Author:Irvine Welsh
The author returns to familiar territory with this new novel set in the immediate aftermath of the events of the original Trainspotting story. Renton, with the stolen loot, is holed up in an Amsterdam hotel trying to get clean, while a furious Sick Boy is attempting to find a new life in London. Meanwhile back in Edinburgh, Spud and Alison are scraping an existence at the rock bottom of society and Begbie continues to do what Begbie does, with retribution at the forefront of his thoughts. While Renton contemplates investing his ill-gotten gains in a night club venture, the amoral and manipulative Sick Boy can’t believe his luck when the daughter of a wealthy family succumbs to his dubious charms. With wedding bells on the horizon and a newly arrived baby, the life of his dreams is surely within reach. This uproariously funny, bawdy black comedy, set as the late eighties become the nineties, takes a look at what happens when young men begin to fall in love and form lasting relationships for the first time, for better and perhaps inevitably for worse. These enduring characters really are the archetypal gift that keeps on giving, and the pages just flew by in this raucous romp, and as a new decade dawns for friends and foes alike, their mantra now seems to be not choose life but choose love. A super read, highly recommended for fans of the author.
Length of Read:Long
Might appeal to people who enjoyed…
Welsh’s other novels, especially those in the Trainspotting series – Oasis, Pulp and now Trainspotting, the nineties are back with a vengeance!
One thing you’ve learned
A new documentary on the work of the author ‘Beyond Trainspotting – The World of Irvine Welsh’ is released on digital platforms later this week to coincide with the book’s publication and the impending 30th anniversary of the Trainspotting film. Welsh has also recorded an album that acts as a musical accompaniment to the novel.
I’ll have to have a look at this one, loved Trainspotting. Is the dialogue written in phonetic Scottish, like TS?
Partly depending which character is speaking.
I’d also recommend the other books in the series if you’ve not read them.
I do like me a bit of Welsh, but some reviews comment on its length, 500 pages and little sight of an editor. I was surprised it was set between, in film terms, Trainspotting 1 and 2, or, book wise, between, loosely, Trainspotting and Porno. I expected it to continue the journey further, as opened up by Blade Artist, of which, I gather Netflix, or one of them, are doing a series.
I didn’t find it overlong personally and it leaves some loose ends that could be tidied up in a future book perhaps.
I think the last book chronologically is Dead Men’s Trousers which if I recall correctly is set after Blade Artist – as you say that is supposedly in development by one of the streaming services.
As you say this novel fits inbetween Trainspotting and Porno, the events of which were set 10 years after the original book.
I couldn’t get into Blade Artist, it’s the whole Begbie 2.0 thing. It’s a suspension of belief too far for me. It must have seemed a flash of inspiration to totally change Begbie and strike a fresh seam ripe for a good few novels, but his style of prolix waffle really does get on my tits after a few pages.
The problem with Men In Love is how many times can Welsh return to this universe without risking some Back To The Future style chronological chaos and things gets totally unbelievable?
I agree Blade Artist is the weakest of the series – stretches credibility a bit too far for me.
I’m enjoying it so far, as I did all the other books.
In defence of the length, I’m not finding that it drags at all and, because of the plot structure, there’s more scope than you might except.