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Please: Original Short Stories by Talented Writers - A Tribute to Morrissey, Johnny Marr, and Their Music
As he did with Noise: Fiction Inspired by Sonic Youth , editor Peter Wild has pulled together an eclectic list of talented writers who take their cue from one of the world’s best loved bands—The Smiths. Please is sure to please fans of The Smiths, Morrisey, and guitarist Johnny Marr—as well as contributors such as Nic Kelman, Willy Vlautin, and Catherine O’Flynn.
288 pages, Paperback
First published May 28, 2009
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February 16, 2010
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Peter Wild, an editor and journalist, worked with multiple authors to create Please - a collection of short stories that were inspired by the songs of The Smiths, which releases in March.
Being too young to appreciate The Smiths when they broke into the music scene in the early 80's, and subsequently disbanded in the late 80's, I was a late Morrissey bloomer. I clearly remember walking into our local Gallery of Sound music store, and browsing the racks of cassettes (yes, I said cassettes) to find Your Arsenal in the new release section. At that point I hadn't heard of Morrissey, and was really just starting to get into the darker side of alternative music (The Cure, Depeche Mode, Catherine Wheel, Afghan Whigs). So I grabbed it, hoping that my money was not being wasted in vane.
On my long walk home from the shop, I popped the cassette into my walkman (oh man, am I dating myself!) and within the first 15 seconds of the first track, I was in love. I played Your Arsenal non stop for the next week, and wore the cassette tape out in a matter of months. Of course, during those next few months, I saved what little money I could get and began purchasing every piece of music Morrissey had released - which quickly lead me to The Smiths.
One of the most influential alternative bands of all time, they experienced a fierce following, making a mark within the entertainment industry that is still visible today. Moody, painful, lonely, angry, heartbroken, suicidal - songs and lyrics that are still so relevant to many of us. Combining amazing lyrics with soul stirring musical arrangements, The Smiths found the world's soft spot.
How many of us, as we listened to Morrissey sing his heartwrenching and angst filled songs, felt that he was speaking directly to us? How many times have we thought "oh my god, he is singing about me, he knows how it feels"?
Did you know that Morrissey is a big reader? A man who can not only express his deepest darkest feelings in a sexy lispy voice, but who is also not afraid to admit he loves a good book??? **swoons**
Peter Wild and Harper Perennial have teamed up to take the essence of The Smiths, and incorporate it into stories that call to your heart, and your head. Stories that range from sadly hopeful (Cemetery Gates - two people who fall in love on their deathbeads) to strange and creepy (I Won't Share You - in which a man's arm begins to separate itself from his body), silly and indulgent (Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now - where a man sends his co-worker a video of himself lip synching to this song naked) to disfunctional love (Jeane - a man who can't seem to let go of an abusive situation).
I tend to steer clear of short story collections that feature multiple authors, as the stories and writing styles always tend to clash with one another, and leave me with a fractured feeling. Not so in the case of Please. Perhaps it is the genius of Peter Wild, chosing the right stories. Perhaps it is the perfect match between author and influence. Perhaps, it is simply the fact that The Smiths brings out the best in everyone.
Whatever it is, it is magical.
Peter Wild, an editor and journalist, worked with multiple authors to create Please - a collection of short stories that were inspired by the songs of The Smiths, which releases in March.
Being too young to appreciate The Smiths when they broke into the music scene in the early 80's, and subsequently disbanded in the late 80's, I was a late Morrissey bloomer. I clearly remember walking into our local Gallery of Sound music store, and browsing the racks of cassettes (yes, I said cassettes) to find Your Arsenal in the new release section. At that point I hadn't heard of Morrissey, and was really just starting to get into the darker side of alternative music (The Cure, Depeche Mode, Catherine Wheel, Afghan Whigs). So I grabbed it, hoping that my money was not being wasted in vane.
On my long walk home from the shop, I popped the cassette into my walkman (oh man, am I dating myself!) and within the first 15 seconds of the first track, I was in love. I played Your Arsenal non stop for the next week, and wore the cassette tape out in a matter of months. Of course, during those next few months, I saved what little money I could get and began purchasing every piece of music Morrissey had released - which quickly lead me to The Smiths.
One of the most influential alternative bands of all time, they experienced a fierce following, making a mark within the entertainment industry that is still visible today. Moody, painful, lonely, angry, heartbroken, suicidal - songs and lyrics that are still so relevant to many of us. Combining amazing lyrics with soul stirring musical arrangements, The Smiths found the world's soft spot.
How many of us, as we listened to Morrissey sing his heartwrenching and angst filled songs, felt that he was speaking directly to us? How many times have we thought "oh my god, he is singing about me, he knows how it feels"?
Did you know that Morrissey is a big reader? A man who can not only express his deepest darkest feelings in a sexy lispy voice, but who is also not afraid to admit he loves a good book??? **swoons**
Peter Wild and Harper Perennial have teamed up to take the essence of The Smiths, and incorporate it into stories that call to your heart, and your head. Stories that range from sadly hopeful (Cemetery Gates - two people who fall in love on their deathbeads) to strange and creepy (I Won't Share You - in which a man's arm begins to separate itself from his body), silly and indulgent (Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now - where a man sends his co-worker a video of himself lip synching to this song naked) to disfunctional love (Jeane - a man who can't seem to let go of an abusive situation).
I tend to steer clear of short story collections that feature multiple authors, as the stories and writing styles always tend to clash with one another, and leave me with a fractured feeling. Not so in the case of Please. Perhaps it is the genius of Peter Wild, chosing the right stories. Perhaps it is the perfect match between author and influence. Perhaps, it is simply the fact that The Smiths brings out the best in everyone.
Whatever it is, it is magical.
March 25, 2010
I was excited to win this book from Goodreads; I love the Smiths, and I've enjoyed selections from the stories-inspired-by-music genre in the past (for a good example of this type of thing, check out The Last Rock Star Book: Or Liz Phair, a Rant). When I started to dig into the stories therein, however, I was extremely disappointed.
I dragged myself through the first 100 pages, but I couldn't get past that point. The stories (and the writing overall) were just dreadful, as though someone posted a call for stories inspired by Smiths songs, and then published everything that was submitted in this collection without editing or even reading them first. To be fair, there were a couple of decent stories in the mix, but I couldn't drag this on any longer to see if the second half of the book improved. A real wasted opportunity.
I dragged myself through the first 100 pages, but I couldn't get past that point. The stories (and the writing overall) were just dreadful, as though someone posted a call for stories inspired by Smiths songs, and then published everything that was submitted in this collection without editing or even reading them first. To be fair, there were a couple of decent stories in the mix, but I couldn't drag this on any longer to see if the second half of the book improved. A real wasted opportunity.
March 19, 2015
4/10: So my first giveaway didn't go so well. I'm a sucker for anything Morrissey & Smiths-related and usually it probably doesn't take much to delight me if the Mozzer is involved somehow. This collection of short stories had tremendous potential, but the stories were so boring I couldn't even finish the book. Full disclosure: I don't read short stories regularly, although I have in the past & have absolutely nothing against them. I've read about half, and with the exception of "Oscillate Wildly" by Alison MacLeod, they just didn't do anything at all for me. To be fair to the authors, I'll probably try to (slowly)read the rest of the stories, & I'll update here if something good comes along, but for now I'm calling this a snoozy waste of time. :(
3/10: Finally won a giveaway. Very excited to read this!
3/10: Finally won a giveaway. Very excited to read this!
November 12, 2009
I really love the Smiths music, but the stories in this collection wallowed in self pity just a little too much.
September 9, 2018
How disappointing. Being a Smiths fan, I was highly excited to read this. I actually met a couple of the authors of the short stories a few years back in Birmingham and had my book signed personally.
A couple of the stories are good, such as Gina Ochsner and Mil Millington, but the majority are boring and bare little resemblance to the Smiths song thay supposed inspired them. The little intros are interesting. It's a shame, as the idea was great, but the execution does not do the Smiths any justice.
Morrissey has always been robust in his views on just about everything. I wonder what he makes of this?
A couple of the stories are good, such as Gina Ochsner and Mil Millington, but the majority are boring and bare little resemblance to the Smiths song thay supposed inspired them. The little intros are interesting. It's a shame, as the idea was great, but the execution does not do the Smiths any justice.
Morrissey has always been robust in his views on just about everything. I wonder what he makes of this?
April 16, 2022
A book of short stories influenced by the band The Smiths.
Basically, the stories have no connection to the band, they are just stories written by smiths cultured and young individuals.
Great book, fantastic read.
Cemetry gates is a fantastic short story and the book itself at times can replicate some feelings of being a young man or women under pressure or confusion in youth.
Basically, the stories have no connection to the band, they are just stories written by smiths cultured and young individuals.
Great book, fantastic read.
Cemetry gates is a fantastic short story and the book itself at times can replicate some feelings of being a young man or women under pressure or confusion in youth.
June 21, 2011
Maybe closer to 2.5 stars...difficult to review.
Warning, I am going to make myself sound even more like a spazzy nerd than people already think I am, but there's no other way to describe how I felt about this book. I love music. And I don't mean I enjoy listening and humming along to background noise. I mean, I LOVE MUSIC! I was raised on The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel and my life has been one long musical journey that will never end. I absolutely love the way music can transport you to another world and evoke images and emotions that you didn't even know were there. I have been known, while listening to music, to imagine entire scenes and stories in my head. I can daydream for hours about these characters and places that were created from nothing more than a lyric or a mood of a particular song. Specifically, I adore The Smiths. They are one of my all-time favorite bands and I know all of their songs like I know the faces of my children. So, to me, the concept of this book was brilliant! If I was rating the book on just the concept, it would easily be 5 stars. Each short story inspired by a certain Smiths song. Gorgeous. Each author wrote a little foreward describing their inspiration and evolution from song to story. The stories themselves is what pushed the rating down. There were a few bizarre ones, a couple really sad ones, more than a few disturbing ones, a couple sweet ones...a good collection, but nothing that changed my life or made me want to re-read. What I did love was the shared experience with all of the authors. Even though I may not have daydreamed the same stories as them (not even once really), it was just fantastic to share that love of music and all the places it can take you. I'm so glad I walked into the library and saw this book on the shelf.
Warning, I am going to make myself sound even more like a spazzy nerd than people already think I am, but there's no other way to describe how I felt about this book. I love music. And I don't mean I enjoy listening and humming along to background noise. I mean, I LOVE MUSIC! I was raised on The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel and my life has been one long musical journey that will never end. I absolutely love the way music can transport you to another world and evoke images and emotions that you didn't even know were there. I have been known, while listening to music, to imagine entire scenes and stories in my head. I can daydream for hours about these characters and places that were created from nothing more than a lyric or a mood of a particular song. Specifically, I adore The Smiths. They are one of my all-time favorite bands and I know all of their songs like I know the faces of my children. So, to me, the concept of this book was brilliant! If I was rating the book on just the concept, it would easily be 5 stars. Each short story inspired by a certain Smiths song. Gorgeous. Each author wrote a little foreward describing their inspiration and evolution from song to story. The stories themselves is what pushed the rating down. There were a few bizarre ones, a couple really sad ones, more than a few disturbing ones, a couple sweet ones...a good collection, but nothing that changed my life or made me want to re-read. What I did love was the shared experience with all of the authors. Even though I may not have daydreamed the same stories as them (not even once really), it was just fantastic to share that love of music and all the places it can take you. I'm so glad I walked into the library and saw this book on the shelf.
May 17, 2010
This was a very interesting anthology and although I wouldn't consider myself a huge Smiths fan I did feel like the writers in the anthology were well chosen. Most of the stories really captured the Smiths sound in the writing, some with greater effect than others.
My favorites would have to be, "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now," by Kate Pullinger and "Cemetery Gates," by Mil Millington.
I particularly enjoyed some of the 'lighter' works, because in the end I though that some of the more 'serious' ones were just trying too hard to be 'Mozz.' Some of the authors also definitely wanted their readers to know that they were Smith's fans before the reader was even born. Before the Smiths were considered cool. I'm not even sure if the Smiths have ever been considered cool by the vast majority of people.
There was a certain odd feeling that I got while reading some of these stories which I think Morrissey would probably have commiserated. Although the characters in the story were demonstrating or whining about how they didn't fit in, I thought about some of the people I knew, and how they might have considered themselves outsiders...and yet I was even somehow outside of those groups, too boring perhaps to be depressed.
I have never really listened to too much of the Smiths, just a little, because I've always liked eerie music and interesting vocalists, but having read this book I think I would more than listen to Smith songs, but read what inspired Morrissey, or read things written by Morrissey, as he seemed to be a literate fellow. "There's more to life than books, you know, but not much more." I agree with him completely.
My favorites would have to be, "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now," by Kate Pullinger and "Cemetery Gates," by Mil Millington.
I particularly enjoyed some of the 'lighter' works, because in the end I though that some of the more 'serious' ones were just trying too hard to be 'Mozz.' Some of the authors also definitely wanted their readers to know that they were Smith's fans before the reader was even born. Before the Smiths were considered cool. I'm not even sure if the Smiths have ever been considered cool by the vast majority of people.
There was a certain odd feeling that I got while reading some of these stories which I think Morrissey would probably have commiserated. Although the characters in the story were demonstrating or whining about how they didn't fit in, I thought about some of the people I knew, and how they might have considered themselves outsiders...and yet I was even somehow outside of those groups, too boring perhaps to be depressed.
I have never really listened to too much of the Smiths, just a little, because I've always liked eerie music and interesting vocalists, but having read this book I think I would more than listen to Smith songs, but read what inspired Morrissey, or read things written by Morrissey, as he seemed to be a literate fellow. "There's more to life than books, you know, but not much more." I agree with him completely.
October 3, 2014
It's a little unfair to give this anthology 2 stars, since some of the stories are quite good - I don't like painting everything in here with one brush. But some of the stories - many in fact - are so bloody awful though that they taint the whole. Many are bad on so many levels that I almost put the book down permanently on several occasions, which would have kept me from actually getting to those few very good ones (my possible favorite: "I Want the One I can't Have" by Matt Beaumont). Hence the "2". Moreover, the promise of an anthology of stories "inspired by the Smiths" is not met at all - in an overwhelming majority of the stories any connection at all to the Smiths is attenuated at best. To suggest that these stories were somehow "inspired" by the Smiths seems laughable. Where there is any connection at all, it usually seems that a story that the author wanted to write was retrofitted to allude to the title of a Smiths song (see e.g. "Death of a Disco Dancer" by Nick Stone - this is easily one of the better stories in the book, but can hardly be said to be inspired by that song). The lone exception to that problem is the terrific "Cemetery Gates" by Mil Milington. I wouldn't recommend this book to a fan of short stories or the Smiths, and though you'll miss a few good reads, trust me you're not missing much.
December 17, 2021
Publisher: Serpent'€™s Tail Price: RRP - £8.99
This is a short story collection where each of the stories takes the title of a Smith's song, and the 24 writers who contributed to its creation make a lot of different stories with these diverse starting points. In €˜This Charming Man™ acclaimed novelist Mike Gayle takes a look at a successful novelist who based his story on his friends, and who will base the sequel on his friend'™s reactions, in turn paying tribute to Morrisey's own song '˜We hate it when out Friends become successful'™. Other stories take more a tangent, such as in James Flint'€™s €˜Shoplifters of the world Unite which€™ looks at the story of a young boy keeping guard over a trapped Armadillo, so that he can impress his friends.
The spectre of new technology raises its head in €˜Heaven knows I am miserable now™ where a naked rendition of the song is shown across the world on the internet. Helen Walsh'™s story There is a Light that never goes out€™ looks at the plight of a young girl mistaken for a boy, while Jeremy Sheldon's €˜Nowhere Fast™ looks at the life of a late thirties Headmaster trying to make sense of the younger generation. The quality of writing in this collection is of a uniformly high standard, and although not every story will be to everyone'€™s taste, there will be something here for most readers, regardless of whether or not they are fans of The Smiths.
This is a short story collection where each of the stories takes the title of a Smith's song, and the 24 writers who contributed to its creation make a lot of different stories with these diverse starting points. In €˜This Charming Man™ acclaimed novelist Mike Gayle takes a look at a successful novelist who based his story on his friends, and who will base the sequel on his friend'™s reactions, in turn paying tribute to Morrisey's own song '˜We hate it when out Friends become successful'™. Other stories take more a tangent, such as in James Flint'€™s €˜Shoplifters of the world Unite which€™ looks at the story of a young boy keeping guard over a trapped Armadillo, so that he can impress his friends.
The spectre of new technology raises its head in €˜Heaven knows I am miserable now™ where a naked rendition of the song is shown across the world on the internet. Helen Walsh'™s story There is a Light that never goes out€™ looks at the plight of a young girl mistaken for a boy, while Jeremy Sheldon's €˜Nowhere Fast™ looks at the life of a late thirties Headmaster trying to make sense of the younger generation. The quality of writing in this collection is of a uniformly high standard, and although not every story will be to everyone'€™s taste, there will be something here for most readers, regardless of whether or not they are fans of The Smiths.
July 9, 2009
One word for this:
Brilliant.
Why then, you might ask, did I only give it 4 stars?
Well the thing is, I didn't fully enjoy every single story, so I couldn't possibly give it a full 5 star rating. To be honest, I even skipped one story 'cause the whole thing was written in very heavily accented Scottish and my tired eyes/brain just couldn't comprehend then (I shall try and go back and read it at some point).
But on the whole it was well worth it's 4 star rating. The stories were diverse, extremely diverse. Some of them were absolutely brilliant, others were so-so, and others were just plain strange, ahaha. I thought the stories as a collection paid perfect homage to The Smiths and their songs.
Personal favourites would be:
-The Queen is Dead by Jeff Noon (even if it made me cry ;_; )
-Death of a Disco Dancer by Nick Stone (it was funny and it kind of made me think 'Life on Mars', lol)
-There is a Light that Never Goes Out by Helen Walsh (although this disturbed me greatlyand made me cry it was brilliantly written)
-Oscillate Wildly by Alison Macleod (just purely for the Oscar Wilde, really, eheh)
-I Won't Share You by David Gaffney (just purely 'cause it's one of the weirdest things I've ever read, ahaha)
So yeah, brilliant short story collection! Thoroughly enjoyed most of it :D
Brilliant.
Why then, you might ask, did I only give it 4 stars?
Well the thing is, I didn't fully enjoy every single story, so I couldn't possibly give it a full 5 star rating. To be honest, I even skipped one story 'cause the whole thing was written in very heavily accented Scottish and my tired eyes/brain just couldn't comprehend then (I shall try and go back and read it at some point).
But on the whole it was well worth it's 4 star rating. The stories were diverse, extremely diverse. Some of them were absolutely brilliant, others were so-so, and others were just plain strange, ahaha. I thought the stories as a collection paid perfect homage to The Smiths and their songs.
Personal favourites would be:
-The Queen is Dead by Jeff Noon (even if it made me cry ;_; )
-Death of a Disco Dancer by Nick Stone (it was funny and it kind of made me think 'Life on Mars', lol)
-There is a Light that Never Goes Out by Helen Walsh (although this disturbed me greatly
-Oscillate Wildly by Alison Macleod (just purely for the Oscar Wilde, really, eheh)
-I Won't Share You by David Gaffney (just purely 'cause it's one of the weirdest things I've ever read, ahaha)
So yeah, brilliant short story collection! Thoroughly enjoyed most of it :D
April 6, 2015
As a big fan of the Smiths, this book practically jumped off the shelf. Stories inspired by The Smiths songs! However, despite intros with each author talking about the Smiths, the influence in most stories didn't seem to go beyond the title.
The balance between stories I liked overall and ones I didn't was about 50/50. A few of my favourites were 'Ask', 'I Won't Share You', and 'The Queen is Dead', which were great stories that also captured the mood of the Smiths. Ones I didn't like included 'Shoplifters of the World Unite', which was written in a Southern drawl but rather inconsistently, and 'Bigmouth Strikes Again', which left me disappointed and confused.
Overall, there are some great stories in the book that are worth a read, but I wouldn't market it as a book for Smiths fans. Aside from the intros, it seemed like many of the writers had never heard the Smiths, and were just given the song titles as a jumping off point. If the book had been edited for typos/grammar mistakes, and had more truly Smiths-inspired stories, I would have given it a higher rating.
The balance between stories I liked overall and ones I didn't was about 50/50. A few of my favourites were 'Ask', 'I Won't Share You', and 'The Queen is Dead', which were great stories that also captured the mood of the Smiths. Ones I didn't like included 'Shoplifters of the World Unite', which was written in a Southern drawl but rather inconsistently, and 'Bigmouth Strikes Again', which left me disappointed and confused.
Overall, there are some great stories in the book that are worth a read, but I wouldn't market it as a book for Smiths fans. Aside from the intros, it seemed like many of the writers had never heard the Smiths, and were just given the song titles as a jumping off point. If the book had been edited for typos/grammar mistakes, and had more truly Smiths-inspired stories, I would have given it a higher rating.
June 3, 2010
Meh.....The Smiths... lying around in bed moaning, emotional ventilation, bittersweetness, non-iversarys, sympathetic suffering, crying over spilled milk, self indulgence just happens sometimes. moments of healing, so long as you don't live there all the time... Anyhow, this collection is pretty hit or miss. Some of the authors nailed it and some of them didn't. At least one of them doesn't even like the smiths. Heck, just put on a smiths record instead. cry your eyes out, then get over it and put on something you can dance to. there there, you'll be fine.
April 19, 2010
Yes, the stories were hit-and-miss, but I found even the worst stories in the book were not so terrible. "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" and "This Charming Man" ended up being the stories I liked best. I am not a big fan of the short story, but am a big fan of The Smiths. I am glad to have a copy of this book on my bookshelf now.
March 19, 2016
A fair read, for a collection of short stories based loosely on music by The Smiths. Some were quite good, others left much to be desired, and had me struggling to persevere for the sake of finishing the book.
June 8, 2012
Off and on quality.
February 18, 2012
Purchased for the Mil Millington story. If only I had been able to buy it separately...but then I would have missed the Scarlett Thomas and Matt Beaumont stories.
September 25, 2012
A collection of short stories, each "inspired" by a different Smiths song, but otherwise unconnected. Some funny, some sad, some disturbing. Definitely a British collection (slang-wise).
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews