Saint Morrissey

Rating:
Summary: A Narrow View of Mr. Morrissey
Review: Although the subject of this book is quite fascinating, Saint Morrissey is--simply put--monotonous. The author's thesis relies upon the condition that Morrissey is a homosexual. This hackneyed position merely perpetuates the theory that everything that Mr. Morrissey generates reflects his struggle with his homosexuality. While Morrissey has lived an enigmatic life, his work certainly garners more comprehension and thought. By focusing on one facet of Morrissey's life the author undermines the artist's incomparable genius. To comprehend Morrissey one must certainly listen to his words; nonetheless, the interpretation is not limited to homosexuality.

Understanding Morrissey is as painful as reading James Joyce's Ulysses. Both Morrissey and Joyce have a acute command of the English language and leave the listener/reader preoccupied and bewildered. Anyone who attempts to isolate Mr. Morrissey is but a fool. No matter how much we adore the Mancunian, perhaps we ought to leave him alone in his own world?

Rating:
Summary: You've finally earned it, baby...
Review: Maybe there are two kinds of Morrissey fans, but I don't really believe so. People who only like one or two Morrissey albums tend to be 80s leftover **Smiths** fans. And to be fair, I suppose it's possible that some of those people will enjoy this book. But my honest feeling, however selfish, is that anyone who might be described as a CASUAL Smiths/Morrissey fan does not deserve this book.

SAINT MORRISSEY is for the only kind of Morrissey fan - those of us who have stuck with Moz. By which I don't mean not liking some albums better than others (I happen to like them all - see below). Or not sometimes feeling frustrated at what being a Morrissey fan seems to mean to certain people we all know!! (There's a great quote about this on the back of SAINT MORRISSEY, which is too good to give away here.) But, well, you're either a Morrissey fan or you're not.

If you are a fan, this book will speak to your heart, make you immediately start grabbing the albums and playing them incessantly (if you've ever stopped), and make you feel... like this book is part of your Morrissey collection.

I've read SAINT MORRISSEY three times. So far. But - as I promised above - I must also confess that I love KILL UNCLE and SOUTHPAW GRAMMAR. And if I were to offer any criticism, it would be that Mark Simpson unfairly neglects those albums and MALADJUSTED... But maybe another true mark of a Morrissey fan is that we all have our own books to write?!

Rating:
Summary: Morrissey finally has a biographer worthy of him
Review: This is a remarkable book and, like it's subject, is startlingly unique. It's funny, clever, insightful and often quite moving. Above all it's brilliantly, dazzlingly written. Morrissey finally has a biographer worthy of him.

I have to admit though that I was, relatively speaking, a part-time Morrissey fan when I came to this book, but after finishing 'Saint Morrissey' I realised what I'd been missing out on, went out and bought all the albums I didn't have (except 'Southpaw Grammar' of course) and fell in love with Morrissey all over again, and more completely this time. But then this isn't just the best Morrissey book out there, this is one of the best books on pop culture and fandom ever penned.

Or at least, one of the best I've read - and I've read it twice now, in quick succession. I may even start memorising lines from it - talking about the effect hearing the first Smiths album had on him Simpson writes: 'It filled me with the urge to shoplift expensive perfume and spray bus shelters with it'. Is fandom catching? And can you become a fan of a writer simply because of the intensity and intelligence of their own fandom? 'Saint Morrissey' certainly makes it seem that way