A memoir
Dial Press -- hc
New York -- ©2003 -- 337pp
ISBN: 0-385-33678-0
An autobiography of Gordon Sumner (aka Sting).
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I first thought maybe I'd try to write a review without commenting on Sting's music, but frankly, it would be stupid to even try. You're unlikely to read this memoir if you don't know who Sting is, and unless you've lived in a movie theatre and think he's only a bit player in a few flicks, you're likely to read this book (or not) based on his music.
What I found most interesting, though, is that this book is a lot like his music ... occasionally brilliant, mostly just okay, and sometimes downright hard to follow.
The book rambled some, and at one point I paged backward to see if I had skipped something, because I didn't understand why we'd just spent a dozen pages or more on an off-topic. But then, when he wrote about music, and his music in particular, I was interested.
Lots of artists suffer and starve before they make it 'big' and it's good to be reminded that some of these artists had tough times. Sting had a somewhat unique situation where he was in the starving/struggling camp, while working with the Police.
What I liked learning about him was that he was smart enough to hedge his bets ... joining with other musicians even while playing with a group.
All in all, it's not a book that will live with me forever, nor did it offer any great perspective on the world or even Sting's music, but it was a pleasant way to spend a weekend reading.
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