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First of all, as a long-standing Queen and Freddie Mercury fan, I apologize for having read this pathetic, whiny bit of drivel. It is to my bordering-on-ridiculous fault of believing that I ought to finish whatever I start that I blame for continuing to read this self-serving, mean-spirited, catty farce. Poor perfect Jim! Oh how virtuous he was for living off the generous-to-a-fault Freddie Mercury -- enjoying all the free tickets, glamorous vacations,
How delicately can we say self-serving crap?First of all, as a long-standing Queen and Freddie Mercury fan, I apologize for having read this pathetic, whiny bit of drivel. It is to my bordering-on-ridiculous fault of believing that I ought to finish whatever I start that I blame for continuing to read this self-serving, mean-spirited, catty farce. Poor perfect Jim! Oh how virtuous he was for living off the generous-to-a-fault Freddie Mercury -- enjoying all the free tickets, glamorous vacations, free meals, unlimited booze & drugs, and luxurious roof over head whilst still receiving a hefty gardener's salary-- but oh how dare anyone think of him as "just the gardener"! He -- and only he -- was the long-suffering love of Freddie's life! BALONEY. Of course, he also complains throughout how Freddie ran around on him all the time. Hmmm, but he was the only one Freddie truly loved. He was only doing the gardening because he loved to garden, not because Freddie expected him too. Oh and the ideas that he came up with for Freddie and Queen! It makes you wonder how Freddie carried on so magnificently before he met Jim Hutton (insert sarcastic tone here). Some highly naive romantics might enjoy reading this bit of blubbery, feel-sorry-for-me rubbish but it didn't ring true to me. I don't doubt that Freddie might have had a brief fling with this petty, greedy man (as with Joe the cook, Freddie often gave jobs to former lovers) but there's no getting around the fact that Freddie left his house and most of his fortune to the one true friend he felt that he had -- Mary, the love of his life who stood by him for over 20 years. His lover for six years in the early years of his fame, this woman did not forsake him when he told her that he was gay. Instead, she stood by him and encouraged him to be true to himself. Mary was with him before the fame, during the fame and up to his death. And unlike this bozo Hutton, she never betrayed him by spewing rubbish about his private life. Hutton brays like a spoiled, greedy brat that he and the other live-in employees are only given 3 months to remain at Garden Lodge after Freddie's death while conveniently neglecting to mention that this was because the estate was in probate and Mary and Jim Beach, the Estate Manager, had no choice in the matter. Freddie Mercury left each those three staff members £500,000 and their own homes after his death. That was pretty generous considering that he gave them very satisfactory wages, free room and board, expensive gifts, and took them along on fabulous vacations all over the world while he was alive. And this jerk is mad because he's not allowed to live free forever in Freddie's mansion Garden Lodge for the rest of his life???? What an ungrateful jerk! For goodness sake, the man bought him a home in Ireland and left him all that money! And for those who would say that Freddie would have wanted Jim, Joe and Peter (his staff) to remain there free of charge, then why wasn't that spelled out in the will? Everything else was. Freddie Mercury did not die unexpectedly. He knew he was dying years before he finally succumbed to HIV/AIDS. He left his home and fortune to the one person he could trust; the one person who had always supported him through it all and had NEVER betrayed him; the real love of his life, Mary Austin. Throughout his career, he always said that she was the only true friend he had and that he considered her his common law wife. Apparently, he meant what he said. Freddie was a very private person. This salacious and bitter book would have broken his heart. Apparently, he knew his friends well, though. Out of the four living in Garden Lodge, only Mary has kept his secrets private and honored Freddie's wishes. No tell-tale book from her. Freddie was a wise man. He knew who to entrust his fortune and legacy to. Good for him. May he rest in peace.
