Elliott Smith and the Big Nothing

I don't really understand what all the complaints on this book are for. Yes, there are typos in the book and he gets lyrics wrong sometimes when quoting them. With that said, he was rushing to get the book done. He didn't want it to be released on the one year anniversary of Smiths death, but upon the release of Basement on a Hill (which just happened to be the same date).This book has a lot of funny stories and a couple of dark ones. Nugent chose to show the Elliott that was working and funny, a side that many of us listeners don't get to see too often. Towards the end we learn of how much the drugs truly changed him. I found that part of the book the most interesting because I had no idea what had gone on towards the end of Smiths life.Nugent cares about Elliott and it is obvious in his writing. Yes, he skims over the death but who cares? I for one do not want to hear a play by play of his death. It was something tragic and something that should be left for his friends and family. Honestly, I think it's disgusting that his autospy is even admitted online. Either way he does go into other suicide attempts if that's the only reason you are looking to read.And the complaints about his sources? His interviews are really good I thought. They aren't just Smiths barely-there-acquaintances ... they are previous girlfriends, producers, etc. that truly knew him.I would recommend this book to any Elliott Smith fan. It definitely lets you in to different parts of his life that you would otherwise not have known about. The author did a great job and I commend his hard work that he put into the book, as well as those that agreed to be interviewed.

Don't take the negative reviews too seriously. While it's not quite as in-depth as other biographies on musicians, I think the author does a fine job with the limited information on Smith's life he has to work with and I found it just as interesting and enjoyable as any other biography.

Excellent read, very detailed

Sorry, Benjamin, your book is a tremendous disappointment. It is impossible to follow, poorly written and just a plain bore. To write a biography about someone, you should at the VERY LEAST gain access to those who knew him best or know him well yourself. The only thing the book contains is scraps of information, obtained by some of Smith's most obscure and random acquaintances. I should have paid closer attention to my contemporary's reviews and not have wasted the money on this book. It will be up for resale on eBay, very soon.

This book contains some facts. The writing in mediocre in my opinion though. It feels like the author was assigned to write this book, but wasn't interested in Elliott Smith.

I love this book!!! What a great find at such a great price!!! I will be shopping with you again soon. Thanks so much!!

Anyone who wants a deeper glimpse into the greatest man who ever lived look no further.

The first known (or at least well-publicized) biography of Elliott Smith is something of a curiosity in that it takes pains to demonstrate an appreciation for the artist's work while simultaneously embracing the sort of crass commercialism that, essentially, sells books. Author Benjamin Nugent clearly has a soft spot for his subject, going as far as to justify Smith's more erratic moments as the inevitable collision between genius and so-called "normal" behavior, but there remains a vast disparity between what may be construed as a demonstration of admiration as opposed to one of respect.Make no mistake about it: "Elliott Smith and the Big Nothing" was meant to capitalize on the one-year anniversary of Smith's death. The book has all the hallmarks of a rush-job: brevity (at 230 pages - index included - it's no "War and Peace"), inexcusable grammatical errors (copy editor, anyone?) and an unwieldy use of interview excerpts (glacier-sized chunks, really) from a scant handful of Smith's friends and acquaintances. While Nugent does get a break on this last point due to the fact that Smith's family and closest collaborators declined to comment for the book, the narrative still suffers from what can only be described as a mind-numbing overreliance on "talking heads" to tell Smith's story. Anyone familiar with Smith's work or his public persona(s) will tell you that an Elliott Smith biography couldn't possibly be boring, but this one is. "Big Nothing" offers shockingly few "revelations" about Smith's life that can't already be found on the Internet.It's hard to imagine what sort of audience "Elliott Smith and the Big Nothing" is shooting for. Die-hard Smith fans will likely bristle at the regurgitation of previously known "facts," and the disjointed quality of the narrative - that it fails to illustrate how truly great Smith's work is while repeatedly acknowledging his genius - hardly seems capable of turning newbies onto his music. It's one thing to be told how good something is, and a completely different thing to experience it and know firsthand.That said, the best introduction to Elliott Smith will always be his music. "Elliott Smith," "Either/Or," "XO," "Figure 8" - all of these are classic albums that demonstrate an astonishing range of talent and musical growth over the five or six years in which they were produced. Smith was an artist whose innate sensibilities and seeming candor in dealing with life's difficulties - failed romances, abuse, addiction - allowed his work to transcend what we've come to know as popular music. It's no mistake that Elliott Smith is so often compared to The Beatles; this guy was the real deal.All things considered, I can't honestly say that "Big Nothing" is a bad book, per se, just a bit underwhelming from a fan's perspective. This may not be entirely fair to Nugent, of course, but it is my contention that the Elliott Smith fans who gobble up "Big Nothing" first will take away little more insight than they brought to it. If nothing else, Nugent's book seems premature. If you're reading this, Ben, I hope you have an opportunity to speak with those closest to Smith somewhere down the line and make "Big Nothing" the great book everyone wants it to be.

I read lots of negative stuff about this book but I found it insightful and less intense than Torment Saint (which I also liked).Had no problem with it at all and am glad to have read it.

After having read everything I could possibly find on Elliott Smith, I would recommend this book last. Maybe even omit it. I give it some stars cause the information is good, but I'd already read everything in it from articles and interviews on the internet.Definitely get "Torment Saint" easily the best source on Elliott out there, and Autumn De Wilde's book is an awesome/unique collection of personal interviews and pictures if you enjoy that. I'd also recommend 33-1/2's book on the XO album for song analysis/history.