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Things the Grandchildren Should Know
- Narrated by: The Chet
- Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins
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Things the Grandchildren Should Know
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Summary
Mark Oliver Everett's upbringing was 'ridiculous, sometimes tragic and always unsteady'. His father - a quantum mechanic who worked for the Pentagon - was a genius who had corresponded with Einstein aged 13. He rarely spoke, and following his own miserable childhood had eccentric ideas of how children should be brought up. Mark - and his older sister Liz were raised in a house with no rules, with parents who had 'a kind of seventies swinging marriage'.
Lacking any real sense of authority, E had to raise himself, not always with the greatest success. His love of music helped pull him through, and by his early 20s he was on the brink of stardom with his first album - Beautiful Freak. But then tragedy struck - having already lost his father to a heart attack, his sister and mother both died in short succession - Liz from an overdose, and his mother from cancer.
It was the kind of brutal loss that could destroy someone, but somehow E survived, and channelled his experiences into his music. In THINGS THE GRANDCHILDREN SHOULD KNOW he tells his story - one that is surprisingly full of hope, humour and wry wisdom.
Critic reviews
"...Everett reports all of this in an exquisitely unhysterical voice. His prose has none of the tongue-twisting, peck-along-in-rhythm riffs of his song lyrics... On the page, he just speaks, and continues to speak, in a cleverly uninflected way, minimising the surface area of drama and pain, even when recalling how his father�s ashes were put out with the rubbish.
Crucially, Everett picks the right stories to tell. A rare skill in the writers of memoirs... the right story. The one that gives a perfectly small and clear snapshot of the turmoil within the subject and the condition of the world around him. It makes you trust every word coming off the end of Everett�s fingers. His book is a subtle, touching thing." (The Times)
What listeners say about Things the Grandchildren Should Know
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Sara
- 29-10-09
Brilliant
I wouldn't call myself a fan as such, not owning any of the Eels albums, but I've always noticed their music and enjoyed it. Having finished this though, I realise not only that I actually know a huge amount of their back catalogue, but I have an amazing insight into a humble, amusing man, who counts himself lucky, despite everything that has happened in his life. The title sticker - 'Rock Music, Death, Crazy People, Love' pulled me in, and is seriously what it's all about - but his writing style, portraying his self-deprecating, amusing personality, is what keeps this life story going. Narrated wonderfully by The Chet, one of E's friends and musical colleagues, gives it another level of sincerity - no acting here, just the often extra-ordinary, true story of a successful musician who appreciates his lot in life.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- jo
- 20-01-17
please give this beauty a go
Been struggling to start this review as I felt like saying a bunch of endearing things about Mr Everett, things only a grandmother might say.. And that would not do any justice to this book as it is so lovely, awesome and cool, all at once!! His words and music are the ultimate companion on the darkest of days when one cannot imagine having company and turn those times completely around to the point of wanting to crawl out of one's skin for the joy of deciding to stay alive to be able to listen to what E has to say.. but it never becomes too much as one finds oneself cracking up with random laughs on the way, so it's all good. Mr E always has your back when no one else seems to.
Pure pleasure on any other day, too.
Many thanks and a whole lot of love to The Chet as well.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jeremy Bayley
- 22-12-21
Unexpected Surprise
I wasn’t a massive Eels fan, but heard an interview on 6 Music, which intrigued me. A very good listen!! And now an Eels fan, thank you for persevering.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 02-12-22
A beautiful book
Just a wonderful read and now a wonderful listen. Short, sweet and wonderfully optimistic. A must read/listen for all fans of this amazing artist.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jim
- 24-01-24
E.
Wonderful Glorious. Thank you E you are not alone, a book to match your great music.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- keith
- 16-02-11
a good read
i like music autobiographies it is well written and a tragic story a lesson to be learned by us all
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Vee
- 01-08-19
Tragically Beautiful
A real insight into to his life and his music. Inspiring to an aspiring songwriter ❤
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Beatriz Silva
- 04-05-20
Fascinating, heartbreaking, and funny!
Incredible book detailing Mark O Everett’s rollercoaster life, from childhood to present day. Couldn’t stop listening.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Phillip Homer
- 15-08-09
not just a tale of a musician
I've been a long time fan of Eels and Mr E's work...this is a funny, tragic and fascinating look at his life and how he became a recording artist. Starting from his childhood in Virginia and taking him to LA and then eventually on tour. As a fan i found it interesting to learn some stories and details behind some of his songs but i think this could be interesting even if you aren't a fan of his music just to hear the tale of an interesting life told with an amazing sense of humor and humility.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- fortxun
- 04-03-17
Brilliant
Brilliant and fascinating view on life's journey from a likeable and honest great musician. loved it!
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