"All Saints should be presumed guilty until proved innocent."
- George Orwell
"I was born in Manchester's Central Library. In the crime section."
- Morrissey
There is no other contemporary artist who is so famously difficult, so seemingly enigmatic, and so passionately loved by his fans as Morrissey. From the moment he caught the public's eye in the early 1980s as the iconic front man of the Smiths, and through his subsequent solo career, the patron saint of misfits has fascinated and baffled in equal measure.
Yet, as the author and critic Mark Simpson argues in this wickedly funny and deeply sacrilegious self-styled "psycho-bio" -- told through the lens of his own obsession as a lifelong fan -- Morrissey isn't quite so enigmatic as he might appear. To understand this most private and sexually ambivalent of stars, one need only uncover the countless clues to his personality in his startlingly candid song lyrics and his innumerable provocative interviews.
Simpson deftly and entertainingly explores why Morrissey bewitched a generation -- and why he remains as intriguing as ever. Both an insightful look at the singer's career and a personal story of a boy's first love for his music idol, Saint Morrissey is, like its subject, shrewd, sharp-witted, charming, and utterly original.
Praise for Saint Morrissey:
"There is only one incisive biography on Morrissey published and its title is 'Saint Morrissey' written by Mark Simpson".
- James Maker, "the Fifth Smith"
"Simpson is funny, clever, honest, irreverent and egotistical: quite the match for Morrissey. More biographies should be written this way."
- Independent on Sunday Books of the Year
"Saint Morrissey is a cracking read, almost an instructional handbook on how to develop, deal with, and finally escape an obsession."
- The Boston Phoenix
"A provocative and precocious read.... Smiths fans will love it, and even Morrissey himself might arch an eyebrow in appreciation."
- Time Out
"Like his subject, incurable super-fan Simpson is constantly amusing and provocative.... A book Morrissey will claim to hate, but secretly love.
- Mojo
"The erudite Simpson gives a compelling account his youthful - and adult - fascination with the bard of Whalley Range/Beverly Hills... A nimble essay which gives fandom a good name."
- Guardian Books of the Year
- George Orwell
"I was born in Manchester's Central Library. In the crime section."
- Morrissey
There is no other contemporary artist who is so famously difficult, so seemingly enigmatic, and so passionately loved by his fans as Morrissey. From the moment he caught the public's eye in the early 1980s as the iconic front man of the Smiths, and through his subsequent solo career, the patron saint of misfits has fascinated and baffled in equal measure.
Yet, as the author and critic Mark Simpson argues in this wickedly funny and deeply sacrilegious self-styled "psycho-bio" -- told through the lens of his own obsession as a lifelong fan -- Morrissey isn't quite so enigmatic as he might appear. To understand this most private and sexually ambivalent of stars, one need only uncover the countless clues to his personality in his startlingly candid song lyrics and his innumerable provocative interviews.
Simpson deftly and entertainingly explores why Morrissey bewitched a generation -- and why he remains as intriguing as ever. Both an insightful look at the singer's career and a personal story of a boy's first love for his music idol, Saint Morrissey is, like its subject, shrewd, sharp-witted, charming, and utterly original.
Praise for Saint Morrissey:
"There is only one incisive biography on Morrissey published and its title is 'Saint Morrissey' written by Mark Simpson".
- James Maker, "the Fifth Smith"
"Simpson is funny, clever, honest, irreverent and egotistical: quite the match for Morrissey. More biographies should be written this way."
- Independent on Sunday Books of the Year
"Saint Morrissey is a cracking read, almost an instructional handbook on how to develop, deal with, and finally escape an obsession."
- The Boston Phoenix
"A provocative and precocious read.... Smiths fans will love it, and even Morrissey himself might arch an eyebrow in appreciation."
- Time Out
"Like his subject, incurable super-fan Simpson is constantly amusing and provocative.... A book Morrissey will claim to hate, but secretly love.
- Mojo
"The erudite Simpson gives a compelling account his youthful - and adult - fascination with the bard of Whalley Range/Beverly Hills... A nimble essay which gives fandom a good name."
- Guardian Books of the Year
