Recently I have begun a new writing project. I won't say exactly what it is, for a number of reasons, but I will say that it's about Allen Ginsberg - the
Beat Generation poet. In order to begin my research, I wanted to read a biography, and perhaps the best one available is
I Celebrate Myself: The Somewhat Private Life of Allen Ginsberg, by Bill Morgan. There are a ton of books about Ginsberg, but this one is a good entry point.
For a start, the biography covers Ginsberg's whole life, and does so pretty thoroughly. Allen's was a long and interesting story, and during his time on this earth he covered every continent except Antarctica, so the story takes us many places. He meets many of the most important figures of the mid- and late-twentieth century, and experiences numerous incredible adventures.
All through the book Morgan's narrative makes the story informative but yet also quite entertaining. There are times when the narrative isn't quite so engaging but these are few and far between. Mostly we find ourselves following the flawed protagonist as though he were a character in a novel. We see him battling depression, constantly finding and losing loved ones, and always flitting between despair and ecstasy.
In terms of being scholarly, there is a lot of detail there to use... however, this is where my main (and perhaps only) criticism of the book comes in: The Kindle version is absolutely bloody useless. The publishers obviously didn't see the value in formatting the book properly for reading on a Kindle, nor did they take a cursory glance through to check that there are no glaring errors. As a result, in some places words are smashed together and it is impossible to follow citations or keep track of any kind of reference.
The result is then that one can read this book and enjoy it for the fascinating story that it is... but using it for reference is rather difficult. I would mind less if the book wasn't so damned expensive. As a person with writing, editing, and publishing experience myself I loathe seeing Kindle books priced at $20 or more, and I thoroughly believe that, if they are so expensive, the publisher should at least have a version specifically intended for Kindle readers.
My advice to my readers would then be: Buy the paperback or hardcover version! Don't waste your money on the Kindle one.