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With the popularity of the award winning film "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2018) there has been a renewed interest and following in Queen. Due to nature of his relationship with FM, some of Queen's fans seem critical of Hutton's book, either loving or loathing it. Jim Hutton (1949-2010) passed away from HIV/AIDS and a lung cancer diagnosis. Towards the end of the book Hutton reflected on how he would have handled his relationship with FM differently and stressed he would have loved him even if he had been a street sweeper.
Hutton wrote lovingly of FM, his devotion of many friends that remained loyal and by his side. Hutton remained respectfully detached concerning FM's significant other Mary Austin (1951-) who FM left the bulk of his multi-million dollar fortune and his London mansion Garden Lodge. It was obvious that FM had both a "husband" and a "wife". Neither one could claim a conventional single spouse status. Understandably, they might always remain at odds and resent each other. Mercury was loved immensely and fiercely by Austin and Hutton. For a woman that loves a homosexual man, there remains an undercurrent of despair and heartbreak that can not be fixed. While Mary could have handled Hutton and FM's closest friends in a more diplomatic manner after his death, she too was deeply affected by unspoken grief and loss that likely wasn't considered or less understood at the time.
It was necessary to research Mercury's life further to understand the dynamics that shaped his life and relationships. Hutton's book provides fans a rare insight to FM's life they would not have had otherwise. Both men loved travel, shopping and buying beautiful things that included everything from real estate, furniture, art, home décor etc. Hutton shared without too much detail about FM's imperfections including alcohol and drug use, fights and emotional outbursts. Both men loved their cats, which were treated as their children/family members. Famous names were dropped throughout the book. Hutton loved to care for the gardens at the mansion and was often mistaken for the gardener, he comes across throughout the book as a simple, sensitive, and unassuming individual. The final part of the book with FM's decline, coping with the devastation of HIV/AIDS, acceptance, and finding a new meaning after the impact of profound change and loss.
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The lyrics to "the show must go on" continu
Freddie Mercury is everything. He IS an icon and someone I look up to and will forever do so. This magnificent, almost alien-like human being has a story of reaching for a goal and making it big through hard work and then, when faced with adversity -even death-, taking it in stride and making the best out of it with your head held high and always PROUD of who you are. It's not just the music or the performance, it's the way he lived, breathed and died.The lyrics to "the show must go on" continue to be the most accurate biography of this man, in my opinion. This I just read... it's petty, it's low and it's disgusting. It comes accross as "Saint Jim saves Freddie Mercury for being a useless idiot" and I fucking hated it from scratch. I do not doubt for a second that they truly loved each other but it is clear that on Jim's end it faded away with time, because you just wouldn't do this to someone you love so dearly. You don't spill the grissly details of a long and painful illness, you don't recount how many times you got laid and you certainly are not entitled to tell the world whether your dead husband was a top or a bottom, that's none of our business!! And that's just the beginning of the book and it pops up without a warning.
Tiny disclaimer: It's not about the sex, I'm not squearmish about it at all, and I certainly don't give two flying fucks what your sexual orientation may be: it's about the violation of someone's privacy. Just as I don't go around telling everyone whether I like taking it from behind or not, I don't expect to read the same about someone else. If I did, I'd read erotica, not this.
It angered me to read this and I regret doing so, but I just cannot put a book down once I start it and this was to be no exception. But it was truly disgusting. And for someone claiming to be so adamant about his independence, he sure didn't mind making a few pounds off of the private life of the most iconic rock'n'roll singer of all time. Terrible. And I'm not even talking about the writing itself, because then the rating wouldn't be a star, it would be a black hole.
If anyone is reading this, don't fucking bother with this sorry excuse for a book. It's not cute, it's not romantic, it's not nice. Just stick to the official documentaries focusing on the life of this genius as a music legend and leave the rest to your imagination because it's just not worth it. I DID say I'm biased, as being a fan of Freddie and Queen for literally 29 years (I'm 31) tends to have a certain effect. No matter how much you love the man and want to know more about him, just steer clear from this shit.
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The seven years they spent together up to Freddie's death are recounted in simple prose. He told it as he saw it. There is some recounting of his brush with stardom through Freddie, but these are more seen as reflections of Freddie's greatness than as something Jim took
Recently released on Kindle this is a touching story of the time the author spent with Freddy Mercury. It's interesting that some people still try to deny that Freddie was gay, yet he often referred to Jim Hutton as "his husband".The seven years they spent together up to Freddie's death are recounted in simple prose. He told it as he saw it. There is some recounting of his brush with stardom through Freddie, but these are more seen as reflections of Freddie's greatness than as something Jim took much interest in.
It becomes obvious this "ordinariness" and the fact Jim wasn't part of the scene that created a security and haven for Freddie where he could be himself. As far as he was concerned, his sexuality was of no concern to the general public.
On stage he came across as a super showman full of confidence, but in reality he craved his privacy where he could be in control.
The chapters depicting how Jim and the others who had been with Freddie on a day to day basis were treated after Freddie's death were sad. Those who were left in control of the estate were very quick to separate these men from the home they had shared and helped build. The singer's "legacy" was deemed more important than his private life. This wasn't the other members of Queen, by the way, more the woman he had used as his "beard" and a manager.
Even today, if you Google "Was Freddie Mercury gay?" you will find many people following the "official" line. Back then, being gay may have affected sales of records and as far as Freddie was concerned, it wasn't anyone's business.
Some people are critical of his silence, feeling he could have done a lot for the gay community and the fight against AIDS. If you watch the documentary "Freddie Mercury: the Great Pretender" you'd know what his response would be to that.
It's good, therefore, to read the real story.
His songs and talent live on regardless.
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The ghost writer didn't do a great job, either. He jumps from topic to topic without transitions. Anything to sell, I guess!
It's interesting to see the
I'm totally ambivalent about this book. On the one hand, Jim Hutton seems like he was a well-meaning, and perhaps not-too-bright individual who truly loved Freddie. On the other hand, I really think it's crass as hell that he's revealing the most private moments of their relationship and Freddie's death. I really don't want to know these things.The ghost writer didn't do a great job, either. He jumps from topic to topic without transitions. Anything to sell, I guess!
It's interesting to see the way that pretty much all of the people around Freddie sold their stories, and that they contradict themselves. Ugh, fame. What a nightmare.
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This motherfucking book.
I decided to pick this book for two main reasons: first, obviously, because I was interested in reading about Freddie (not the Legend or the Rockstar, but the man: the friend, the husband, the cat owner of a man who was so largely elusive to the public eye). My second reason,
I am... disgusted. I am disappointed, but most of all, I am so motherfucking FURIOUS it's a miracle I don't have a stormy cloud raining above my head and spitting shit like a fan to those around me.This motherfucking book.
I decided to pick this book for two main reasons: first, obviously, because I was interested in reading about Freddie (not the Legend or the Rockstar, but the man: the friend, the husband, the cat owner of a man who was so largely elusive to the public eye). My second reason, the one that strengthened my eagerness to read this, was the fact that I had encountered many reviews of the mixed sort. There was literally no middle ground among the readers: they either loved it (and loved Jim for writing it) or loathed it (and resented Jim). I was so ready to break my own pattern and willing to fall in a third category... But then this whole book happened.
Anyone with a basic, minimum, microscopic knowledge of Queen (and Freddie specifically) surely knows that Fred was a very private man. The guy made music and he felt that his art was the only thing the public was entitled to get from him (and he wasn't wrong). He also had a very close-knit "family" of people he trusted the most, and even they didn't get to know all there was about him.
Thus far, nothing out of the ordinary. Except for the fact that this book proceeds to shit on every single last one of Freddie's principles, since it's a thorough, explicit, detailed, uncalled for recount of the life (the *private* aspects of life) mr. Jim Hutton shared with Freddie.
