The Blade Artist - Irvine Welsh

[The__Proclaimer]

Or the first Frank Begbie solo novel.

Strange book this. Plot involves our favourite psychopath turn his back on violence, bevy and rage to basically become a new-age, salsa dancing, clean eating calofornian hippy famed for his sculptures.

First couple of chapters are set in his American domestic bliss and I must admit I was worried. Always found Welsh incredibly weak when writing from an American perspective. Fortunately most of book set in familiar Edinburgh as our Franco has to return for a family bereavement.

From then on its as if you're reading an Ian Rankin novel rather than Irvine Welsh with tales of thugs, gangsters and mystery solving.

Begbie's transformation in 6 years to this chilled out zen master is pretty unbelievable at times but if you suspend that disbelief it's an entertaining read full of familiar characters a lot of us have grown up with now.

Not one of his classics but its like War & Peace compared to trash like Sex Lives Of The Siamese Twins he's churned out.


Anyone got any recent recommendations? Any genre but I'm after pretty light reading at the moment.

 

[aggie]

I just finished Yevgeny Zamyatin's "We", which was good, quite short, and not too dense? Was the inspiration for "1984", apparently.

 

[Dub]

Or the first Frank Begbie solo novel.

Strange book this. Plot involves our favourite psychopath turn his back on violence, bevy and rage to basically become a new-age, salsa dancing, clean eating calofornian hippy famed for his sculptures.

First couple of chapters are set in his American domestic bliss and I must admit I was worried. Always found Welsh incredibly weak when writing from an American perspective. Fortunately most of book set in familiar Edinburgh as our Franco has to return for a family bereavement.

From then on its as if you're reading an Ian Rankin novel rather than Irvine Welsh with tales of thugs, gangsters and mystery solving.

Begbie's transformation in 6 years to this chilled out zen master is pretty unbelievable at times but if you suspend that disbelief it's an entertaining read full of familiar characters a lot of us have grown up with now.

Not one of his classics but its like War & Peace compared to trash like Sex Lives Of The Siamese Twins he's churned out.


Anyone got any recent recommendations? Any genre but I'm after pretty light reading at the moment.

I'm almost finished the History of the Celts you emailed me. I still have a hard drive with thousands of books on it S. I'll happily drop to yours and let you look through it to see if there is anything you want to read mate. It's a PM away

 

[The__Proclaimer]

I just finished Yevgeny Zamyatin's "We", which was good, quite short, and not too dense? Was the inspiration for "1984", apparently.

Cheers, it's only 99p for kindle the now so will check it out. Not usually into Sci Fi but that sounds more like anti-utopian which I really like.

I'm almost finished the History of the Celts you emailed me. I still have a hard drive with thousands of books on it S. I'll happily drop to yours and let you look through it to see if there is anything you want to read mate. It's a PM away

I'm like you mate, 1000000's of books on laptop but just trying to sift thru them by asking for recommendations. Hope you've learned something new about the Celts, every day is a school day.

 

[Robert Barone]

Or the first Frank Begbie solo novel.

Strange book this. Plot involves our favourite psychopath turn his back on violence, bevy and rage to basically become a new-age, salsa dancing, clean eating calofornian hippy famed for his sculptures.

First couple of chapters are set in his American domestic bliss and I must admit I was worried. Always found Welsh incredibly weak when writing from an American perspective. Fortunately most of book set in familiar Edinburgh as our Franco has to return for a family bereavement.

From then on its as if you're reading an Ian Rankin novel rather than Irvine Welsh with tales of thugs, gangsters and mystery solving.

Begbie's transformation in 6 years to this chilled out zen master is pretty unbelievable at times but if you suspend that disbelief it's an entertaining read full of familiar characters a lot of us have grown up with now.

Not one of his classics but its like War & Peace compared to trash like Sex Lives Of The Siamese Twins he's churned out.


Anyone got any recent recommendations? Any genre but I'm after pretty light reading at the moment.

Read the The Blade Artist last week - like you I really struggled with the Begbie transformation - just didn't ring true at all. IMO Welsh's greatest books have been where he's written character driven stories with a great ensemble cast of radges. Glue and Trainspotting are good examples - and probably my favourite books of his.

