Surrender Memoir Love the Audio Book But Same Old Stories

[paul2112]

Lifelong fan since 1985. I've devoured every article, book, and interview with this band over the last 35+ years. I'm at about Chapter 35 in the audio book version of Bono's memoir and it's the same old stories he's told for the last 40 years. Sure, there are cool little tidbits about him driving around with Paul McCartney, and finally an explanation as to what his medical emergency was a few years back, but more or less, if you are a hardcore fan, there's really nothing new to see here. I guess I just know too much for my own good.

I do love how the audio book editing combines songs and spoken text, but I think this memoir is more for casual fans or those just getting into U2. For them, it will be an amazing listening experience. Save your $ and go on Amazon and sign up for a free trial of Audible, listen, then cancel.

 

[The Panther]

Sounds pretty much as I was expecting (and he's told the driving with McCartney stories before, too!). I have zero interest in this book. And one reason for that is the U2 By U2 book. That book is quite good, but Bono's sections in it are BY FAR the most boring, fomulaic, and uninspired.

Now, if Adam Clayton ever writes a memoir, it would be amazing.

 

[ascender_RS]

Do you not think that there's new things in there? There's certainly a new viewpoint, a more personal (and blunt) one about a lot of the things we've all known about. And it's all told as if you're sitting down with him for a chat.

I'm really enjoying it and I count myself as someone who's read a hell of a lot about the band over the last 35 years or so.

 

[mikal]

I've already discovered a ton of new details and I feel like I moderately knew quite a bit of details about the band's history.

 

[Hollow Island]

Sounds pretty much as I was expecting (and he's told the driving with McCartney stories before, too!). I have zero interest in this book. And one reason for that is the U2 By U2 book. That book is quite good, but Bono's sections in it are BY FAR the most boring, fomulaic, and uninspired.

Now, if Adam Clayton ever writes a memoir, it would be amazing.

If you read the book you'll find your preconceptions dashed very quickly. I agree with your assessment of U2 by U2, but apparently the Bono who wrote Surrender is a very different person than the one who was interviewed for that book, probably because they're books with different aims.

There are plenty of new stories in Surrender. I too have been reading about U2 for 30 years and a surprising amount of the stories hadn't been shared. The real value is the context and insight he provides to events in his life - it makes even familiar events feel brand new. The book isn't about what happened as much as it's about his thoughts and feelings while things were happening. He's really never written or spoken like this before. Surrender is one of his major works, alongside the Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, and securing AIDS meds. It is definitely *not* your traditional dry rock autobiography that's filled with blow by blow details of recording sessions and tours. You're doing yourself a disservice as a U2 fan by dismissing this book. I'd even recommend it to a non-fan. It's that good. He's a deep thinker and a incredible writer.

 

[lazarus]

it's the same old stories he's told for the last 40 years.

if you are a hardcore fan, there's really nothing new to see here. I guess I just know too much for my own good.

This is a bunch of bullshit. I've read several books on the band, including North Side Story (or whatever that one that U2.com sent out for free was called), and there's a LOT that's new in here.

Most importantly, as Hollow said above, is the reflective aspect of it and the distinct authorial voice, which is quite strong.

 

[gvox]

There's definitely alot of new stuff. Don't want to post spoilers but heck there's one particular rather bomb-shell type of family story that puts alot of things that we already knew into... well let's just say new light.

Also what Laz, Mikal and Hollow said.

I'm personally loving listening to him recite it, as well.

 

[CMIS]

If you read the book you'll find your preconceptions dashed very quickly. I agree with your assessment of U2 by U2, but apparently the Bono who wrote Surrender is a very different person than the one who was interviewed for that book, probably because they're books with different aims.

There are plenty of new stories in Surrender. I too have been reading about U2 for 30 years and a surprising amount of the stories hadn't been shared. The real value is the context and insight he provides to events in his life - it makes even familiar events feel brand new. The book isn't about what happened as much as it's about his thoughts and feelings while things were happening. He's really never written or spoken like this before. Surrender is one of his major works, alongside the Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, and securing AIDS meds. It is definitely *not* your traditional dry rock autobiography that's filled with blow by blow details of recording sessions and tours. You're doing yourself a disservice as a U2 fan by dismissing this book. I'd even recommend it to a non-fan. It's that good. He's a deep thinker and a incredible writer.

This, I'm a journalist and I want to write like him someday. I'm just hundred pages in, but quite impressed by how he's told the story so far. For a guy who got as big as Bono did, there's a remarkable degree of self awareness. Dunno what the OP is talking about. I too am thinking about recommending to non-fans, like my wife and my mother, because there's some really good writing here and some meditative passages about mortality.

EDIT: It's also telling that the guardian didn't have a lot of terrible things to say about it in their review.

 

[Hollow Island]

.

EDIT: It's also telling that the guardian didn't have a lot of terrible things to say about it in their review.

lol, this was very surprising

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

I think it's a very good book, of course Bono repeats some stories because that's what he always does. But to me this book shows a vulnerability that he has never shown before. I don't think he could have/would have written the same book without that health scare.

I haven't finished the book, I have been going back and forth between the print version and the Audible. The audio is fantastic, it's a must for me.

I had never heard the story before of when Bono's father met Princess Diana, I would imagine she had that effect on most people.

 

[DeVaul]

The audiobook is *produced* in the very best way and justifies its existence as not a mere option, but the primary experience.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

The audiobook is *produced* in the very best way and justifies its existence as not a mere option, but the primary experience.

Agreed.

 

[ascender_RS]

The audiobook is *produced* in the very best way and justifies its existence as not a mere option, but the primary experience.

Yip. Have finished it this morning and can't imagine "just" reading the book without hearing him narrate it.. the songs... the impressions...

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i don't quite understand the "ahh we've heard a lot of this before" line of thinking.

well - yea, no shit.

it's a memoir. much of it is retelling of things that we already know from his point of view. that's kinda what memoirs are.

but the idea that there's nothing new in here is bull. there's a LOT of new in here - not just new as in things we didn't know before, but also new as in new perspectives and details on previously well known events.

it's also very well written. some of the parts in the 30s around his work DATA, One, etc. can drag a bit - but not to the point where i wanted to tune out. but even in those chapters - there were some parts that i loved and gave new insight into his approach through the late 90s through 2010s. the harry Bellefonte story, for one.

hell even his retelling of his meeting with Pope John Paul 2 was terrific - even though we knew most of the details before.

i still have a few chapters to go - but i'm really impressed with it. i'm not sure if it's better than Born To Run was, but it's at least of the level where a conversation can be had. and the audiobook version really takes it to a whole other level.