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Faith, Hope and Carnage
Faith, Hope and Carnage is a book about Nick Cave’s inner life, created from over forty hours of intimate conversations with Sean O’Hagan, it is a profoundly thoughtful exploration, in Cave’s own words, of what really drives his life and creativity.
The book examines questions of faith, art, music, freedom, grief and love. It draws candidly on Cave’s life, from his early childhood to the present day, his loves, his work ethic and his dramatic transformation in recent years.
From a place of considered reflection, Faith, Hope and Carnage offers ladders of hope and inspiration from a true creative visionary.
Listening Length: 6 hours.
The book examines questions of faith, art, music, freedom, grief and love. It draws candidly on Cave’s life, from his early childhood to the present day, his loves, his work ethic and his dramatic transformation in recent years.
From a place of considered reflection, Faith, Hope and Carnage offers ladders of hope and inspiration from a true creative visionary.
Listening Length: 6 hours.
Audible Audio
First published September 20, 2022
1256 people are currently reading
13518 people want to read
About the author
Nick Cave
96 books1,974 followersNicholas Edward Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional actor. He is best known for his work in the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and his fascination with American music and its roots. He has a reputation, which he disowns, for singing dark, brooding songs which some listeners regard as depressing. His music is characterised by intensity, high energy and a wide variety of influences. He currently lives in Brighton & Hove in England.
Cave released his first book King Ink, in 1988. It is a collection of lyrics and plays, including collaborations with American enfant terrible Lydia Lunch.
While he was based in West Berlin, Cave started working on what was to become his debut novel, And the Ass Saw the Angel (1989). Significant crossover is evident between the themes in the book and the lyrics Cave wrote in the late stages of the Birthday Party and the early stage of his solo career. "Swampland", from Mutiny, in particular, uses the same linguistic stylings ('mah' for 'my', for instance) and some of the same themes (the narrator being haunted by the memory of a girl called Lucy, being hunted like an animal, approaching death and execution). A collectors' limited edition of the book appeared in 2007.
Cave wrote the foreword to a Canongate publication of the Gospel according to Mark, published in the UK in 1998. The American publication of the same book contains a foreword by a different author.
Cave released his first book King Ink, in 1988. It is a collection of lyrics and plays, including collaborations with American enfant terrible Lydia Lunch.
While he was based in West Berlin, Cave started working on what was to become his debut novel, And the Ass Saw the Angel (1989). Significant crossover is evident between the themes in the book and the lyrics Cave wrote in the late stages of the Birthday Party and the early stage of his solo career. "Swampland", from Mutiny, in particular, uses the same linguistic stylings ('mah' for 'my', for instance) and some of the same themes (the narrator being haunted by the memory of a girl called Lucy, being hunted like an animal, approaching death and execution). A collectors' limited edition of the book appeared in 2007.
Cave wrote the foreword to a Canongate publication of the Gospel according to Mark, published in the UK in 1998. The American publication of the same book contains a foreword by a different author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,017 reviews
September 25, 2022
this is how i chose to live my life - in uncertainty
I didn't know that much about Nick Cave.
the first song of his that I've heard was in the Harry-Hermione dancing scene, that glum glum moment that was suddenly filled with hope. O'Children, lift up your voice. I couldn't stop listening to it.
years later, I was walking the streets of London, deep in young love, Into My Arms playing in my ears and in my heart, starting and finishing the relationship with the very same song.
then I moved to the seaside and it turned out that mr Cave lives around the corner, which was still not enough of an incentive to even find out how he looks, just in case I caught a glimpse of him during a lockdown walk.
but I looked for a summer concert in early summer, and I found one in late summer, it happened to be a Nick Cave concert and it turned out to be a deeply spiritual experience, a crowd of ecstatic people, lyrics blending with feeling blending with a bright night ripe with promise. and this is the moment, this is exactly what she was born to be.
and I wanted more of those lyrics, so, naturally, I got a book. (yeah, I'm only mentioning the book this far into the review, thank you for indulging me.) this book pretty much replicated the concert experience, this deep blend of meaning and feeling.
the whole book is a conversation. the interviewer is excellent, expressing thoughts so openly and yet without judgement, neither for himself nor for his interviewee. there's a lot of suffering in this conversation, naturally. and yet it makes it so human and relatable. the audio version makes it seem almost like a podcast. or a Tim Burton-esque bedtime story.
as far as content goes, well, it's everything you'd expect from Nick Cave. it's like a very long Red Hand File. arguably, even better, as it's prompted and deepened by Sean O'Hagan's brilliant questions. maybe if I really had to summarise it, I'd say it's about the transformative power of love. but just listing its elements feels diminishing. it's definitely more than a sum of its parts.
from the Red Hand Files:
in time we all find out we're not in control. we never were. we never will be. but we are not without power. we always have the freedom to choose how to respond to what life offers us. you can move toward the opportunity that is offered to you. that of change and renewal. the next best action is always presented to you. look for it and move toward it. this is the great action of insubordination toward the vagaries of life afforded to us all.
I didn't know that much about Nick Cave.
the first song of his that I've heard was in the Harry-Hermione dancing scene, that glum glum moment that was suddenly filled with hope. O'Children, lift up your voice. I couldn't stop listening to it.
years later, I was walking the streets of London, deep in young love, Into My Arms playing in my ears and in my heart, starting and finishing the relationship with the very same song.
then I moved to the seaside and it turned out that mr Cave lives around the corner, which was still not enough of an incentive to even find out how he looks, just in case I caught a glimpse of him during a lockdown walk.
but I looked for a summer concert in early summer, and I found one in late summer, it happened to be a Nick Cave concert and it turned out to be a deeply spiritual experience, a crowd of ecstatic people, lyrics blending with feeling blending with a bright night ripe with promise. and this is the moment, this is exactly what she was born to be.
and I wanted more of those lyrics, so, naturally, I got a book. (yeah, I'm only mentioning the book this far into the review, thank you for indulging me.) this book pretty much replicated the concert experience, this deep blend of meaning and feeling.
the whole book is a conversation. the interviewer is excellent, expressing thoughts so openly and yet without judgement, neither for himself nor for his interviewee. there's a lot of suffering in this conversation, naturally. and yet it makes it so human and relatable. the audio version makes it seem almost like a podcast. or a Tim Burton-esque bedtime story.
as far as content goes, well, it's everything you'd expect from Nick Cave. it's like a very long Red Hand File. arguably, even better, as it's prompted and deepened by Sean O'Hagan's brilliant questions. maybe if I really had to summarise it, I'd say it's about the transformative power of love. but just listing its elements feels diminishing. it's definitely more than a sum of its parts.
from the Red Hand Files:
in time we all find out we're not in control. we never were. we never will be. but we are not without power. we always have the freedom to choose how to respond to what life offers us. you can move toward the opportunity that is offered to you. that of change and renewal. the next best action is always presented to you. look for it and move toward it. this is the great action of insubordination toward the vagaries of life afforded to us all.
October 29, 2022
“Hope is optimism with a broken heart”
I listened to this on audible and I’ve never had such a guttural reaction to a book. Heartbreaking, enlightening and moving in equal measure and Nick’s eloquent way of describing loss and grief left me entirely speechless. One example was on my way to work listening to Chapter 14: The God in the Cloud and Nick recalled the night his son Arthur died and I found it so moving and upsetting I had to stop listening to collect myself.
If you’re not a fan you will still be able to enjoy or learn from his experiences. The audio book version of this was wonderful and definitely enhanced the experience. Sean O Hagan was a brilliant interviewer too and got the best out of Nick through their pre-existing friendship.
I listened to this on audible and I’ve never had such a guttural reaction to a book. Heartbreaking, enlightening and moving in equal measure and Nick’s eloquent way of describing loss and grief left me entirely speechless. One example was on my way to work listening to Chapter 14: The God in the Cloud and Nick recalled the night his son Arthur died and I found it so moving and upsetting I had to stop listening to collect myself.
If you’re not a fan you will still be able to enjoy or learn from his experiences. The audio book version of this was wonderful and definitely enhanced the experience. Sean O Hagan was a brilliant interviewer too and got the best out of Nick through their pre-existing friendship.
October 19, 2022
Insightful, empathetic, moving are just a few words I would use to describe this book. Readers should probably be aware of a little of Nick Cave’s music and career to fully appreciate it, but you don’t have to be a superfan to be moved by this thoughtful exploration of life, love, art and grief. Cave has a lyrical way of speaking that is somehow still quite accessible. He comes across as thoughtful, but also very willing to acknowledge his flaws and weaknesses. The conversation between him and O'Hagan seemed very organic, and few subjects, if any, seemed out of bounds. Absolutely recommended!
November 9, 2022
if I could have 1 conversation half this good I would die happy
September 14, 2024
I didn't know that much about Nick Cave going into this. I liked his music--he is a unique and powerful poet with his lyrics. His deep baritone is compelling as well.This was written from a series of interviews that started around the Covid shutdown and after his teenage son Arthur had died in a tragic accident.
He is honest and genuine and his voice really shines through these conversations. I am dealing with my own grief right now and this helped immensely. I love what he had to say about religion and how his faith is a constant in his life, and how he suffered so immensely and was lost for a time. I like that he has doubts, but doesn't let that stifle his creativity. He also talks a bit about his process of writing and his heroin addiction. It's very insightful and warm and made me feel seen in the way that all grief empties us out and is universal.
He is honest and genuine and his voice really shines through these conversations. I am dealing with my own grief right now and this helped immensely. I love what he had to say about religion and how his faith is a constant in his life, and how he suffered so immensely and was lost for a time. I like that he has doubts, but doesn't let that stifle his creativity. He also talks a bit about his process of writing and his heroin addiction. It's very insightful and warm and made me feel seen in the way that all grief empties us out and is universal.
March 29, 2025
Utterly beautiful and an ode to life
December 27, 2024
I haven’t been this moved by a book, or really anything in a long time. It’s transformative, and vulnerable, and honest.
Just gorgeous.
Gut wrenching.
Heart opening.
Deep.
True.
And so sweet and loving and wise.
I love this SO MUCH.
I’m still just reeling from the experience.
I can’t possibly recommend it highly enough.
Gorgeous.
Just gorgeous.
5/5 stars ⭐️
Just gorgeous.
Gut wrenching.
Heart opening.
Deep.
True.
And so sweet and loving and wise.
I love this SO MUCH.
I’m still just reeling from the experience.
I can’t possibly recommend it highly enough.
Gorgeous.
Just gorgeous.
5/5 stars ⭐️
August 16, 2024
Casual Nick Cave fans need not tread down this path, nor should any fans looking for war stories from The Birthday Party or Cave's 80's, 90's, and early 2000's work. This is mostly focused on the time period surrounding Cave's son Arthur's tragic death and all of his work that was created in the aftermath. Needless to say, if you're not into Cave's work starting with Skeleton Tree through Carnage and beyond, again, this isn't the book for you. However, this reader was totally reeled in. Cave's thoughtful commentary on his art and craft and the frequently painful recollections of his grief after his son's death were always powerful and gripping. So much light was shed on the details of Ghosteen's creation, not to mention his relentless need to create and move forward artistically and emotionally in the wake of Arthur's death. I found this truly inspiring and am not ashamed to say that I was moved to tears a few times. Hats off to O'Hagan for asking the right questions and directing the interviews in a way that benefited Cave and the reader. Essential reading.
