Irvine Welsh books

[I Hart Man City]

The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs.
Started reading it but got sidetracked so can't give a review.
It was worth zero on Pointless the other day so it's probably shit!!

It's definitely not his best. But it's a quick and easy read compared to his others. It's got a bit of a Dorian Grey fantasy thing going on in it too which is a bit weird. The characters are also closer to stereotypes than some of his others. The ending is brilliant though.

 

[I Hart Man City]

agrred Glue is my fave book ... a lot of it is actually set in West Edinburgh near Stenhouse where me and Souness were brought up

Ah right, nice one, I thought it might be Leith like TS, was ages since I read it so couldn't remember. It's a proper epic though. Amazing book.

 

[peoffrey]

Thanks! Might look at Filth.

Yet to find another author like Welsh. Kevin Sampson and John King fall short.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Thanks! Might look at Filth.

Yet to find another author like Welsh. Kevin Sampson and John King fall short.

I've read all of Welch's apart from his latest. He' s patchy but brilliant.

I recommend "Kill Your Friends" by John Niven. Even more seedy than Welch, especially if you liked the Britpop era.

 

[peoffrey]

The first gig I ever went to was Cast supported by Longpigs! I'll give that a go too.

 

[uweuweuwe]

Not strictly Welch but he did write a short sci fi story in a collection called 'The children of Albion rovers' written by up and coming Scottish writers.

 

[peoffrey]

Irvine Welsh, surely? Not Welch.

 

[Cellarite]

I've read all of Welch's apart from his latest. He' s patchy but brilliant.

I recommend "Kill Your Friends" by John Niven. Even more seedy than Welch, especially if you liked the Britpop era.

I'll have a look at that, cheers.

Loved Marabou Stork Nightmares & Filth. Liked most of the others but thought A Decent Ride was a bit silly. He seemed to be ticking off the last of the taboos in it.

Glue, for me was the absolute bee's knees. I absolutely love that book. The title is a reference to what keeps mates together. Four lads growing up whose lives lead them different ways but they are held together by the bond formed in their childhood.

 

[bluekat]

I went through a phase i my early 20's where I read everything he had done, one after another. It was a total revelation and got me back into reading books.

Contrary to most of the posts in this thread I didn't particularly like Filth and it was this book that made me stop reading anything else he had done for many years. I have, however, recently read Skagboys, which I thought was brilliant, and then Porno which was a bit poor tbh.

He has never again hit the heights of Trainspotting, but I will read his new book The Blade Artist when it comes out. It is about Bebgie who is a changed man, a sculptor living in America!

 

[acquiesce]

As has been said, I'll agree to the Filth and Maribou Stork Nightmares group. Though i do love all his stuff.

If you are looking for similar authors, i would say Brett Easton Ellis (American Pscho, Less Than Zero, Rules of Attraction). Just trade Edinburgh for the drug scenes of New England or LA.

I've actually met Welsh a few times here in Chicago. He lives near me. Really top guy. Knows his football. He's married now so obviously settled down some, but you can see that twinkle in his eye.