Blog Archives
Skagboys
Author: Irvine Welsh
This is the prequel of Trainspotting, so before I keep going, I should say that no, I haven’t read Trainspotting – I only watched the movie. Yet, because I really liked it, I started reading almost every novel by Irvine Welsh. First was Porno, which is the sequel of Trainspotting, and then came the others, which you can see the reviews here on this blog.
I won’t bother you by repeating myself telling the reasons I like Irvine Welsh’s books, but if I had to pick only a couple of things, it would be the way he brings the characters to life, as if they were real people instead of fictional ones, and the sarcastic sense of humor.
So, with Skagboys we are again in Leith and following all the group: Mark Renton, Sick Boy, Begbie and Spud. Most of the chapters are told by Renton, but Sick Boy and Spud have some chapters to themselves, as well as Alison, whom, if I’m not wrong, will become Spud’s girlfriend in the future. The whole story is about them becoming junkies (except for Begbie) – why, when and how it affects their relationships, personalities and lives in general. There’s a lot about drug dealing and also a great criticism to the Thatcher government – what happened to people in Scotland when she came to power, and it seems one of the reasons for the spread of drug use was her government policies.
Glue
Author: Irvine Welsh
Another masterpiece, Glue has entered my list of favorite Irvine Welsh books, sharing the 1st place with Filth 
It is the story of 4 guys throughout the years: from the 70’s, when we have a glimpse of them kids through their parent’s eyes, until 2002, when the book ends and they are reaching their 40’s.
Andrew Galloway (Gally), Terry Lawson (Juice Terry), Carl Ewart (N-Sign) and Billy Birrel (Business Birrel) are 4 “schemies” from Edinburgh, each of them with his own personality, problems, dilemmas and interests, but all sharing a bond of friendship that, if diminished by the years and their life projects, could not be extinguished after all. Read the rest of this entry
Updates
Hello All,
It’s been a while since my last post, and as we have some family visiting us, with whom we are doing a bit of traveling around Australia/New Zealand, don’t expect a new review until the beginning of April.
Meanwhile, here is what is happening nowadays: Read the rest of this entry
Crime
Author: Irvine Welsh
After a mental breakdown due to a child murder case he investigated, and still recovering from drug abuse, D.I. Ray Lennox (Filth) goes on holidays to Miami, Florida with his fiancée Trudi, whose only idea is planning their wedding.
While there, they have a fight which ends up with Ray going with two women he met in a bar to their apartment to have some cocaine. Things go wild and Ray is now responsible for Tianna, a 10 year old girl and daughter of one of the women.
Haunted by the memories and ghosts from his recent case back in Edinburgh, Ray’s only quest now is to protect Tianna from a paedophile network.
The book is good and easy to read, but I didn’t get attached to it as with the other Irvine Welsh’s books. I don’t think there is enough depth on the story and the characters, and although the usual combination of drugs-sex-booze-violence, typical from the author, is there, it felt quite a different writing style – which is not my favorite. I love Welsh’s old and usual way of writing.
Buy Crime from: The Book Depository or Amazon.
Filth
Author: Irvine Welsh
Filth is, by far, my favorite Irvine Welsh’s novel. It is hilarious, depressive, revolting and disgusting, but a page-turner all the same.
Detective-Sargeant Bruce Robertson is a corrupt and sociopath “polis”, cocaine addicted, who hates everyone and plays these foul games of his with people (especially his workmates) to see them disgraced and out of his way – “how does it make you feel?” is a common question is his mind.
He is designated to investigate and solve the murder of a young black guy, which, by the way, happens in the prologue but doesn’t develop too much along the book, as the main plot is about Bruce and his sick behavior.
Marabou Stork Nightmares
Author: Irvine Welsh
Roy Strang has been in coma for a couple of years now, and he will tell us the story in two main plots: the hunt of the predator-scavenger bird Marabou Stork in South Africa, a completely fictional tale he created in his mind to apparently go deeper into his refuge from the outside and real world; and the true story of his life, growing up in a public housing project in Edinburgh, then moving to South Africa for 18 months, and back to Scotland, all punctuated by a problematic family, abuse, bullying and violence – the two plots connected, or maybe “interrupted”, by his sense of the people in the hospital: the nurses and doctors who take care of him and his family, who often comes visiting.
The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs
Author: Irvine Welsh
This is the story of Danny Skinner and Brian Kibby.
Danny Skinner is a heavy drinker who works for the health inspection department of Edinburgh. His mother is a former punk and his father is unknown. Skinner is obsessed about his father, but his mother won’t tell him who he is.
Brian Kibby is a very shy person who likes videogames, collects model-trains in the attic of his house and basically has no social life. Once a year, if I’m not wrong, he attends the Star Trek Convention.
When he starts working in the health inspection department, Skinner develops a hatred feeling towards him, apparently for no reason, so he’s bullied all the time, and this hate becomes an (other) obsession to Danny.
