Contests — November 11, 2013 at 6:00 am

Contest: Win a copy of Ben Vendetta’s music-obsessed novel ‘Wivenhoe Park’

Wivenhoe Park

Longtime music journalist Ben Vendetta, founder of the label Elephant Stone Records, has just published his debut work of fiction, a novel called “Wivenhoe Park” that’s set in the mid-’80s and follows an American Anglophile who relocates to the U.K. as the indie/post-punk scene thanks to the rise of bands like The Smiths, The Jesus and Mary Chain and more.

Surely it’s a can’t-lose premise for fans of this site, which is why we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve got three copies of Vendetta’s book to give away to lucky Slicing Up Eyeballs readers.

TO ENTER: Just drop a comment below — and if you want to play along, name your favorite music-related novel, and offer a few words as to why you think it’s great. Oh, and if you’re viewing this on the Slicing Up Eyeballs app, you may e-mail your entry to info@slicingupeyeballs.com.

RULES: We’ll take entries until 5 p.m. EST Friday, Nov. 22. After that point, we’ll select three winners at random and contact them via e-mail. One entry per person.

ETC.: If you’d like more information on the book, you can check it out on Amazon, and we’ve got the publisher’s description and a short video trailer posted below.

UPDATE: The contest is now closed. Thanks for your entries. Winners have been notified.

 

About “Wivenhoe Park”:

Set in the mid-1980′s, Wivenhoe Park chronicles the adventures of Drew, a former track star, who has become a pill popping, dope smoking, heavy drinking, rock ‘n’ roll-obsessed student with writing aspirations. He moves to England on a whim to escape various demons, such as a goth ex-girlfriend he can’t seem to shake out of his system. Experiencing the ascent of a new indie music scene that includes The Smiths, Jesus and Mary Chain, and Primal Scream, he befriends a cast of characters, including a star Melody Maker journalist, a smooth mod from New York City, and several enticing British girls. Will Drew find peace, love and understanding or will it all burn down like cigarettes?

 

 

 

52 Comments

  1. “Kicking Tomorrow” by Daniel Richler is a favourite… sort of a Canadian cousin to this novel, I’d guess!

  2. Other than “High Fidelity”, I cannot say I’ve read a NOVEL that is music related, but Peter Hook’s Joy Division book from this year was a great read! As was his book regarding the Hacienda Club. Keith Richards’ “Life” was also great!

    Cheers!

  3. Hope I win. This books sounds great and I’m looking for a good new book to read. My favorite music related books tend to be non-fiction. I loved “Our Band Could Be Your Life,” because it talked about the 80’s American indie-underground that I love so much. I also loved, “Rip It Up and Start All Over Again: Post Punk 1978-1984,” by Simon Reynolds. Fantastically researched and written account of so much amazing music that came on the scene after punk blew the walls down.

  4. Ryan O'Donnell

    John Savage’s “England’s Dreaming” is an absolutely killer account of the philosophies and ideas that fueled the first wave of punk. Lots of very cool academic ideas mixed with great writing about the music and events of that era.

  5. It would be awesome to win this book cause’ the 80’s indie scene is my favorite music scene. my favorite music related book is ‘on the road with the Ramones’ because it has the best info on the ramones in a book.

  6. Jason Stinnett

    I’d really enjoy the chance to read Wivenhoe park. As far as “music” novels…a couple pop to mind. Radio Freefall by Matthew Jarpe ,and Little Heroes by Norman Spinrad.

  7. Love books, love this music. I “fled” similarly to Manchester in ’87, so expect this to be quite the nostalgia trip.

  8. Sharon Marshall

    I loved both of Rob Sheffield’s books-Love is a Mix tape and Talking to girls about Duran Duran.

  9. I really enjoyed Love Monkey.

  10. I guess it must the “Touching from the distance” by Debbie Curtis about her late husband Ian, the voice and frontman of Joy Division.

  11. I too love a well-written account of a music scene, like those mentioned above. I’d add Please Kill Me, an excellent oral history of the rise of punk in New York, and We Got The Neutron Bomb, which gives the same treatment to the LA punk scene in the 80’s.

