Ghost Rider

Not happy, but fascinating

I was vaguely aware of the existence of a band called 'Rush', but I couldn't recall hearing any of their music, my tastes in music go in a different direction.

I was unaware of this Neil Peart person. I've since learned he is considered a Living God by many people, including members of my own family.

The two things I do have in common with Mr Peart is that we were both born in 1952 and we both like to take a long motorcycle ride when we feel the need to clear our head. It was motorcycles, not music, that attracted me to this book.

This isn't a particularly happy book, but it is a fascinating one. It's a good motorcycle travelogue. It's an interesting look behind the scenes of the life a famous musician. And it's a tragic story of a man dealing with what has to be about the worst loss one can imagine.

Mr Peart doesn't always come across as particularly warm or tolerant. He does come across as brutally honest with himself and his readers.

The narration and production values are excellent, the story is compelling.

I can't say I 'enjoyed' this book, the central tragedy precludes that adjective.

I am glad I read it.

11 of 11 people found this review helpful

A very personal view of a very private man

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes. I have always been very interested in Mr. Peart - so it was for me... although, at times the "letters to Bruno" format was tiring.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

More log entries and less letters - I didn't care for the balance between the two as presented, but it was still enjoyable.

What about Brian Sutherland’s performance did you like?

He has a similar voice to Neil's so that was a definite plus - although a tad monotone at times... then again, with the subject matter, its understandable.

What else would you have wanted to know about Neil Peart’s life?

More details regarding drumming in general - and his new relationship with Carrie Nuttall. I felt the last chapter was too much of a whirlwind - i.e., lets wrap this thing up quickly...

Any additional comments?

All in all - a good read for the determined fan. Casual listeners will tire after about 3 hours.. I enjoyed the first 1/3 and last 1/3 the most... It seems that he was more philosophical in the beginning and then simply gave way to letter writing as opposed to journalizing in the middle... I wanted more of the Broken Man to New Found Life conversion details... although - its very possible there were none and it was simply the "time that did its healing".

Definitely reads more as a travelogue than a introspective view into his life. The introspection is there, but at times it gets tedious waiting for the details..

At this point, I want to address folks who are trying to decide if they should get this book and may have formed a negative view based on other reviews..I've read many Amazon reviews that are quite negative regarding Mr. Peart's attitude and the appearance of "Self centered narcissism of a rich man". I think this is absolutely untrue. Yes - he is in a different place in his life than most of us, but he also has a job that is MUCH more demanding than many people would ever dare to take on. He is travelling away from family and home most of the year and had to scratch and claw his way in the early years when they got literally NO radioplay. It was NOT an easy road - but his persistence paid of and he now has the comfort that so many people give him a hard time for.

Also - regarding his "attitude" toward others in the book - calling them "fat, obese, etc"... How about we try and be a bit empathetic for a minute - you just lost your entire family - and have nothing to look forward to - you are near the point of cashing it in and just eating a bullet as it were... and you expect him to be anything except apathetic, withdrawn and downright cynical? Please... he gave us a raw look at how he felt - and then people want to sit back on their laurels and criticize. Get back to me when you deal with such tragedy in your life and let me know how it went.

I applaud Neil for giving us this insight - and I hope my review is not overly critical - because I do believe that it is important to be critical if one is to gain insight and grow. So - here's to looking forward to another installment in the "Life and times of Elwood".

10 of 10 people found this review helpful

A man's journey to accepting his. it is, what is

This book by Neil Peart the drummer for the band RUSH tells the story of how even the "Rich and Famous" are affected by the loss of those you love. The opening chapters are riveting as he lights the fuse of his journey rocket. The feelings and emotions are raw, real and, let's face it quite sad.

Neil's only recourse..... "Keep moving"

It's important to note that this story didn't start out to be a book. Like many books it was a personal collection of his thoughts and feelings in the form of a journal. It wasn't until sometime after he collected this thoughts and put them in the form of a book.

So the story begins, with lost love and his journey to accepting "what is" his chosen method is the Motorcycle. His bike becomes a metaphor for his personal, emotional, and spiritual survival. As long as he keeps moving, his mind remains occupied.

