Other Voices

Other Voices, Other Rooms, the novel

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There appear to be two references here.

 

Other Voices, Other Rooms

By Truman Capote

Truman Capote's first novel, about a young man’s discovery of his own homosexuality with an odd family in an odd house with distinctive rooms.

 

The title and the feel of the rooms including the mysterious woman reflected in the ‘Empty room’ reference in the song point to this source.

 

In addition,

Keep the Aspidistra Flying

By George Orwell is referenced:

 

A rather mediocre poet, after leaving boarding school takes an ideological decision to reject capitalism and live a frugal life. He does not enjoy being poor and it is a very amusing book.

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P47

 

There is something horrible about London at night; the coldness, the anonymity, the aloofness. Seven million people, sliding to and fro, avoiding contact, barely aware of one another’s existence,

 

P69

And even when they were not tarts it had been squalid, always squalid. Always it had started in a sort of cold-blooded wilfulness and ended in some mean, callous desertion.

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‘desertion’

‘seven million people’ [updated to the population of London in 1985].

 

There are numerous ‘other Voices’ who try to persuade him to abandon his decision to shun capitalism and money, always declaring he is wrong.

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These include his sister, his girlfriend, several friends and his employer. All attempt to change his mind.

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Quotes are not given for these as they form a major part of the novel.

 

The Empty World and All Cats Are Grey appear to reference the same novel.

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