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Emily May's Reviews > Daisy Jones & The Six
Daisy Jones & The Six
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I know many people loved this book, and it's not as if I don't see why, but this choice of narration just really didn't work for me. I found Reid's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo absolutely riveting from the very first chapter, but I thought the decision to write this book entirely in interview transcripts made it really boring and emotionless.
Daisy Jones & The Six is essentially a band documentary transcript. I'm sure most of you have seen a band documentary before. Former band members, their managers, and their friends are all interviewed, and the screen switches between them speaking and images/footage of the band in their prime. This is like that, but without the images to accompany it. Members of The Six, their acquaintances, and Daisy herself, recount the history of the band's rise and fall.
I just� nothing interested me. I didn’t care when they were bickering about how song lyrics should go. Or when they were talking about the sex and drugs lifestyle. They just fly around, play gigs, do drugs, all while Daisy is being a brat and Billy is cheating on his wife. They are the only two characters of interest and they both irritated me.
Perhaps it is because this is a perfect example of what they say a writer shouldn't do: all tell, no show. I mean, that's the nature of having it be an interview transcript. The characters just talk about their experiences, and it all felt very cold and detached. I wasn't immersed in the story; I wasn't experiencing it.
I actually kept reading because the book seemed like maybe it was building to something good. It all feels like its leading up to a shocking climax at their last concert, but even the mystery surrounding that was unsatisfying for me. I was expecting something more juicy and exciting.
Oh well. I do think it had a bit of a cool 1970s LA music scene vibe going on. The whirlwind of sex, drugs, rock'n'roll and all that. But it wasn't enough for me. I think the story would have been far more compelling written in the author's usual style. She seems quite good at writing about strong feisty women who get caught up in a vicious industry, but that didn't come across as well here.
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Daisy Jones & The Six is essentially a band documentary transcript. I'm sure most of you have seen a band documentary before. Former band members, their managers, and their friends are all interviewed, and the screen switches between them speaking and images/footage of the band in their prime. This is like that, but without the images to accompany it. Members of The Six, their acquaintances, and Daisy herself, recount the history of the band's rise and fall.
I just� nothing interested me. I didn’t care when they were bickering about how song lyrics should go. Or when they were talking about the sex and drugs lifestyle. They just fly around, play gigs, do drugs, all while Daisy is being a brat and Billy is cheating on his wife. They are the only two characters of interest and they both irritated me.
Perhaps it is because this is a perfect example of what they say a writer shouldn't do: all tell, no show. I mean, that's the nature of having it be an interview transcript. The characters just talk about their experiences, and it all felt very cold and detached. I wasn't immersed in the story; I wasn't experiencing it.
I actually kept reading because the book seemed like maybe it was building to something good. It all feels like its leading up to a shocking climax at their last concert, but even the mystery surrounding that was unsatisfying for me. I was expecting something more juicy and exciting.
Oh well. I do think it had a bit of a cool 1970s LA music scene vibe going on. The whirlwind of sex, drugs, rock'n'roll and all that. But it wasn't enough for me. I think the story would have been far more compelling written in the author's usual style. She seems quite good at writing about strong feisty women who get caught up in a vicious industry, but that didn't come across as well here.
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Reading Progress
March 13, 2019
– Shelved
March 15, 2019
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Started Reading
March 17, 2019
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Finished Reading
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Tamla
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rated it 3 stars
May 10, 2020 07:12PM
This was a perfect review of this book. Fully agree. Heard someone say it was much better with the audio. Who knows??? Just not the format for me. Loved Evelyn Hugo.
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My thoughts exactly. Thank you.
Just finished this and felt EXACTLY the same.
Yes. I found the characters so exhausting.
Same as me, I’ve just parked this and moving on..
You have articulated exactly how I felt! Thanks
I hate to say it but I absolutely agree with this review. I listened to the audio book and I still didn’t like it. I read The Cursed Child (after seeing the play in previews) and loved it because I already saw the visuals. Most people that read the book don’t want to see the play because they hate it. Because there is no showing with stage direction which was completely left out. This seemed to me like a play with no stage direction. You have to include that if you are writing in this way or else it falls flat. I felt like if she was getting in their head in this way there could be a little more depth to the characters but there just wasn’t. I really wanted to like it but I don’t. Ugh. I will try the Evelyn Hugo book and see how that one is!