  12. it’s gotta be High Fidelity for me. the first book i read that made me feel like i wasn’t alone.

  13. I’d love to read this book as it could have easily been written about me. I’d say my favorite music related books are both books from Simon Reynolds: “Rip It Up and Start Again: Post Punk 1978-1984 and “Totally Wired: Post Punk Interviews & Overviews”. Very informative, articulate and entertaining books that dig deep into the era.

  14. Kynan Fritschel

    Just read “Love Goes To Rooms On Fire: Five Years in New York That Changed Music Forever”, by Will Hermes which, while not being a novel, was pretty interesting.

  15. “High Fidelity” — Nick Hornby

  16. One of the best 80’s nostalgia obsession novels that I read recently was “Ready Player One” – it was all about a near future that was obsessed with 80’s film, gaming and music culture.

  17. Annie White Owl

    “Human Punk” by John King. Fantastic novel about how influential music can be, and the lasting effect it has on us.

  18. David Menconi’s book “Losering” is the most recent book I’ve enjoyed. It chronicles Whiskeytown & Ryan Adams’ rise.

  19. Pamela Schechter

    I know this isn’t very original but the only one I can think of now is High Fidelity. Though reading the Morrissey bio now and enjoying it so far. I also moved to London for a couple of years in the mid 80’s so must read this.

  20. Eric Berenson

    “Our Band Could Be Your Life”

  21. Michelle Gruessing

    My favorite book is definitely High Fidelity. If we’re counting screenplays, too, 24 Hour Party People took me right back to 1990.

  22. Simon Reynolds – “Rip It Up and Start Again”

  23. This books sounds interesting but I’m afraid to like it and have it turn to Hogh Fidelity (the movie). Anyway just finished ‘Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk’. Pure wisdom from the mouths of babes.

  24. hans ter maat

    Danny Sugerman – no one gets out here alive.

    The adventures and ending of the lizsrd king Jim Morrison. Fascinating and unbelieveble.

  25. Rob Sheffield’s books are fantastic – Love is a Mix Tape, Talking to Girls About Duran Duran and Turn Around Bright Eyes….
    Just started Morrisey’s Autobiography ~

  26. Going to have to go with Audrey Niffenegger’s “The Time Traveler’s Wife”. There are a myriad of musical references in the book from jazz to new wave to classic rock and classical and they were a huge part of why the book resonated emotionally with me (and I suspect a lot of other folks).

    Just a few of the bands mentioned:
    Art of Noise, Au Pairs, Big Black, Blondie, Buzzcocks, Dead Boys, Dead Kennedys, Depeche Mode, Echo & The Bunnymen, Elvis Costello, Gang of Four, Iggy Pop & The Stooges, Johnny Thunders, Kate Bush, Lora Logic, Lou Reed, MC5, Mekons, New Order, New York Dolls, Nirvana, Patti Smith, PiL, Pixies, Pretenders, Prince, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, Sonic Youth, Talking Heads, Television, The B-52’s, The Bangles, The Breeders, The Clash, The Cramps, The Cure, The Golden Palominos, The Jam, The Pogues, The Raincoats, The Ramones, The Shaggs, The Smiths, The Velvet Underground, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Violent Femmes, and X.

  27. “Please Kill Me” and “Rotten” are high on my list.

  28. Don Reynolds

    Patti Smith’s Just Kids was a great read, and deals with the early 70’s late 60’s art and music scene in downtown Manhattan. I also really liked the books by Rob Sheffield, and Chuck Klosterman that are not really novels, but really great accounts of musically inspired lives.

  29. Gus Hernandez

    Oh, I need to win!!!
    Favorite books, High Fidelity and How to Talk to Girls about Duran Duran by Kevin Sheffield. Funny look at his life through various stages of 80’s music.

  30. “Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory” which the film, Pitch Perfect, is based on or Hornby’s “Juliet, Naked” which I remembered loving when I fist read it two years ago for its interesting characterizations.

