Things The Grandchildren Should Know

Description

How does one young man survive the deaths of his entire family and manage to make something worthwhile of his life? In Things The Grandchildren Should Know Mark Oliver Everett tells the story of what it's like to grow up the insecure son of a genius in a wacky Virginia Ice Storm-like family. Left to run wild with his sister, his father off in some parallel universe of his own invention, Everett's upbringing was 'ridiculous, sometimes tragic and always unsteady'. But somehow he manages to not only survive his crazy upbringing and ensuing tragedies; he makes something of his life, striking out on a journey to find himself by channelling his experiences into his, eventually, critically acclaimed music with the Eels. But it's not an easy path. Told with surprising candour, Things The Grandchildren Should Know is an inspiring and remarkable story, full of hope, humour and wry wisdom.

Mark Oliver Everett, lead singer with Eels, is one of the finest singer songwriters of his generation. This is his first book.

"Everett is the Kurt Vonnegut of the rock world."--"Rolling Stone" "One of the best books ever written by a contemporary artist."--Pete Townshend "It is, like the music of Eels, intellectual, wry and unflinching as it conveys complex emotions with simple, graceful language."--"Los Angeles Times ""Everett captures the drama of a suburban Virginia family bedeviled by illness, early death, and madness, and illustrates how such adversities shaped his striking music gifts--and now this pitch-perfect memoir."--"Elle " "One of the best books ever written by a contemporary artist."--Pete Townshend "A great big grin of a book, winced out through gritted teeth."--"Kirkus Reviews""How do you think it felt finding out that one of my favorite rock stars in history is also a better, funnier, and more touching writer than I am after 10 years at "Time" magazine?"--Joel Stein "Readers will just be plain enraptured by the story of a gifted man barely surviving tragedy with only his talent to guide him."--Robert Leleux, author of "The Memoirs of a Beautiful Boy " "You trust every word coming off the tips of Everett's fingers. His book is a subtle, touching thing."--"Sunday Times (UK) ""I kept telling myself, "This guy is the next Kurt Vonnegut!" "Things the Grandchildren Should Know" shares less with a rock memoir than it does with the likes of" The Corrections,"" Middlesex," and" The Ice Storm," It's unexpectedly uplifting."--"The Word" "Crackling with a staccato rage, he comes clean about bad times, good times and finally getting to be a grown-up on his own terms."--"The Times (UK)" "His unique sensibility is as apparent in his prose as in his music. Even those unfamiliar with, or indifferent to, Everett's work will still vicariously enjoy meeting him."--"The Independent (UK)"