Friday (non-)Fiction 11/52

Another FF on a Saturday, oops! I was just too excited all the sunshine and the fact that it's the Easter holidays, hooray :) No school for two whole weeks. (It's also not even fiction but shhh)

Having said that, I have been super excited to review this book, so I don't know why it escaped me this week.

Just Kids by Patti Smith is an absolute smash-hit of a book. A memoirs of sorts, superficially detailing the love affair, artistic growth, development and maturity of punk icon Patti Smith and her photographer beau  Robert Mapplethorpe, but that barely covers it. In short, it's a poetic masterpiece. Flawlessly written and absolutely breathtakingly beautiful and sad.

I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to read this book, because I was a huge fan of Patti Smith before (she is majestic, no question), but I had no idea she was such a composite artistic entity, or that she never even dreamed of being the rock star she later became, but began so humbly as an underground poet. Her writing style really reflects her origins as it is truly beautifully written prose. I also knew she and Mapplethorpe were lovers and friends, but the extent of their relationship, love and devotion floored me. The story of their formative years and blossoming relationship is haunting and spectacular.

If you can't tell, I REALLY LOVED IT. I could not recommend it enough. 10/10