Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics

Dolly Parton has an amazing life

I loved how Dolly told the story of her life in this book. She told the story of her life through the music she wrote and sang, and to see it all laid out, and the stories that inspired each song gave a greater appreciation for her as an artist and as a cultural leader. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to find inspiration in a story that was not defined by her upbringing.-I read this book cover to cover - 100%

I bought as a gift to a huge fan and he has read it several times and is so happy with it.

I bought the Kindle version of this book, so I'm not able to enjoy the huge coffee-table book with fancy presentation and beautiful color photos.It is what the subtitle says: "My Life in Song Lyrics". I learned a fair amount about Dolly's upbringing and her family poverty and her very musical relatives. As the book goes on, there is progressively less and less information about the ensuing years. In effect, the entire book is a series of vignettes, many of them quite short, preceded by the lyrics of a selected song that she wrote. It's not the best way to write a memoir, especially if the reader is not familiar with the vast majority of the songs (Dolly has written hundreds, actually thousands, of them). And minus the music and singing they are a little thin.Some of the snippets are prefaced by a little paragraph of information by her co-author. The snippets themselves are by Dolly, and are in conversational "Dolly-speak" -- somewhat simplistic (like maybe a 6th-grade level of writing), charming and witty but not really great or revelatory writing. It just sounds like she is talking off-the-cuff in a talk-show interview. Not the best way to write a revealing or meaningful memoir.So, although I learned a fair amount, I didn't feel like we really got below the surface. I also feel like Dolly was protecting the feelings and images of everyone she mentioned (including herself).So I am somewhat disappointed. I may try to sample some of her albums, like her bluegrass 'Trio' with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris. Or, I may try and read the actual memoir she wrote in 1994, which may actually be more revealing.Also, the Kindle edition of this book is very expensive. Dolly will probably spend the proceeds on charity so I don't begrudge that, but it was higher than it was worth, to me. In time the Kindle price may go down or be on sale.Lastly, I'd like to conclude that Dolly is a great lady, and if you don't already know that you're probably not interested in this book. This book does not disprove that at all, but it just didn't go deep enough for me. If you are a Dolly fan, or simply admire her, I recommend it.

great book and catalogue of Dolly Parton's music and career

I've thumbed the pages of this book many times when visiting Dollywood. It is a beautiful book, but I just couldn't justify paying the $50 list price. I was looking for a gift for my sister's birthday, who is also a huge Dolly fan, and I was so pleasantly surprised to see this available at a lower price! It's currently out for delivery to her in Nashville, and I can't wait to hear how much she loves it!! UPDATE: Photo is my sister showing the book to her dog named Dolly. Needless to say, it was a hit!

I saw this book in one of the souvenir shops at Dollywood, but I didn’t want to carry it with me on the plane ride home. this is a nice, big hardback coffee table type book. I’m so glad I found the same book for half the price online!

If you’re a fan of Dolly and her music you need this book. Worth every penny! Just get it, you won’t be disappointed.

Este livro é um achado. A própria compositora, cantora, atriz e filantropa Dolly Parton fala de várias de suas músicas escritas numa carreira de mais de 5 décadas. A obra mostra fotos inéditas de manuscritos, parceiros, cantores e de Parton. Atenção: Este livro é em inglês.

Love Dolly, this book is very interesting and insightful to her song writing. Lovey coffee table book.

The media could not be loaded.  A beautifully crafted large book with interesting background on some of Dolly's best songs. The images in the book are also stunning. Would definitely recommend this book.

Beautiful book, stunning photos, great stories and a must for Dolly fans. Love love love it.

A MUST FOR DOLLY FANS - OF WHICH THERE ARE MANY