Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics

Dolly makes me proud to be an American. Her story is an example of finding one's authenticity. She has arrived and is living her best life. I am still working on getting there. This is my second purchase of the book. My first purchase was a birthday gift to my ex GF. We both love Dolly's music. I thought I'd be reading that copy eventually but the two of us were not on the same page. In reviewing my past Amazon purchases, I was reminded of this book and decided to purchase my own copy for positive inspiration at a time when the focus of so much in American life is on negativity. This is a wonderful book. The pictures of family life will bring you joy. The lyrics are contemporary American poetry, probably more relatable to more Americans than Walt Whitman. I don't own a coffee table so this book will not be on display but for those who do own coffee tables, the book will be a conversation starter even for those who are not into country music or only know of Dolly Parton's stereotypical persona. One of my best Amazon purchases.

I bought the Kindle version of this book, so I'm not able to enjoy the huge coffee-table book with fancy presentation and beautiful color photos. It is what the subtitle says: "My Life in Song Lyrics". I learned a fair amount about Dolly's upbringing and her family poverty and her very musical relatives. As the book goes on, there is progressively less and less information about the ensuing years. In effect, the entire book is a series of vignettes, many of them quite short, preceded by the lyrics of a selected song that she wrote. It's not the best way to write a memoir, especially if the reader is not familiar with the vast majority of the songs (Dolly has written hundreds, actually thousands, of them). And minus the music and singing they are a little thin. Some of the snippets are prefaced by a little paragraph of information by her co-author. The snippets themselves are by Dolly, and are in conversational "Dolly-speak" -- somewhat simplistic (like maybe a 6th-grade level of writing), charming and witty but not really great or revelatory writing. It just sounds like she is talking off-the-cuff in a talk-show interview. Not the best way to write a revealing or meaningful memoir. So, although I learned a fair amount, I didn't feel like we really got below the surface. I also feel like Dolly was protecting the feelings and images of everyone she mentioned (including herself). So I am somewhat disappointed. I may try to sample some of her albums, like her bluegrass 'Trio' with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris. Or, I may try and read the actual memoir she wrote in 1994, which may actually be more revealing. Also, the Kindle edition of this book is very expensive. Dolly will probably spend the proceeds on charity so I don't begrudge that, but it was higher than it was worth, to me. In time the Kindle price may go down or be on sale. Lastly, I'd like to conclude that Dolly is a great lady, and if you don't already know that you're probably not interested in this book. This book does not disprove that at all, but it just didn't go deep enough for me. If you are a Dolly fan, or simply admire her, I recommend it.

I'm a music afficiando. I know about all types of music. But I knew little about Dolly other than I can recognize a legend, knew she had a great sense of humor and had a strong sense of self and style. This book made me come to know about her through her lyrics and pictures. I discovered that her lyrics are so fresh and straightforward - without metaphors, allusions, allegories or pretension - without guile. A child could understand the narrative. Such a rarity. And yet, they are deep in their simplicity; we've all felt those feelings and we can feel them again when we read her words. Both some of the lyrics and her narrative, brought tears to my eyes; I related so deeply. The more I read the book, the more I realized how much I truly resonated with and admired this iconic lady. I'm from a different generation, a different genre (I grew up on punk, new wave, metal and rap, followed by 70s hard rock and metal) and a different time, but I've realized Dolly is timeless. Like Willie Nelson. Americana at its finest. And, I realized I just love her. This is a terrific book with wonderful pictures of Dolly, her family, artifacts and collaborators. The lyrics are printed alongside origination stories and reminisces in Dollys voice. Like Dolly, this is a collector's item.

Bought as a gift for my sister. She absolutely loved it!

I love this book! Had borrowed it from the library a few years back but remembered loving it and wanted to own a copy finally. On re-reading it, I love the stories Dolly shares and the background on what inspires her in the songwriting process. Really enlightening about the process and she would know. She's been quite prolific.

I ordered this book for my SIL for her birthday. She loves Dolly Parton and after reading reviews for this book, I ordered it for her. She called me the day she received it and expressed how much she LOVED IT!!! She read through it with her granddaughter and was sooooo happy! Great book to gift!!!

Beautiful book! Very interesting and informative. Gives you a look at her creative process! Dolly Parton, a true American treasure!

It is really good for my kids

A beautiful book. Coffee-table sized, it features the most iconic songs throughout Dolly's career with commentary, fun bits of trivia and beautiful full colour books. A must for fans of the wonderful, prolific songwriter and beautiful human being Dolly Parton or anyone who is interested in music!

Väldigt trevlig bok mycket uppskattad priset.

Beautiful book, stunning photos, great stories and a must for Dolly fans. Love love love it.

Este livro é um achado. A própria compositora, cantora, atriz e filantropa Dolly Parton fala de várias de suas músicas escritas numa carreira de mais de 5 décadas. A obra mostra fotos inéditas de manuscritos, parceiros, cantores e de Parton. Atenção: Este livro é em inglês.

Great book