What better way to spend one’s winter break than reading? It’s been a relatively uneventful vacation for me, considering most of it was spent at home doing absolutely nothing, but reading helped make life a bit more interesting.
“Daisy Jones and The Six” was the first book I picked up over break, and I couldn’t put it down. Written by Taylor Jenkins Reid, it tells the story of a fictional band from the 1970s called The Six. What’s fascinating is that it’s written like an interview, so the entire novel has a distinctive twinge of reality. In fact, I was actually under the impression that The Six was a real band up until halfway through the book when I googled them because I wanted to see what they looked like (needless to say I felt very silly).
Though the book is told just from the surviving band members’ personal recollections and quotes, Reid does an incredible job building the plot through the unique format. The story revolves around Daisy Jones, a troubled groupie-turned-songwriter, who begins her music career by joining forces with The Six, led by singer Billy Dunne. With a wife and kid at home, Billy struggles to balance the rock n’ roll lifestyle with fatherhood. Daisy, though talented beyond belief, can’t write a complete song and is hardly ever sober. Meanwhile, the other members of The Six have their own drama and exuberant personalities. But amidst the insanity, Daisy and Billy’s passion for songwriting, music, and each other drives the band towards fame.
At first glance, “Daisy Jones and The Six” appears to follow the classic rock band narrative: Band starts off good. Band goes on tour. Band goes crazy. Band starts fighting. Band breaks up. In fact, Daisy Jones and The Six are actually loosely based on Fleetwood Mac. However, what makes this story so interesting is the complexity of the characters and their relationships with one another. There is no perfect love story or fantasy ending. It shows the messiness of human connection on full display without any apology. It’s captivating and real.
If you’re a geek for the 1970s rock era like I am, I cannot give you a better book recommendation. Apart from having a rich plot, it’s also a gratifying read for music lovers everywhere. The details Reid includes about the sound, depth, and meaning of each song Daisy and The Six write make you feel like you can actually hear them. The full lyrics for each one are even in the back of the book!
Seeking a cure for the wintertime blues? Look no further. “Daisy Jones and The Six” will for sure be the antidote you need.
– DJ Butter
