"Autobiography" by Morrissey - reviews and media

Links will be added as they come in.

Morrissey, Autobiography, first review
(5 stars) - The Telegraph. Link posted by @PenguinUKBooks / Twitter.
Morrissey's much-anticipated memoir is the best written musical autobiography since Bob Dylan's Chronicles, says Neil McCormick

Morrissey's Autobiography is nearly a triumph, but ends up mired in moaning by John Harris - The Guardian
Review: Morrissey is brilliant when he's writing about pop music, but far too many pages are given over to court cases and feuds

Morrissey settles a few scores with his book, Autobiography by Brian Boyd - The Irish Times. Link from Brutalful.
Account of growing up in Manchester is beautiful, but real focus will be on relationship with man

Book Review: Autobiography by Morrissey - Droning narcissism and the whine of self-pity by Boyd Tonkin - The Independent. Link posted by Amy.
Morrissey's reputation will survive this, but Penguin Classics won't

Please, please, please let me... meet Morrissey (video story) - Channel 4 News. Link posted the_kaz.

Morrissey opens up in autobiography - BBC News. Link posted by @Intl_Playboy / Twitter.

Morrissey turns bigmouth as memoir reveals relationships by Danny Kemp - AFP / Yahoo News

Morrissey Autobiography: will he get the last laugh - again? by Mark Simpson - Channel 4 News. Link posted by @annadoble / Twitter.
The Morrissey book is out. Will he kiss and tell? Will he settle scores? Mark Simpson, author of Saint Morrissey, joins the queue for perhaps the most eagerly-anticipated music autobiography ever.

Morrissey: Autobiography – book review by Fergal Kinney - Louder Than War. Link posted by Fergal41.

Morrissey autobiography: The Smiths singer reveals he 'was inappropriately touched by a teacher' - The Mirror. Link posted in the Stereogum article Morrissey Opens Up, Settles Scores In Autobiography.
Morrissey also reveals he once considered having a child with a woman, and that his first proper relationship was with a man at the age of 35

Morrissey's 'Autobiography' Details Gay Relationship, Bad Smiths Deal - The Hollywood Reporter

Morrissey was asked to appear on ‘Friends’ - The Strut. Link posted by thestrutny / Tumblr.

Speed Read: 13 Juiciest Bits From Morrissey’s ‘Autobiography’ by Nico Hines - The Daily Beast
Score settling, women bashing, Smiths hating, and finally a reveal about his mysterious love life—Nico Hines digs into Morrissey’s new ‘Autobiography’ for the most scandalous tidbits.

Morrissey autobiography: 12 astonishing revelations in explosive new memoir by Liam O'Brien - The Independent
The singer has led a colourful, eventful life

Morrissey's Autobiography is already Amazon's No 1 by Liz Bury - The Guardian
All-night queues, midnight sales events and Twitter abuzz – the ex-Smiths man's book release seems set for a meteoric rise

This charming man? Morrissey book climbs charts by Jill Lawless - AP / WSLS

The Seven Most-Talked About Parts of Morrissey's Autobiography by ALEXANDER ABAD-SANTOS - The Atlantic Wire

Ignore the critics, Morrissey's Autobiography is a new kind of classic by Alex Niven - The Independent. Link posted by Uncleskinny.
Our culture has become obsessive about literary correctness; here's the antidote

Five Morrissey Affirmations from His Autobiography (Spoiler: He's Gay) - Gawker. Link posted by an anonymous person.

Morrissey Opens Up About His Personal Life in Autobiography - Billboard

"Autobiography" by Morrissey – review by Stuart Maconie - The Observer
 
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I don't know if there are any fans of The Larry Sanders Show here. It is one of the greatest sitcoms in television history, and tells the story of a late night US chat show host. In one episode his producer notices that Sanders is no longer interested in the show and it is revealed that he is writing his autobiography. Eventually the manuscript is finished and sent off to the publishers. A week later the galleys arrive for approval. Sanders disappears again, and is eventually found sitting in the dark having locked himself in the janitor's closet. His producer, through the locked door asks him what is wrong. "My book came back." "Yes..." "I'm a c**t."

Reading Morrissey's Autobiography, and it is beautifully written, by the way, I am continually reminded of that and Tony Wilson's quote:

"He's a very talented boy, but he's actually one of the most miserable. . . he's actually, let's be really honest about it, he's actually a nasty person, as a human being. As was John Lennon. Because he treats good human beings who help him - this isn't me, I've never helped him, I'm fond of him because I'm fond of his talent and his creativity - he treats excellent good human beings who try to help him like pieces of dog dirt. He tramples on them. It's not his fault, he's just a terribly unpleasant human being, in terms of pure human values, he is not a nice person."