Ok you just put into words what I was trying to say in my review about the story format. Didn’t work for me either
I feel exactly the same! Shame, could have been great! X
I agree! I thought this was SO boring
Completely agree
I get ya! I am about 50% of the way through and it’s just getting to get old, nothing really happening but drugs for Daisy and sobriety for Billy. Don’t feel like I am learning anything new.
what do you like? I have read quite a few of your reviews and they are mostly on the negative. SO now I want to see what you do like.
1,000,000 times agree! I looooove Evelyn Hugo but couldn't get into Daisy Jones because of narrative
I agree this book did nothing for me. Don’t wanna read about a “rock star� going home to his wife and kids every night. If he’s not running home to her he’s writing songs about her. So utterly boring
I also want to add that I LOVED Evelyn Hugo
I feel like you would have liked this book a lot more if you had listened to the audio book.
I just cannot get into this book. Don't like the way it's written as interviews. I don't care about any of the characters and I don't care what happens. Waste of $$ .
This is one of those books that works better when you listen to the audio. I did and enjoyed it a lot. The narration is so well done.
I feel the same. Still struggling to get through it as it feels soulless
Try listening to it! The audio is awesome, she uses different readers for each person, which makes it very easy to follow!
I feel exactly the same. We are reading it for book club so I feel like I need to finish it.
Since I'm still getting frequent notices for this thread, I'll chime in again to say I did listen to the audiobook, which for me only exacerbated the issues I had with it � particularly the many inconsistencies in what band members could remember 30 to 40 years after the fact and how emotionally reactive they were, like they weren't over what they were discussing, though in the epilogue they had all gotten over it for the most part. MADE NO SENSE.
Hey Emily thank you for that review. I have always found sex drugs and rock n roll dreadfully boring (even when I was into sex drugs and rock n roll). So reading a book about a fictional band was a bit dull. It kind reminded me of how much time I wasted as a teen being wasted.
Couldn’t agree more, the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo is one of my favourite books of all time but this one was just a huge flop for me. Really really don’t get the hype
I am about halfway through and the charm has worn off...I found it a fun read at first since I grew up in LA in the late 60’s and 70’s and many of the locations written about are real places that I remember...(yes, there really is an Apple Pan restaurant and they do serve hickory burgers). But now I find myself bored. I liken it to what a book version of the movie “Almost Famous� might be like...I loved that movie, not so much this book. Thanks Emily, your review is spot on (as always!)
I totally agree. I almost never i my life have abandone a reading, but this time I think I am going to do it. I love books about music and bios, but this format is not for me. I am in 30% since february (read another 10 books since then) but I really don`t see the point on continuing
I absolutely loved the 7 husbands of Evelyn Hugo. One of my favorite books. I got 27% into this one and have not gone back to it. And another book I just read, the unraveling Of Cassidy Holmes compared it to this book which I found almost offensive. I finished Cassidy Holmes in one day and how ever many months later I cannot bring myself to finish this one. Thank you for this review!
Agree. I couldn't even Finish the books. I hated the way it was written
I agree! I am not enjoying the book, I have been trying to get through it for the last 6 months.
Thank you for this review. I feel much more normal now 😂
you spoiled me :(
I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook version; I can't imagine reading this story visually. The audiobook is a full cast recording, and the actors definitely bring a nuance and depth that would otherwise be missing from the text.
FINALLY SOMEONE SAID IT!!
I’m going to listen on audio. I just couldn’t read this. It hurt my head.
Listening was great! I could see how reading it would be boring and confusing.
Yes!!! You just validated how I’m feeling this very moment! I really want to like this book but I’m only 20% in and I’m just not enjoying it at all. This transcript writing style is leaving me flat. Think this may be my very first DNF 😬
Spot on. It was hard to read—wish I had read this sooner as I think it would have been enjoyable on audio.
Totally agree. Huge let down. No substance. Too forced.
Ok I think it’s way better in audiobook version. It makes a lot more sense in that format. I didn’t read it, but I listened to the whole thing in a day and loved it.
I think you might have a different opinion if you listened to the audio version of this book. 😉
I totally agree. I loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. This story about sex drugs and rock music fell flat. Daisy and Billie were not likable. Actually none of the characters were likable.
I absolutely agree Emily. I read the first 50 pages. Nothing. Then decided to give it another try...boring. I am giving up after 60 pages and sending it back to the library!
Yep, this is exactly how I felt.
