A Version Of Reason: The Search For Richey Edwards Of The Manic Street Preachers
by Rob Jovanovic

The tale of the Blackwood Bard

Surprisingly, this is the first major attempt to tell the story of Richey Edwards, the Manic Street Preacher who infamously went missing in February 1995. Edwards’ story is perfect fodder for a classic rock biography; the gifted adolescent turned glamorous, troubled cult hero. Since his disappearance, Edwards’ iconic stock has risen to the point where he’s as revered as the figures from music, film and literature he idolised. Unfortunately, Jovanovic’s title falls some way short of doing its subject justice.

While thoroughly researched, the book lacks focus, particularly in its frequent attempts to understand Edwards by drawing parallels with other troubled artists and hinting at events in Welsh history. Such excursions are approached in a slapdash way, investing none of Jovanovich’s references with the detail they require, nor adequately explaining exactly why they belong in this story. The tone is often irritatingly conversational and frequently too self-absorbed, leading Jovanovic’s attempts to make the subject more accessible to actually devalue his writing.

AVOR improves when covering the band’s early career, but there’s nothing here that isn’t handled more skilfully in Simon Price’s 1999 band biography, Everything. The interested and uninitiated are advised to look there; diehard fans will find very little of interest here.

2 stars 2 stars

ISBN 9780752898353, 328 pages

Reviewed by Jamie Atkins
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