Your favourite book by Irvine Welsh

[Joe]

Personally, I've an unusual dilemma. Trainspotting is currently my favourite book of all-time,

yet I'm going with Marabou Stork Nightmares for my favourite Irvine Welsh book.

Marabou Stork Nightmares

[Jason]

I haven't read anything by him before, I will have to one day.

[Grace]

I have obsessively read all of them, multiple times (did I mention obsessed!?)

I can't say there is one fave, but top 3 are:
-Filth
-Trainspotting
-Skagboys.

[Joe]

I've read them all except Crime

I thought that the collection, If You Liked School, You'll Love Work was his weakest.

[Grace]

Agreed. I very much prefer his novels to short stories.

Crime is pretty excellent. different & heavy.

I really enjoyed The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins recently. I think his writing gets better with every book.

But as a collection of characters, I just can't go past the Skagboys/Trainspotting guys. Just love them.

[Grace]

I haven't read Marabou in a long time. You've inspired me to reread it.

[Joe]

Ah yeah the Trainspotting gang are my favourite cast of characters ever. Rents, Sick Boy, Spud, Tommy, Swanney, Second Prize, Matty (I love his segment in Trainspotting, 'Bad Blood'). And the best of all, Francis Begbie. When's he gonna get his own book?? Wouldn't that be deadly?

I actually read Sex Lives of Siamese Twins recently too and I didn't think much of it. It was ok, but I was very disappointed. Not sure what it was exactly but I just found it a bit tedious.

Looking forward to reading Crime now!

[Joe]

Jason wrote: "I haven't read anything by him before, I will have to one day."

Wish I could go back and read them afresh! Highly recommend the Trainspotting series, it was followed by a sequel called Porno and a prequel called Skagboys. Twisted, funny, violent, exciting and you feel like you're friends with the characters after reading them! Welsh is an incredibly gifted writer.

[Jason]

When I get around to reading Welsh I will def be starting with Trainspotting.

[Grace]

Hey Jason, there is definitely merit in reading Welsh's books in the order they were written - partly to see his style evolve and partly because there is a cross-over of characters with every book somewhere - even if obscure!

When I read Skagboys for the first time, I immediately re-read Trainspotting then Porno. That is the time order in the story. It was quite fun. Even though I had read them all before, I did enjoy reading them in that sequence.

However, I did find Skagboys to be a far more depressing book knowing the boys and knowing their future, so maybe some of the impact of that book is lost if you read it before Trainspotting (and to a lesser extent Porno).

Filth then Crime is also a good back to back combo. I think both of these novels are right up there with some of his best work.

If you get the Welsh bug, I would also suggest reading Glue before his new book next year as one of the main characters of Glue - Juice Terry - will be the star of the new one!

[Jason]

Cheers grace. I am pretty sure I will catch the Welsh bug.

[Joe]

However, I did find Skagboys to be a far more depressing book knowing the boys and knowing their future, so maybe some of the impact of that book is lost if you read it before Trainspotting (and to a lesser extent Porno).

Well said Grace!