[raven]

Originally Posted by Europa Gluten Free

The funny thing about the book is that this "exposé" of the what really happened with Richey around this time shows that nobody actually knows anything.

90% of the book is quotes from other already published TV or print interviews, the writers' interpretations of Richey's interest in the arts, and awful interpretations of Richey's lyrics.

10% is "archive stuff" that is really just schoolwork essays and letters to people that obviously mean very little.

It's clear that SHR doesn't know anything. It's sad that it appears that Rachel wasn't so close to Richey around this time and doesn't offer anything either.

As I've said before on here - a REALLY interesting investigative book would be to write about his last year in the band. Simply as a music bio that would be captivating. It is clear (as we all knew before the writing of this book) there were HUGE tensions in the band. Human tensions that the band now gloss over when preferring to just touch upon the myth of the genius of Richey.

But this Traces book is awful.

What purpose would a book focussed just on his final year in the band serve? The tensions as you say are already documented and stem from Richey's illness and behaviour over that time. It's true that the effect on his friends aren't really covered and the dig about how it must have been so difficult to have to curtail their behaviour and awful to have felt so out of sorts etc is so devoid of all context and compassion it's quite something. And Further Away...my brain's fogged but wasn't that picked up as an example of the band moving away from Richey and into safer radio rock type territory when I wished they'd taken a closer look at the lyrics. I know it's about missing his wife but it seems fair to say it's about the distance he'd started to feel growing between himself and his childhood mate. Why they don't consider all this is hard to fathom but I'm still unsure how a book on his last year would work? It would be very grim for sure?

Speaking of that last year, the book actually doesn't consider any of the lyrics on Journal for Plague Lovers, the only mention of it is to call the band out as liars in their obtaining it and that is it. Strange omission when you consider how his school essays are scoured for clues to his future disappearance

Originally Posted by Glass Angel

While that may be true, we must be very, very careful about assuming anything about the causes and triggers for mental health difficulties. While I have not got a BPD diagnosis, I have seen psychiatrists about self harm. I will never forget one asking about sexual abuse in childhood, and when I replied that, thankfully, that has not happened to me, she asked ‘are you sure?’, and when I confirmed that I was, she wrote that I was in denial about childhood trauma.

The more I think about it, the more annoyed I am that they mentioned that at all.

I wouldn't have thought asking straight out was always the best approach anyway and certainly not following up a denial with 'Are you sure?' like it might have just slipped your mind if you just want to think a minute.

Originally Posted by vaiden

As for “borrowing “ a line from someone else. I believe Nicky did the most egregious one by using “trade all your heroes for ghosts”. A line from the wonderful song Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd. It seems i read somewhere you could borrow a line based on the word count. Does anyone know anything about this.

I think the law might be a little vague when it comes to just a line but Nicky amended that line a little and just homaged the idea so he's in the clear

Originally Posted by vaiden

Am I the only one who wanted more info on fans and CoR like Becky?

Yes.
Having said that there wasn't any mention of all the fanzines around the band/inspired by the band.....they were definitely not all full of CoR many were creative, thoughtful...I guess they brought fans together in the way social media does now so they've all been made redundant but yes the bands impact on fans isn't really considered

Originally Posted by Routine Builder

Am I the only who's never sure if people are quoting directly from the book or parodying it?

You'll just have to go seek out a copy....you know you want to I mean why wouldn't you??