The Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller The global icon, award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, actress, mother, daughter, sister, storyteller, and artist finally tells the unfiltered story of her life in The Meaning of Mariah Carey It took me a lifetime to have the courage and the clarity to write my memoir. I want to tell the story of the moments – the ups and downs, the triumphs and … – the ups and downs, the triumphs and traumas, the debacles and the dreams, that contributed to the person I am today. Though there have been countless stories about me throughout my career and very public personal life, it’s been impossible to communicate the complexities and depths of my experience in any single magazine article or a ten-minute television interview. And even then, my words were filtered through someone else’s lens, largely satisfying someone else’s assignment to define me.
This book is composed of my memories, my mishaps, my struggles, my survival and my songs. Unfiltered. I went deep into my childhood and gave the scared little girl inside of me a big voice. I let the abandoned and ambitious adolescent have her say, and the betrayed and triumphant woman I became tell her side.
Writing this memoir was incredibly hard, humbling and healing. My sincere hope is that you are moved to a new understanding, not only about me, but also about the resilience of the human spirit.
Love,
Mariah
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Beautifully written—and spoken and sung in the audio book version—The Meaning Of Mariah Carey gives an insight into one of the world’s biggest and most misunderstood stars. I’ve been a Lamb for 26 years, bought every release, and I still listen to Mariah daily. Her song writing is one of my biggest inspirations as a writer, and when you follow someone for that long, you think you know them. This memoir proves that no one really knows anyone.
Revealing Mariah’s traumatic upbringing and family life, her repressive first marriage, losses, betrayals, failures, triumphs, and the family she’s always longed for and finally created for herself, it’s an insight into a person so many people wrote off, and still continue to write off to this day.
There’s a reason for many of Mariah’s “eccentricities” and this book reveals and puts them into context, never shying away regardless of whether they are uplifting or heartbreaking. It’s given me a new found respect for an artist who has soundtracked my life. It’s changed my perception of some of her songs. It’s made me both laugh and cry. And it’s made me see the person behind the star. Highly recommended.
I’ve said before that I love reading autobiographies and this book did not disappoint.
The book starts off with Mariah’s childhood and what she endured. It was interesting learning how she overcame poverty and started singing. The book showcased all the trials she went through to get to where she is today…all the while giving us great music.
I loved learning that she writes most of her music. Most of her lyrics come from something that has happened in her life…either something joyful or something painful. I always knew she was a brilliant singer but now I know she is also a brilliant music writer.
Great book…it started off a little slow but once I got into it, I couldn’t seem to put it down.
I loved seeing her determination and strength to take her music and career to a higher level.
Wonderful read.
I alternated between the audiobook and my hardback edition. I enjoyed this even more than I thought I would.
Ms Mariah has been through so much. I am stunned by what she has overcome. Through her determination, hard work, perseverance, and faith, she has come out on top.
Some reviews gave her shade for talking about fancy stuff, but I can see where all of her insecurities come from. Its not about the stuff, its the symbolism of the opulent setting and the hollowness that she was experiencing when she was unhappy and also the validation that she has succeeded when so many said she couldn’t because she was “so different”. I think its deeper than what many think. I could read through the references to find the meaning of the passages. It was fascinating.
The audiobook with Ms Carey reading in her smooth, buttery voice was excellent. The moments when she broke out in song, wonderful.
He hardback has wonderful pictures as well.
Highly recommend.
I have always loved Mariah Carey’s voice and songs, but always believed the hype that she was a diva. This memoir shows a totally different side of Mariah, and really humanizes her. Mariah covers her childhood which was riddled with family trauma and drama. My heart hurt for all the pain Mariah endured during her childhood, and puts her forever youthful, playful demeanor into perspective. Mariah struggled with her identity being a biracial child in predominantly white spaces. Mariah received bullying from not only the children who went to school with her, but also from her own siblings. The memoir also explores her marriage to Tommy Mottola, and her subsequent freedom from that emotionally abusive relationship. I throughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. Thank you @henryholtbooks for this copy I won in a sweepstakes.
Mariah saved my life again! I’ve gotten to know her well through over a decade of listening to her music everyday. The Memoir has only deepened my love for her as an artist and writer. Through a griping non-fiction narrative, she was able to convey to readers how she was faced with so much adversity throughout her childhood (little Mariah) and even during her adult life as one of the most famous singers in the world, and overcame it the best way she knew how, while never losing focus and sight of her dreams. The Meaning of Mariah Carey She gives readers hope and proof that you can arise from the shittiest of circumstances and make things happen for yourself. Thank you, Mariah. You will alway be one of my greatest inspirations and influences in life.
THE MEANING OF MARIAH CAREY: MARIAH CAREY & MICHAELA ANGELA DAVIS.
Reviewing paperback & audio.
ALL I WANT BE-FOR-E CHRISTMAS IS YOU, MARIAH CAREY & I GOT IT!
Did Ms Claws Just Sharpen Her Claws?
For me, Mariah Carey is synonymous with Christmas, & has been for the past 28-30 years! Perhaps we should just call her The Queen of Christmas, or Ms Claws!
