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Torn Apart: The Life of Ian Curtis
 
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Torn Apart: The Life of Ian Curtis (Hardcover)

by Mick Middles (Author), Lindsay Reade (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Omnibus Press (30 April 2006)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1844498263
  • ISBN-13: 978-1844498260
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16.2 x 3.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 298,840 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Product Description
Cloaked in mystique, Joy Division's extraordinary vocalist Ian Curtis tragically took his own life in 1980, leaving just two haunting albums and a depleted band that would famously evolve into New Order. 25 years later, the enigma of Ian Curtis has deepened to an unprecedented level. Devotees make regular pilgramages to both his hometown of Macclesfield and to Manchester, where the story of Joy Division and Factory Records has left a profound mark on the city. Examines his life, his work, his relationships and the cultural environment in which he lived and died.

About the Author
Mick Middles was the first journalist to interview Joy Division for the music press and formed a close association with the band that continues to this day. Lindsay Reade was a founder member of Factory Records as well as being fonder Tony Wilson's first wife. Their relationship formed the basis of the first half of the Factory based film 24 Hour Party People.

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Customer Reviews

9 Reviews
5 star:
 (5)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Scatology is just a part of it, 30 May 2006
There are some thoughtful and thorough reviews already on here that you don't usually get, even for Jane Austen, and I agree with much of what is said. In the book there are several stories about the band's proclivity for scatalogically minded japes that are a bit boring (disapointing even), but that's one way to have fun. There is much that is truly fascinating, including the effect of Ian's epilepsy on his life, the sheer hard work involved in being an indy band way back then, and the role of Martin Hannett in creating the sound that will live for ever. Most of all, Ian comes across as a thoroughly nice bloke, with his heart on his albeit guarded sleeve, and with higher values that truly transcended the situation he found himself in. I found that important, even though as a total fan I don't need any confirmation. But here was someone to admire, for his artistic purity, not just some chancer who got lucky by hitting the zeitgeist. Why else do we respond to his music (or lyrics anyway) as we do, now as much as then, if he had not tapped into some deep truths about all our conditions? This book helps explain some of that, better than the equally reccomendable Deborah Curtis book (that is good partly because it has all the lyrics in it). Buy and read. This will take you straight back to all the recordings, with new ears.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting but not perfect, 23 May 2006
By Chris Warren (Joy Division Shadowplay) - See all my reviews
This is a valuable addition to the literature on Ian Curtis and Joy Division, giving a voice to family members, friends and colleagues who have not previously told their side of the story. Their memories shed more light on Ian as a person and as a performer, although the book also confirms the enigmatic nature of its central character. While some of Ian's motivations and pressures are revealed, other parts of the book seem to brush past him instead of stopping to explore.

The book would benefit from some tighter editing, and the numerous typographical errors are irritating and distracting. Despite its flaws, there is plenty of detail here for a Joy Division fan to enjoy. It's not the best book you'll ever read, but it's one you must have!
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Don't walk away....in silence, 19 May 2006
Mick Middles and Lindsay Read's book about the life and work of Ian Curtis brings fresh insights and angles on a story that has already been told in a number of ways by Middles himself, Deborah Curtis and thousands of journalists, commentators and scholars. They manage to bring a freshness, an authenticity and real compassion to the telling, which is a remarkable achievement.
Most of all the book conveys an almost tangible sense of who Ian Curtis was and what motivated him, what haunted him and his work with Joy Division.
The sections on his more private life are handled with due care and attention and the passages on the creative partnership between JD and the genius Martin Hannett are exceptionally truthful and detailed.

The truth can be viewed from many angles.
It is also beautifully packaged, contains a wealth of detail and is obviously a labour of love, research and scholarship.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars good read
most of the info i think comes from terry mason, a JD roadie who knew ian and the band well and participated in various pranks with them. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Mr. Owen Martin

3.0 out of 5 stars Torn both ways?
Quite an interesting insight to the life of Ian Curtis - although I cant really work out whether is it ex Mrs Wilson or Middles who is contrbuting the most to this book.. Read more
Published 24 months ago by TRACY WHITE

2.0 out of 5 stars More Bandwagon Jumping.
There seems to be an ever increasing interest in Joy Division with each passing year, it is inevitable therefore that there will also be a succession of people cashing in on their... Read more
Published on 27 Jun 2006 by Edmund Butler

3.0 out of 5 stars Wrong order
I have never come across a book with so many grammatical errors, which is a shame as it detracts from an otherwise well written and insightful book.
Published on 13 Jun 2006 by Maz

5.0 out of 5 stars Nobody saw what was Happening
This book takes you from the minutae of a child's life to an absolute monster of a tradegy.The the strength of this book
lies in the publication of the letters between... Read more
Published on 11 May 2006 by Karl Moseley

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Biography
This is an excellent biography featuring a lot of new information notably from Ian's family and from those who knew him intimately towards the end of his short life. Read more
Published on 8 May 2006 by Mark Price

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