Every Sunday we are taking a look at the world of books. I read a lot and always want to share my opinions on what I read, so I thought it would be fun to write reviews. Today we are looking at the autobiography of one of the nineties biggest frontmen.

Good Pop Bad Pop (2018)

Jarvis Cocker

Synopsis

What if the things we keep hidden say more about us than those we put on display?

We all have a random collection of the things that made us – photos, tickets, clothes, souvenirs, stuffed in a box, packed in a suitcase, crammed into a drawer. When Jarvis Cocker starts clearing out his loft, he finds a jumble of objects that catalogue his story and ask him some awkward questions:

Who do you think you are?

Are clothes important?

Why are there so many pairs of broken glasses up here?

From a Gold Star polycotton shirt to a pack of Wrigley’s Extra, from his teenage attempts to write songs to the Sexy Laughs Fantastic Dirty Joke Book, this is the hard evidence of Jarvis’s unique life, Pulp, 20th century pop culture, the good times and the mistakes he’d rather forget.

This is not a life story. It’s a loft story.

– from Waterstones

Positive Points

The one good thing about Jarvis Cocker is that he is a very good story teller. It is an unusual concept for a book and it delves into the creativity and the process of how the ideas for Pulp were developed through looking at artefacts in an attic.

Negative Points

Even though the title states it, I personally found there was not a lot about Good Pop and Bad Pop and it is only mentioned once or twice. Also it stops just before Pulps albums were released so it is a bit frustrating not to go into the world of when they were famous.

Overall Review

It is a book that is quite enjoyable read and if you listen to the audio version Jarvis takes you on a great journey with added sound effects. I will say it is a bit disappointing that it doesn’t talk about the biggest music which makes me wonder if there was a plan for a second book.

Rating : *** 3 Stars

Thank you again for all your support in reading and engaging with the website.

If you want to help support the website then you can! You can buy Holly a cup of tea (and a biscuit!)