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stringbeanjen 's review for:
Nobody's Empire
by Stuart Murdoch
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
That was ok! I was biased going into this. I was a huge Belle and Sebastian fan from my teens to my mid 20s. But then I knew too much about Stuart and was overall turned off by the band. I just moved on too.
So I kinda had a feeling of what this book would be like and I wasn't wrong. Self absorbed, slightly egotistical would-be songwriter struggles with chronic illness to find his mission in life. Goes on adventure to California and finds his aim. Too much god bothering.
My favourite bits were all the music references as I do share a lot of the music taste as this character and I enjoyed imagining Glasgow and California in the early 90s which was just a few years before I was the music obsessed teenager I'd become.
I found the inclusion of a Black best friend tokenistic and other people of colour dotted throughout at odds too. I know Stuart has been called out for his lily white world of B and S and he used to be defensive about it but is still awkwardly trying to open his eyes to other people and cultures. In the book it didn't feel well thought through.
So I kinda had a feeling of what this book would be like and I wasn't wrong. Self absorbed, slightly egotistical would-be songwriter struggles with chronic illness to find his mission in life. Goes on adventure to California and finds his aim. Too much god bothering.
My favourite bits were all the music references as I do share a lot of the music taste as this character and I enjoyed imagining Glasgow and California in the early 90s which was just a few years before I was the music obsessed teenager I'd become.
I found the inclusion of a Black best friend tokenistic and other people of colour dotted throughout at odds too. I know Stuart has been called out for his lily white world of B and S and he used to be defensive about it but is still awkwardly trying to open his eyes to other people and cultures. In the book it didn't feel well thought through.