Touching from a Distance

Touching from a Distance - Deborah Curtis - ISBN 0-571-17445-0

 Last night I finished reading the above biography of Ian Curtis (Joy Division lead singer) who committed suicide on 18 May 1980. Odd that I should read and finish his book on the eve of the 31st anniversary of his death. That I've read it at all marks a bit of a milestone...

I originally bought the book shortly after its release but promptly lent it to an acquaintance (I think it was one of the shop assistants at the comics shop in Brighton where I used to get my comics from). Anyway I never got the book back and then some years later bought a second copy which remained unread on my book shelf for some time.

Ian Curtis was somewhat of an icon/enigma/idol to my teen/early twenties self and I put off reading it because I didn't want to cloud the idolised version I had of Ian (a man I obviously never knew but whose music had a big impact on my life).


Then last week I watched 'Control' (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421082/) via a rental from Lovefilm (www.lovefilm.com) which is based on the book and I finally decided it was time to read the book. Having read the book the film is a disappointment, I love the 'authenticity' of the band and the live music but there are big gaps in the portrayal of aspects of Ian's character that ultimately leave the viewer none the wider to the troubled circumstances behind one of the most influential post-punk bands.

Anyway, the book portrays Ian as a troubled and controlling person who seemed unwilling to accept responsibility for his actions and who was obviously ill. It also paints a person who seemed destined (by his own design) to die young. Ultimately it is a sad/bleak story of a self destructive personality and puts into stark contrast the mysticism that surrounds the idolised version of Ian.

I was left wanting a different perspective of events, that is not to say the as his wife Deborah appears to have an agenda but the bands view of things and their roles in covering for Ian would be interesting as well as what happened to Deborah and Natalie (Ian's daughter).

A brilliant insight into Ian Curtis and Joy Division which speaks from the perspective of reality rather than the idolised view that the legend of Ian and the band presents.