The New York Times Book Review - John Williams
…[Morrissey] proves equally adept at the rhythms and purposes of prose. When he turns his attention to people in his close orbit, like his grandmother or his friend James Maker, he exhibits the eye and pacing of a talented novelist…If there are any lingering questions about how much of the man is crafted persona, this book should dispel them. Morrissey is Morrissey to the marrow.
From the Publisher
Practically every paragraph has a line or two that demands to be read aloud to the mirror, tattooed on foreheads, carved on tombstones.”–Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone
“Morrissey is a pop star of unusual writing talent.”–The New York Times
“As I floated, unmoored, Morrissey would drop in a single masterfully executed sentence. He’s a writer with a gift that he bends to bizarre use.”–Sasha Frere-Jones, The New Yorker
“[Morrissey] is at his very best as he conveys what it was, and is, to be a youth lifted free by the sense of possibilities glimpsed in pop music and films and TV and poetry. He also writes as though he has a clear sense that Autobiography could provide the same kind of beacon, the same kind of life raft, for its most impressionable readers as he found in others. And that’s exactly how he should write, for one of the main reasons Morrissey matters as he does is because he has always been that kind of artist.”–GQ
“Rancorous, rhapsodic, schizophrenic: Autobiography delivers a man in full” –Andrew Male, Mojo
“A wonderfully entertaining read.”–Daily Mirror
“Morrissey's Autobiography is brilliant and relentless. Genius, really.”–Douglas Coupland
“This is the best book ever. Like ever.”–Wonderland
“The Best Music Biog Ever ... In the world of rock autobiographies, Morrissey's is nigh-on perfect.”–NME
The Boston Globe
A precious source of light on his life and work…Moz at his Mozziest.
Entertainment Weekly
A bracing, beautiful tour de force of a rock memoir…wonderfully lush…pulsating and alive…Even when he's spewing bile, his poetic raconteur's soul keeps him lovable. (“A” review)
Wall Street Journal
Fascinating…lyrical…It's about as excellently written a rock-star memoir as one could hope to read.
Library Journal - Audio
02/15/2014
Cofounder of the Smiths and an iconic performer in his own right, Morrissey has been a solo artist for 26 years, during which time he has had three number one albums in England. This work covers Morrissey's life from his birth, as Steven Patrick Morrissey on May 22, 1959, in Manchester, until the present day. The artist hasn't forgotten his hardscrabble northern England roots, which he recalls in lilting lines that verge on wordplay. He is a public artist who shies away from shared intimacies, as well as an animal rights activist who in this work slags a host of humans. Yet, fans listening to actor David Morrissey's atmospheric narration know that the musical Morrissey's stock-in- trade is disaffection, so venom laced with lyricism is his favorite cocktail. VERDICT Recommended for music fans or those with similarly strong feelings about animal rights. Essential for fans of the man himself.—Kelly Sinclair, Temple P.L., TX
Library Journal
02/01/2014
British singer and performer Morrissey's long-awaited autobiography is at once insightful and hyperbolic. There is an almost melodious flow to his writing, and anecdotes and examinations follow one another as 50-plus years of history are placed in a volume that lacks chapters and any real section breaks. Often humorous and at times self-deprecating in tone, this is very much the story of Steven Patrick Morrissey—his first meeting with guitarist Johnny Marr (with whom he would found the seminal 1980s band The Smiths) doesn't occur until about a third of the way through. The exploration of his early years offers a fascinating look at an emerging postwar Manchester, where touring pop stars like David Bowie would later serve as both influence and escape. He doesn't shy from airing grievances: a particular sore spot is the 1990s court case in which former Smiths drummer Mike Joyce successfully sued Morrissey and Marr for royalties. Those looking for details of Morrissey's personal life outside of music will be disappointed, however; more space is allocated to his penchant for rescuing ailing animals than his romantic relationships. Readers almost know him more and less at the memoir's conclusion, as Morrissey remains ever the enigma. VERDICT Highly recommended, especially for fans of the Smiths and 1980s music.—Amanda Mastrull, School Library Journal
FEBRUARY 2014 - AudioFile
British singer/icon Morrissey’s autobiography will no doubt fulfill the expectations of his incredibly loyal legions with its droll eloquence and requisite amount of scandal, innuendo, and backbiting. However, it’s probably not enough to satisfy those hoping Morrissey would shed light on his ambiguous personal life. A talented British actor in his own right, David Morrissey—no relation—shares not only Morrissey’s name but also his Northern English background, which means that when he’s assuming the snarky tone of the singer, he wraps it up in just the right amount of churlish snipe. It would be hard to imagine another narrator better suited to these glib tales of mythmaking and obsessive melancholy. J.S.H. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