  31. Bill Flanagan’s “Evenings Empire” was a very fun read, as was “Life” by Keith Richards. High Fidelity was pretty darn fun, too, come to think about it…

  32. Kristin Smith

    Edie, By Jean Stein.

  33. I’m in! Simon Reynolds “Rip It Up And Start Again” and Peter Hook’s “Hacienda: How Not To Run A Club” are fantastic reads! Mark Burgess (The Chameleons) “View From A Hill” is ace! And of course, Miles Davis “Miles: An Autobiography” is essential!

    And Garce (Sad Lovers And Giants) is also releasing his memories & retrospective of the band next year as well.

    Are they novels? No, but why not read some good real life stories!

  34. Easily “High Fidelity” by Nick Hornby because it was so startling, I wasn’t expecting to see myself reflected in the mirror of its pages. As a lot of males who read it probably felt, I imagine.

  35. Michael Toland

    High Fidelity by Nick Hornby. When the movie came out, my wife at the time told a buddy of hours we were headed to see it. He told her, “Why do you want to see that? You live with that guy.”

  36. In my library, there’s a tie for favorite music-related novel: Marc Spitz’s “How Soon is Never?” and Nick Hornby’s “High Fidelity.” Though they can both be a little depressing at times, they perfectly illustrate how music can be so involved in one’s life and identity. As someone who wouldn’t know where she’d be without music, it means a hell of a lot to have those feelings captured on paper.

  37. Oh, and if we are counting non-fiction…
    – Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield
    – Rip It Up and Start Again by Simon Reynolds
    – Killing Yourself to Live by Chuck Klosterman
    – Our Band Could Be Your Life

    Can’t pick just one since I was schooled by all of them.

  38. High Fidelity & Love is a Mix Tape

  39. Tender Branson

    Pinball by Jerzy Kosnski. Fun book deal in part with NYC early 80’s scene.

  40. Sean Koepenick

    Rich Boy Cries for Momma by Ethan Minsker is a recent favorite. Hope I win!

  41. Love is a MixTape.

  42. Well, I was a little disappointed (um, majorly, but I probably had excessively high expectations) in Gomez’ “Our Noise” and Spitz’ “How Soon Is Never.” I really wanted to like them, I really did!

    If I can pick a memoir, I’d go with Sheffield’s “Love is a Mixtape.” If I have to stick with fiction, I’m going with my (so-far-imaginary) novel in which the protagonist suffers a head injury and wakes up in the alternate universe in which The Teardrop Explodes are a band called Whopper, and Ian McCulloch does not exist.

    Like everyone else (and thanks for the recommendations, all!) I too hope that I win. I promise I’ll share the book if I do.

  43. Two I can quickly think of:
    – “Love Is a Mixtape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time” by Rob Sheffield
    – “Never Enough: The Story of The Cure” by Jeff Apter

  44. I would love to read this one. But first finish my Morrissey biography.
    The last music based novels I read were ‘high fidelity, and ‘juliet, naked’ by Nick Hornby. Loved those!

  45. Best read so far is Alternative Hero by Tim Thornton. As nobody else has mentioned this one, I am either alone in thinking it great, or you haven’t heard of it. Check it out!

  46. High Fidelity was great. It was a lovelorn tear-jerker that satisfied the self-absorbed ex-hater in all of us. I also just finished Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro, and it was pretty mediocre.

  47. Chelsea Horror Hotel, DeeDee Ramone writing about sid and nancy nightmares at the chelsea hotel, what more could you ask for in a punk rock novel

  48. Defo ‘Ten Storey Love Song’ by Richard Milward – a must for Madchester and Irvine Welsh fans :-)

  49. Julio Cortazar Il Persecutore

    The prototype of this story was Charles Parker, there are many parallels to real biography of musician and full of love to his music.

  50. Carl Mulligan

    My favorite music related book is Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis. The fact that it mentions early LA punk bands like Fear and X makes it a winner in my book. Also I almost moved to England after I graduated high school with a friend of mine just because the scene looked cooler than ours. A death in my close family preventede from going. It’s still my big ‘what if’?

  51. The contest is now closed. Thank you all for entering. Winners have been notified.

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