I was flicking through my ipod recently (I thought I should make an effort to listen to more than four bands) and settled upon an album I like a fair bit years ago, but hadn't had much time for since: Fionn Regan's The End of History.
Somewhere nearish the end of the song above, Fionn mentions a book by Paul Auster, Timbuktu. I read that book because of this song (he also mentions Saul Bellow, but I never quite had the energy to try). And I enjoyed it; it's narrated by a dog, Mr Bones, and follows his life as the pet of a homeless man, Willy G. Christmas.
It got me wondering whether I'd been introduced to any other authors or books in this manner.
In Go Long, Joanna Newsom plays upon the tale of Bluebeard, a terrifying aristocrat who makes his way through several wives, violently murdering each one. The myth follows his newest, young wife and her discovery of the fate of her predecessors. I am in complete awe of the song, and scouted out as much as I could about the myth... which led me to Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber, a fantastical collection of short stories (the title story being that of Bluebeard).
I think they are the only two that have directly led to me reading a mentioned / connected author; has anyone else found a book because of a song?
And of course, songs that reference books or authors is a whole category in itself; maybe I should make a mixtape.... what could be on it?
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Have you ever heard The Divine Comedy's "Booklovers"? That's my personal canon of English literature. I've often found myself standing in bookshops, not sure what book to pick, and then I hear Neil Hannon's voice say, for example, "Mark Twain: I can't even spell Mississippi." I've bought many books because the authors appear in that song.
ReplyDeleteno never... but i love it. i love that you want to read a book because of a song...
ReplyDeletei really like your space.
@Dot Just listened - what a wonderful song, it made me smile! though I feel a little ashamed to have read so few of those authors; a good list to bear in mind for the future.
ReplyDeleteBut who to choose first is a whole problem in itself.... (I am leaning toward Nabokov).
@Elisabelle Thankyou.