Books BY musicians

[NormanD]

I've just read a review of a new novel, "Misfortune", by Wesley Stace: http://books.guardian.co.uk/reviews/gen ... 91,00.html The review headlines it as "A tale of enforced transvestism intrigues", which is intriguing enough for me to order it from the library.

The review mentions that the author, Wesley Stace, is also a professional musician performing as John Wesley Harding. I can't remember too much about him, other than he wrote at least one big pop hit and his last album was of trad. songs performed by the criminally under-rated and neglected Nic Jones.

Which brings me to the theme of this thread: which other musicians have had a go at fiction?

I'll start the stone rolling with Bob Dylan and "Tarantula" [although I've never met anyone who can sincerely admit to have read it cover to cover; "The Ear of The Pig" would have been a better title].

"The Big Wheel" by Bruce Thomas was a novel, of sorts, but was mainly a revenge attack against his employer, Elvis Costello.

"Carp Fishing on Valium" by Graham Parker is a light, humourous read, certainly not as heavy as Wes' 531 page gothic thriller mentioned above.

Any other recommendations (preferably international ones) out there?

Norman

[Dominic]

Nearly two months to get a response!

I'd recommend "Turbulence" and "Benjamin" by Brazilian singer-songwriter Chico Buarque. I've just got a copy of his third novel, "Budapest" in hardback for a cut-down price ahead of the paperback coming out next week. The first two are tales of paranoia and confusion; looks like "Budapest" is more of the same but on a different continent.

[Guest]

Norman,

How could you forget the canon of Kinky Friedman?

Regards,
JB

[NormanD]

I'm sure he'd reckon he's got a big pistol, but a canon?!? Haw haw haw.
Shame on me....

Norman

PS Two months for a first response is a bit of a record.

[James Blast]

Ian Kilmister's 'White Line Fever' is a very fast read (no, no pun), but I feel there are huge gaps (I wonder why?).
If any of you like Hawkwind (now that's what I call a stoopid question) I'd point you in the direction of 'The Saga of Hawkwind'.

I can supply a summary, if anyone is interested. :?

[NormanD]

I'll come back to the first idea in this topic when I first wrote: "I've just read a review of a new novel, "Misfortune", by Wesley Stace" and say that I've finally got round to reading it.

I'd forgotten all about it, then I saw translated copies of it in most French book shops. It's been a big seller there, though still off the radar here. Strange.

It's a hard book to categorise easily. It's a historical thriller, set in Regency times, with a transvestite / trans-sexual theme. In short, the hero is an abandoned waif, brought up and dressed up as a girl. The pun of the title is effectively the story. A wealthy family loses everything to scheming relatives while the robbed heir/heiress is struggling with his/her identity.

Wesley Stace is clearly versed in English ballad and broadside songs, as these feature throughout as part of the plot and explanations of the story. He has, in fact, recorded a number of them, and if you become as hooked on the book as I did, you'll end up downloading them as a way of squeezing a little bit more out of it.

John Wesley Harding Stace is an intelligent, entertaining writer. Misfortune is more than a yarn and much more than a historical novel.

I'd welcome others' thoughts on this.....

Norman