Fiction Book Reviews

Book Review: Sway

By Sandy Amazeen Jan 7, 2008, 1:16 GMT

Lazar takes three of the best known 60’s icons; the Stones, Charles Manson, Kenneth Anger and packages them into a story of the times which 20-somethings will likely fail to appreciate. Focusing on Brian Jones during the first years of the Stones success, Bobby Beausoliel who, under Manson’s influence, committed the first murder and the roles they played in Anger’s acclaimed avant-garde movie, Invocation of My Demon Brother this gritty rehash plunges the reader into the drug culture of the time. Mick Jagger who wrote the lyrics for Anger’s film and Keith Richards figure in as they struggle with the seductions of sudden popularity while honing their musical skills and feeling betrayed by Jones. Through it all, it is Anger’s story that binds the characters together against a backdrop of the Vietnam War and Manson family killings told with crystal clarity. Although Lazar's recreation of the 60's does an admirable job of capturing the feel of the time, this is likely to be lost on those who didn't live through that era.