In this book you will find Jim talking about: Freddie's sexual appetites; Freddie's tendency to throw a childish tantrum whenever he didn't get his way (which sounds ridiculous if you listen to the people who really knew them and really loved him, and granted, I believe *them*); Freddie struggling with anxiety and the occassional panic attack; Freddie taking cocaine; Freddie becoming weaker, his light becoming dimmer, as his illness takes a tighter hold on him (not a surprise, everyone with a shred of common sense can come to that conclusion: what angered me was that this talks about the subject as if it meant nothing). The icing of the cake, however, was the detailed description of the scene from the moment Freddie actually dies. Jim Hutton didn't even allow Freddie to keep his dignity in death, since he saw fit to share with the world the visual details of his allegedly beloved partner's death.
If this morb-fest didn't deter you yet from reading the book, I honestly don't know what to tell you. Okay, yes: I do know what to tell you, because even if we leave aside the fact that this book spreads inaccuracies (okay, lies: let's call them by their name), it's also so poorly written that it gave me a headache. Moreover, not happy with "spilling the beans" about Freddie's private life, there's one little gem or two where dear old Jim talks about issues from the private life of people who he has absolutely no fucking right to talk about (and it would be aggravating enough as it is if what he was saying was true, but I actually have the feeling that what he told about one particular person was something he made up for effect- What do I know, it could be true though, but the thing is I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE IT'S NONE OF MY BUSINESS, JUST AS IT WASN'T HIS).
This book honestly paints a picture of Freddie's personality that goes against what everybody else who really knew him could tell you. I'm going to name names now, cause it's only fair to bring justice to those who do honor Freddie: this book falls as a complete contradiction to what people, close friends, like Brian May and Roger Taylor have to say about a man they knew for ages, a man they shared a life, a dream and a passion with; but more important, a man which whom they shared an unbreakable bond of friendship. They knew and loved Freddie and, as people making such claims, they would have never come up with the idea of dragging him through the mud like Jim Hutton does in this book.
This book isn't honoring Freddie's memory. This book isn't sharing a slice of Freddie that belonged to Jim with the people: this is Jim Hutton lifting himself in Freddie's life, under the pretense of... Honestly, I don't even know anymore. All I know is that I want back the four days of my life I wasted while reading this self-serving piece of crap.
So, here we are. I thought that writing this review would be as cathartic as playing the drums is for Roger. As it turns out, it's really not the same. But I'm done. I don't even want to think about this damn piece of shit ever fucking again. The book isn't worth it, and Freddie doesn't deserve me wasting my energy getting angry over something that obviously isn't who he really was.
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It was way too personal and private. I think Jim Hutton was jealous to Mary Austen and bitterness for not having what Freddie had with Mary so Jim was kind of show off like he was Freddie's the only true love. Jim should not have written this book. Freddie hated anyone know his private life publicly. If Freddie Mercury was alive, what would he say about it?
It was way too personal and private. I think Jim Hutton was jealous to Mary Austen and bitterness for not having what Freddie had with Mary so Jim was kind of show off like he was Freddie's the only true love. Jim should not have written this book. Freddie hated anyone know his private life publicly. ...more
Kudos to the GR Friend who gave me this for my birthday.
I thought MERCURY AND ME was no better or worse than most as-told-to's written by a spouse with an ax to grind. Mercury fans -- including fans of QUEEN in general -- will groove to this; all others would be better off investing in the band's music.Kudos to the GR Friend who gave me this for my birthday.
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In this book Jim Hutton, Mercury's lo
After watching the Live Aid concert of 1985 where Mercury blows the doors off of Wembly stadium with his charismatic performance with Queen onstage,there is a kind of magical quality to Freddie that makes you want to watch and read more about his life and his world. Mercury has been gone now for 23 years, yet his legacy as a performer still is unparallelled in rock history as being able to capture an audience in the palm of his hand as he did in this concert.In this book Jim Hutton, Mercury's lover for the last 7 year of his life chronicles his life with the man, the legend and the tragic demise of a superstar with intensity and candor. Living his life on the edge, Mercury gave no thought to what tomorrow might bring and spent too many years of excess invested in inappropriate lifestyle choices that caught up with him and placed him at deaths door way too young.
