Marvin gaye book

I don’t have full faith in his portrayals of Marvin’s emotions.

Marvin’s is a story that needs to be told by an outsider, but there’s no way an outsider could know or learn all that Ritz did. And very difficult to read it and not judge the people closest to Gaye—personally, I find it very hard, despite knowing that times and life were much different back then, to not judge Marvin’s mother.

Even though the story of Divided Soul is nonfiction, it is told in the voice of an unreliable narrator.

Don’t get me wrong. Drawing from these interviews, Gaye's life is recounted in his own words and the words of those who knew him best: his family, friends, and colleagues. He and Gaye were on non-speaking terms for nearly half of the time they knew each other.

Ben Edmonds examines in detail the making of this legendary work — initially rejected by Motown's quality-control department — interviewing many of the artists and record company employees closest to the singer, to arrive at a deeper understanding of what the album means. I cannot fully but into his insights into Marvin’s mindset.

The result is an epic tale whose cast of characters includes Diana Ross, Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder, among others. Ritz had been collaborating with Gaye on his story for several years before the singer's tragic death, and had conducted a series of extraordinary interviews in which Gaye discussed his deepest secrets. I’m glad I read it.