Paper Chase – The Light Appears

Johnny Marr – Set The Boy Free

Posted on April 27, 2026 by Michael

There’s been plenty of terrific books written about The Smiths over the years. Books by Tony Fletcher, Simon Goddard, and Johnny Rogan are all excellent and worth investigating. In 2016, guitarist Johnny Marr added writer to his name when his autobiography Set The Boy Free was published. The early stories will be familiar to fans of The Smiths – born to Irish parents living in Manchester, Marr became fascinated by music and the guitar at a young age. Later, while recording songs in the room he was renting and working in clothing shops, the music world changed when out of the blue he knocked on the door of singer Morrissey and asked to form a band together. In a short period of time, The Smiths became one of the most important indie rock bands in the history of music.

Where Marr’s autobiography really shines is when exploring his personal and professional life after The Smiths. The list of artists he’s played with is staggering – The Pretenders, The Talking Heads, The The, Kirsty MacColl, Electronic, Pet Shop Boys, Beck, Noel Gallagher, etc. Not to mention stints in Modest Mouse, The Cribs, working on soundtracks, and his own successful solo career. His love of music, his family and eventually healthy living make for a success story both in and out of the music business. Set The Boy Free is light on some of the drama covered by the other books about his life, but instead this is a breezy joy to read about the music side of Johnny Marr’s extraordinary life.

9/10

Paper Chase

Franz Kafka – The Trial

Posted on April 22, 2026April 22, 2026 by Michael

The Trial is Franz Kafa’s novel originally published posthumously in 1925. The book tells of Josef K who is accused of a crime by two government men who appear in his rooming house one morning, the crime is never revealed. Josef then meets several people who appear in his life to help but he never gets anywhere, never fully understands what he’s been accused of or how to clear his name.

The Kafka world in The Trial is a dream like fog. It always seems dark, everything happens in the shadows. Confusing scenes of going to court located in an apartment, being let in by a woman who is not part of the court. Towards the end of the novel, he visits a church and is lectured by the priest who knows all about him and his case. The man who he was supposed meet there never appears. The surreal story illustrates the red tape of bureaucracy, the facelessness of the system, not knowing who to talk to. A century later, The Trial is still an intriguing read, one where very little is ever truly revealed.

8/10

Paper Chase

Robert Hilburn – The Life

Posted on March 10, 2026March 9, 2026 by Michael

For his biography on Paul Simon titled, The Life, Robert Hilburn is given extensive access to the musician’s friends and family. Simon was interviewed for 100 hours to gain insight into his music and life. The book focuses mainly on the music instead of the relationships and tabloid coverage which is mostly good for music fans though would have been interesting to read more about his years with Carrie Fisher. The stories from his childhood and coming up through the recording industry are fascinating. His relationship with Art Garfunkel is told throughout the book, as their relationship ebbs and flows with several reunion concerts.

Paul Simon as a man comes off as complex and the book stays mostly on his good side. Stories of his generosity abound with him giving songwriting credits to other musicians and paying above scale when he feels it is right. The controversies surrounding the recording of Graceland are just as complex as Simon brushes off the criticism of recording in and touring various African countries. As a man, Simon is also portrayed with single minded ambition, coming off as harsh and aloof at times.

Hilburn writes about the massive successes but also touches on the failures – namely the One Trick Pony movie and The Capeman Broadway play that lasted only a few weeks. The last several chapters aren’t as interesting as they touch on Simon’s last few albums and print the lyrics of several songs. For fans of Paul Simon, and singer-songwriters in general, that want a deep dive into the music, The Life is a recommended read.

8/10

Paper Chase

Vladimir Nabokov – Lolita

Posted on March 1, 2026February 25, 2026 by Michael

“Just like the old man in that book by Nabokov” goes the lyrics to The Police’s hit song, “Don’t Stand So Close To Me”. One of the most famous and controversial books of the last century, Vladimir Nabokov’s 1955 book Lolita is often hailed as a literary classic. The plot follows Humbert Humbert as he crosses the Atlantic to America after a failed first marriage. He becomes a tenant in a house owned by Charlotte with a young daughter Delores who catches Humbert’s eye, and lust, who he then refers to as “Lolita”. After a doomed marriage to Charlotte, he runs off with Lolita staying in motels across the US as he lives out his sexual fantasies with the 12-year-old girl.

In reviews of the book, morality is put the side as high-minded readers marvel at the stylistic prose of Nabakov who writes the story through the eyes of Humbert. The lurid material is shocking at times as one wonders how he could not act as a protector of his step child. At other times, the storytelling is amusing, in a cocksure Morrissey kind of way. A challenging book that continues to divide opinion, one that I did find hard to put down as it continued though I’m not sure I ever truly enjoyed it. Read at your own discretion .

7/10

Paper Chase

Robert Louis Stevenson – Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (And Other Strange Tales) (2024)

Posted on December 29, 2025 by Michael

In 1886 the gothic horror novel, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by author Robert Louis Stevenson was published. Friends, especially lawyer Gabriel John Utterson, are concerned about the mental state of Dr Jekyll and horrified by the actions of a one Mr Hyde. The duality of personalities are a struggle between the human capabilities for both good and evil. The short book does a masterful job of capturing the gloomy dark side of London and all it’s hidden secrets. A foggy foreboding hangs over the words as the characters try to piece the mystery together.

The 2024 edition of the book by Arcturus Publishing also includes several short stories listed as Other Strange Tales. The stories include the creepy The Body Snatcher where students fill the need of finding bodies for medical dissection and The Bottle Imp where an imp creature grants its owner their every wish but with potentially damning consequences. Stevenson’s unfinished novel at the time of his death, Weir Of Hermiston also appears.

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde – 10/10

Other Strange Tales – 7/10