A story of tragedy, and of love well worth reading for this larger than life man.
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I loved the book so much. I loved to read the behind the scenes of his public life, his relationships with his friends, boyfriends and the band.
I feel like this book gave me a whole different opinion about him. It made him more human. I loved Jim, he seamed to be an honest person and you could see he really loved Freddie.
I think I am way more in love
The last page broke me into tears. It was so sad to read how badly Jim was treated after Freddie's death, I can't even begin to imagine his pain.I loved the book so much. I loved to read the behind the scenes of his public life, his relationships with his friends, boyfriends and the band.
I feel like this book gave me a whole different opinion about him. It made him more human. I loved Jim, he seamed to be an honest person and you could see he really loved Freddie.
I think I am way more in love with Freddie and Queen after reading this book. I can't get enough. I will forever be thankful for the movie.
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The shopping scenes wore me out. I (pretty obviously like Hutton) don't like shopping and my God could Mercury shop.
The trouble was, Hutton wasn't much interested in music either and that showed.
His treatment after Mercury's death was heart breaking.
I realize this book is marmite for many fans but I liked it. I watched Bohemian Rhapsody yesterday which led me to this book, since the film ended just as Freddie's relationship with Jim Hutton began. So I thought I'd read the rest of it.
The shopping scenes wore me out. I (pretty obviously like Hutton) don't like shopping and my God could Mercury shop.
The trouble was, Hutton wasn't much interested in music either and that showed.
His treatment after Mercury's death was heart breaking.
I realize this book is marmite for many fans but I liked it. ...more
On the side of this being cathartic writing for Hutton, there can't be any doubt. He loved Freddie and suffered massi
I've had a few days to ruminate on this book. People are pretty divided on either loving this book because it's clearly a piece of cathartic writing from the man who loved Freddie (and who Freddie loved) or hating it because it is such a huge breach of the privacy of a man who was famously private for being in the public eye for so long. Even a few days later, I find myself torn.On the side of this being cathartic writing for Hutton, there can't be any doubt. He loved Freddie and suffered massively from his death. Being so private about his relationship with Hutton throughout the years they were together, I can understand Hutton's feeling of wanting to finally share their love with the world. Plus this serves a permanent source of memories and stories, which Hutton might have particularly wanted to preserve after learning of his own HIV status.
Then there's the other side, the one where he openly shows his bitterness toward Mary Austin. We don't get her side so it's hard to judge the situation, but I can imagine how hard it was for Hutton to have to leave his home with Freddie only months after his death and some part of this book was him airing his grievances. That, plus the super intimate details that absolutely should not have been included/published (their sex life, Freddie's final moments, Hutton's theories on where Freddie's ashes were buried) ultimately left me feeling more gross about reading this than sentimental.
While I don't think I fall totally in the "this book should never have existed" camp, I think Hutton might have thought more carefully about the details he released to the world, considering Freddie's views on his privacy.
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I've been wanting to read some sort of biography of Freddie for a while, and this one rose to the top of the pile by virtue of the Amazon Daily Deal + documentary about Queen on Aussie TV. Written by Jim Hutton, Freddie's lover from the mid 80s until Freddie's death from AIDS in 1991, this memoir is very simply written, but chronicles the love story between Fre
I loved Freddie Mercury. That voice. Those incredible lyrics. The unusual musical styles. And of course his super flamboyant personality.I've been wanting to read some sort of biography of Freddie for a while, and this one rose to the top of the pile by virtue of the Amazon Daily Deal + documentary about Queen on Aussie TV. Written by Jim Hutton, Freddie's lover from the mid 80s until Freddie's death from AIDS in 1991, this memoir is very simply written, but chronicles the love story between Freddie and Jim, whom Freddie referred to as "my husband".
