This book has moments of brilliant writing, but you have to wade through a lot of squalor and name dropping to find it. In the group, there was a generation divide -- younger than 50 loved it, those more mature thought it was tedious,vulgar,and boring. If you really love the hidden past of "celebrities" you might like this book. As for me, I would rather spend time with more positive people.

I'm amazed that this was ever published. It's a waste of time.

I really liked this book. I found it interesting and fun to read.

This is not meant to be a "story." It's the fulfillment of a promise from Patti Smith to her soulmate Robert Mapplethorpe that she would someday write about their love and their time together, as young, obsessed, starving artists in NYC. They were 2 totally different people who filled in each others' blanks. She chronicles life @ the famed Chelsea Hotel in the late 60s>early 70s. She gives us a glimpse into their "must-do" daily lives of very dedicated artists, in a community of other obsessed (& some well known) artists in diverse media.

Patti Smith at once draws you in and pushes you away. She narrates seemingly endless details about people you may or may not know of, but doesn't really tell you how she FELT during this time. She glosses over things we wanted to know more about, like her affair with Sam Shepherd, but doesn't really delve into her feelings or details that might have added a lot to this book. This book definitely had its moments but in the end it was difficult to discuss because the motivation for certain decisions by both herself and Mapplethorpe were not really explored in the narrative.

Although the book starts of a bit slow with two many insignificant details painstakingly scattered like a bag of spilled marbles, it's an incredible glimpse into the world of artists and famous rockers in the flower child era, with a focus on New York City. (I originally thought I'd be reading about Haight Ashbury.) Patti Smith is a poet artist who transforms into a singer. At the heart of the book is her unconditional love story involving controversial and incredibly talented photographer and "necklace maker" Robert Maplethorpe. Together they are the ideal "Janis Joplin" era starving artist couple. No matter what he does, she stays devoted to him in the most open and creative ways.

A biography that reads like poetry. You may not know or like the individuals in this book, but Smith writes about them and her life eloquently.

I knew I had no interest in this story, but one benefit of a book club is to be introduced to books you wouldn't choose yourself. I listened to the CDs read by the author and was glad I did. I found their story to be really interesting, especially hearing it directly from Patti Smith. I'm glad I stuck it out with the CDs; discovering they are unabridged was almost a deal breaker and there's no way I would have read the whole book.

Patti Smith's memories of her time growing into fame in NY with Robert Mapplethorpe demonstrated her love and compassion for someone she didn't always understand but never failed to support. It revealed what an amazing person she is. It was one of the first times I ever felt like writing a fan letter to the author of a book. I didn't but I felt like it.