A review by kathywadolowski
From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley, Riley Keough

emotional sad medium-paced

3.5

"From Here to the Great Unknown" was an honest and interesting read, but the narrative was quite disjointed at times. I wish the book had gone deeper into some of Lisa Marie's relationships, which I think would've painted a clearer picture of how she related to people in her future. For example, the relationship between Lisa Marie and Priscilla was obviously really fraught, but I felt like we got more of an accounting of both of their actions rather than an exploration of their impact? And of course, Lisa Marie's relationship with Elvis was in a way the center of this book, but it weirdly felt like Lisa Marie didn't do much examination of how this relationship both shaped and damaged her. 

Unfortunately I do think this lack of depth affected my connection to the book, as I didn't really come away feeling like I knew who Lisa Marie Presley was. To be fair, she acknowledged in the book that she herself really didn't know who she was, so maybe that *is* the takeaway? And her daughter Riley Keough did a really fantastic job at filling in some of the gaps, and I really really appreciated the insight and color that she added to the story. This is probably why the second half of the book actually resonated with me more; because Riley Keough was doing most of the storytelling, it felt more introspective and analytical rather than a simple rehashing of what happened. 

Though this wasn't the most coherent telling of a life story, it was clear how much fame and tragedy drove Lisa Marie's life and choices. It was tough to read about her struggles, but I definitely appreciate the vulnerability it takes to even pursue a memoir like this when you've lived your whole life in the spotlight.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings