Morrissey Autobiography to Be Published in U.S.

The autobiography of the pop star Morrissey, which has become a quick sensation in Britain, has found an American publisher. G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House, acquired the memoir, the publisher said on Tuesday.

The 457-page book, simply titled “Autobiography,” has become a bestseller in Britain, where it was released two weeks ago, and several publishers in the United States were engaged in a fierce auction for the American rights last week.

Putnam, whicht has published Tom Clancy, A. Scott Berg and Nora Roberts, got word on Friday that it had won the auction, said Ivan Held, the president of Putnam. “We were thrilled,” Mr. Held said on Tuesday. “People were jumping up and down here.”

The book will be released in hardcover on Dec. 3. “We're going to crash it through,” Mr. Held said. “That's about as quick as you can do it and get proper distribution.”

The American version of “Autobiography” will be nearly identical to the edition that has already been released in Britain by Penguin Classics.

That edition, which was released in paperback, has already been reviewed widely in the United States, even though fans of Morrissey had to order copies from Britain if they wanted to read the book. Writing in The New York Times, Ben Ratliff said that “Autobiography,” is “as sharp as it is tedious, both empathetic and pointlessly cruel,” adding that Morrissey, the former singer for The Smiths, is “a pop star of unusual writing talent.”

Since “Autobiography” was released in Britain, it has jumped to the No. 1 spot on Amazon.co.uk.