Daisy Jones and the Six is a novel written by Taylor Jenkins Reid about the California music scene in the late 1970s. The book revolves around the seven members of a fictional rock band and all the substance abuse, sex, relationship angst, irresponsibility, bad decision-making, and ego management that one would expect to go along with a bunch of rock and rollers. All those elements alone have the makings of a great story! The spotlight is on the two central characters Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne, the lead singers and the creative force behind the band. The interesting part of this book is that it is told as an oral history. It’s as if the reader is a part of a “Behind the Music” documentary told from the perspective of different band members. While this book is about the drama that goes on within a band, it is also about personal and professional relationships and the chemistry (or lack thereof) that can either destroy or elevate those relationships and everyone around them. It’s not giving too much away to say that the personal and professional relationship between Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne is one of the main storylines in this book. As I was reading, it made me think of the people I have encountered in my life and how personal conflict is often rooted in the same elements of ego, control, creative differences, dependency, the desire for expression, insecurity, the need to be loved and to love.
It’s too easy to make an instant comparison to Fleetwood Mac and the mega drama between Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. And while they may have been an inspiration to the story, this is not about them or that band. The truth is that it could be about any group of people who are trying to figure themselves out. But the fun part of this book is that I kept having to remind myself that this band is not real. There are even song lyrics in the back of the book to go along with the music that is referenced throughout the story. Toward the end of the book, the band is playing on Saturday Night Live and they decide to play the songs, “Turn it Off” and “This Could Get Ugly.” And I was thinking to myself, “Yeah, those are great tunes”, only to realize that I’d never actually heard these songs and it’s all made up! That’s the sign of an excellent book. Daisy Jones and the Six is a fun ride for anyone who grew up in the 70s or is simply a fan of the music that came out of that era.
Favorite quotes:
“No matter who you choose to go down the road with, you’re gonna get hurt. That’s just the nature of caring about someone. No matter who you love, they will break your heart along the way.”
“All I will say is that you show up for your friends on their hardest days. And you hold their hand through the roughest parts. Life is about who is holding your hand and, I think whose hand you commit to holding.”