The early parts of the book were great. His travels across Canada, to Alaska, and the Arctic circle. His trip continues back through Alaska, and into Washington, California and then the deserts of the Midwest, then to Mexico. Each of these "mini trips" told with great detail. Detail so clear you can almost be riding with him...

For me as the story continued it started to become ... Bla Bla Bla... His letters to his best friend Brutus seemed to be a crutch for actual writing a book. Perhaps because it wasn't a book originally...

Towards the end, Neil takes you at times on what seems like a day by day account of his life in the late 1990's both on and off his bike. Life as a famous drummer, Friend and human. Then he kind of skips a few years, says he got re-married and they live happily ever after..

I was left with a WTH just happened moment. In my mind he kind of "punted" the ending... After a long journey you often look back, and after the Ghost Rider journey I looked back and could easily see the wake of the writing.

Phase 1 A lot of detail, feelings emotions, and suffering

Phase 2 I'm getting board now but I have to make more pages

Phase 3 Page count hit... We all lived happily ever after

In short, it is a good enough book that I gave it 4 stars across the board. I'm glad I listened to it, but it is not one I'd listen to a second time.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

My first Audible book purchase

What did you love best about Ghost Rider?

A true story about tragedy, travel and relationships.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Ghost Rider?

The contrasting and easy to imagine scenery intermingling with the authors rich and enviable life.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Both , sometimes in the same minute.

Any additional comments?

I strongly recommend this book. Particularly for anyone who has an interest in motorcycling, Canada or rock music !

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Little Baby Soul

An enjoyable book about getting away from grief. Neil is a world class drummer as well as writer, and while his writing is impressive with this tragic tale of escape and acceptence of the death of his daughter and wife, it dose sometimes get long in the tooth- especially with his letters to everyone and his constant telling of caring for his ‘Little Baby Soul’. The front half of the book moves faster than the second half and I felt myself speeding up the audio book to 2X just to move on from letter afeter letter.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

loved it

loved hearing about this adventurous and sometimes hard story from one of my favorite drummers of all time. Definitely a great read. And the narration was fun to listen to.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Tremendously Inspiring

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely worth listening to. Understand that this is less about the ride than it is about the healing he was undertaking. While he did describe the riding and the traveling, he offered the listener more insight into what he was going through. Emotional story and once again, the motorcycle comes to the rescue. But again, it's not about the bike and the road as much as it is about the ride.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Ghost Rider?

His trip into the Arctic Circle. Amazing.

What does Brian Sutherland bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He did a good job, a "good" job. If I were to give one criticism it would be that his narration was bland and sometimes monotone. When he did attempt to add some inflection or affect on his voice it lacked a feeling of genuine and seemed forced.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Duh, "Travels on the Healing Road"

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Great read for those coping with loss

This is a wonderful recap and completely thorough description of me old motorcycle ride throughout North America following the loss of his wife and daughter. It is an excellent read, describing all of your thoughts, all of the people he met, the landscape the cities or towns, the dirt roads, the trials and tribulations with his motorcycle and other things.I will say the first half was a little easier to get through than the second half, as much of that is simply many of the letter that he wrote to his friends and family. There are very few references to the band rush, but that is ancillary to the book so you don’t really miss hearing about it.

Also is it just me, what is the narrator sound a lot like Geddy Lee? Hmmmmm

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Ready to be a Ghost Rider? Play this on your ride.

I listen to this book on my 13-hour Journey from North Carolina to Kansas. having my own recent grief issues, I found this stuff to be very inspiring and healing on my own ghost ride. plus Neil Peart is awesome.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Great story of heartbreak and the process of healing!

As a fellow man who understands the call of the road. Having driven most of the western states I know how it’s alluring! More recently riding a motorcycle as well! This heart wrenching story is written in such a way as that you can experience the motorcycle trip and also feel great empathy for someone’s pain and healing as well. Understanding that you don’t fully understand what you have not personally experienced!
Thank you Neil for sharing your story with us!
It is a great privilege to be let into your pain and healing!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful