Nobody's Empire [Audiobook]

(CD-Audio, Audiobook)

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One of the great lyricists of our time, the lead singer and songwriter for the iconic Glasgow-based band Belle and Sebastian, pens a sensitive and intimate accounthis debut novel based on his own youthful experiencesof dark days leading to light and a coming of age through music.

Its the early 1990s in Glasgow, Scotland, and Stephen has emerged from a lengthy hospital stay. Diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, a little-understood disease which has robbed him of any prospects of work, friends, or independent living, he moves slowly toward new goals and meets others like him, including Richard, a friend from school, and Carrie, a young woman bedridden for five years. Feeling isolated and alone, they form their own support group, and try to get by with as little money and pain as possible. Since hes been ill, Stephen never feels warm, inspiring Carrie to affectionately call him The Worlds Coldest Boy. As the world seems to care less for them, the trio start to care less about fitting in with the world.

Stephen soon discovers he has a talent for writing songs. He awakens to the possibility of a spiritual life that transcends the everyday, and feels a calling for a place that might as well be on the other end of the universe let alone the world. Buoyed by tentative hope, he and Richard leave Glasgow in search of a cure in the mythic warmth and sun of California. As they float between hostels, sofas, and park benches, they discover the trip is life-changing in ways neither expected, and Stephen embraces a new-world reinvention that will change his life forever.

Melodic and captivating, filled with graceful notes, melancholic chords, and witty, thoughtful riffs on life's infinite possibilities and curiosities, Nobodys Empire is a warm and wonderful coming-of-age novel, imbued with Stuart Murdoch's magical lyricism.

Reviews

"You dont have to be an indie-pop fan to appreciate this compassionate, sweet, beautifully written novel. Murdoch proves hes as good a novelist as he is a musician."  Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Nobodys Empire is as memorable as it is moving [and] is a bright spotlight on a condition left to moulder too long in the dark. Its a public service in print."  The Times (UK)

"Murdoch's first novel is empathetic, funny and heartwarming."  Buzz Magazine

"[Murdoch's] most personal work to date [. . .] its often poignant but also darkly humorous."  Irish Times

Author Bio

Stuart Murdoch is a Scottish musician, composer writer, and filmmaker, and the lead singer and songwriter for the iconic Glasgow-based band Belle and Sebastian. Since forming in the mid-1990s, the band has released twelve acclaimed studio albums, including Tigermilk and If You're Feeling Sinister. Stuarts online diaries were collected into his first book, The Celestial Caf and in his work is featured in Belle and Sebastian: Illustrated Lyrics, featuring specially commissioned illustrations from Scottish artist Pamela Tait. Murdoch also scripted, composed, and directed the movie God Help the Girl, a musical coming-of-age drama. An outspoken advocate for sufferers of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), Murdoch is also an Ambassador for the Open Medicine Foundation working to promote awareness of ME/CFS and the efforts to find a cure.