Nobody's Empire - A Novel

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 account-his debut novel based on his own youthful experiences-of dark days leading to light and a coming of age through music.

It's 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 he's been ill, Stephen never feels warm, inspiring Carrie to affectionately call him "The World's 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, Nobody's Empire is a warm and wonderful coming-of-age novel, imbued with Stuart Murdoch's magical lyricism.

Rezension:

"Stuart has done something really special here: Nobody's Empire is a smart and tender depiction of a gestating artist's soul, told with real wit and pathos. It's a portrait of the artist as a young convalescent." - Colin Meloy, singer-songwriter of The Decemberists and author of Wildwood

"Nobody's Empire is as memorable as it is moving [and] is a bright spotlight on a condition left to moulder too long in the dark. It's a public service in print." - The Times (UK)

"You don't have to be an indie-pop fan to appreciate this compassionate, sweet, beautifully written novel. Murdoch proves he's as good a novelist as he is a musician." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A tender slice of autofiction...Nobody's Empire is mesmerizing in a low-key way, much like the music of Belle and Sebastian, and it leaves a smile on your face."
- Booklist (starred review)

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

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

"The frontman of Belle & Sebastian recreates his younger years here in wonderfully limpid prose that looks at music and art and life and gives an insight into his struggles with ME." - The Scottish Herald

"Stuart Murdoch can write. He's made the transition from gifted songwriter to splendid author. 'Nobody's Empire' is a marvelous coming of age, come of wisdom, coming to California novel." - Robert Forster, singer-songwriter of The Go-Betweens and author of Grant & I: Inside and Outside the Go-Betweens

"A young man copes with chronic fatigue syndrome in Belle and Sebastian front man Stuart Murdoch's autobiographical debut novel, written with charming self-deprecation and winning petulance...Nobody's Empire can speak to anyone drawn to slay-the-dragon chronicles."
- Shelf Awareness

"Stuart Murdoch's mostly true novel about his chronic illness dazzles with indie charm...By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Nobody's Empire is a romantic world of possibility and youthful yearning." - Minnesota Star Tribune