Morrissey's Autobiography

Book Source: Amazon Preorder

Disclaimer: If you want an unbiased review, do not read this. I adore Morrissey too much to think anything bad about him and his work.

To begin with - I love Morrissey. Not just because I'm a hipster and it's cool to listen to The Smiths. No - I connect with his music in a way that I've never been able to with anything else. I know everyone says his lyrics are sad and lonely and dramatically depressing, but if I'm completely honest, I don't see it. I see it as really intellectually honest, literate dry and dark humor. Besides "to die by your side is such a heavenly way to die," I don't think any of his songs are any more depressing than the lyrics in most songs you still hear on the radio (but I could mean that for a different reason).
I know I've already talked about why I love reading celebrity memoirs is that it's like sitting with famous people you already like a lot and having a long, serious conversation over coffee. It gives you the idea that you actually know them - not just a tarnished image that's put up for market. You get a good reminder that these people are real human beings. But that can be dangerous for a fan too. Well, not so much dangerous - healthy, but also unwelcome. I really love Morrissey and his work, and reading his autobiography could potentially dispel the image I have of him. And to a certain degree, it did. But not in a negative way - it really just reminded me that he is human, and he is flawed after-all.
Right out of the gate, he didn't hold anything back - this man can fucking write. He knows what he's doing with words, and he knows how to use them. He knows how to use them. Morrissey is magic with the pen, and unlike most celebrity memoirs, I have absolute faith that this wasn't ghost written - there's too much ambiguity, for one thing. He isn't cheap with his expressions, and never really was.
The image I now have of him is that of a man who has been let down and disappointed in his career so many times - and personally - that he couldn't trust another human to do anything but fail him. And why not? But it's never hindered his success and his legions of fans. Still, the people in his personal life whom he loved and could depend on - many of them women (his mother and grandmother, several songstresses, Tina - his long time lady-friend, etc) he would never speak badly of. Anyway, if you're a fan already, I suggest you give this a read. My family has grown tired of me talking about Morrissey and "The Gospel According To Morrissey" as I'm sure my friends have as well.

As Promised, here's my illustration for the book:

I would call him a Charming Man, but
That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore