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The Fairley Brothers in Japan
From the author of Poor Ghost comes a poignant road trip novel following two middle-aged brothers, Chris and Andy Fairley, as they attempt an unlikely musical comeback in Japan.
Chris and Andy Fairley couldn’t be more opposite—Chris, an uptight, ever-pessimist and Andy, a go-with-the-flow hopeful. Their glory days seemed long behind them since their moderate success as a folk-rock duo and their relationship with each other fizzled out in the mid-1980s. But when their hit song is unexpectedly chosen for a Japanese car commercial, the men are given one last shot to revive their fame and friendship.
They embark on a tour across Japan, but soon find their venues are far from glamorous venues: a wedding reception where they're asked to play their hit on repeat, a flower farm gift shop, a windy sculpture park, and a restaurant where customers catch their own fish. As tensions between the brothers rise and a strange reporter begins following them all around the country, the men aren’t sure if the band or their relationship will survive. With echoes of Andrew Sean Greer’s Less, The Fairley Brothers in Japan is a gently comic exploration of aging, family, and belonging. It’s a tale of two brothers, not just hitting the road, but rediscovering themselves along the way.
Chris and Andy Fairley couldn’t be more opposite—Chris, an uptight, ever-pessimist and Andy, a go-with-the-flow hopeful. Their glory days seemed long behind them since their moderate success as a folk-rock duo and their relationship with each other fizzled out in the mid-1980s. But when their hit song is unexpectedly chosen for a Japanese car commercial, the men are given one last shot to revive their fame and friendship.
They embark on a tour across Japan, but soon find their venues are far from glamorous venues: a wedding reception where they're asked to play their hit on repeat, a flower farm gift shop, a windy sculpture park, and a restaurant where customers catch their own fish. As tensions between the brothers rise and a strange reporter begins following them all around the country, the men aren’t sure if the band or their relationship will survive. With echoes of Andrew Sean Greer’s Less, The Fairley Brothers in Japan is a gently comic exploration of aging, family, and belonging. It’s a tale of two brothers, not just hitting the road, but rediscovering themselves along the way.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published September 16, 2025
8 people want to read
About the author
David Starkey
40 books8 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
David Starkey directs the creative writing program at Santa Barbara City College.
Among his poetry collections are Starkey's Book of States (Boson Books, 2007), Adventures of the Minor Poet (Artamo Press, 2007), Ways of Being Dead: New and Selected Poems (Artamo, 2006), David Starkey's Greatest Hits (Pudding House, 2002) and Fear of Everything, winner of Palanquin Press's Spring 2000 chapbook contest. A Few Things You Should Know about the Weasel will be published by the Canadian press Biblioasis next year.
In addition, over the past twenty years he has published more than 400 poems in literary journals such as American Scholar, Antioch Review, Beloit Poetry Journal, Cutbank, Faultline, Greensboro Review, The Journal, Massachusetts Review, Mid-American Review, Nebraska Review, Notre Dame Review, Poet Lore, Poetry East, South Dakota Review, Southern Humanities Review, Southern Poetry Review, Sycamore Review, Texas Review, and Wormwood Review. He has also written two textbooks: Creative Writing: Four Genres in Brief (Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008) and Poetry Writing: Theme and Variations (McGraw-Hill, 1999). With Paul Willis, he co-edited In a Fine Frenzy: Poets Respond to Shakespeare (Iowa, 2005), and he is the editor of Living Blue in the Red States (Nebraska, 2007). Keywords in Creative Writing, which he co-authored with the late Wendy Bishop, was published in 2006 by Utah State University Press.
David Starkey directs the creative writing program at Santa Barbara City College.
Among his poetry collections are Starkey's Book of States (Boson Books, 2007), Adventures of the Minor Poet (Artamo Press, 2007), Ways of Being Dead: New and Selected Poems (Artamo, 2006), David Starkey's Greatest Hits (Pudding House, 2002) and Fear of Everything, winner of Palanquin Press's Spring 2000 chapbook contest. A Few Things You Should Know about the Weasel will be published by the Canadian press Biblioasis next year.
In addition, over the past twenty years he has published more than 400 poems in literary journals such as American Scholar, Antioch Review, Beloit Poetry Journal, Cutbank, Faultline, Greensboro Review, The Journal, Massachusetts Review, Mid-American Review, Nebraska Review, Notre Dame Review, Poet Lore, Poetry East, South Dakota Review, Southern Humanities Review, Southern Poetry Review, Sycamore Review, Texas Review, and Wormwood Review. He has also written two textbooks: Creative Writing: Four Genres in Brief (Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008) and Poetry Writing: Theme and Variations (McGraw-Hill, 1999). With Paul Willis, he co-edited In a Fine Frenzy: Poets Respond to Shakespeare (Iowa, 2005), and he is the editor of Living Blue in the Red States (Nebraska, 2007). Keywords in Creative Writing, which he co-authored with the late Wendy Bishop, was published in 2006 by Utah State University Press.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 25, 2025
Keylight Books and Turner Publishing Company provided an early galley for review.
