This is the first book on Bruce Springsteen - and by Peter Ames Carlin - that I’ve read. I finished it fast and enjoyed it. With full cooperation from his subject, Carlin paints a vivid and honest portrait of the complicated man behind an even more complex myth.
Charting the rise and rise of Springsteen from his beginnings in Freehold, New Jersey, Bruce rattles along apace through the many club gigs, line up changes, girlfriends, managers and loyal followers that have helped root our eponymous hero firmly in the soil of Rock N Roll salvation, now forty years away from his debut album and still sitting comfortably as a guaranteed attraction around the globe.
With access to an inner circle of family, friends and the E Street Band at the heart of it all, Carlin is able to frame the narrative of Springsteen’s journey as one underpinned by turmoil (particularly his strained relationship with his father and unremmiting focus on his craft) but ultimately defined by dedication and belief.
The only criticism I have of Bruce is that it may have been better split into two books - of it’s 463 pages, the twenty three years between 1989 and 2012 are covered in a brisk 108. Despite such blatant light footing over Springsteen's later years, the book is still an enjoyable and illuminating read.
Up next: Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip With David Foster Wallace by David Lipsky, 2010 (Audiobook)
