Beatles Tune In Book, just can't get into it

I love the Beatles and have read everything, and I was looking forward to these books but I just can't get into them for some reason, is it the writing style, the perspective? Anyone else having a problem with these...

 

Extended edition? How far have you read it?

 

first couple of chapters, I never care for the early days of anyone anyway so that might be part of the problem, I might try when the next volume comes out and certainly the last (the most interesting of the Beatle periods, I think)

 

Once I got into The Boys' teen years, I couldn't put it down.

 

I bought the extended edition and am having trouble getting motivated. I think as I get past the family backgrounds and more about the music and interactions between the four I'll do better.

 

I read the regular edition. The chapters from the 50s took me to a world I knew very little about.

 

I found the early parts of the book hard work but stick with it, it all pays off beautifully and, imo, it's the definitive bio of this era.
Labour on, it's worth the slog.

 

There's an extended edition?!?!? I read the regular version and, as much as I love the Beatles, I was pretty tired of reading about Liverpool and the Ratskellar years. I can't imagine something that goes into even more detail. Were there cousins and school chums who still need to be heard from? Yikes.

What little there was about recording sessions was great though so I am hoping the second volume gives us more of that...

 

Lewisohn is a lot better as a historical researcher than as a writer of page turning prose.

 

What's the difference between the editions?

 

I really loved this book, but I knew nothing about the history of The Beatles. I can imagine that, if one already knew the story, this book would be much less interesting.

 

Hundreds and hundreds of pages...

960 pages vs. 1728 pages, according to amazon.co.uk.

 

Yes, it's about twice the length of the standard edition. I thought I would be bored by it, because I too don't care much for the early years, but for me, this was a VERY interesting book. Lots of cool details.

Can't wait for the second volume!

 

Couldn't agree more. I'm thinking maybe the 2nd instalment will be more interesting…. a little background about the band members does help put things into context… but the extent of the minutae in the book regarding each band members lineage is beyond dry and just really excessive and unnecessary. I even tried skipping entire chunks of chapters… but ended up abandoning the book.

I welcome detail once they get to the "band" years. Unless of course the author wants to drone on for 17 pages about McCartney's thought process for having tea instead of coffee during a random band meeting in March 1963. It's the incessant rambling about stuff that truly doesn't matter that turns me off.

 

The aim of the book is to answer this question: "So who really were these people and how did it all happen ?"
In that perspective, the detailed background info about their families, Liverpool, the evolution of the recording industry in England in the 20th century, etc... is an absolute necessity.

This is 8 biographies rolled into one book: John's, Paul's, George's, Ringo's, Brian Epstein's, George Martin's, Liverpool's, EMI and the recording industry in Britain's. All entertwined in a very clever way. It is very well written actually. This book is a major success.

 

It's a biography - page-turning prose isn't what I'm looking for here

(If I want florid, I'll read Shout! or the Bob Spitz book, both of which are entertaining, but sadly and massively lacking in the quality and accuracy of the telling)

 

I'm in the same boat as you. Was so excited for this book, but I can't get into it. There's too much information in there that's boring even for me, a diehard Beatlesfan who wants to know as much as possible.

 

I wish the extended version was available for e-readers. I have a vision issue and The Kindle's backlight makes it so much easier to read than a regular book. Still even the standard-length book is hands down the finest music-related book I've read. Here's hoping we're all still here for volumes two and three!

 

I feared being too bored to read it as well, since I dislike all the parents and grandparents stuff in bios.

In fact I put it down for months, took over a year to finally finish the book I was so reticent. But I read through it anyway (standard edition) and eventually once they hit their teens it not only became more interesting, the background stuff helps fill in gaps in their history and personalities.

Can hardly wait for Vol 2.

 

No, it would be Ringo's thought process

 

You think your version is boring? I have the audio book read by Andy Murray.

 

maybe that's my problem, he knows his stuff but maybe it's the writing style but maybe it's the early years period, just never been interested in it

 

I'm not a great reader in terms of big novels etc. Plus I'm not (or wasn't) that interested in the early days of the boys.
This book changed that. It took me months to finish but I did it.
I didn't expect Lewisohn's writing style to be that good but he threw in a lot of gems and inside jokes. Plus the historical part is amazing.
Waiting for Vol 2 please.

 

maybe I'll give it another try

 

I found even the chapters on their familial origins in Ireland fascinating, but then again I'm so Beatles-obsessed that I wasn't surprised. Fantastic book, though.