Review: Talking to Girls about Duran Duran by Rob Sheffield

Talking to Girls about Duran Duran by Rob Sheffield

Published: June 15, 2010
Format: purchased paperback
Publisher: Dutton
Rating: 3/5

Summary via Goodreads

In Talking to Girls about Duran Duran, Sheffield shares the soundtrack to his eighties adolescence. When he turned 13 in 1980, Rob Sheffield had a lot to learn about women, love, music and himself, and in Talking to Girls About Duran Duran we get a glimpse into his transformation from pasty, geeky "hermit boy" into a young man with his first girlfriend, his first apartment, and a sense of the world. These were the years of MTV and John Hughes movies; the era of big dreams and bigger shoulder pads; and, like any all-American boy, this one was searching for true love and maybe a cooler haircut. It's all here: Inept flirtations. Dumb crushes. Deplorable fashion choices. Members Only jackets. Girls, every last one of whom seems to be madly in love with the bassist of Duran Duran. Sheffield's coming-of-age story is one that we all know, with a playlist that any child of the eighties or anyone who just loves music will sing along with. These songs-and Sheffield's writing-will remind readers of that first kiss, that first car, and the moments that shaped their lives.

My Thoughts

I must admit I was a tad disappointed with this after reading the wonderfully written Love is a Mix Tape. While his first novel was more of a love story this book focuses more of him growing up in the 80’s. Being a child of the 80’s I can totally relate every pop culture references and music that he talked about. It was definitely like traveling back in time. Rob Sheffield takes us back basically to the beginning of his love for music. I love how he can identify moments in his life with a simple song. I mean, can’t we all do that? I know I can hear a certain song and be instantly transmitted to single point in my life. I love that about music, it's the soundtrack to our lives.

That's why my favorite parts about his books are the playlists. While I knew most of the songs, it was a nice surprise to see some songs I didn’t know or completely forgot about. I love researching and tracking down new songs. So I love that he puts all these “mix tapes” together for us to search out.

While I didn’t have that emotional pull like I did to his first novel, this one was good nevertheless. It’s funny and has stories that we can relate to. It will surely make you think about your past for good or bad. It shows us that coming of age we all go through the heartaches, embarrassments, and the “firsts”. While it may seems like no one “understands” us we are more alike that we can ever imagine.