December 2, 2024
" ...tutti noi soffriamo e spesso questa sofferenza non è che un inferno che ci costruiamo da soli, è un modo d’essere di cui siamo noi i responsabili... "
È questo bisogno di salvezza dalla sofferenza a portare Cave ad un'esistenza più religiosa.
Un viaggio durato mesi, telefonata dopo telefonata tra Seán O’Hagan e Nick Cave.
Un libro che dà voce al cambiamento di un uomo dopo la perdita del figlio Arthur.
Amore, fede, rifugio, cambiamento, religione, lutto, desiderio, bisogno della comunità e importanza del perdono e della morte.
Tutto questo è intriso nelle parole di Cave.
Il suo bisogno di creare qualsiasi cosa, musica, canzoni, libri, film, statuette in ceramica, cappellini da pesca....qualsiasi.
Il lavoro per andare avanti, per sopravvivere e, da tutto questo dolore, sono nati album completamente diversi da quello che era Cave prima della scomparsa del figlio.
Si percepisce come il vecchio Cave, quello che finiva in riabilitazione spesso e volentieri, ormai sia cresciuto, abbia vissuto e sia cambiato.
Siamo sopraffatti dall'amore di Nick e sua moglie Susie.
Ad ogni pagina, un umore inquietante, etereo e letargico ci travolge e ci rivela la profondità ultraterrena della loro relazione, intrecciata da momenti di dolore per la perdita di Arthur.
" Siamo tenuti a collocare la nostra fede nella cornice di un mondo razionale, eppure quando il mondo smette di aver senso, forse il tuo bisogno di un qualche più grande significato può sovrascrivere la ragione."
Il conflitto con Dio e contemporaneamente il bisogno di credere. Può essere illogico credere in Dio, credere in qualcosa che non è tangibile. Ma perché privarsi di qualcosa che crea beneficio solo perché non ha senso?
Cercare conforto dopo un evento traumatico è umano e appoggiarsi a questa forma di intimità con Dio, per quanto sussurrata e temporanea possa essere ci mette in sintonia con il resto del mondo. Ci fa capire quanto noi contiamo. Quanto le nostre azioni contino e che tutti abbiamo un valore. Ogni giorno è intriso di luminosa bellezza.
"L'arte ha la capacità di salvarci, in così tanti modi diversi. Può agire come luogo di salvezza, perché ha il potenziale di riconsegnare bellezza al mondo. E credo che in sé sia un modo di fare ammenda, di riconciliarci con il mondo. L’arte ha il potere di correggere l’equilibrio delle cose, dei nostri torti, dei nostri peccati."
Una lettura che disarma, che mette in luce punti bui della nostra esistenza. Un rifugio e allo stesso tempo un tormento.
Leggerlo poi con Ghosteen in sottofondo rende tutto dannatamente meraviglioso.
È questo bisogno di salvezza dalla sofferenza a portare Cave ad un'esistenza più religiosa.
Un viaggio durato mesi, telefonata dopo telefonata tra Seán O’Hagan e Nick Cave.
Un libro che dà voce al cambiamento di un uomo dopo la perdita del figlio Arthur.
Amore, fede, rifugio, cambiamento, religione, lutto, desiderio, bisogno della comunità e importanza del perdono e della morte.
Tutto questo è intriso nelle parole di Cave.
Il suo bisogno di creare qualsiasi cosa, musica, canzoni, libri, film, statuette in ceramica, cappellini da pesca....qualsiasi.
Il lavoro per andare avanti, per sopravvivere e, da tutto questo dolore, sono nati album completamente diversi da quello che era Cave prima della scomparsa del figlio.
Si percepisce come il vecchio Cave, quello che finiva in riabilitazione spesso e volentieri, ormai sia cresciuto, abbia vissuto e sia cambiato.
Siamo sopraffatti dall'amore di Nick e sua moglie Susie.
Ad ogni pagina, un umore inquietante, etereo e letargico ci travolge e ci rivela la profondità ultraterrena della loro relazione, intrecciata da momenti di dolore per la perdita di Arthur.
" Siamo tenuti a collocare la nostra fede nella cornice di un mondo razionale, eppure quando il mondo smette di aver senso, forse il tuo bisogno di un qualche più grande significato può sovrascrivere la ragione."
Il conflitto con Dio e contemporaneamente il bisogno di credere. Può essere illogico credere in Dio, credere in qualcosa che non è tangibile. Ma perché privarsi di qualcosa che crea beneficio solo perché non ha senso?
Cercare conforto dopo un evento traumatico è umano e appoggiarsi a questa forma di intimità con Dio, per quanto sussurrata e temporanea possa essere ci mette in sintonia con il resto del mondo. Ci fa capire quanto noi contiamo. Quanto le nostre azioni contino e che tutti abbiamo un valore. Ogni giorno è intriso di luminosa bellezza.
"L'arte ha la capacità di salvarci, in così tanti modi diversi. Può agire come luogo di salvezza, perché ha il potenziale di riconsegnare bellezza al mondo. E credo che in sé sia un modo di fare ammenda, di riconciliarci con il mondo. L’arte ha il potere di correggere l’equilibrio delle cose, dei nostri torti, dei nostri peccati."
Una lettura che disarma, che mette in luce punti bui della nostra esistenza. Un rifugio e allo stesso tempo un tormento.
Leggerlo poi con Ghosteen in sottofondo rende tutto dannatamente meraviglioso.
