Never Fade Away: The Kurt Cobain Story (Mass Market Paperback)

by Dave Thompson (Author) "The first reports were vague, a dull rumor which percolated out into post-rush hour Seattle traffic..." (more)
Key Phrases: Sub Pop, Kurt Cobain, Teen Spirit (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Thank you all from the pit of my burning, nauseous stomach for your letters and concerns during the last years."--Kurt Cobain, April, 1994
-- Review

Review

"Thank you all from the pit of my burning, nauseous stomach for your letters and concerns during the last years."--Kurt Cobain, April, 1994

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 172 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (June 15, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312954638
• ISBN-13: 978-0312954635
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #577,849 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars it reads like vanity fair., October 23, 1999

By A Customer

this is by far the WORST kurt cobain book i have ever read. the entire thing reads like a tabloid, and anyone who didnt pick up on that fact obviously knows absolutely nothing about nirvana. dave thompson never met kurt cobain, so he didnt have any firsthand experience with the band. he portrays kurt as a total hero, and courtney love as a horrible talent-draining heroin addict. ive also noticed that the only people who seem to have enjoyed this book are the ones who have watched kurt and courtney, believed hank harrison, and proclaimed themselves nirvana experts. if you want a read nirvana book, get come as you are by michael azzerad.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars it was okay..., November 28, 1999

By A Customer

NEVER FADE AWAY may not be a really great book but it was interesting to read. I've always been a big fan of Nirvana and I try to get hold of everything I could get about them to add to my collection. If you've read COME AS YOU ARE by Michael Azzerad, and you're not really a die-hard Nirvana fan, I suggest you skip reading NEVER FADE AWAY. I know of some people who got ticked off with it. However, if you're a big fan and you're willing to try anything, this book is somehow okay to read. But don't expect to be so immersed in in it that you'll have a hard time putting it down. Considering that it was a paperback (and me being a BIG FAN), it took me two long weeks to read the book...

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't Bother, April 24, 2001

By	Nancy (CA) - See all my reviews

This is one of the worst books on Kurt Cobain's life and death that I have read to date. The entire tone of the book is that of some naughty little boys sharing in a conspiracy that they know they are not supposed to be involved in. The book focuses almost entirely on the death of Kurt Cobain, as if that were the most important part of his life. It almost even seems to take a giddy delight in the fact the man killed himself. It provides no insightful information about the man or any unique research, and everything that it does manage to provide is entirely one-sided. I doubt very much that the man who wrote this book had ever even met Kurt Cobain when he decided to write a biography of his life. The book presents information almost entirely from the public face that Kurt put forward. It attempts to shroud the man in mystery and put him up on some kind of pedestal. It even states at one point that "really, idols should not be demystified" (pg. 5). Obviously this book was trying very hard to uphold that credo. If you want a good, factual representation of Nirvana, I would suggest first and foremost "Come As You Are" by Michael Azerrad. That is a truly excellent book by a reporter for Rolling Stone. This is a man who actually SPENT TIME with the band. It gives you the entire story of Nirvana, as well as making Kurt Cobain a real person, and shedding real light on his intriguing personality. I would also suggest "Who Killed Kurt Cobain? The Mysterious Death of an Icon" by Ian Halperin and Max Wallace. This has an excellent history of Cobain's life, and sheds some fascinating facts on the dubiousness of his death. The two books I've listed above are both extremely relevant and are all taken from fairly objective viewpoints. "Never Fade Away," on the other hand, is a sugar coated book of Kurt's life, intended to make good sales and nothing more. The way it revels in the dark life the singer makes me think more of some kind of tabloid magazine than any real biography. My advice, if it isn't already apparent, is, don't bother.