I started out thinking the record companies would renew their interest, so impressive was the first third of the book, but so paranoid, so unpleasant is the character which comes from the page, I'm not sure anyone would take a chance. If he turned up with another Vauxhall & I in his pocket they might, but otherwise I wonder if he's worth the possible issues he brings with him.

I still believe this book is one of the finest rock autobiographies ever published, not far off the greatest, such as Dylan's "Chronicles" or Keith Richards's fantastic "Life".

It is the authentic voice of Morrissey and unmistakably in his own words.

Not only would I not queue to see him, I'd cross the road to avoid him.
 
I still believe this book is one of the finest rock autobiographies ever published, not far off the greatest, such as Dylan's "Chronicles" or Keith Richards's fantastic "Life".

It is the authentic voice of Morrissey and unmistakably in his own words.

Not only would I not queue to see him, I'd cross the road to avoid him.

Well, you're not wrong about the book. The childhood/70s evocations are stunning, utterly poetic, almost symphonic at times, and I wondered if this book wouldn't have benefitted from being split into two volumes - allowing more work on the second half, which that clearly needs...

Partly I blame Penguin for allowing such a flabby Courtroom section to slip through. It is, appropriately perhaps, a trial to read and a tightly edited summary would have helped Moz's cause, rather than hindered it. The final third is better again; entertaining and absorbing, if sketchier, looser, less focussed than the opening pages, as often happens when autobiographies reach the (understandably more guarded) environs of the here and now...

But although a notch below Dylan's, it is still a triumph; it strikes me as the work of a complex individual, rather than an unpleasant one. It is to his credit that he allows these various sides of his nature into public view. There also feels like so much he left out too, so much more he could have said. I wonder what was left on the cutting room floor, as it were.
 
I don't know if there are any fans of The Larry Sanders Show here. It is one of the greatest sitcoms in television history, and tells the story of a late night US chat show host. In one episode his producer notices that Sanders is no longer interested in the show and it is revealed that he is writing his autobiography. Eventually the manuscript is finished and sent off to the publishers. A week later the galleys arrive for approval. Sanders disappears again, and is eventually found sitting in the dark having locked himself in the janitor's closet. His producer, through the locked door asks him what is wrong. "My book came back." "Yes..." "I'm a c**t."

Reading Morrissey's Autobiography, and it is beautifully written, by the way, I am continually reminded of that and Tony Wilson's quote:

"He's a very talented boy, but he's actually one of the most miserable. . . he's actually, let's be really honest about it, he's actually a nasty person, as a human being. As was John Lennon. Because he treats good human beings who help him - this isn't me, I've never helped him, I'm fond of him because I'm fond of his talent and his creativity - he treats excellent good human beings who try to help him like pieces of dog dirt. He tramples on them. It's not his fault, he's just a terribly unpleasant human being, in terms of pure human values, he is not a nice person."

I started out thinking the record companies would renew their interest, so impressive was the first third of the book, but so paranoid, so unpleasant is the character which comes from the page, I'm not sure anyone would take a chance. If he turned up with another Vauxhall & I in his pocket they might, but otherwise I wonder if he's worth the possible issues he brings with him.

I still believe this book is one of the finest rock autobiographies ever published, not far off the greatest, such as Dylan's "Chronicles" or Keith Richards's fantastic "Life".

It is the authentic voice of Morrissey and unmistakably in his own words.

Not only would I not queue to see him, I'd cross the road to avoid him.


Wholly agree. Morrissey is undoubtedly a very vain man - as described by his 'friend' James O'Brien in the Importance of Being Morrissey, and as evidenced by his insistence on having his book published as a 'classic'. Like a lot of people successful in the world of the arts, he is in many ways thoroughly dislikeable as a person and not someone you would want to have tea with. He would probably cancel and not show up, for a start. His lyrics and his singing are his triumph - everything else about him pales into insignificance. As his autobiography will, no doubt. Interesting that it is the Mancunian upbringing part of the book that is receiving most praise. For all his living in LA and Rome, you can never escape those working class roots...
 
Full page in The Guardian today...

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P.
 
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Just been told that there will be a Stuart Maconie article in the Observer this Sunday disputing aspects of the book.

P.
 
Morrisssey reviewed on BBC radio 4 in 15 minutes - right after The Archers
 
I'm so proud of him.
 
http://gawker.com/five-morrissey-affirmations-from-his-autobiography-spo-1447029801

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affirmation 5: Morrissey is a depressive's depressive.

“i could only tolerate an afternoon if i took a triple amount of the stated dose of valium prescribed by my gp (who would soon take his own life).”

the professional who medicated morrissey against suicidal thoughts committed suicide. That's plenty.

this ones bullshit - did they read the parts about tina ???
 

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