December 11, 2022
A brilliant book! Illuminating and haunting in the same time, it gives so much wisdom, such a deep knowledge on the inner transformation within a person who suffered a tragic loss. One of the best books I've ever read. I wrote down in my notebook so many quotes, so many words that still resonate in my mind. Nick Cave is a great mind, a great artist and a human being that has so much to say. Brilliant!
May 4, 2023
"- SÉAN O´Hagan: As duas estarão ligadas, talvez - a vulnerabilidade e a liberdade-
- NICK CAVE: Acho que ser-se verdadeiramente vulnerável é existir paredes-meias com o colapso ou a obliteração. Nesse lugar, podemo-nos sentir extraordinariamente vivos e recetivos a toda a espécie de coisas, tanto a nível criativo como espiritual. De uma maneira perversa, pode ser uma posição de vantagem, e não de desvantagem, como poderíamos pensar. É um lugar com muitos matizes que nos parece ao mesmo tempo perigoso e cheio de potencial. É o lugar onde se podem dar as grandes mudanças. Quanto mais tempo aí passares, menos te irá preocupar a forma como irás ser olhado ou julgado, e é nesse ponto que, em última análise, reside a liberdade."
- NICK CAVE: Acho que ser-se verdadeiramente vulnerável é existir paredes-meias com o colapso ou a obliteração. Nesse lugar, podemo-nos sentir extraordinariamente vivos e recetivos a toda a espécie de coisas, tanto a nível criativo como espiritual. De uma maneira perversa, pode ser uma posição de vantagem, e não de desvantagem, como poderíamos pensar. É um lugar com muitos matizes que nos parece ao mesmo tempo perigoso e cheio de potencial. É o lugar onde se podem dar as grandes mudanças. Quanto mais tempo aí passares, menos te irá preocupar a forma como irás ser olhado ou julgado, e é nesse ponto que, em última análise, reside a liberdade."
February 16, 2023
Много силно и стойностно споделяне на мислите и нещата от живота от страна на Ник Кейв ( Nick Cave) , под формата на интервю.
October 6, 2024
I was blown away by Nick Cave's inner life as he talks with Seán O'Hagan. I had chosen to listen to this audiobook on the strength of a friend's review here on Goodreads. I hadn't expected such an insightful, lyrical and spiritual experience. There is much to contemplate on. Here are my favorite quotes that will give you an idea of the journey:
Regarding working through the pandemic: "I felt chastened by the world. I had a weird reflective time throughout that Covid summer. I'll never forget it [...] It's been an interesting time despite the constant background hum of anxiety and dread."
"Thankfully there are so many people who are eager to journey with us. To experience the lovely discomfort and danger that comes from attempting something new."
"You have to operate at least some of the time in the world of mystery. Beneath that great and terrifying cloud of artistic unknowing."
"The creative impulse to me is a form of bafflement and often feels dissonant and unsettling, it chips away at your own cherished truths about things, pushes against your own sense of what is acceptable. It's the guiding force that leads you to where it wants to go, it's not the other way around, you're not leading it."
"Being alive is of some consequence, that we are of spiritual value."
Regarding being a collaborator: "It's actually one of the things I am most proud of, that I have had sustained productive relationships with people that have ultimately been mutually beneficial."
"For me prayer creates a silent contemplative space where the soul has its place to speak. For me prayer is not so much talking to God but rather listening for the whispers of his presence, not just from outside of ourselves but within."
Regarding creating a series of ceramic figures: "To me they are soul objects."
"Although we feel we are moving in a forward direction, in my estimation we are forever moving in a circular way with all the things we love and remember in tow and carrying all our needs and yearnings and hurts along with us and all the people who have poured themselves into us and made us what we are and all the ghosts who travel with us. It is like we are running towards God but that God's love is also the wind that is pushing us on as both the impetus and the destination and it resides it both the living and the dead."
Regarding working through the pandemic: "I felt chastened by the world. I had a weird reflective time throughout that Covid summer. I'll never forget it [...] It's been an interesting time despite the constant background hum of anxiety and dread."
"Thankfully there are so many people who are eager to journey with us. To experience the lovely discomfort and danger that comes from attempting something new."
"You have to operate at least some of the time in the world of mystery. Beneath that great and terrifying cloud of artistic unknowing."
"The creative impulse to me is a form of bafflement and often feels dissonant and unsettling, it chips away at your own cherished truths about things, pushes against your own sense of what is acceptable. It's the guiding force that leads you to where it wants to go, it's not the other way around, you're not leading it."
"Being alive is of some consequence, that we are of spiritual value."
Regarding being a collaborator: "It's actually one of the things I am most proud of, that I have had sustained productive relationships with people that have ultimately been mutually beneficial."
"For me prayer creates a silent contemplative space where the soul has its place to speak. For me prayer is not so much talking to God but rather listening for the whispers of his presence, not just from outside of ourselves but within."
Regarding creating a series of ceramic figures: "To me they are soul objects."
"Although we feel we are moving in a forward direction, in my estimation we are forever moving in a circular way with all the things we love and remember in tow and carrying all our needs and yearnings and hurts along with us and all the people who have poured themselves into us and made us what we are and all the ghosts who travel with us. It is like we are running towards God but that God's love is also the wind that is pushing us on as both the impetus and the destination and it resides it both the living and the dead."
October 17, 2022
5/5
Neįtikėtino jautrumo, subtilumo ir nepretenzingo intelektualumo knyga. Ilgas pokalbis, į kurį pasineri kaip į dovaną – nes susėsti su tokiais įdomiais žmonėmis – retas malonumas, kurio kiekvieną sekundę norisi įsiminti, įsidėti į protą ir širdį. Nėra tai (auto)biografija, todėl knyga galinti kelti didelį malonumą ir tiems, kurie nėra die hard Nicko fanai. Tiesa, pastariesiems gali tekti pagūglinti – kuo tam tikros temos svarbios, kuo kitos tokios jautrios. Visgi, knygoje šiaip labai daug jautrumo, apsinuoginimo, kuris roko žvaigždėms toks retas, todėl skaitytojams toks brangus. Tačiau Nickas tiek čia, tiek apskritai savo kūryboje, jau senokai pakilęs virš tipiškos roko žvaigždės – nebėra pozos, nebėra poreikio šokiruoti. Atsiranda kuklumas ir noras kelti klausimus, o abipusė pokalbio dalyvių pagarba atvirumui yra dar viena Carnage dovana.
