Irvine welsh skagboys epub

And even though it made me want to quit my job and drink myself to death, Skagboys lacks the killer punch of Trainspotting. When I read Trainspotting at the age of 23, it blew me away completely. It is a book that had a tremendous impact on my life. And the reason was the amazing social commentary in the book. Even though Trainspotting was humorous, the humour did not eclipse the despair felt by the characters. In both Porno and Skagboys, the things that need to be in the background seem to be in the forefront.

Nonetheless, a very entertaining read and it has affected me deeply, though nowhere as much as Trainspotting did. I guess this has as a lot to do with me being a much older person. View all 5 comments. Jan 08, Nigeyb rated it it was amazing. Since reading ' Trainspotting ' around the time it came out I have read and, to one degree or another, enjoyed every one of Irvine Welsh's books.

Before writing this review I had a look round at some of the other reviews and notice that this book does seem to polarise opinion, generally though most of the readers who have enjoyed previous Irvine Welsh books have enjoyed this one - though certainly not all. One reviewer likened ' Skagboys ' to the extras that turn on up on some DVDs, specifically tha Since reading ' Trainspotting ' around the time it came out I have read and, to one degree or another, enjoyed every one of Irvine Welsh's books.

One reviewer likened ' Skagboys ' to the extras that turn on up on some DVDs, specifically that ' Skagboys ' is the extras for ' Trainspotting ' - a more in depth look at the main characters on their path to drug addiction, prison etc.

I feel that does this book a slight disservice. Irvine Welsh says that ' Skagboys ' was written as part of ' Trainspotting , and at the same time, which makes sense. The book directly or indirectly touches on all aspects of the world of heroin during the Thatcher years, with the focus being on the core of working class lads from Leith. During the course of the book some of the characters move from Edinburgh; to London; briefly to Amsterdam and a stint working on a Sealink ferry; to a rehab centre near Fife; and even the Battle of Orgreave during the Miners Strike.

Irvine Welsh weaves in plenty of real life incidents into his narrative. Those events appear in ' Skagboys ' too. Talk about art imitating life. As with the other books about these characters the stories are told by different characters and from their different perspectives.

This is a real strength and gives the reader insights into each of the main characters, and many of the more minor ones too. I think the ' Trainspotting ' crew inspire Irvine Welsh's best writing. It's such a shame that he is no longer flavour of the month, as this book is absolutely superb.

If you loved ' Trainspotting ' and ' Porno ', then you'll probably revel in this prequel. By turns hilarious, appalling, and frequently both at the same time.

It's also quietly profound too - Irvine Welsh gives Renton numerous opportunities to take a route out of addiction, but each time he reasons that heroin addiction is a rational response to the futility of the alternatives on offer in Thatcher's Britain, and given his own personal history. The addict as the ultimate free spirited, non-conformist. That perhaps makes the book sound quite serious. It certainly has moments of profundity but is as much about Irvine Welsh's trademark hilarious, appalling, dark, witty, insightful set pieces, scams, and stories.

View all 4 comments. Apr 18, Rob rated it really liked it. It's been a long time — 15 years? Focusing once again on the same four characters Mark Renton, Simon "Sick Boy" Williamson, Spud, and Begbie , Welsh relates the story of how three of them first got hooked on heroin in the mids, while he simultaneously critiques class warfare, Margaret Thatcher's United Kingdom, and Scottish national id It's been a long time — 15 years? Focusing once again on the same four characters Mark Renton, Simon "Sick Boy" Williamson, Spud, and Begbie , Welsh relates the story of how three of them first got hooked on heroin in the mids, while he simultaneously critiques class warfare, Margaret Thatcher's United Kingdom, and Scottish national identity.

Told more or less in a series of vignettes, what Welsh does exceedingly well here is detail their descent into addiction especially Renton and Sick Boy as a reaction to the disgust they feel with themselves — pleasurable anesthesia that distracts them from all the things they hate when they look in the mirror.

This level of addiction is something I'll never understand, but after reading Skagboys I kind of get it. Oblivion is nice, right? There's a certain appeal to knowing your only obligation in life is finding your next fix.

But what Welsh definitely doesn't do is glamorize heroin addiction, which was the rap against Trainspotting. As the characters gradually become more fixated on the spike in their veins to paraphrase Lou Reed , there's no attempt to pretty up the corresponding decay in the rest of their lives. Welsh is, like always, not afraid to go dark, and I found myself relating to the characters — Renton, especially, a college kid who really should know better — with varying degrees of disgust and disappointment.

It's a rough read, but it's also laugh-out-loud funny in places their climactic scheme to steal a factory's worth of morphine is hysterical and horrifying at the same time , and Welsh's use of Scottish vernacular "Totally skint, man, n the bread trap ay Christmas n New Year looms.

It's a awfay scene. Mind you, everybody's in the same boat. Begbie comes roond the gaff, n yuv nivir seen a rooster in such a foul mood, ken?

I need to reacquaint myself with the rest of his stuff, but right now Skagboys feels like the best thing Welsh has ever written. May 13, Prundeanu Ciprian rated it really liked it. A seminal linguistic work on the intricacies of Scottish English and a thorough medical analysis of the perils of substance abuse. Aug 18, Sam rated it it was amazing. For the purposes of this review I decided to read Skagboys, Trainspotting and Porno one after another to get a true feel for the quality of each. I'd read prior to embarking on this epic trek through the 'trilogy' that Skagboys is simply too long-winded and meandering compared to the pithy set-pieces of Trainspotting.

However, as a massive fan of Irvine Welsh I found Skagboys to be utterly enthralling and potentially even better than Trainspotting. This is a complicated judgement though because For the purposes of this review I decided to read Skagboys, Trainspotting and Porno one after another to get a true feel for the quality of each.

This is a complicated judgement though because without having read Trainspotting beforehand I don't think I would have enjoyed it so much. The thrill for me was finding out so much of the background to all the characters I loved from Trainspotting - the political context in particular is very interesting albeit predictable; Thatcherism etc etc.

So despite the fact that chronologically its set before Trainspotting, I would advise those new to Renton, Sick Boy et. I would treat Skagboys as the extras on the Director's Cut DVD, albeit a set of extras that is over three-times the length of the original feature! Perfect for fans. View 1 comment. Feb 25, Daren rated it it was amazing Shelves: uk-author , fiction , uk , 5-star. Even though I am a big fan Welsh's work, this book worked a lot better than I had expected.

It is, of course the prequel to Trainspotting , and fills in the backgrounds of our favourite characters during the s, including their introduction to heroin. Like Trainspotting, and many of Welsh's other books it is written in part in Scottish dialect. It amazes me, with the writing, how talented Welsh is to be able to have a different written form for each character.

For each chapter before the narrator Even though I am a big fan Welsh's work, this book worked a lot better than I had expected. For each chapter before the narrator is fully revealed, it is almost always obvious who the character is just by the formation of their sentences and word choices. At some pages, this book sat in my shelf for a long time for two reasons - it is a lengthy investment in time, but more importantly, I was concerned it wouldn't be excellent.

It could have been a shallow, or poorly constructed reverse-engineering of Renton, Sick Boy, Spud and Begbie. It could have done a disservice to Trainspotting, one of my favourite books of my youth. Thankfully, it was none of these things. Excellent, and 5 Stars. View all 8 comments. Mar 21, McKinley rated it it was amazing Shelves: reading-challenge. This is one of the best fucking books I've ever read. I've come full circle following the Irvine train since then, and I'll always be a Welshian.

I may write a full review once I've regained the ability to form sentences. Or rather the sense that I've any right or need to form them after this man puts the final dot on the page. There is much to be said about this book, but I don't know that I am the one to say any of it, or if I even want t This is one of the best fucking books I've ever read.

There is much to be said about this book, but I don't know that I am the one to say any of it, or if I even want to try. I'm still coming down. I may never touch bottom. Read this book if it's the last thing you do. Apr 23, Pippa rated it really liked it. I was unsure whether a prequel to Trainspotting could ever live up to expectations but was pleasantly surprised.

