I'm about 12 hours in to Keith Richard's "Life", and have found the writing -- really storytelling -- and the narration to be fantastic. Even the music lesson -- guitar chords and all -- were entertaining to a non-musician. If you grew up with the Stones, this is a must-have listen. Need to get out on another road trip to finish this one soon!

I've been a Stones fan forever, but I'm not sure I'll be able to enjoy their music after listening to the first two installments of this book. (I don't plan to ever listen to the third.) Richards' misogyny is all the worse because he is either unaware of it or utterly unapologetic for it. Women are either b*tches, chicks or birds and seem to exist only to be f***ed by Richards. Even if I could ignore his treatment of women, I doubt that I would finish the book - it is very badly written.

I'm not sure why Johnny Depp narrates the beginning and Joe Hurley the rest. It seems bizarre.

very hum drum and boring compared to other autobiography's in this genre.

still searching

Johnny Depp did a fine job but he should have read the entire book. Changing narrators was off putting.

Some interesting bits of information and not entirely worthless. I just expected more from one of Rocks founding fathers. I think I did almost as much interesting stuff or at least when i recount the story's for my friends, it sounds like I did.

no

The best, by the best......read it and weep! Every guys hero and every girls fantasy!

No apologies, no regrets.

Superb!

I was enjoying part 1 until it came to the change in narrator. I'm sorry, but much as I enjoy the material, I just have to dump this audiobook. Killed by Hurley - just can't listen to him. Actually think I may buy the book and read it. Rare even when a narrator is so bad.

enjoyed learning more about the craft of writing a song, and know it will increase my enjoyment in listening to some of my stones favorites. Richards comes across as honest and depicts addictions without self pity or apology. The depth of his love for music and the craft behind it was particularly interesting. A great book for anyone you know who is into music. I agree the narration by Hurley was not good--Depp may have been a bit "over the top" but I found it kept my attention whereas Hurly's narration was too flat and literally could put me to sleep. Book could have used editing, but overall if you like the Stones--Richards takes you on a great ride.

AND there are two readers. The first section is done by a guy doing a basic American accent and then -- for some damned reason -- Johnny Depp starts reading in the second section doing a fake British accent. It gets a little old after a while. I dunno why. Maybe 'cause you know he's faking it.

I was so excited to hear that Johnny Depp, who taps into Keith Richards to play Captain Jack Sparrow, would be narrating this. Unfortunately, what I was hoping for was not delivered. Johnny Depp simply drones on and on in his own fake slightly European accent. No excitement or drama in his tone whatsoever. Ruins the telling of Keith's story.

I switched to the real thing. I enjoy the book, but the audio book is terrible. After Part 1, Johnny Depp takes over reading, and while he may sound more like Keith than Joe Hurley, he ruins the pace and the 'relationship' the listener has already established with the narrator. I found Depp's efforts to sound stoned and English just awful. This is a case where you are better off reading the book.

A great artist is entitled to say to the world: judge my art, don't judge me. But if the artist writes an autobiography (or worse, pays someone to write an autobiography), he invites the world to judge not only the book, but its subject. I'd like to think that beneath the mumbling inscrutability is spark of something interesting. Not here. The two main influences in Keith Richards' life from adolescence foward have been smack and flattery. Assisting in the creation of this autobiography should have given him an opportunity to reflect on the effect that these have had on him, and the effect he has had on those around him. It would appear that Keith's only complaint about heroin addiction is that he had to spend time trying to find his next fix. He does not appear to have been aware that the houses and hotel rooms that are constantly breaking out into flame, or the cars that are constantly going off the road, might have created criminal risks to everyone around him, including his infant son and daughter. Keith actually thinks it is cute that he taught 10 year old Marlon to warn him when they were driving up to international borders so Keith could shoot up before going through customs. Granted, it does appear that Keith's most productive period coincided with his greatest drug use. Then there are Keith's sophmoric rants about everyone in the Stones except Charlie. After all these years, you would think that Keith could think of something charitable -- or just not bitchy -- about Bill Wyman, Mick Taylor, or Brian Jones. Bill gets almost no mention, Mick Taylor gets half-hearted praise, and Brian gets bitch slapped. Keith saves his worst for Mick Jagger. No doubt Mick has begun to believe his own myth, but so has Keith. Real pirates did not have pirates of high priced lawyers. Real tough guys don't get minders to fight their battles.

When then three stars? The book does its task of revealing Keith, as Keith would like himself to be revealed.