Net ir tiems, kurie apie Cave žino mažai, knyga, manau, pasirodytų labai gyvenimiška, labai tikra ir labai jautri. Be jokio name drop‘inimo, net be gilinimosi į praeities skandalus. Ir ačiū Dievui, kad nei vienas iš pokalbio dalyvio nebeturi noro ir poreikio po juos nardyti – ką dar naujo galima pasakyti apie heroino žalą ar darbą natūraliai išsiskyrusius kelius su mylėtais asmeninėje ar profesinėje plotmėje? Nicko, kaip asmenybės įvairialypiškumas stebina ir atima žadą – tikrai pavykę O‘Haganui tatai perteikti, rasti priėjimą prie tiek skirtingų Cave talentų ir tiek skirtingų būdų jais pasidalinti su pasauliu. Verkiau, kūkčiojau, bandžiau skaityti kaip įmanoma lėčiau, bet vis tiek pasibaigė. Gerai, kad čia vienas tų atvejų, kai po kelių metų gali vėl grįžti ir vėl skaityti – kas kartą suskambės vis kitaip ir kas kartą ką nors naujo viduje sugydys ar atrakins rūpestingesniam patyrinėjimui. Nick Cave magija, ladies and gentlemen.
Neįtikėtino jautrumo, subtilumo ir nepretenzingo intelektualumo knyga. Ilgas pokalbis, į kurį pasineri kaip į dovaną – nes susėsti su tokiais įdomiais žmonėmis – retas malonumas, kurio kiekvieną sekundę norisi įsiminti, įsidėti į protą ir širdį. Nėra tai (auto)biografija, todėl knyga galinti kelti didelį malonumą ir tiems, kurie nėra die hard Nicko fanai. Tiesa, pastariesiems gali tekti pagūglinti – kuo tam tikros temos svarbios, kuo kitos tokios jautrios. Visgi, knygoje šiaip labai daug jautrumo, apsinuoginimo, kuris roko žvaigždėms toks retas, todėl skaitytojams toks brangus. Tačiau Nickas tiek čia, tiek apskritai savo kūryboje, jau senokai pakilęs virš tipiškos roko žvaigždės – nebėra pozos, nebėra poreikio šokiruoti. Atsiranda kuklumas ir noras kelti klausimus, o abipusė pokalbio dalyvių pagarba atvirumui yra dar viena Carnage dovana.
Net ir tiems, kurie apie Cave žino mažai, knyga, manau, pasirodytų labai gyvenimiška, labai tikra ir labai jautri. Be jokio name drop‘inimo, net be gilinimosi į praeities skandalus. Ir ačiū Dievui, kad nei vienas iš pokalbio dalyvio nebeturi noro ir poreikio po juos nardyti – ką dar naujo galima pasakyti apie heroino žalą ar darbą natūraliai išsiskyrusius kelius su mylėtais asmeninėje ar profesinėje plotmėje? Nicko, kaip asmenybės įvairialypiškumas stebina ir atima žadą – tikrai pavykę O‘Haganui tatai perteikti, rasti priėjimą prie tiek skirtingų Cave talentų ir tiek skirtingų būdų jais pasidalinti su pasauliu. Verkiau, kūkčiojau, bandžiau skaityti kaip įmanoma lėčiau, bet vis tiek pasibaigė. Gerai, kad čia vienas tų atvejų, kai po kelių metų gali vėl grįžti ir vėl skaityti – kas kartą suskambės vis kitaip ir kas kartą ką nors naujo viduje sugydys ar atrakins rūpestingesniam patyrinėjimui. Nick Cave magija, ladies and gentlemen.
January 17, 2023
I have to slightly force myself to give it 4-stars, but the book once got me crying and at least once pushed me to the verge of tears, so I have no choice but to appreciate it.
I love spiritual explorations that unfold throughout the book, but after some time, you kinda know where Cave's gonna go next, so it becomes slightly repetitive in its grandeur. The same thing happens when he comments on his creative process, so after all the book might be considered for Nick Cave hardcore fans. Well, I am not, but it surely finds me more fond of him.
I love spiritual explorations that unfold throughout the book, but after some time, you kinda know where Cave's gonna go next, so it becomes slightly repetitive in its grandeur. The same thing happens when he comments on his creative process, so after all the book might be considered for Nick Cave hardcore fans. Well, I am not, but it surely finds me more fond of him.
February 14, 2023
I’d never heard of Nick Cave before reading this book. Now I’ll go listen to his music, look at his sculptures, do everything I can to support the art of this incredible man. I won’t begin to try to describe this book other than to say that it was one of the best books I’ve read in my life, and that if you are ready for a conversation about God, faith, creativity, tragedy, and love, you won’t find better than the extended conversation in Faith, Hope & Carnage. A simply stunning and magnificent work of art.
April 10, 2023
Beautiful — even for someone like myself, who didn't really know much at all about Nick Cave before this book.
January 25, 2023
I first saw Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in the winter of 1989 at the old 930 Club in DC. I must’ve been 16 or 17 then; it was my first club show, and to be honest the whole experience frightened the hell out of me. The intimidating vampires in the audience, the Bad Seeds crowded onto the tiny stage, dressed in suits, but looking like they had slept in them in the gutter - or worse, with Nick leaning into the crowd, head almost touching the low painted-black ceiling, shaking his fist, one foot propped up on the monitor, screaming “I’m gonna KILL that woman!!!” at the top of his lungs. It tattooed my psyche, and I immediately knew I wasn’t the same kid coming out of the club that night that shuffled in. Since then I grew over the years to adore the chaos, wrath, and fury of his songwriting and performances.
So it was quite gratifying, and touching, actually, for me to pick up this book, decades after my cacophonous baptism in DC and read the words of a man who has grown into his fearless magnanimity in such an amazing and human way. He is still the same man that catalyzed and instigated that mayhem years ago, but is also a profound, caring, loving man who has meditated upon the travails of his life in such an inspiring fashion - more inspiring than Nick the artist in February of 1989 could ever be.
One of my favorite concepts that NC returns to several times in the book is his emphasis that grief and trauma are as common an emotion or experience as love is, in this world. It will happen to all of us. It was comforting, like a feeling of human unity and belonging, even, for me to meditate upon that notion.
A fine example:
“But what I want to say is this: this will happen to everybody at some point - a deconstruction of the known self. It may not necessarily be a death, but there will be some kind of devastation. We see it happen to people all the time: a marriage breakdown, or a transgression that has a devastating effect on a persons, life, or health issues, or a betrayal, or a public shaming, or a separation, or someone loses their kids, or whatever it is. And it shatters them completely, into 1 million pieces, and it seems like there is no coming back. It’s over. But in time they put themselves together piece by piece. And the thing is, when they do that, they often find that they are a different person, a changed, more complete, more realized, more clearly drawn person. I think that’s what it is to live, really – to die in a way, and to be reborn. And sometimes it can happen many times over, that complex re-ordering of ourselves.
So, to return to what we talked about at the beginning of this conversation – the religious impulse… It seems, for some of us, the religious experience awaits the devastation, or a trauma, not to bring you happiness, or comfort, necessarily, but to bring about an expansion of the self – the possibility to extend as a human being, rather than contract. And, afterwards, we feel a compulsion, too, a need to pass the message on like missionaries of grief or something.”
I was also inspired by his disarming and earnest discussion of religion or religiousness, and his need for it, in the face of rationality and the science of the modern world. As an atheist, maybe I should try to allow magic into my life a bit more.
So it was quite gratifying, and touching, actually, for me to pick up this book, decades after my cacophonous baptism in DC and read the words of a man who has grown into his fearless magnanimity in such an amazing and human way. He is still the same man that catalyzed and instigated that mayhem years ago, but is also a profound, caring, loving man who has meditated upon the travails of his life in such an inspiring fashion - more inspiring than Nick the artist in February of 1989 could ever be.
One of my favorite concepts that NC returns to several times in the book is his emphasis that grief and trauma are as common an emotion or experience as love is, in this world. It will happen to all of us. It was comforting, like a feeling of human unity and belonging, even, for me to meditate upon that notion.
A fine example:
“But what I want to say is this: this will happen to everybody at some point - a deconstruction of the known self. It may not necessarily be a death, but there will be some kind of devastation. We see it happen to people all the time: a marriage breakdown, or a transgression that has a devastating effect on a persons, life, or health issues, or a betrayal, or a public shaming, or a separation, or someone loses their kids, or whatever it is. And it shatters them completely, into 1 million pieces, and it seems like there is no coming back. It’s over. But in time they put themselves together piece by piece. And the thing is, when they do that, they often find that they are a different person, a changed, more complete, more realized, more clearly drawn person. I think that’s what it is to live, really – to die in a way, and to be reborn. And sometimes it can happen many times over, that complex re-ordering of ourselves.
So, to return to what we talked about at the beginning of this conversation – the religious impulse… It seems, for some of us, the religious experience awaits the devastation, or a trauma, not to bring you happiness, or comfort, necessarily, but to bring about an expansion of the self – the possibility to extend as a human being, rather than contract. And, afterwards, we feel a compulsion, too, a need to pass the message on like missionaries of grief or something.”
I was also inspired by his disarming and earnest discussion of religion or religiousness, and his need for it, in the face of rationality and the science of the modern world. As an atheist, maybe I should try to allow magic into my life a bit more.
January 25, 2023
Ağırlıklı olarak Nick Cave’in oğlunu kaybettikten sonra yaşadığı yas sürecine ve son albümlerinin yapım hikayelerine odaklanan; zaman zaman da Nick Cave'in geçmişine ve özel hayatına uzanan bir söyleşi kitabı. İçinde -The Red Hand Files'a aşina olanların şaşırmayacağı şekilde- hayata, ölüme ve yaratıcılığa dair bir sürü şahane gözlem var. Nick Cave'in acılarını bu kadar detaylı şekilde anlatabilmesi bence büyük bir cesaret örneği. Yer yer tekrara düşse ve daha iyi sorular sorulabilirmiş dedirtse de Nick Cave hayranı olduğum için büyük bir zevkle okudum. Eminim çoğu hayran da böyle düşünecektir.
December 19, 2022
This book is so not my jam. Too much focus on faith and it just turned me off as an ex-evangelical who fled the church to get away from that crap "everything is because of God" shit.
Sigh.
Sigh.
December 19, 2022
“Hope is optimism with a broken heart.”
January 18, 2025
Spousta zajímavých myšlenek a konfrontace s tím, s čím třeba ani nesouhlasím. Ale na to, že ta kniha má jen 300 stran, mi to přišlo dost repetitivní.
3,5/5*
3,5/5*
May 28, 2025
In essence, Faith, Hope and Carnage is a long-form interview, but there is such honesty and intimacy within these pages, it adds up to a genuinely profound and affecting piece of work that transcends the genre of rock star memoir. Created from over forty hours of conversations that took place over a period of two years, O’Hagan asks all the right questions in all the right ways, without shying away from challenging the answers, and so, through thoughtful responses—sometimes contradictory, often moving, always sincere—Cave bares his inner life to the reader.
The conversations happened when the world was at a stand-still during the pandemic, and are primarily focused on Cave’s life and works surrounding the tragic death of his teenage son Arthur—from Skeleton Tree, through Ghosteen, to Carnage. This was a period of radical personal and artistic transformation as he worked through his grief, most obviously marked by a strong turn towards spirituality; usually, I would find this off-putting, but there is something so candid and articulate about Cave’s approach that I found deeply intriguing. He considers doubt an essential facet of faith, and that’s a perspective that I—staunch atheist—found so disarmingly counter-intuitive as to be strangely, touchingly beautiful. It’s less belief, and more of a longing?
The most striking moments are Cave’s musings on grief and the mysteries of the creative process; compelling, lyrical, and insightful. Even though every word orbits around the carnage of Arthur’s absence, Nick’s laconic sense of humor often comes through, and it’s ultimately all about the faith and hope in the transformative power of love, and the healing power of human connection through art. There were so many ideas utterly alien to me that left me much to ponder… a vulnerable, yet uplifting and life-affirming book by a true artist.
“Hope is optimism with a broken heart.”
The conversations happened when the world was at a stand-still during the pandemic, and are primarily focused on Cave’s life and works surrounding the tragic death of his teenage son Arthur—from Skeleton Tree, through Ghosteen, to Carnage. This was a period of radical personal and artistic transformation as he worked through his grief, most obviously marked by a strong turn towards spirituality; usually, I would find this off-putting, but there is something so candid and articulate about Cave’s approach that I found deeply intriguing. He considers doubt an essential facet of faith, and that’s a perspective that I—staunch atheist—found so disarmingly counter-intuitive as to be strangely, touchingly beautiful. It’s less belief, and more of a longing?
“This is how I have chosen to live my life—in uncertainty, and by doing so to be open to the divine possibility of things, whether it exists or not. I believe this gives my life, and especially my work, meaning and potential and soul, too, beyond what the rational world has to offer.”
The most striking moments are Cave’s musings on grief and the mysteries of the creative process; compelling, lyrical, and insightful. Even though every word orbits around the carnage of Arthur’s absence, Nick’s laconic sense of humor often comes through, and it’s ultimately all about the faith and hope in the transformative power of love, and the healing power of human connection through art. There were so many ideas utterly alien to me that left me much to ponder… a vulnerable, yet uplifting and life-affirming book by a true artist.
“[Music is] one of the last remaining places, beyond raw nature, that people can feel awed by something happening in real time, that feeling of reverence and wonder.”
December 20, 2022
Thanks to Nick for being so brutally honest in allowing this book to be published.
July 25, 2025
a heartfelt and deep book with nick cave in conversation
Read
April 5, 2024Dit boek leest als een uitgeprinte podcastserie die ook nog eens te veel afleveringen heeft. Een te groot deel is een momentopname van lockdowns en muziek die Cave op dat moment aan het schrijven is. Een te groot deel is überhaupt alleen leuk voor de echte fans en zelfs voor hen is de nieuwe keramiekhobby van onze oude punkheld niet bepaald iets om voor naar de boekhandel te racen. Überhaupt is het geen boek - was het maar een boek, dan kwam er geen interviewer tussendoor en zat er meer orde en minder herhaling in en meer koren en minder kaf.
Op fundamenteler niveau kun je je afvragen waarmee Nick Cave momenteel bezig is. Wil je nou werkelijk aan de zelfmythologisering doen van de zoveelste artiest die vol verwondering spreekt over de heilige plek waar z'n kunst vandaan komt? Wil je dat publiek wel dat aan je lippen hangt, vol postevangelische hunkering naar een nieuwe spirituele leider die al je vragen beantwoordt (zoals in The Red Hand Files al een hele tijd gebeurt)? Dit boek is een voetbalbiografie voor mensen met ziel en smaak. Geloof me: ik heb de concerten bezocht, de films in de bioscoop gezien en de albums gekocht. Het basisniveau van Nick Cave is geweldig en ik ga deze zomer ook weer naar de ZiggoDome. 'Faith, Hope and Carnage' bevat regelmatig schitterende zinnen gedachten. Toch zou dit product bij mij de drie sterren niet eens halen. Ik begrijp waar het gedweep vandaan komt, maar kan me er toch slecht in verplaatsen.
Op fundamenteler niveau kun je je afvragen waarmee Nick Cave momenteel bezig is. Wil je nou werkelijk aan de zelfmythologisering doen van de zoveelste artiest die vol verwondering spreekt over de heilige plek waar z'n kunst vandaan komt? Wil je dat publiek wel dat aan je lippen hangt, vol postevangelische hunkering naar een nieuwe spirituele leider die al je vragen beantwoordt (zoals in The Red Hand Files al een hele tijd gebeurt)? Dit boek is een voetbalbiografie voor mensen met ziel en smaak. Geloof me: ik heb de concerten bezocht, de films in de bioscoop gezien en de albums gekocht. Het basisniveau van Nick Cave is geweldig en ik ga deze zomer ook weer naar de ZiggoDome. 'Faith, Hope and Carnage' bevat regelmatig schitterende zinnen gedachten. Toch zou dit product bij mij de drie sterren niet eens halen. Ik begrijp waar het gedweep vandaan komt, maar kan me er toch slecht in verplaatsen.
