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Fan thinks new Jonathan Coe book "is" Viva Hate

posted by davidt on Monday March 12 2001, @11:00AM
Dan B. Perl writes:

Jonathan Coe, the author of a novel with a narrative arc signposted by Smiths lyrics (on which a film which was mentioned in this forum was based) has a new book out. Since The Rotters' Club (the first of a two-parter separated by twenty years) is set in the '70s, it is, strictly speaking, a Morrissey-free zone, instead using prog-rock such as Hatfield & the North (soundtracking the characters' hopes and social justice) and "dole-queue rock" (i.e., punk, soundtracking their violent ends).

However, certain readers (of a type familiar to this forum) have spotted Morrissey's presence in a more subtle way. Or at least, this joker did during an online chat hosted by the London & Manchester Guardian:
DavidBar - 02:02pm Mar 6, 2001 BST
This is ludicrously tenuous I know, but I see your novels as parallels of Smiths albums. Accidental Woman: The Smiths. Dwarves: Hatful. Touch of Love: Meat is Murder. WACU: Queen is Dead. Sleep: Strangeways. And now, you've written Viva Hate. OK, they don't all work, but I think the last 3 do. You're not going to write a version of Kill Uncle, are you?

David
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JonathanCoe - 03:36pm Mar 8, 2001 BST
Very tenuous indeed. Quite ingenious, though. Haven't followed Morrissey's solo career because the thrill for me was the collaboration with Johnny Marr. I heard he was writing a novel himself at one point ...
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  • I can't believe my favourite contemporary fiction writer is featured on Morrissey-Solo. Coe is fantastic and his books are even more so. I met him personally 3-4 years ago when he was presenting his previous book The House of Sleep and he is a really special person, not your average Top Ten commercial author but a genuinely inspired, witty and imaginative writer. And what is more, he is getting better with every book, which is more that you can tell for most writers. Haven't read The Rotters Club yet (I'm waiting until it comes out in paperback) but go out and read What A Carve Up! and The House of Sleep - you won't regret it! This is classy stuff...
    gladioli <[email protected]> -- Tuesday March 13 2001, @03:14AM (#9019)
    (User #786 Info | http://www.bfi.org.uk/)
    Gor'blimey... Did you know there's more to life than books, but not much more...

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