The book highlights the disparate aspects of Freddie's personality - his flamboyant stage persona, love of parties, excesses, extravagance, generosity and need to surround himself with a coterie of friends and admirers vs the nights cuddled at home on the sofa watching TV with Jim, his love of his cats, gardening, and the smaller, simpler pleasures in life. For all that he obviously loved Jim, at times he doesn't treat him well at all. There's also a lot of falling out and in-fighting between Freddie's friends.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I'm not a particular fan of biographies or memoirs connected with the rich and famous (too much extravagance leaves a bad taste in my mouth), but in this case it was interesting to read the quieter backstory to Freddie and to learn about his final loving long-term partner.
Jim also died of AIDS in 2010.
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Love Freddie Mercury,his music,his showmanship or performances. He loved what he did. And he loved Jim. Mary, what a disappointment and betrayal you were to Freddie after he passed. You did nothing the way he would have wanted it. At least he now sees you for what you really were....jealous and spiteful.
As for Jim Hutton ... I'm disgusted with him and his blatant exploitation and betrayal of Freddie's trust >:-o ... what a small, small man >:-o!!! I do not believe for a second that this was a fair or accurate portrayal of Freddie's life ... and I most certainly do not believe that much of it is true!! As far as I'm concerned, Jim can go to hell ... what a sad and bitter man >:-o!!!
Mary Austin on the other hand ... what a TRUE and beautiful friend and confidant! Freddie knew who trust with his secrets and entrust with his estate ... it is blatantly clear how devoted she was to their bond and how she really REALLY loved Freddie as he deserved to be loved :-)!!
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The writing voice of Mr. Hutton was odd and I cannot put my finger on what turned me off about it. Perhaps it was the timeline that seemed to jump around a bit and the lack of flow to the story. There is a lot of details about going from gay bar to gay bar, restaurants and meals, a ton of drinking an
I read this after seeing the Bohemian Rhapsody movie and delving more into Freddie Mercury's life. I gave it four stars mainly for the last chapters, which coincide with Mercury's last year of life.The writing voice of Mr. Hutton was odd and I cannot put my finger on what turned me off about it. Perhaps it was the timeline that seemed to jump around a bit and the lack of flow to the story. There is a lot of details about going from gay bar to gay bar, restaurants and meals, a ton of drinking and shopping to excess. Pure excess! Mr. Hutton describes in detail almost everything purchased and how much it cost over a six year period. However, I was quite taken with his perspective on being the "help," the paid gardener but yet Mercury's lover/husband. Of course, during that time, it was not socially acceptable for gay men to wed and Mercury had a persona to upkeep.
Regardless, Mr. Hutton gives an inside look at Mercury's last year, months and days. His life after Freddie was sad and grievous. He felt wronged and shunned by Mary Austin, when in my opinion, Mercury took care of him financially for six years and ensured he would have a nice cushion to survive after his death. Mercury spelled out in writing his wishes that Mary Austin was to inherit the majority of his fortune and his home, which speaks volumes about his relationship with Mr. Hutton....He was his last lover and "the gardener." A good read but be prepared to hold on for the last chapters to get through it. .
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Well didn't Mary turn out a right bitch. After seeing the movie l thought something was off with Mary. If she really loved him why hook up with another and get pregnant then spend Christmas with your former lover leaving lover boy on his own. Can't understand why Jim didn't lawyer up, he was told what was in the will, what Freddie left him, greedy bitch wasn't half his fortune enough or was she just that bloody jealous that Freddie loved Jim whereas he couldn't love her.
Believing the believer.Well didn't Mary turn out a right bitch. After seeing the movie l thought something was off with Mary. If she really loved him why hook up with another and get pregnant then spend Christmas with your former lover leaving lover boy on his own. Can't understand why Jim didn't lawyer up, he was told what was in the will, what Freddie left him, greedy bitch wasn't half his fortune enough or was she just that bloody jealous that Freddie loved Jim whereas he couldn't love her.
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Source: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1344150
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