MADreads

The importance of a book jacket

August 8th, 2008 Kylee

When I picked up Lavinia Greenlaw’s memoir The Importance of Music to Girls, I thought it would be a light read about boy bands and school dances, but I was fooled by a book jacket yet again.  The book has depth and insight far beyond the brightly colored record player and whimisical font on the cover. 

Greenlaw is best known as a British poet, and her skill with language is evident as she writes of the music that has shaped her life.  From waltzing with her father to dealing with a friend’s attempted suicide, music has been an integral part of her history.  Greenlaw intimately describes her relationship with various types of music, particularly during the beginning of her teen years and her dive into the punk scene.  This musical framework outlines her story of a troubled girlhood, one in which she learned to fight convention and traditional gender roles through her participation and connection with music. 

Greenlaw’s book may understandably draw comparisons to trendier books like Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity, but I think there’s more to it than that.  Whereas Hornby’s novel is basically a hipster romantic comedy, I found Greenlaw’s memoir to be more substantial.  She doesn’t collect obscure references or make clever lists of songs to prove a point; music’s place in her past is related with a sincerity that could seem downright cheesy, but somehow Greenlaw’s elegantly wry narration keeps her memories well out of Hallmark territory.  I’m really glad that I didn’t abandon the book before I even began reading, and I hope that Greenlaw’s memorable memoir will prove important to many girls - and boys, too.

Entry Filed under: Memoir & Biography, Nonfiction