Nick Cave

A female Lazarus, a savagely beaten outcast, a lust-driven murderer, a dying drunk: The
cast of characters that inhabits Nick Cave's Henry's Dream personifies their creator's dark
vision. In the nine years since the breakup of his Australian Goth-thrash outfit the Birthday
Party, Cave has developed not only as a lyricist but as a compelling storyteller. His grisly
obsessions haven't changed much over the years, but backed by the Bad Seeds,... More >

Cave's admirers crow about his literary virtues--a rock musician who's actually published a novel! and scripted a film! about John Henry Abbott, how highbrow! Then they proffer dismal examples like "I am the captain of my pain," or the bordello containing--what an eye the man has--a whalebone corset! (Whalebone is very literary--it hasn't been used in underwear since well before Nick was born.) If this is your idea of great writing, you may be ripe for his cult. Otherwise, forget it--the voice alone definitely won't do the trick. (Grade: C)