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K**.
One of the best sports biographies I have EVER read
I wish I had not waited two years to read this book. Easily one of the best figure skating books and sport biographies I have ever read (and I was a figure skating book collector back in the 1990s.) This author did so much research, so many interviews and tried to describe the psyche of an athlete and artist who did not share much with many. After reading this, you really shake your head at the coverage of the last Olympic Games - knowledge and respect of Curry could have leant itself well to coverage of Rippon and Radford as out Olympians.Also: if you grew up thinking Curry's MSG performances were pivotal (usually thanks to having read A Very Young Skater as a kid), you might be surprised to see them given so little attention here. I don't know if that's because the author didn't find them important or because they actually weren't important in the large scheme of things. I'm eager to delve more into those performances to see which it is.
S**T
I Dislike Curry, But I LOVED This Book
I've been a huge fan of skating my whole life, and I was always bored by John Curry's "magnificent artistry." It was as if I could tell that his art didn't come from a warm and loving place even as a kid, and this book confirms that notion up, down, and sideways. The author paints a very objective picture of Curry's life and personality, and even objectively...well, he's not a people person, that's for sure.But the cast of characters that tell the story - JoJo Starbuck, Toller Cranston, and lesser known skaters and supporters - are a delight to read, and their support of him was unwavering even when they were being torn down by his artistic tyranny and left unpaid when he walked out on his own productions. Jones paints a vivid picture of skating in the 70s and 80s, and much as I was irritated by the main character, disappointed in his actions, I couldn't put this book down.
D**D
As a skater, he is second to none; as a person.....
I was on the fence about reviewing this book since I didn't finish it... but there was a reason for that.I love John Curry's skating - he brought it to a new level and it really is the epitome of artistry on ice.But after reading 3/4 of the book, I realised I like John Curry much better as an athlete than a person. In fact, he came across as a bit of a prat.The book was good enough that I will go back and finish it but I think a bit of downtime before I do so.
C**R
excellent!
Having long admired John Curry's skating, I was interested in learning about what it took to become (in my opinion), the greatest skater ever. Many of the answers are found here: discipline, tragedy & musicianship. There is little doubt Mr. Curry could have been one of the finest dancers of his or any other day, yet was denied that chance by a cruel, close-minded father. Dancing's loss was skating's gain, although I am saddened Mr. Curry is not better known. If this book paints John as an unlikeable person, it also does a fine job of explaining why he was that way. Demon or Deity, I am still intrigued by Mr. Curry's magic.
L**L
Immensely important and well written story of one great English Olympian.
Solid 4.5 stars from me. Few topics have only been touched upon. One of them is John's relationship with his mother. Markedly interesting is his chance utterance following his Olympic victory: "For once I did something right". Then his head drops, he tries to add something further but holds his piece. Very painful to watch.
C**R
He will never be forgotten.
I think it is well written. I was fortunate to have met John have a skating lesson with him and to skate in a show with him at the old skyrink. I did not know a lot about his history except what I read. When you train at something for years there are going to be highs and lows. He changed the face of male figure skating in my opinion for the better. My one word for john curry, GENIUS. Thank you John.
N**R
Loved it, gobbled it down
Loved it, gobbled it down. An influential artist who probably never got the joy that others did out of his own skating. My one criticism of the book is that the obsession with Curry's private life (especially toward the end of the book, to the exclusion of other topics) became gratuitous, although I'm sure it's selling a lot of books.
R**E
BRILLIANT book! I tend to only read biographies and ...
BRILLIANT book! I tend to only read biographies and many of them are tedious in too many chapters. This book on John Curry is sensational and well-deserving of my five stars. It is gripping and fascinating ALL the way through. Unbelievable details and accounts from start to finish.
