Chronicles: Volume One

Book Cover

Chronicles, Volume One [ISBN 0-7432-2815-4], is the first part of Bob Dylan's planned, 3-volume memoir. Published on October 5, 2004 by Simon & Schuster, the 304 page volume covers selected points from Dylan's long career. The book spent 19 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list for hardcover nonfiction books.[1]

The abridged audio version of the book is read by actor Sean Penn. The unabridged version is read by Nick Landrum.

Chronicles, Volume One was one of five finalists for the National Book Critics Circle Award in the Biography/Autobiography category for the 2004 publishing year. [2]

In an interview conducted by Jonathan Lethem, published in Rolling Stone, Dylan said he was very moved by the book's reception. "Most people who write about music, they have no idea what it feels like to play it. But with the book I wrote, I thought, ‘The people who are writing reviews of this book, man, they know what the hell they’re talking about.’ It spoils you … they know more about it than me. The reviews of this book, some of ’em almost made me cry—in a good way. I’d never felt that from a music critic ever."