Stumbled accross a book by Barry Phillips - he was the guy who used to write the surreal blogs on Leigh Griffiths/Jocky Scott on Pie and Bovril I think it was. He's got a book out called The Tartan Special One which is worth a go if you fancy some light reading and (an almost Beefy like) funny turn of phrase. Had me chuckling away most of the way thru it.

 

[tricky]

read the Blade Artist the other week, thought it was pretty poor stuff.

will prob pick up the new Stuart Cosgrove book about Northern Soul when it comes out

 

[Purple & Green]

Welsh's greatest books have been where he's written character driven stories with a great ensemble cast of radges.

He'll never match Trainspotting, his subsequent books have been beautifully crafted and pulled together but for sheer manic writing energy and story Trainspotting tops them all. You just can't produce that again. I have been told that the characters are all based on real people - I don't know if that's true or not - but it has the ring of truth.

Reading that back, it's preference I suppose. You can appreciate beautiful craft, but something extra, something brilliant is just different. Give me manic over crafted every day.

 

[egb_hibs]

Don't fancy the blade artist as I gather it turns the random psycho we've all met into a bit of a cliche.

A book id recommend is 'black chalk' about a game of dares at university that goes too far with lifelong consequences. Although a potboiler it is quite complicated in structure though, jumping back in forward through time which if you're knackered might be off putting. Think of a
Number by John verdon is more straightforward and should appeal to the reacher fan in you (without the sadism which puts me off reacher personally)

 

[Bofahibee]

will prob pick up the new Stuart Cosgrove book about Northern Soul when it comes out

If it's as badly written as Detroit 67 I'll give it a swerve.


Sent by telepathy.

 

[Plasticman]

Anything Brett Easton Ellis. American Psycho, Less than Zero.... for me blows Welsh out the water. His characters are generally selfish, egocentric, narcissistic self serving bastards...very of our time. USA Today described Less Then Zero as "The Catcher in the Rye for the MTV generation" ..whatever the fuck that means !! Catcher in the Rye ironically (for me) is the best book ever, both hilarious and heart-breaking at times, well worth a peek . If you have seen American Psycho on film..it bears , as per, no reflection of the book whatsoever which is deeply dark and disturbing.

Cheers

Ellis is my fav author and American Psycho my fav book, so approve this recommendation

Also, I enjoyed the blade artist, Irvines best book for yonks

 

[southfieldhibby]

I rarely ever read nowadays, but I've got The Nowhere Men beside my kip just now, it's starting pretty well. Light reading, nothing too intense.

 

[egb_hibs]

Anything Brett Easton Ellis. American Psycho, Less than Zero.... for me blows Welsh out the water. His characters are generally selfish, egocentric, narcissistic self serving $#@!s...very of our time. USA Today described Less Then Zero as "The Catcher in the Rye for the MTV generation" ..whatever the $#@! that means !! Catcher in the Rye ironically (for me) is the best book ever, both hilarious and heart-breaking at times, well worth a peek . If you have seen American Psycho on film..it bears , as per, no reflection of the book whatsoever which is deeply dark and disturbing.

Cheers

Only read American psycho which is quite clever - but as it is deliberately boring for large stretches and rather heavy, I'm not sure it's a good fit for somebody whose no well!

 

[Zab]

Or the first Frank Begbie solo novel.

Strange book this. Plot involves our favourite psychopath turn his back on violence, bevy and rage to basically become a new-age, salsa dancing, clean eating calofornian hippy famed for his sculptures.

First couple of chapters are set in his American domestic bliss and I must admit I was worried. Always found Welsh incredibly weak when writing from an American perspective. Fortunately most of book set in familiar Edinburgh as our Franco has to return for a family bereavement.

From then on its as if you're reading an Ian Rankin novel rather than Irvine Welsh with tales of thugs, gangsters and mystery solving.

Begbie's transformation in 6 years to this chilled out zen master is pretty unbelievable at times but if you suspend that disbelief it's an entertaining read full of familiar characters a lot of us have grown up with now.

Not one of his classics but its like War & Peace compared to trash like Sex Lives Of The Siamese Twins he's churned out.


Anyone got any recent recommendations? Any genre but I'm after pretty light reading at the moment.

I've been reading the John Milton series of books by Mark Dawson - pretty easy going espionage/man on the run stuff, of a similar vain to Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels.

 

[egb_hibs]

I've never really read a lot of Stephen King novels - not really my thing. But Firestarter is brilliant. From a Buick 8 isn't bad either. They should keep you interested without being too "in depth".

