Willy Russell-The Wrong Boy

[gaz217]

I was thinking of reading this play as i've recently found out it's about an obsessed fan of Morrissey and The Smiths. Has anybody else here read it? is it any good and worth buying?

[nothingwrongwithme]

I'm half way through reading it and I'm enjoying it immensely. Really emotional, intelligent and laugh out loud funny.

[sonof77]

Yes it's worth getting, you may relate to the fan in some way's, I certainly did act similiarly in my youth.

[robbo12345]

It is worth buying. I found it to be one of the best fictional, yet very relevant, books I've read in a long time, having completed it about a month ago! :D

[Helen Bach]

Yes it's worth getting, you may relate to the fan in some way's, I certainly did act similiarly in my youth.


It bugs me so much.
I don't care about other mistakes, but this one stands out like a bear with a sore thumb.

And I know what I am so you don't have to tell me.

[girlunafraid]

We seem to have a surplus of Wrong Boy books. I was very kindly given a "book proof" signed edition for Christmas, amazing what you can pick up from charity shops these days :)

I therefore have a couple spare books, if anybody would like one, contact me by PM.

[scottishlass]

It bugs me so much.
I don't care about other mistakes, but this one stands out like a bear with a sore thumb.

And I know what I am so you don't have to tell me.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sonof77]

It bugs me so much.
I don't care about other mistakes, but this one stands out like a bear with a sore thumb.

And I know what I am so you don't have to tell me.

I'm barely literate, sorry.

[this you surely knew]

I was thinking of reading this play as i've recently found out it's about an obsessed fan of Morrissey and The Smiths. Has anybody else here read it? is it any good and worth buying?

obsessed? this book was the reason why I went to the library and got Louder Than Bombs. The book is well written and I enjoyed it but something about it makes me think the author borrowed a lot.

[Grim O'Grady]

We seem to have a surplus of Wrong Boy books. I was very kindly given a "book proof" signed edition for Christmas, amazing what you can pick up from charity shops these days :)

I therefore have a couple spare books, if anybody would like one, contact me by PM.

arh yes but whom was it that bought all the other surplusii not I eh, an aye thems rotten old just plain ordinary copies what is aloft your wardrobe, eh?

love

Grim

[lottie]

it is a good funny emotional book.
i read it whilst seeing moz in december, (well not actually at the gigs, during the travel etc,)
it is well worth buying as you can get them on ebay for not a lot.

[Grim O'Grady]

it is a good funny emotional book.
i read it whilst seeing moz in december, (well not actually at the gigs, during the travel etc,)
it is well worth buying as you can get them on ebay for not a lot.

or if you'd bothered to read GU's post Lot, you'd have seen 'em available for free, which is a lot less than not a lot, eh? Are you related to Paul Daniels BAC? ;)

love

Grim

[lottie]

okay okay!!
*tsk*
they might not wanna give out there address or somesuch.,..

[girlunafraid]

they'd have to give THEIR address out on e-bay, what difference does it make?

[lottie]

ok, ok,
so i didnt read the page properly, it really doesnt matter...

*retreats to the air raid shelter and waits for the all clear*

[Grim O'Grady]

okay okay!!
*tsk*
they might not wanna give out there address or somesuch.,..

I'm only playin wi ya Lot, dinnae take me to heart.

love

Grim
P.s. How do you get owt fi Ebay wi-owt givin yer address owt btw?

[lottie]

I'm only playin wi ya Lot, dinnae take me to heart.

love

Grim
P.s. How do you get owt fi Ebay wi-owt givin yer address owt btw?

i'm not 'speaking' to you *insert raspberry blowing smilie*

(well for about the next 5 mins anyhow)

[Grim O'Grady]

they'd have to give THEIR address out on e-bay, what difference does it make?

grr I thought you was Ill? Get back to bed, I'll be finished here later, mind I'm awfy busy... An you've just made my last post look awfy daft tha-noo eh?

love

Grim X

[lucky lisp]

We seem to have a surplus of Wrong Boy books. I was very kindly given a "book proof" signed edition for Christmas, amazing what you can pick up from charity shops these days :)

I therefore have a couple spare books, if anybody would like one, contact me by PM.

I got my copy from the pound shop ! Bargain !

