Prince: The Beautiful Ones

The Beautiful Ones is Prince's memoir, left unfinished at the time of his death in 2016. The book combines Prince's own handwritten pages with photographs, scrapbook materials, and contextual writing by Dan Piepenbring, who worked with Prince on the project in its final months. The narrative covers Prince's early years in Minneapolis, his family life, and his emergence as a musical force. Through personal writings and rare images, readers gain insight into his creative development and the foundations of his artistic vision. The first section contains Prince's own words about his childhood and youth, while later sections showcase previously unreleased photos and memorabilia from his personal archives. Editor Dan Piepenbring provides additional context and details about his collaboration with Prince. This incomplete yet revealing work offers a glimpse into the inner world of an intensely private artist, exploring themes of identity, creativity, and self-determination that defined Prince's life and career.

Readers note this is an unfinished memoir, as Prince died before completing it. The 50 pages written directly by Prince offer intimate glimpses into his childhood and early career, which fans value for their authenticity and handwritten elements. Readers appreciated: - Prince's candid writing style and personal reflections - Original photographs and scanned documents - Details about his parents' influence on his music Common criticisms: - Too short/incomplete - High price for limited original content - Marketing suggested more Prince-written content than delivered - Second half feels like a basic biography From verified purchases: "The 50 pages Prince wrote are gold, the rest feels like filler" - Amazon reviewer "Not worth $30 for what amounts to a scrapbook" - Goodreads user Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (8,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (3,900+ ratings) Barnes & Noble: 4.4/5 (400+ ratings)

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🎵 The book was published posthumously in 2019, containing Prince's unfinished memoir, which he was actively working on until his death in 2016 💜 Co-author Dan Piepenbring was personally selected by Prince after a three-hour meeting at Paisley Park, chosen from several candidates to help write the memoir 📝 The manuscript includes Prince's handwritten pages about his early life, rare photos from his personal collection, and original lyric sheets for some of his most famous songs 🏠 The title "The Beautiful Ones" comes from a song on Prince's iconic "Purple Rain" album, which tells the story of star-crossed lovers from different social classes ✨ Prince wanted the book to be more than a typical memoir - he envisioned it as a handbook for the young artist, teaching independence and the importance of owning one's creative work