Bob Dylan Chronicles

I just finished reading Bob Dylan's autobiography, Chronicles, Volume One. This is not a traditional autobiography. He doesn't follow a nice chronological order. Many reviewers of this book have pointed out how much Dylan has protected his privacy over the years, and they express either disappointment or resignation that even in writing an autobiography he still manages to maintain his privacy. I agree that he doesn't divulge juicy details about his life, his family, his marriages, and so on. That doesn't matter, though.

What does matter is the glimpse into the way Dylan thinks, and as a result, the way he creates songs. Instead of divulging juicy secrets, Dylan has instead divulged the inner workings of his creative mind. He has an eye for detail and a gift for expressing them vividly. His descriptions of any particular evening at a coffeehouse, afternoon at a friend's apartment, or night at a New York party may not be entirely true in the strict facts but are certainly true in the details. He notes what a person looked like, how the room was decorated, the feeling of cold winter in the city. In the end, the effect is that the book reads like an extended folk song from his early years.

If you enjoy any of Bob Dylan's music, I recommend this book. Fascinating read.