Welsh has constructed a brilliant journey with the highs, lows and unpleasantness that we have come to expect. As always there are some spectacularly emotional, aggravating and of course disgusting scenes. The book is made all the more poignant knowing full well that the characters downwards spirals and attempts to escape their predicaments will never come to fruition having grown so I was unsure whether a prequel to Trainspotting could ever live up to expectations but was pleasantly surprised.

The book is made all the more poignant knowing full well that the characters downwards spirals and attempts to escape their predicaments will never come to fruition having grown so attached them in Trainspotting. May 17, Sara rated it it was amazing. Despite the mixed reviews I had seen, I love the 'Trainspotting' boys and it was good to add to ther backstories with this prequel. Not as jovial as 'Porno' but with some fabulous gallows humour in places and when he tries, Mr Welsh describes his home town of Edina with a wonderfully bleak turn of phrase.

A quality read, likeasay catboy : Despite the mixed reviews I had seen, I love the 'Trainspotting' boys and it was good to add to ther backstories with this prequel. A quality read, likeasay catboy Written as a prequel to Welsh's debut novel, Trainspotting, Skagboys is about Mark Renton and his friends as they descend into heroin addiction in s Scotland. It's told in a series of vignettes from the point of view of many different characters.

Like Welsh's other works, it is written completely in Scots dialect and does take some getting used to. I loved this book a lot more than I thought I would. This book is so enjoyable to read. The character's interactions are hilarious but the book is also depressing at the same time as we see a promising young man turn to addiction.

All of the characters are written with their own distinct voices so well that even when the view point switches, you don't need to be told who is narrating. This book was definitely a page turner and didn't leave me bored for a second. I am definitely planning on picking up the next books in the series.

May 30, Loren Niva rated it it was amazing. As a long time Welsh fan, I suppose I could be considered a little biased - but really, in all honesty, this is one of the cult Scottish author's finest efforts to date. Skagboys revisits the sunny port of Leith and adjoining Edinburgh, and the eclectic cast of characters that made up Welsh's debut effort - the drugged-out classic Trainspotting.

All your skeevy old pals are here Only this time, we meet Leith's finest schemies in their early twenties - just as they're developing that nasty little heroin habit which was the focal point of Trainspotting.

So yes, it's a prequel to Trainspotting, featuring characters that should be familiar to fans of the earlier book or its cinematic adaptation. But, as always, Welsh is not afraid to delve a little deeper.

While on the surface a simple story of a hopeless descent into addiction, the novel also chronicles the sad devolution of the working class in dystopian mid-eighties Scotland.

It's quite interesting, but also quite depressing, to bear witness to the slow ravaging of blue collar Scottish society, whose denizens turn to drugs and violence to numb the economic and social hardships incurred by the rise of Maggie's Farm.

If you're a fan of Trainspotting, or it's excellent sequel Porno which revisits our anti-heroes in their mid thirties then I simply can't recommend this read enough. In the off chance you've read some of Welsh's other works, and haven't got around to Trainspotting, then I'd advise you to start here.

Be warned, though - as with all the author's works, this is definitely NOT for the faint of heart. Vintage Welsh. It's a good thing. ISBN Author Irvine Welsh. Publisher Random House. Release 19 April Subjects Fiction Literature. This reader was mesmerised by the lurid descriptions, dark humour, diverse prose, and the memorable, amoral characters. As with the other books about these characters the stories are told by different characters and from their different perspectives.

Order by newest oldest recommendations. Loading comments… Trouble loading? This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website.

These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. A similar case is that of Alison, whose mother is reduced to a 'sack ay skin, bone and tumour, wrapped in bandages across the chest the surgeon's made flat', ibid.

Some details about Renton that are brought out in 'The First Shag In Ages' are expanded in Skagboys : his time at Aberdeen university and as a joiner's apprentice with Ralphy Gillsland. In the prequel we also find out more about his Before concluding this chapter, here is a case study on alternative spellings for the first person possessive determiner in Skagboys , by Irvine Welsh. Variability of the spelling of the possessive Irvine Welsh's scintillating, disturbing, and altogether outrageous collection of stories—the basis for the cult movie directed by Paul McGuigan.

But there's no room for him in the s and when his family starts to fracture, Mark's life swings out of control.