Nobody's Empire
A Novel
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- 21,99 €
Publisher Description
“Dazzles with indie charm. . . . By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Nobody’s Empire is a romantic world of possibility and youthful yearning.”—Minnesota Star Tribune
“Murdoch proves he’s as good a novelist as he is a musician."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
One of the great lyricists of our time, the lead singer and songwriter for the iconic Glasgow-based band Belle and Sebastian, pens a sensitive and intimate account in this debut autobiographical novel based on his own youthful experiences—a moving work of musical fiction about dark days leading to light and a coming of age through music.
It’s the early 1990s in Glasgow, Scotland, and Stephen has emerged from a lengthy hospital stay. Diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, his story is a compelling portrayal of life with an invisible illness in this poignant work of chronic illness fiction. Robbed of any prospects of work, friends, or independent living, he moves slowly toward new goals and meets others like him, including Richard, a friend from school, and Carrie, a young woman bedridden for five years. Feeling isolated and alone, they form their own support group, and try to get by with as little money and pain as possible. Since he’s been ill, Stephen never feels warm, inspiring Carrie to affectionately call him “The World’s Coldest Boy.” As the world seems to care less for them, the trio start to care less about fitting in with the world.
Stephen soon discovers he has a talent for writing songs. He awakens to the possibility of a spiritual life that transcends the everyday, and feels a calling for a place that might as well be on the other end of the universe let alone the world. Buoyed by tentative hope, he and Richard leave Glasgow on a life-altering road trip in search of a cure in the mythic warmth and sun of California. As they float between hostels, sofas, and park benches, they discover the trip is life-changing in ways neither expected, and Stephen embraces a new-world reinvention that will change his life forever.
Melodic and captivating, filled with graceful notes, melancholic chords, and witty, thoughtful riffs on life's infinite possibilities and curiosities, Nobody’s Empire is a warm and wonderful coming-of-age novel and a piece of captivating literary fiction, imbued with Stuart Murdoch's magical lyricism.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
For over 30 years, singer-songwriter Stuart Murdoch has led Glasgow’s beloved indie-pop institution Belle and Sebastian. His debut novel, Nobody’s Empire, is an autobiographical coming-of-age story that’s earnest, charming, and sweetly funny. Stephen, a young Glasgow music fanatic, doesn’t understand why he’s so tired all the time until he’s diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. Depression sets in, but when he meets fellow sufferers Carrie and Richard, they become each other’s support system. The story that unfolds is breezy, even after Stephen and Richard run to California to become musicians, with Stephen wandering into delightful digressions about cafes, pop songs, films, and his increasing fascination with religion—and Belle and Sebastian fans will be delighted with the occasional allusions to some of their favourite songs. This is a quirky delight of a novel filled with personality and wit.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Murdoch, lead singer and lyricist for the band Belle & Sebastian, follows up his memoir, The Celestial Café, with a turgid debut novel tracing an indie rocker's coming-of-age. Stephen, a young Glaswegian scenester recently released from a lengthy hospital stay for chronic fatigue syndrome, is mostly confined to his one-room apartment, and picks up the nickname "the World's Coldest Boy" for dressing in layers. Jobless and unlucky in love, he listens to post-punk records, finds Jesus, befriends the equally troubled Carrie, pines after her fetching younger sister, and declares himself "but a shadow of a boy." Well, this is but a shadow of a book, and its narrator, a "free-floating vagabond of the state," doesn't have a lot to offer beyond prayers and playlists, though when Stephen and his roommate Richard decamp to San Francisco, there's at least a change of scene and some fun philosophical jabbing with local musicians. Ultimately, Stephen finds himself through songwriting and begins putting a band together to cut a demo, but even the most faithful Belle & Sebastian fans will have trouble getting there. This is a dud.