March 4, 2024
I’ve been a fan of Nick Cave for as long as I can remember, I loved this. The way Nick speaks about grief is truly devastatingly beautiful and I found I was having to pause reading several times to either collect my thoughts or do some further research on the themes explored. Credit to Sean too, who has a knack for asking exactly the right questions and building the perfect rapport with Nick to get the heartfelt results here.
My favourite of the year so far for sure, it will take some beating.
My favourite of the year so far for sure, it will take some beating.
October 5, 2022
This is a really interesting concept, but I found Cave’s focus on the faith part of the title a bit too repetitive. There are some very poignant moments, and the obligatory music exploration, but for a reader who prefers his musicians to be godless thinkers as opposed to faithful thinkers, it left a sour taste in my mouth.
January 5, 2024
My criticism of the last music-based book I read was that it felt a bit like a huge profile article.
So what chance does a book which takes the form of the classic music journal interview - you know, italicised questions, non-italicised answers? You would think if any book is going to feel like a giant Rolling Stone feature, this would be it.
But it was not so. The mercurial talents of Nick Cave and the subtle, masterful brilliance of Sean O’Hagan combine to create something that is magical, conversational, literary, immersive, inspiring, heartbreaking, utterly un-put-downable.
Nick is the star. And the relationship between these two men, the way the conversation weaves its honest, candid, fearless way through life and love and loss, the insight into how music, art and performance might emerge out of the darkest of human experience, the place of faith, belief, religion, truth in it all…somehow Nick remains central, yet the greater themes rise like mountains around him.
It’s a hard book to quantify. I have a scant knowledge of Nick’s body of work, yet I found his very specific references to songs, albums and shows fascinating. (Nick insisted that the one thing he knew they didn’t want to produce was a biographical work.) I kept asking myself why The Australian newspaper would call this book “literary” when it takes such an un-literary form.
I think the answer is that it is just beautifully crafted. The words are chosen so carefully and freely, the themes are deeply intimate yet universal. It is a work of profound thought and thoughtfulness on the part of both men. Yet it has a certain candid, casual lightness of being, though not of content. Its thematic and personal weight is formidable, brutally honest and beautifully tender, humbled, hopeful.
The quest for books that stay with you after you leave them, that leave their scent, their imprint, perhaps even their scars on you as a reader - that is what creates a benchmark, that’s what I hope for in books. They can’t all do it. But this is one of the special ones. It really is quite remarkable.
Thank you JB for the recommendation. You told me how deeply this book moved you, inspired you, humble and emboldened you. Thank you. I can see that, without being preachy or prescriptive, the reflections of this book - and the spirit in which they are shared - have a beguiling, disarming, enchanting power. The way you described that to me drove me to read this book. I think it’s the sort of substantial creation that will do its work in its way for anyone who is willing to subject themselves to the mercy of the current of this unique and mesmerising shared conversation.
I have a phrase I like to use when I feel bluntly manipulated or coerced by a piece of art. “You can see the strings” - the puppet has no life of its own, it’s being exploited by its master. Values get bullied or bludgeoned upon me. This book is heavy with deep mystery and profound, life-shaping, perhaps life-changing values. Yet I never felt conscious of any strings. The life of this book emanates, animates, of its own accord.
O for more books with such quiet force, courageous poignancy, memorable substance, immersive spirit.
So what chance does a book which takes the form of the classic music journal interview - you know, italicised questions, non-italicised answers? You would think if any book is going to feel like a giant Rolling Stone feature, this would be it.
But it was not so. The mercurial talents of Nick Cave and the subtle, masterful brilliance of Sean O’Hagan combine to create something that is magical, conversational, literary, immersive, inspiring, heartbreaking, utterly un-put-downable.
Nick is the star. And the relationship between these two men, the way the conversation weaves its honest, candid, fearless way through life and love and loss, the insight into how music, art and performance might emerge out of the darkest of human experience, the place of faith, belief, religion, truth in it all…somehow Nick remains central, yet the greater themes rise like mountains around him.
It’s a hard book to quantify. I have a scant knowledge of Nick’s body of work, yet I found his very specific references to songs, albums and shows fascinating. (Nick insisted that the one thing he knew they didn’t want to produce was a biographical work.) I kept asking myself why The Australian newspaper would call this book “literary” when it takes such an un-literary form.
I think the answer is that it is just beautifully crafted. The words are chosen so carefully and freely, the themes are deeply intimate yet universal. It is a work of profound thought and thoughtfulness on the part of both men. Yet it has a certain candid, casual lightness of being, though not of content. Its thematic and personal weight is formidable, brutally honest and beautifully tender, humbled, hopeful.
The quest for books that stay with you after you leave them, that leave their scent, their imprint, perhaps even their scars on you as a reader - that is what creates a benchmark, that’s what I hope for in books. They can’t all do it. But this is one of the special ones. It really is quite remarkable.
Thank you JB for the recommendation. You told me how deeply this book moved you, inspired you, humble and emboldened you. Thank you. I can see that, without being preachy or prescriptive, the reflections of this book - and the spirit in which they are shared - have a beguiling, disarming, enchanting power. The way you described that to me drove me to read this book. I think it’s the sort of substantial creation that will do its work in its way for anyone who is willing to subject themselves to the mercy of the current of this unique and mesmerising shared conversation.
I have a phrase I like to use when I feel bluntly manipulated or coerced by a piece of art. “You can see the strings” - the puppet has no life of its own, it’s being exploited by its master. Values get bullied or bludgeoned upon me. This book is heavy with deep mystery and profound, life-shaping, perhaps life-changing values. Yet I never felt conscious of any strings. The life of this book emanates, animates, of its own accord.
O for more books with such quiet force, courageous poignancy, memorable substance, immersive spirit.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,017 reviews