I adored Patti Smith's last book Just Kids in which she told the story of her early life, her moving to NYC and her emergence and growth as an artist. M Train isn't exactly a 'part two' of her tale but it makes a very good companion book to Just Kids.
Patti describes M Train as a 'roadmap to my life'.
Patti describes M Train as a 'roadmap to my life'.
It contains her reflections on life, art and writing and touches on many varied things - travel, people, cafes, possessions, inspirations and dreams included. It also details (to great effect) memories of her personal life and family.
It showcases her skills as a writer and is beautifully written. With just a few carefully chosen words she can portray great emotions and craft perfectly believable scenarios... You can lose yourself in her words...
Although the chapters don't follow a theme or a chronological order they feel connected somehow. You could read the book either as a whole or dip in and out of it.
The dream sequences she recounts didn't appeal to me (I much preferred the minutiae of her everyday life that she describes so well) but this is the only real criticism I had.
If you liked Just Kids you will certainly like this.
Recommended and a must read if you are a Patti Smith fan!
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