Things the Grandchildren Should Know, Mark Oliver Everett
Things the Grandchildren Should Know, Mark Oliver Everett
1 Rating(s)
List: $13.95 | Sale: $9.77
Club: $6.97

Things the Grandchildren Should Know

Author: Mark Oliver Everett

Narrator: The Chet

Unabridged: 5 hr 6 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/01/2007

Synopsis

How does one young man survive the deaths of his entire family and manage to make something worthwhile of his life? In this poignant and original coming-of-age story, indie rock musician Mark Oliver Everett tells the story of his “ridiculous, sometimes tragic, and always unsteady” upbringing and how it fed into his creativity. The insecure son of a genius physicist, Everett was left to run wild with his sister while his father was off in some parallel universe of his own invention. A string of tragedies would claim his family members one by one, yet somehow Everett managed to not only survive, but to make a life. Striking out on a journey to find himself, he channeled his experiences into critically acclaimed music with the Eels. Told with surprising candor, Things the Grandchildren Should Know is an inspiring and remarkable story full of hope, humor, and wry wisdom.Bonus: Contains songs performed by Eels guitarist The Chet

About Mark Oliver Everett

Mark Oliver Everett is the songwriter, lead singer, and musician behind the Indie rock band Eels. He has been hailed by Rolling Stone as “alt-rock’s Solzhenitsyn” and the “Kurt Vonnegut of the rock world.” He lives in Los Angeles.

About The Chet

The Chet, the multi-instrumentalist and voracious reader, joined the Eels in 2003 and has toured and recorded with the band since. During the 2008 “An Evening with Eels” tour, one of his onstage duties was reading passages from E’s autobiography to thousands of listeners worldwide. He was a natural choice, then, to narrate the audiobook.

Reviews

Goodreads review by D.

There is in this world certain songs, books, movies that get to the human condition like no other. Or maybe just an aspect of the human condition. Or maybe just an aspect of one humans condition. The aspect I am thinking of is a certain tenderness, a rawness, and an emotional vulnerability. A life o......more

Goodreads review by julieta

Maravilloso. Es un libro realmente hermoso. No puedo creer que no lo había leído antes. Mr. E es conocido por sus discos que empezó a sacar desde los noventas, y en este libro cuenta su vida familiar amorosa, y musical, su manera personal de acomodarse en una industria bastante complicada. Su proces......more

Goodreads review by Ian

What a Ride! This is the first book for years that I've started and finished in one afternoon. I thought it was going to be a train-wreck, but it was more like a roller-coaster ride. E. and I. The pace started off at a million miles an hour and never let up. E. went all over the place, and finally, on......more

Goodreads review by Kelly

Wreed de moeite, deze autobiografie. En dat schrijft iemand die eigenlijk meestal niet echt geïnteresseerd is in de persoon achter de muziek, laat staan zijn/haar leven. Maar het leven van Mr. E, ja, daar was ik toch wel benieuwd naar. Ik heb ernaar geluisterd (lang leve de combinatie van audioboeke......more

Goodreads review by Javier

Autobiografía de Mark Oliver Everett, líder de la banda norteamericana alternativa Eels. Para quien no lo sepa, se trata de un grupo no muy conocido, pero con una trayectoria más que decente, que desde hace ya unos 30 años vienen ofreciendo una propuesta musical original, repleta de matices, cacharr......more

Quotes

“[A] thrillingly eccentric story…Crucially, Everett picks the right stories to tell…It makes you trust every word coming off the end of Everett’s fingers. His book is a subtle, touching thing.” Sunday Times (London)

“Where it could be self-pitying it’s actually uplifting. As a book about the creative process, and the circumstances propelling that process, it’s revealing, grimly humorous and just about peerless.” Q magazine (four stars)

“His unique sensibility is as apparent in his prose as in his music. This book isn’t just for devotees. Even those unfamiliar with or indifferent to Everett’s work will still enjoy meeting him.” Independent (London)

“What comes off the page is optimism and, frequently, humour. Everett’s underdog charm and ability to tell a story keeps us rooting for him until the end.” Sunday Business Post (Dublin)

“Candid and touching…[with] the same sincerity and wit of his songs…Peppered with insights into the tawdry motives of the music industry, this is primarily a story of spirited resilience from one of pop’s most maverick survivors.” Metro, 4 stars

“Everett, front man and creative force behind the remarkable indie rock band, the Eels, offers a stunning memoir about his childhood and ultimate rise to international success as a writer and musician. Read by fellow band member the Chet, the story is so jaw-dropping it will have even the most hardcore Eels fans reeling…The Chet, a natural performer who knows how to connect with his audience, offers a simple, uncomplicated reading yet one that carries a certain poetic intensity.” Publishers Weekly

“As the leader of the alternative-rock band the Eels, Everett has already built a reputation for wry wit and lyrical candor, and this book epitomizes the X-Generation attitude towards mortality with its deadpan humor and world-weary cynicism. Everett pulls the ultimate postmodern trick when he recruits fellow Eel The Chet to do the narration. Essentially ‘playing’ his band mate, Chet has a snide tone, as impassive as that of a DJ on a college radio station. It’s the perfect vehicle to assert Everett’s identity as a cynical post-Boomer.” AudioFile

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List