[Helen Bach]

I got my copy from the pound shop ! Bargain !

How much?

[Tyra]

Without this book I wouldn't know anything about Morrissey...:eek:

[this you surely knew]

I got it from library. For free..

[The Goat]

Grim / GU
Funnily enough, i too was given a signed copy by a good friend at Xmas and it broke his heart when he asked 'Did you know about the book before'? And I replied 'I have had a copy for four years.....'

The last two months of 2006 I have also read 'Girlfriend In A Coma' and 'Meat Is Murder' and enjoyed them both very much. But 'The Wrong Boy' is tops, I laughed and cried reading the same page! It is very well researched and really taps into the Morrissey fan syche.
It's almost as good a book as 'Morrissey's Manchester'...............

The Goat

[Grim O'Grady]

Grim / GU
Funnily enough, i too was given a signed copy by a good friend at Xmas and it broke his heart when he asked 'Did you know about the book before'? And I replied 'I have had a copy for four years.....'

The last two months of 2006 I have also read 'Girlfriend In A Coma' and 'Meat Is Murder' and enjoyed them both very much. But 'The Wrong Boy' is tops, I laughed and cried reading the same page! It is very well researched and really taps into the Morrissey fan syche.
It's almost as good a book as 'Morrissey's Manchester'...............

The Goat

yes Morrissey's Manchester made me cry too, I dropped it on my toe, damn I wish I had only bought the paperback version now!

love

Grim

[Jose]

I just read this on Willy Russell's website:

Willy is currently involved with several projects including a proposed TV series of The Wrong Boy.

Does anybody know how "old" this information is??
I'd love to see those characters come alive on tv!
Especially Twinky and his pirouettes! :D

[AHappyRocket]

A one-off dramatisation of The Wrong Boy would be great.

I read the novel on holiday about 4 years ago, gave it to someone who hasn't yet got round to reading it and still has it.

Well worth a read - "Lerts" and "So shall workers"

[Still Tired]

I just read this on Willy Russell's website:

Willy is currently involved with several projects including a proposed TV series of The Wrong Boy.

Does anybody know how "old" this information is??
I'd love to see those characters come alive on tv!
Especially Twinky and his pirouettes! :D

It seems to have been talked about since 2004 which is quite a while ago now... it'd be a shame if nothing happened, it seems perfect material to be turned into a film/ series. But then I don't know how long these things take, finding actors, funding etc etc. I remain hopeful!

[Colonel Blimp]

I thought it was hideous.

How many cliches can one person cram into a book about a Morrissey fan?

Lonely boy? Check.

Troubled relationship with parents? Check.

Possible sexual dysfunction? Check.

Hint of mental health issues? Check.

Unhealthy, over-reliance on Morrissey lyrics? Check.

It was also slightly hysterical for me.

I wasn't lonely, sexually dysfunctional, depressed or overly reliant on Morrissey lyrics and I had a lovely relationship with my parents...did this disqualify me from "getting" Morrissey? Nope.

I know several Morrissey fans and few, if any, fit the identikit vision presented in "The Wrong Boy".

Colonel Blimp

ps I actually was lonely, depressed, over reliant on Morrissey lyrics and I continue to be sexually dysfuntional...but not all Morrissey fans are!

[slum mum 1974]

^^^^^OOooooohh that's me. Now. but i'm female :p

[nightandday]

I thought it was hideous.

How many cliches can one person cram into a book about a Morrissey fan?

Lonely boy? Check.

Troubled relationship with parents? Check.

Possible sexual dysfunction? Check.

Hint of mental health issues? Check.

Unhealthy, over-reliance on Morrissey lyrics? Check.

It was also slightly hysterical for me.

I wasn't lonely, sexually dysfunctional, depressed or overly reliant on Morrissey lyrics and I had a lovely relationship with my parents...did this disqualify me from "getting" Morrissey? Nope.

I know several Morrissey fans and few, if any, fit the identikit vision presented in "The Wrong Boy".