Been a while since I read any King but 'It' is great and one to really get lost in - it's a brick though

 

[egb_hibs]

Cheers eegie. What's it about?

Hard to say lol....it's got a spooky clown in it and the usual SK shadey ending, but it's also about young lads growing up together, and I think that's why it's so involving. There's a bit of 'stand by me ' as well a creepy SK to it, if you know what I mean.

 

[aggie]

Hard to say lol....it's got a spooky clown in it and the usual SK shadey ending, but it's also about young lads growing up together, and I think that's why it's so involving. There's a bit of 'stand by me ' as well a creepy SK to it, if you know what I mean.

For me, as a huge fan of King's early stuff, they're always more about something other than the ostensible plot; and usually stuff like growing up, being a teenager, small town life, the advent of modernity. Not read much of his modern stuff, but stuff like Carrie, Salems Lot, The Stand, etc, is brilliant and much undervalued, IMO.

 

[southfieldhibby]

Adrian Doherty: did Manchester United let down football’s lost genius? | Football | The Guardian

Will be buying this.

 

[Green Sleeves]

For sheer manic energy, crazed imagination and incredible writing City of Bohane by Kevin Barry takes some beating. Set in a dystopian future city in Ireland of 2053 where power and food are in short supply, but gangs aint, its 100% mental. Ultraviolent but beautiful. Couldn't put it down. His language and dialogue is free range, a mix of past, present and future, gangland and gypsy, and reminds me a wee bit of what Burgess did with Clockwork Orange.

 

[ArchieinPerth]

Adrian Doherty: did Manchester United let down football’s lost genius? | Football | The Guardian

Will be buying this.

looks interesting will add it be my ever growing list

 

[Dub]

For sheer manic energy, crazed imagination and incredible writing City of Bohane by Kevin Barry takes some beating. Set in a dystopian future city in Ireland of 2053 where power and food are in short supply, but gangs aint, its 100% mental. Ultraviolent but beautiful. Couldn't put it down. His language and dialogue is free range, a mix of past, present and future, gangland and gypsy, and reminds me a wee bit of what Burgess did with Clockwork Orange.

That sounds right up my street

 

[Funkydunc]

I've read a few by Stuart macbride recently, found them quite entertaining. Similar to rebus but set up in ehberdeen and he goes a bit darker than Rankin. In fact probably more like Chris Brookmyre.

 

[blue toon hibby]

Or the first Frank Begbie solo novel.

Strange book this. Plot involves our favourite psychopath turn his back on violence, bevy and rage to basically become a new-age, salsa dancing, clean eating calofornian hippy famed for his sculptures.

First couple of chapters are set in his American domestic bliss and I must admit I was worried. Always found Welsh incredibly weak when writing from an American perspective. Fortunately most of book set in familiar Edinburgh as our Franco has to return for a family bereavement.

From then on its as if you're reading an Ian Rankin novel rather than Irvine Welsh with tales of thugs, gangsters and mystery solving.

Begbie's transformation in 6 years to this chilled out zen master is pretty unbelievable at times but if you suspend that disbelief it's an entertaining read full of familiar characters a lot of us have grown up with now.

Not one of his classics but its like War & Peace compared to trash like Sex Lives Of The Siamese Twins he's churned out.


Anyone got any recent recommendations? Any genre but I'm after pretty light reading at the moment.

Will look out for this one - thanks Shaun.

My favourite writer at present is Chris Brookmyre - he's flitting between genres at the moment but all his books have been "unputdownable" to me.

 

[Braehead Cabbage]

For me, as a huge fan of King's early stuff, they're always more about something other than the ostensible plot; and usually stuff like growing up, being a teenager, small town life, the advent of modernity. Not read much of his modern stuff, but stuff like Carrie, Salems Lot, The Stand, etc, is brilliant and much undervalued, IMO.

The Stand is brilliant.

- - - Updated - - -

Anything by Sam Bourne/Jonathan Freedland are recommended.

 

[Plasticman]

The Stand is brilliant.

- - - Updated - - -

Anything by Sam Bourne/Jonathan Freedland are recommended.

I dont really rad an awful lot of fiction now, but when I did I managed to read a lot of Kings books. They always started brilliantly, great descriptive work but always felt they petered out. However... I thought the full version (he released an abridged version first) of The Stand was fantastic.