the things that fame brings and in many,many cases lives are wrecked along the way.The price of fame comes very high and there is often heartache for themselves and family. Yes,there is also a lot of happiness as well.But in many ways their lives get taken over by the "legend".

It is easy to criticize others,but until one walks in their shoes,we shouldn't.The people who bring us so much happiness with their art deserve all the wealth and happiness they are able to get out of their fame;and instead of criticizing anyone or anything they do;we should just stop and think what a price they pay,and what a dull world it would be without them.

When I finished this book a couple of thoughts came to mind.Kris Kristofferson once said something to the effect about Johnny Cash that went something like this"He was a walking contradiction-partly truth and partly fiction".Then there's George Jones's song "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes"?.

A special thanks to Ann Sharpsteen for helping Vivian getting her story out to us ;and it just goes to prove that Superstars and Legends are real people too;and like the rest of us go through life's trials and tribulations,but even on a much greater scale.

When I chose to read this book, I expected a more personal account of Vivian's (and her childrens') life with Johnny Cash. I appreciate the letters sent from a young soldier to the love of his life, but things are often much different in reality than they are when two people are across the world from one another and only corresponding thru the mail. I truly question whether John & Vivian's marriage would have been any different, without the success of Johnny Cash or June Carter. They were both very young at the time of their marriage, were not very well acquainted prior to John's deployment, and in general it was just a different time in America. I did not find anything overly harsh towards June Carter in this book, and I also found it interesting to learn about the first Mrs. Cash as a person, mother and wife.

As I assume most here, I picked up this book due to my interest in Johnny Cash, and also after having seen the Oscar-winning "Walk the Line" movie a few years ago, I was curious to get a different perspective.

"I Walked the Line: My Life with Johnny" (326 pages) is actually 2 books into one.After a brief introduction from Vivian on how she met Johnny, the book then turns into a collection of multiple letters that Johnny wrote to Vivian while being stationed in Europe from 1951 to 1954. Be warned: that collection of letters covers about 250 pages of the book. The output of Johnny during those 3 years is simply amazing, and at times revealing: after having received a letter from Vivian in which she apparently described an evening out at a bar, Johnny writes back: "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, Viv, but I still don't like for you to go where everybody is drinking. ... Vivian, honey, just do it for me. Stay away from those damned places." That is even more revelatory later when Vivian notes that the only request Johnny made for their wedding reception (in 1954) that it be alcohol-free. Wow! What a contrast to the long way down Johnny would eventually take, which Vivian blames almost entirely on June Carter, incidentally.

The last 75 pages or so of the book describe the good and bad times of Vivian's marriage to Johnny in the 1954-1966 era, and frankly it's heartbreaking to see it all spilled out like this. Once June Carter came in the picture, it became clear what the outcome would be, but the difference of Johnny of the early years and in the later years is startling. Vivian describes it as a woman of great faith, and that is what rescues her (she remarried and found love, although it's pretty clear Johnny was the love of her life).

I haven't ever been a big follower of Johnny Cash. I remember seeing him on TV when I was little and my father identifying him as The Man in Black. I know a lot of his songs, but I don't avidly seek them out either. I am currently reading his book Cash BECAUSE of reading this book.

I saw the move Walk the Line. Funny that the movie is named after a song based on his devotion to his wife Vivian. I digress. I saw a deep and beautiful Vivian portrayed in the movie, but angry. It made me wonder what her story was. My husband brought this book home for me and I read it quickly.

I was a bit disappointed in the number and volume of personal letters from Johnny in the book but I was amazed that she had actually kept them the whole time. I found the letters some what repetitive and slightly boring, but they did make me laugh on occasion.

Every person involved in a story could tell their perspective differently and we finally get to have Vivian's side of the story. For years and years she remained silent and gracious despite feeling treated unfairly and I see her need to share her story genuine.

She says some shocking things, from her perspective, about June that make you look at the story shown in film in a different light. This is her story, her truth, and apparently it's made a lot of people angry. And maybe their anger about her side of the story was what kept her silent for so long.

I especially appreciated the part about how she wished she would have stayed and fought for him. I could really sense her heart in those passages. She was still able to move on and create a happy life, with some difficulty with her second husband and taught me that some times life and love are about choosing to be happy and love even with a somewhat divided heart.

This book is just one version of the events that happened in the amazing life of Johnny Cash. It has made me want to see all sides, stories, and perspectives of that life. I appreciated Vivian's peace about just getting the whole, uncomfortable truth out there. I would recommend this book to people who've had their husband cheat on them, to fans of Johnny Cash, and of history. I would highly recommend that readers who think June Carter Cash is a saint to stay away from this book unless you can swallow the fact that she too is human and imperfect.

I was hoping for a good read, but more than three-quarters of the book were Johnny's letters to her when he was in the service. If you're sentimental then maybe you'd like it, but it was too boring for me.

My husband and I were both very disappointed. I wanted to read Vivian's story and mainly read only letters that a young man who barely knew her wrote. It is easy to be in love when you are overseas and only fantascize what the other person is like.

It would appear that Vivian had a hard time getting over no longer being Mrs. Johnny Cash and needed to convince readers that he had indeed loved her.

The surprise was that Johnny Cash wrote Ring of Fire. It does have a similiar ring (pun intended) to other works of his and he had also put his father's name on songs his dad didn't write.

The majority of this book is letters that Johnny wrote to Vivian while overseas; shortly after they met. They dated for three weeks, he went away for three years, returned and they married a month later and had their first child 10 months later. Johnny Cash at the age of 19-22 is not the Johnny Cash that Vivian spent most of her marriage with or that the public wants to read about: the drug-addicted, womanizing, rebel Johnny Cash. I would have liked to have seen a much more in-depth look at their marriage and his addiction, womanizing, violent tendencies, and pursuit by/of June Carter, and instead we get glimpses. I had the book "Man In Black" so I guess it is time to read his book "Cash." I will give Vivian this credit though: what she went through was very painful and what many women who lived through it then and now can gain insight from. It had to have been very hard for her to silently accept what happened and I don't believe she ever tried to profit because she could have told her story to the tabloids in 1968, or even 1988 when her kids were grown and could hear it. I love all things Johnny and any fan should read the book but don't expect anything more than a ton of love letters from a very young man and a compressed rendering of the man we all saw.