Nobody’s Empire
Stuart Murdoch
Faber, £20, pp384
Belle and Sebastian’s lead singer and chief songwriter makes his fiction debut with a delicately observed, plangently autobiographical novel set in the Clyde valley and California in the early 90s. Narrator Stephen, a newly dumped indie DJ struggling with chronic fatigue syndrome, has moved into a flatshare with fellow sufferer Richard. The vibe becomes more expansive when the lads contrive to get themselves to California, and themes of faith – religious as well as spiritual – and companionship surface when Stephen begins finding his voice as a songwriter. A touching, lightly romantic coming-of-age saga with an impeccable playlist.
Cocktails With George and Martha: Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, and the Making of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Philip Gefter
Ithaka, £12.99, pp304 (paperback)
Gefter’s study of the making of the 1966 movie adaptation of Edward Albee’s Broadway hit combines earnest fandom with gossipy shrewdness. The signature marital toxicity between the narrative’s protagonists, history professor George and Martha, daughter of the college president, spilled out on to the set early on as director Mike Nichols tussled with the crew. Then there was the volatile dynamic between its newlywed stars. Persuasive reflections on Albee’s inspiration along with the drama’s legacy add intrigue.
Never: The Autobiography
Rick Astley
Macmillan, £25, pp304
For the 80s pop sensation, working on his autobiography (it’s ghostwritten by Alexis Petridis) has been akin to therapy. His vices may stop at a glass or two of posh wine, and he’s been with the same woman for 35 years, but there’s still plenty to unpack, beginning with his “weird” childhood, sharing a portable building with his impulsive, rage-prone father. Palpable throughout is Astley’s sense of impostor syndrome, largely undiminished by a midlife career renaissance courtesy of the internet’s “Rickrolling” phenomenon. A book as idiosyncratic as it is nostalgic.
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