A bittersweet first novel about the power of music and the resilience of the human heart. Edson, New Hampshire, is a typical New England mill town, where everyone knows everyone else's business, and people come of age with dreams of leaving. Coming back to Edson after 20 years, once-promising musician Henry Corvine is faced with two emotionally charged options: give up completely--or start all over
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Folksinger/songwriter Morrissey's intimate, cigarette- and booze-soaked first novel, set in the New Hampshire mill town of Edson during one snowy winter, centers on 37-year-old Henry Corvine, a once critically acclaimed musician. Now drifting along and recently divorced, Henry hasn't made a record in years and no longer admits to "the desire or the drive" to perform. A summer job aboard a salmon-fishing boat in Alaska has left him feeling strapped and old. An old friend, whose music has cracked the pop charts, contacts Henry about working with her, but, unsure of his talent, Henry hesitates. Economics, and the encouragement of Caroline Laine, a young waitress who lives across the hall in Henry's seedy apartment hotel, keep up the pressure, though, and force him to face the truth about his art and what it means to him. The working-class town of Edson is alive on the page, as a once richly familiar place of sustenance for Henry that has now become a dead end. The effect on the town of the mill's abrupt closing is treated too shallowly, however, and timid Caroline, who bravely wears sexy lingerie, seems a male fantasy. Henry, wrestling with his demons while trying to acknowledge his artistic gifts, makes up for the novel's flaws. Beneath mundane details, Morrissey makes it clear how music once fed Henry's soul.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
This satisfying first novel by a popular folk songwriter follows the fortunes of a folk musician who, after years of touring and making three recordings, quits when the corporate side demands too much artistic compromise. Henry Corvine, drifting and now divorced, lands back home in Edson, New Hampshire, and kills time with his old drinking and hunting buddies. He soon learns that because of his long absence from the musical scene, most of the younger set are unaware of his background and talent. Remedies abound, however, in an every-good-boy-deserves-favor story, and Henry does all right. An old friend who is now a famous musician calls and begs him to write songs for her, and a deserving woman half his age discovers Henry's musical and internal worth. The plot holds few surprises, but evocative writing imparts fullness to the characterizations of ordinary people in a small mill town. Recommended for fiction collections.?Sheila M. Riley, Smithsonian Inst. Libs., Washington,
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reads like Morrisey's songs feel,
By
This review is from: Edson (Hardcover)
I loved this book. Like Morrisey's carefully crafted songs, the books expands the low key events in a small New England mill town until they feel as important to the reader as they are to the characters. Those looking for high adventure or unlikely plot twists should look elsewhere; This book is for those who love a simple tale-well-told. I can't wait until he tosses his hat in again with another book.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Just like a Bill Morrissey song...,
By A Customer
This review is from: Edson (Hardcover)
This is Bill Morrissey's first attempt at writing a book. He's
been writing songs that go straight into the lonliness of
contemporary America with great wit and magnificent turns
of a phrase. Now, this book can take you deep into the heart
of a man who needs the distance of a guitar and a few drinks
to actually get closer to himself. Set in a dying New
Hampshire mill town, EDSON plays itself out almost autobiographically.
The characters were vibrant and distinct for a short book
and the mise-en-scene could send you running for a bourbon.
But the tender quality and underlying sense of hope prevails
and in the end, you are left with wanting more, just like any
Bill Morrissey song. Highly recommended.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not a classic, but if you're a fan of Bill Morrissey you'll enjoy it.,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Edson (Hardcover)
I'm a big fan of Bill Morrissey's songs and if you are too, you might want to read this book. The settings and characters will seem familiar to any Bill Morrissey fan from listening to his songs. I've read at least one review here that is critical of the book, and I can understand why. It was his first and only novel so far as I know and I'm not sure it stands on its own independently from his songs, but if you know and like his songs there is probably something here for you to like. Just as I think there is a lot of Bill Morrissey in his songs, I think the book gives a bit of insight into his life and with his unfortunate passing in 2011 this might be a fan's last best chance to learn a little more about him.
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