Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Don't get me wrong, the pictures are great in this book. It's some of the interviews that are somewhat frustrating to me. The intro is basically a conversation Beck and Chris have glorifying Autumn. I know this is a book with her photographs, but it made the book seem very tacky from the start.
I don't like that de Wilde chose to interview some people who didn't even know Elliott. I also felt that she related everything back to herself much too often. Several of her comments feel awkward and inappropriate, and I feel that they should have been edited out. For instance, there is one point in the book where she brings up another book she's working on in an interview (with Chris Walla I believe it was?). She says something about how it is her best work. Whether or not this is an attempt at humor, it is clumsy and trivial. Consequently, these conversational excursions prove incoherent and messy, subtracting from the overall focus of the book.
Another example of de Wilde focusing attention on herself is when she talks about how she could've had a romantic relationship with Elliott the first day she met him. Instead, she says she used sheer willpower and resisted the temptation. It seems like she doesn't think he could've refused her. The way she states her ideas sometimes suggests that she thinks very highly of herself.
Other than these points that I found irritating, the other interviews provided some good insights. I wish she had interviewed other people though (I would've preferred an interview with Elliott's parents or his brother). The book overlooks some major topics; only one sentence is dedicated to his stint in rehab while his self injury and previous flirtation with suicide are completely overlooked. I understand the fact that this book primarily interviews his friends, but I would've liked to see his family and early childhood mentioned more: what about the rocky relationship with his stepfather and his alleged childhood abuse? These are very important things, and I believe it is an error that they go unmentioned. Though these are painful topics they are also crucial.
I like the fact that this book humanizes Elliott. One of my favorite parts (other than the pictures) is the collection of quirky music that he liked. This book is really written for big fans, so if you aren't deeply interested in Elliott, borrow it from someone or browse through it at the bookstore instead.
EDIT: This is more of what I sought from the book but didn't find - http://www.lummoxpress.com/journal/j002/smith.php
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