Stranger Than Kindness

A scrapbook of rarely seen photos and sketches traces Nick Cave's transformation from Aussie teenager into an international artist . . . It takes on a life of its own, revealing his often compulsive way of working, as well as his abiding interests and obsessions: desire, faith, sin, despair, redemption, grief, love, and the transformative thrust of language itself * * Observer * *
Goes deep into Cave's creative process, via his artwork, lyrics and photographs, and his ever-succinct commentary * * Guardian, 5 of the best * *
The material evidence of Cave's creative life. [There is] an excellent introduction from Darcey Steinke . . . a book of beauty and understated style . . . The book serves best as an invitation to explore Cave's work further, whether one is a novice or a committed celebrant. It is worth the effort * * Herald * *
Features [Cave's] lurid, bizarre, beautiful, touching artwork and handmade books [and] an exquisite, winding essay by the American novelist Darcey Steinke. The essay is, simply put, extraordinary . . . Steinke has otherworldly gifts . . . I bought an expensive art book from a musician I like; what I got was a kind of compass leading me through a weird and often bleak time * * VICE * *
A fascinating read, doubly so when listening to Cave perform the songs his obsessive evidence-gathering informs * * The Times * *
Magnificent . . . A visual history of Cave's life, it's annotated by him with the same warmth and wit that have made his Red Hand Files series of letters to his fans so special. As for the images, they give more insight into the workings of his mind than any interview could . . . Darcey Steinke [has] written a fascinating and scholarly essay on Cave's work that sets him alongside some of literature's greatest figures . . . Exhaustive, gorgeous and thoughtful, this book of treasures will delight and inspire any admirer of Cave's work * * Classic Rock * *
Offer[s] an access-all-areas peek into his life's work, featuring lyrics, essays, set designs, artwork, personal notes, previously-unseen photos and more * * Q Magazine * *
Nick Cave's fans have long deserved a book that offers a long-view perspective on him and his work, and Stranger Than Kindness more than fulfils on its promise. The book collates a - carefully considered and curated - scattershot of artistic imagery, original lyric drafts, scrapbooks, and a few literary influences . . . [There is an] insightful and searching essay from Darcey Steinke . . . Stranger Than Kindness both embodies and enriches our understanding of how Nick Cave the artist came to be, and illuminates why his music continues to matter to so many * * HeadStuff * *
Handsomely produced . . . it's also stimulating and does a good job of building a character portrait of Cave . . . a worthwhile contribution to his canon, and a meaningful purchase for fans * * Business Post magazine * *