My expectations were modest for this read. But I was still disappointed. Awarded two stars on Goodreads.
I didn’t expect great literature. I realized there would be some name-dropping and lots of drugs and sex. All true. But what I didn’t expect was the total lack of believable emotion as Pattie Boyd shares what should have been compelling and dramatic details about her parent’s traumatic divorce, her own two failed marriages, and her infertility.
Her story unfolds episodically, randomly, with instantaneous jumps in time. I would have thought her more experienced co-writer, Penny Junor, would have done a better job crafting a less haphazard narrative.
As for Pattie herself, what I came away with is that she is someone, despite great beauty (see photo on cover of book), who has lived life with very low self-esteem. Though I realize she married former Beatle George Harrison as a very young 22-year-old, she allowed BOTH her husbands to control, isolate, and humiliate her — which sounds to me a lot like the definition of psychological abuse. Perhaps now that she has discovered a career in photography, she lives more true to herself. I sure hope so.
As for George Harrison and hubby #2, Eric Clapton, – don’t expect to learn much that’s new. Harrison is portrayed as a talented but moody musician with a tendency to be a loner. Clapton comes across as a talented musician with deep narcissistic and addiction issues. Surprised, anyone?
If you’re deeply into the 1960s and 1970s rock and roll scene, you might enjoy reading about who attended who’s party and who hung out with whom. Just don’t expect much more than that.
Toby A. Smith 