Colonel Blimp

ps I actually was lonely, depressed, over reliant on Morrissey lyrics and I continue to be sexually dysfuntional...but not all Morrissey fans are!
Did someone say that ALL Morrissey fans are like that? But lo and behold, there are lots of people who exhibit at least several of those traits if not all of them... Isn't it great if someone's lyrics - for instance, Morrissey's - can help them withtheir problems and make them feel that there are other people who feel the same as they do, and that they're therefore not such oddities? I don't think the author was looking to describe a typical Morrissey fan - I think it's far more likely he was looking to write a book about someone who is lonely, depressed, misunderstood... choosing Morrissey to be the one he sends letters to is actually a great tribute to Morrissey, and a statement that nobody else's songs have exactly the same effect and mean so much to people. I read the reviews on amazon and someone, obviously not a Moz-fan, wrote "It doesn't matter that Morrissey is the one he sends letters to, it could be any other pop star..." SO WRONG!! It had to be Morrissey. Who on Earth would write such letters to Madonna?!

And why would it matter even if actually ALL Morrissey fans were lonely, depressed, possibly sexually dysfunctional and over-reliant on his lyrics? Are they somehow less worthy people than those who are successful, well-adjusted, sociable, boring ;) etc. ?

Maybe you should write a book about a happy, well-adjusted Morrissey fan with loads of friends, a great relationship with their parents and a very satisfying sex life, who writes letters to Morrissey: "Dear Morrissey, your songs have meant so much to me and have helped me get through hard times. Me and my girlfriend were just going to dinner at my parents' house when the tire on my car broke. It was the most terrible experience in my life." I'm sure it would be a real page-turner. :p

[Colonel Blimp]

Did someone say that ALL Morrissey fans are like that? But lo and behold, there are lots of people who exhibit at least several of those traits if not all of them... Isn't it great if someone's lyrics - for instance, Morrissey's - can help them withtheir problems and make them feel that there are other people who feel the same as they do, and that they're therefore not such oddities? I don't think the author was looking to describe a typical Morrissey fan - I think it's far more likely he was looking to write a book about someone who is lonely, depressed, misunderstood... choosing Morrissey to be the one he sends letters to is actually a great tribute to Morrissey, and a statement that nobody else's songs have exactly the same effect and mean so much to people. I read the reviews on amazon and someone, obviously not a Moz-fan, wrote "It doesn't matter that Morrissey is the one he sends letters to, it could be any other pop star..." SO WRONG!! It had to be Morrissey. Who on Earth would write such letters to Madonna?!

And why would it matter even if actually ALL Morrissey fans were lonely, depressed, possibly sexually dysfunctional and over-reliant on his lyrics? Are they somehow less worthy people than those who are successful, well-adjusted, sociable, boring ;) etc. ?

Maybe you should write a book about a happy, well-adjusted Morrissey fan with loads of friends, a great relationship with their parents and a very satisfying sex life, who writes letters to Morrissey: "Dear Morrissey, your songs have meant so much to me and have helped me get through hard times. Me and my girlfriend were just going to dinner at my parents' house when the tire on my car broke. It was the most terrible experience in my life." I'm sure it would be a real page-turner. :p

.

Colonel Blimp

[nightandday]

.

Colonel Blimp
^^^ That was a very well-written and meaningful post.

[Jose]

Well worth a read - "Lerts" and "So shall workers"

"Sand witch" and my favourite "Psycho The Rapist" :D

[sulkyyouth]

this is the book that got me into morrissey and the smiths. without it, i'd still be listening to UB40! ( no bad thing, actually..)

[fastpulseboy]

very nice book!
(but that has been said before)
is there anyone who didn't like it?

[Still Tired]

I thought it was hideous.

How many cliches can one person cram into a book about a Morrissey fan?



I'm amazed anyone can be too offended by this book to enjoy it, ok it may not be the most intellectually superior/ stunningly original thing I've read, but the characters are so endearing, so well-formed, it's an absolute page-turner and it leaves you feeling satisfied but not in disbelief. (I don't work for the publisher btw!)

When I first read it I knew nothing about Morrissey- it was the very thing that made me go and buy my first Smiths album because I was so intrigued by this world that was described, so maybe that's why I'm slightly protective over it. So at that point I didn't realise the main character was kind of a stereotypical Morrissey fan, I've read it again since and now it's all rather too close for comfort! It's still lovely though and I don't think offence should be taken, it's all very positive in terms of Morrissey if you think about it- how he helps people deal with the reality of life and develop their own self.