While I may not be the biggest nor even a huge Mariah Carey fan, I was literally chomping at the bit to wrap my teeth around this sweet morsel of Christmas Candy Cane to read & listen by fully Immerse myself in all things Mariah whilst reading the paperback & swapping to the ebook while listening to the audiobook at the same time for a truly indulgent experience after seeing The Meaning of Mariah publicised on multiple Australian TV shows & the Graham Norton Show and I wish I could see the Mariah Carey Christmas special even though It’s only available on Apple TV.
I learnt a tonne about Mariah I never knew, and while I’m still not a big fan except for that naive young woman singer/songwriter with some incredible early songs & albums. Where she lost me was all the Diva antics.
What I don’t understand & leaves me scratching my head is, if this was truly her life pre-superstardom & during her life with Tommy the Terrorist why did you become such a big Diva when you come from such humble beginnings? But who am I to judge?
Or are those difficult, hard to deal demanding Mariah rumours false stories planted by her ex as sabotage?
Many did come out towards the end of her Sham-arriage,
So I guess we’ll never truly know.
I sympathise at all the hardships this woman has been through & it explains a lot, but as I don’t know her later albums (after the first 3,) nor her lyrics they don’t mean much to me.
Maybe that will change now, once I stop and really listen to the lyrics of her songs.
No matter what, there is no debating the phenomenal & extraordinary talent this powerhouse woman bought to the world of R&B, Pop, Hip Hop & the music world in general.
The thing I loved the most about this book is the small snippets of lyrics and singing in between or at the end of chapters which are strategically placed throughout the book. A very ingenious & clever piece of writing explaining a particular event from her life & how a song came about & why.
It must be very therapeutic to vent feelings & frustrations through sings music & lyrics.
Has this book changed my opinion on Mariah Carey? Well, I don’t adore her and won’t go out of my way to listen to her music, but yes it’s made appreciate her more, perhaps be a little more understanding & taught me not to jump to conclusions about people I don’t know and by now we should all know never to believe everything you read.
This is one hellova journey & life I now think about her in a different light.
I don’t know how I would cope if my family life mirrored her’s. How did she find the inner strength, determination & passion to make it happen!
One thing nobody can delight is the love & appreciation Mariah Carey has for her Lamb-ily & fans. They have been her one saving grace throughout a tough and tumultuous life of disappointment, harsh love, heartache, and an overbearing control freak of a husband who locked her away from the world & a family who only wanted her as a meal ticket.
Is it any wonder Mariah never felt like she belonged? How awful for a child to feel too white to be black, but too black to be white.
I simply adore the way Mariah thinks of and treats her fanbase. And the way they, in turn, treat her, protect her and stand up for her.
It sure is something special!
Enabling Ms Carey to create the Fanily/family she so desperately needed before the birth of her beautiful twins Roc & Roe (Monroe & Morocco).
After all, everyone needs a little bit of Roc & Ro in their life!
It’ll pick you up when you’re feeling down, turning that frown upside down.
Get that foot-tapping & booty swaying.
All hands up in the air, waving like you just don’t care, dancing & singing & moving to the grooving. It’s so good 4 the soul, it takes away the feels of old.
I RATE THE MEANING OF MARIAH CAREY
4.5 OUT OF 5
I borrowed the e-book and paperback from South Australian Public Library System and bought the audio from Audible and this is my fair, honest & impartial review as always.
Reviewed By: Jewelz Pederick.
The
(Bye Love The Crazy Australian BookWorm!)
What a heartfelt and poignant book.
I have always liked and followed Mariah’s music but after reading this how could you not could love her! Diva for sure!
I’m amazed at how she was/is able to stay so focused on her life and career wants, wishes and goals with the tumultuous, unstable and abusive upbringing and past.
I didn’t know that she writes all her own lyrics and after learning this her songs take on different meanings.
I hope she finds peace, happiness and even true love in her life as she deserves it.
Way to go Dahling!
Everything Fades Away
*self-purchased. No need of sugar daddies called promo teams*
What’s this book about? (I’m trying to give as little spoilers as possible)
This is Mariah Carey’s first autobiography. It’s the first time we get to hear her side of the story.
This isn’t the first time I read something Mariah has written. I read her lyrics all the time. SINCE SHE WRITES HER OWN LYRICS, HEYYY. I pre-ordered this as soon as it was available. However, Thalia took its sweet time to deliver the paperback (it came on my birthday early October, so still sweet). Therefore, I purchased the AUDIBLE version! I’m telling you that the audiobook is an experience in itself. I’ve never heard this side of Mariah, emotional, raw and ACTUALLY CRYING, outside of her music. I was truly interested in her life with Motorola (yes, that isn’t a typo. I wrote MOTOROLA), but, as it turns out, Mariah’s insights into her family life prior to fame were the scene stealers. I’m grateful that she decided to share this side with us, and I felt so many emotions while hearing her tell her story. I was captivated, and I couldn’t stop listening. If I loved Mariah before, now, I love her ten times as much. I laughed, cried, and I realized that everything does indeed fade away. I recommend this to all the lambs, to everyone who thinks Mariah is a diva (this book will prove to you why she earned that title), and to all the lonely girls that nobody understands. I was a little girl a couple of years ago (make it 7), and Mariah was the only one who understood me.
ORIGINAL COMMENT
I love Mariah, and this book truly made me sad at times. I’m so glad she finally opened up, but I was also not ready.