U.S. Publisher Said to Have Acquired Morrissey Autobiography

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, two people involved in the negotiations said on Monday.

Several publishers were vying for the rights to release the book, which has already been reviewed in the United States after its publication as a 457-page Penguin Classic in Britain. Writing in The New York Times, Ben Ratliff said that the book, titled “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.”

The book is expected to be published quickly to take advantage of the holiday book-buying season. Since "Autobiography" was released in Britain two weeks ago, it jumped to the No. 1 spot on Amazon.co.uk. Fans in the United States who were unable to buy copies from American booksellers have ordered them from online merchants in Britain at inflated prices. A spokeswoman for Putnam declined to comment.