A**R
Grab the tissues
I am not sure what I was expecting from this book. I only knew about it as a result of hearing Nicky Slater talking about it on Eurosport during the European figure skating championships.I often disagree with Nicky's views but for once I am glad I ignored my initial instincts.This is a great biography of an exceptional talent. The author seems to have captured the essence of this extraordinary and complex character who posessef such a phenomenal talent.I love to watch figure skating and I am in total awe of what can be achieved. When I went skating on the one and only occasion it was with the idea of being the next Doreen Denny. The reality was that I could not stand up on the skates OFF the ice, never mind on it.I am old enough , and lucky enough to remember Donald Jackson and his impact on the sport. It was therefore with awe and admiration that I first witnessed the genious that was John Curry.I thought as a fan that I knew a fair deal about the enigma that was Curry. This book has convinced me I knew very little. Oh I understood the essence of the man but not how that came to be.I don't know why people with such great talent have to endure such tortured lives. No doubt psychiatrists would have some sort of explanation. To me it seems cruel that someone with the beauty , imagination and grace of John Curry should have to deal with all the "crap" that followed him about.I sincerely thank Bill Jones for attempting to tell this story without resorting to the sensational and hurtful headlines to which others have resorted.Yes John Curry was an enigma but he was also a genious whose influence on his sport has been extraordinary.I wonder if the change in the scoring system would have happened when it did if not for him, though heaven knows it took a long time.Yes the emphasis is still on the athletic aspects of the sport but more and more the artistic side is rising to the fore.I am convinced that the inclusion of many dance moves in pair skating emanates indirectly from John Curry's influence.And whilst skaters such as Javier Fernandez are a good deal more athletic than John they also display an artistry that would have been unthinkable BC i.e. before John Curry.Sadly I only ever saw John skate once, on his opening night at the Royal Albert Hall. It is an evening that will stay with me forever and I thank Bill Jones for capturing the essence thereof in the book. His description of that night authenticates, for me, the rest of the narrative. I thank him and all of those people who made such a book possible.John Curry was a legend and anyone in the least bit interested in figure skating, ballet, musical interpretation or the complex mind of a genipus should read the book. Thankyou Mr Jones. I cried my heart out!
H**E
John's troubled life, compelling
I was a fan of John Curry's way back in 1976 after he won Gold in the Winter Olympic Games- I also followed after that- meeting him briefly in around 1983 when I was young and working at a theatre in Nottingham. He was very kind and polite - from reading the book it would seem that wasn't always the case!I actually couldn't put this book down, its very well written and lots of research has gone into it- we follow John's life, finding that he was often a lonely and rather troubled soul - some of the revelations are quite shocking in fact, as a therapist these days I found myself picking through his back story which explains some of the behaviour. The title is appropriate I think - and it would do well as a film I'm sure.I will always remember John as a great talent, full of passion for his art - a great read.
S**N
If only he'd been able to get on with people
John Curry is probably not a name anyone under 30 will recognise unless they make a habit of viewing past winter olympics on youtube. Yet in 1976 John Curry was a hero. He stuck to his belief that ice skating should be more than just a series of athletic jumps and spins with music as a background, and produced a programme that was not only techically challenging for its day, but perfectly reflected the music he had chosen. For 5 minutes sport became art.Off the ice he was equally innovative. He came out (something people don't have to do these days) and faced down a media that was both puzzled and homophobic. This biography best illustrates this with the events at the BBC dinner after Curry had won BBC sports personality of the year. The comedian making the after dinner speech cracked a joke about them having a "fairy for the top of the tree" with Christmas approaching.Curry was a complex man. Difficult to know, he had a taste for rough sex and never enjoyed a stable long term relationship. At the same time he was ambitious and fickle when dealing with bussiness partners, and those many people(often older women like his mother, and American muse Nancy Streeter) who supported and loved him.This book captures a time in sporting history when the UK thought winning one summer olympic gold medal was reason for national rejoicing let alone a winter one. Describes the wonderful ice ballet's Curry created but could never make money from, and finally his decline and premature death from aids.A fantastic biography for those of us who cheered Curry to this three great triumps in 1976
J**O
The skater who did everything
I was only 10 when John Curry took over the world of skating. Sometimes when you are young the reality is tarnished by youth. The true story of John Curry is a fight against his family, fight about his sexuality, fight against the skating opponent and the biggest fight for his life. He was the single most important sportsman of the 70s and that was his honesty about him.
M**S
A must read
Excellent gripping biography superbly written. Took me back to my childhood, as I spent many hours training at Solihull rink, and was about 10 yrs old when John was at his peak. He inspired me... Was a step back in time remembering those school figures. Skating is not the same now. Thank you Bill for putting together such a moving autobiography.
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