A story of two musicians from the '80s as well as the creative cover caught my attention. This is also the first of the author's published work that I have come across (Starkey, as director of creative writing programs at Santa Barbara City College, has written several books on the subject).
I will admit that when the first two paragraphs of the prologue each contained single, long and complex sentences, I was a little concerned. But rather than react to first impressions, I decided to settle in to see where this might take me. I found it an interesting choice to go with descriptive chapter titles rather than straight-forward numbering. I also liked the technique of using interviews to convey details of the brothers' past to avoid expository dialogue. Starkey was coming across as an author who plays by his own rules.
The narrative journey across Japan is very detailed and specific (I have to wonder if this book came out of a trip of his own). I certainly came away with a bit more understanding of the geography and some of the landmarks of the island nation.
I came away from the work with some insights in my own writing craft, and also things which I should avoid doing in order to keep the stories fresh and varied.
A story of two musicians from the '80s as well as the creative cover caught my attention. This is also the first of the author's published work that I have come across (Starkey, as director of creative writing programs at Santa Barbara City College, has written several books on the subject).
I will admit that when the first two paragraphs of the prologue each contained single, long and complex sentences, I was a little concerned. But rather than react to first impressions, I decided to settle in to see where this might take me. I found it an interesting choice to go with descriptive chapter titles rather than straight-forward numbering. I also liked the technique of using interviews to convey details of the brothers' past to avoid expository dialogue. Starkey was coming across as an author who plays by his own rules.
The narrative journey across Japan is very detailed and specific (I have to wonder if this book came out of a trip of his own). I certainly came away with a bit more understanding of the geography and some of the landmarks of the island nation.
I came away from the work with some insights in my own writing craft, and also things which I should avoid doing in order to keep the stories fresh and varied.
July 3, 2025
A tale of two brothers in their sixties on tour in Japan in 2022, just after the country reopened post COVID. The younger brother, Andy, is a happy go lucky type and delighted to be playing for audiences, determined to make the best of things. Chris, the elder brother, is a total Eeyore and always expects everything to go wrong as well as struggling to ever be grateful for anything - I didn't empathise with him. I assume the reason Andy held his tongue as often as he did was due to the brotherly bond and his desire to reconnect post a disastrous tour in Ireland several years prior. Andy's Japanese wife, who organised the whole tour, is a facinating character and I'd have loved to see more of her.
An honest look at family, in all its messyness, as well as the unglamorous side of being a musician on tour. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
An honest look at family, in all its messyness, as well as the unglamorous side of being a musician on tour. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 2, 2025
This is the second book I've read by David Starkey. The first was his 2024 novel Poor Ghost, which I loved. That one was about a fictional rock band. This new novel, The Fairley Brothers in Japan, is also about fictional musicians, a folk-rock duo who briefly had a successful career many years ago. Now they've reunited after many years apart and are going on a very interesting and unique concert tour in Japan.
I'm a lifelong music lover and a lifelong fiction lover, so I have a great fondness for when music and fiction are combined in a well-told story. Unfortunately, those kinds of stories often aren't as easy to find as I'd like.
That's why I was happy when I found Poor Ghost. Starkey did a wonderful job telling that story. I'm happy to report that he also did a wonderful job with The Fairley Brothers in Japan.
In addition to being a fan of fiction about musicians, I'm also a huge fan of stories about underdogs. The main characters in this book, Andy and Chris Fairley, definitely fall into that group. I loved reading about their adventures and struggles in staging a comeback tour in Japan.
David Starkey is a very talented writer. In addition to knowing how to tell a good story, I love how he often weaves song lyrics to fictional songs into his stories. From what I understand, he is a musician himself. His love and deep knowledge of music are very evident in Poor Ghost and are also very evident in The Fairley Brothers in Japan.
If you love music and you also love good stories, I highly recommend this novel to you.
NOTE: I received an advanced reading copy of this novel from the publisher.
I'm a lifelong music lover and a lifelong fiction lover, so I have a great fondness for when music and fiction are combined in a well-told story. Unfortunately, those kinds of stories often aren't as easy to find as I'd like.
That's why I was happy when I found Poor Ghost. Starkey did a wonderful job telling that story. I'm happy to report that he also did a wonderful job with The Fairley Brothers in Japan.
In addition to being a fan of fiction about musicians, I'm also a huge fan of stories about underdogs. The main characters in this book, Andy and Chris Fairley, definitely fall into that group. I loved reading about their adventures and struggles in staging a comeback tour in Japan.
David Starkey is a very talented writer. In addition to knowing how to tell a good story, I love how he often weaves song lyrics to fictional songs into his stories. From what I understand, he is a musician himself. His love and deep knowledge of music are very evident in Poor Ghost and are also very evident in The Fairley Brothers in Japan.
If you love music and you also love good stories, I highly recommend this novel to you.
NOTE: I received an advanced reading copy of this novel from the publisher.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews