Recommend me an Irvine Welsh book

kraggy · 02-08-2008 2:37pm #1

Hi.

Have read Glue and it's one of my favourites of all time. Thought it was genius.

What else would you recommend me to get? Need something to read as I'm half way through The Shadow of the Wind and just can't finish it. Have enjoyed parts but I keep leaving it for some reason.

Also, not really interested in getting Trainspotting as I've seen the movie and don't want to know what happens next!

Grma

Ho-Hum · 02-08-2008 3:24pm

Trainspotting is a great read even if you have seen the film I'd also reccomend The Acid House

pwd · 02-08-2008 3:24pm

I liked Glue too. Unusually positive for Irvine Welsh.
I've read all his books.

The best ones are:
Trainspotting, Glue, Maribou Stork Nightmares, and Porno.

Porno would be your best bet since you don't want to read Trainspotting. I preferred Maribou Stork Nightmares to Porno, but it's quite different to Glue so liking Glue would not necessarily mean you'd like MS Nightmares

.
Porno has some of the same characters as Trainspotting.

Most of his books are dark and shocking in parts - but Filth is darker and more shocking. I was really disgusted by it.

I wouldn't rule out Trainspotting. I read it within a month of seeing the film and really enjoyed it. There's more in the book than in the film, and the ending is a bit different.

orchidsrpretty · 02-08-2008 3:41pm

Porno is a brilliant read. Bedroom secerts of the master-chefs is fantasic aswell. I think it is his latest novel.

CSC · 02-08-2008 3:43pm

His latest book is Crime - I just bought it this week. My favourite Irvine Welsh book is Filth; it's class.
Would also recommend reading Trainspotting as the book is far superior to the film.

pwd · 02-08-2008 3:54pm

sicko lol

CSC · 02-08-2008 3:56pm

:D:D Same rules apply.

Tigger · 02-08-2008 4:13pm

pwd wrote: »

I liked Glue too. Unusually positive for Irvine Welsh.
I've read all his books.

The best ones are:
Trainspotting, Glue, Maribou Stork Nightmares, and Porno.

Porno would be your best bet since you don't want to read Trainspotting. I preferred Maribou Stork Nightmares to Porno, but it's quite different to Glue so liking Glue would not necessarily mean you'd like MS Nightmares .
Porno has some of the same characters as Trainspotting.

Most of his books are dark and shocking in parts - but Filth is darker and more shocking. I was really disgusted by it.

I wouldn't rule out Trainspotting. I read it within a month of seeing the film and really enjoyed it. There's more in the book than in the film, and the ending is a bit different.

if there aws no film tranispiotting would be the best hands down

but there is and it makes me feel that glue is the best book well written and charming in places

then trainspotting and porno

BroomBurner · 02-08-2008 4:15pm

Trainspotting and Filth

kraggy · 02-08-2008 7:21pm

Thanks buoys and gulls,

Just back from town. Went for Porno.

Starting it tonight.

If it's half as good as Glue...

CSC · 02-08-2008 7:25pm

It's better imho. You should enjoy it as it also features characters from Glue e.g Juice Terry.

Tigger · 02-08-2008 7:26pm

CSC wrote: »

:D:D Same rules apply.

lol

Tigger · 02-08-2008 7:26pm

CSC wrote: »

It's better imho. You should enjoy it as it also features characters from Glue e.g Juice Terry.

and renton and sickboy and shagging
loadz a shagging

the clue is in the name

kraggy · 02-08-2008 7:55pm

Ah Juice Terry, hilarious character.

orchidsrpretty · 02-08-2008 8:57pm

CSC wrote: »

His latest book is Crime - I just bought it this week. My favourite Irvine Welsh book is Filth; it's class.
Would also recommend reading Trainspotting as the book is far superior to the film.

Is Crime any good?

CSC · 02-08-2008 9:03pm

Only started reading it today. I have read a few reviews of the book and they haven't been glowing. I am hoping I enjoy it though.
I think Welsh is a victim of his own success; his new books will always be compared to his earlier works.

showry · 02-08-2008 11:00pm

Is Crime any good?

It's only ok, no more than that really.
I thought the characters were poorly developed, normally with him I find a very strong loathing or liking for the characters but I couldn't really care less about this one.
Maybe it was the location but it came over like a Carl Hiassen (sp?) book.

Outside of Trainspotting, Porno and The Acid House were my favourites. I did love the first story in Ecstasy too.

Affable · 03-08-2008 1:27pm

Marabou Stork Nightmares is brilliant.

Hrududu · 07-08-2008 3:39pm

I loved Maribou Stork Nightmares. It's my favourite of his, although I havent read one since I finished Filth.

Eoin · 07-08-2008 4:42pm

I read "The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs" last year, and I didn't think it was anywhere near as good as his others. Filth is excellent.

pwd · 07-08-2008 5:00pm

showry wrote: »

It's only ok, no more than that really.
I thought the characters were poorly developed, normally with him I find a very strong loathing or liking for the characters but I couldn't really care less about this one.
Maybe it was the location but it came over like a Carl Hiassen (sp?) book.

Outside of Trainspotting, Porno and The Acid House were my favourites. I did love the first story in Ecstasy too.

I finished it the other day.
I thought it was very conventional compared to most of his books,

especially the ending, which was just the story being wrapped up really, rather than a climax or a surprise

I didn't think the protagonist was poorly developed myself. There wasn't the same intimate knowledge of him that is given in a lot of his writing - partially because of his personality, and partly because the book was written mainly in the third person. Most of his writing is in the first person I think, and often you get very intimate views of the character (eg

the subconscious mind of the protagonist

in Maribou Stork,

the tapeworm in the gut of the guy

in filth). In Crime,

Lennox is someone who is represses and fights against his demons

so you don't get such an extreme personal view of him. But I thought he was developed very well, in a more subtle manner than other Welsh characters.

I think this sort of approach was necessary given the subject matter. Personally, I might have found the book unreadable if he dealt with such a dreadful subject in a more extreme kinda way.

I enjoyed the book overall and was interested in some of the ideas in it. I also found it very engaging.

buck65 · 07-08-2008 5:15pm

How late it was, how late - James Kelman

sloppydrunk · 11-08-2008 5:24pm

Ah i reckon you have to read trainspotting even if uve a seen the film,, theres alot of differences and its so much funnier than the film,, Franco Begbies a legend,, the chapters narrated by him are hilarious cos u get to see the world through the eyes of a total nutjob,, it was my favourite book for years unil i read glue,,

Its good to read all the Irvine Welsh books cos the characters keep popping in and out of each book, you dont really notice them when just reading one book but they become little rewards when u get around to reading all of them

Absolutely loved glue Juice Terry is gas "spice a life"

Tremone · 12-08-2008 3:59pm

Forget the film, this book has so much more than the film. i've read a fair few Welsh novels but this is the one I couldn't put down, once you get round the dialect straight way of telling the story it's masterpiece ken what i mean