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1and8pence2much's review against another edition
3.0
When I read the other books concerning Mark’s friend group, I loved to imagine them getting out of the awful situation their friendship has created and happily carrying on with their lives, likely because they were set in the mid-1980s, early 1990s and late 1990s, times I never lived in. Let us just say that this book shattered this.
This book is set in the years of 2015 and 2016, times when I was very much alive, and concerns the lives of Mark, Sick Boy, Spud and Begbie as fifty-year-olds. I read a lot of other reviews that stated that they found it tedious to read about middle-aged people having sex and doing drugs, me getting very much the opposite reaction. Though all of the characters state that having sex, doing drugs, enjoying music, being violent and committing crimes has become tiring to them, as they have grown older, I particularly liked this book mainly for the fact that it concerned them doing so. It is very rare for me to read about much older people engaging in indecent activities, but I am sure that this still occurs in real life and is rarely represented and I am glad there is fiction about it. The characters also try a drug never taken in the other books, DMT: its use in the book is one interpretation of its title, is incredibly well-illustrated (it is very cool that a comic book format was used for the parts concerning the DMT trips!) and contributes, as it is commonly used an entheogen and made several characters question their religious views, greatly to the book’s greatly important theme of finality.
Finality is an important theme in this book (I mean, one will read two descriptions of funerals in it!) I am remembering how, in “Porno”, maturity was described in realising one was not inevitable or immortal and one begins to think heavily of the thought of their own death. Indeed, as many characters in this book, though in much better social and economic situations (expect for Spud, who, even thirty-one years after “Skagboys”, still lives in poverty and is in active addiction. This makes me feel horrible as Spid is my favourite of the “Trainspotting” characters and I discuss his downfall sequence in “Skagboys” a lot and the fact that it ends this way is really depressing) feel discontent with their lives. And what certainties are there? The very simple, death and life.
This book concerns a lot of relationships between relatives in families (an important character in this book, Euan McCorkindale, ends up in a very depressing situation with his wife after Sick Boy spikes his drink with ecstasy at the beginning of the book) which, this being Irvine Welsh, are, in most cases, failing, though, for example, in Mark’s and Begbie’s families, there is a lot of unexpected warmth. Surprisingly, I found these very fun to read about them, though I treated them in the same way as I did the amazingly-described bar fights in the other books: I was very worried for the people involved but enjoyed reading how the events would unfold and dreaded finding out who would end up being treated as the victim.
I was also glad to see what has been happening to Begbie’s wife, Melanie, in “The Blade Artist” continued in this book, as I was greatly nervous for her and I felt that, with the chapters concerning her being stalked by Harry intertwining with the other main storylines (and, of course, joining one of them directly later on), this was much more well-paced.
This book was also, when it was released, frequently promoted with the statement of the fact that one of the “big four” “Trainspotting” characters would die in this book. Let us just say, when this death occurred very unexpectedly to me, I cried for fifteen minutes straight and cried even more at its consequences expressed in the feelings of the other characters. This is positively the second time I am crying over anything “Trainspotting”-related. A lot of deaths and events that have happened in previous books in this series (“Bang to Rites” from “Trainspotting” is referred to a few times as Mark meets Sharon again and that definitely made me laugh quite a bit as that chapter is very… let us say, memorable) are also explored again, especially by a maturer Mark, which I found really interesting.
Except for the usual themes of sex, drugs and violence that Irvine Welsh is known to write about, this book also talks heavily about the organ trade. What exactly happens in this book concerning that was very upsetting to me and this is a topic I do not enjoy reading about at all, though it is undeniably relevant, especially in circles of people with addictions. Though, I understand, I was supposed to be uncomfortable (as I was with “Trainspotting” too), I do not exactly think that I could read this book again due to this. I also did not like the parts concerning homosexuality as the words Sick Boy when talking to his son used were offensive and quite over-the-top (though I love the fact that Sick Boy loves the fact that his son is gay because he will not have to compete for how much women he will have sex with with him, like he did with his father), so I really cannot say I fully enjoyed this, though this was still thoroughly engaging.
(This book also had… let us say, wonderful descriptions of pubs and bars. I would love to visit the pub that has “probably changed its name over a million times” and am glad that a pub Mark visited in this book finally has “drinkable beer”!)
This book is set in the years of 2015 and 2016, times when I was very much alive, and concerns the lives of Mark, Sick Boy, Spud and Begbie as fifty-year-olds. I read a lot of other reviews that stated that they found it tedious to read about middle-aged people having sex and doing drugs, me getting very much the opposite reaction. Though all of the characters state that having sex, doing drugs, enjoying music, being violent and committing crimes has become tiring to them, as they have grown older, I particularly liked this book mainly for the fact that it concerned them doing so. It is very rare for me to read about much older people engaging in indecent activities, but I am sure that this still occurs in real life and is rarely represented and I am glad there is fiction about it. The characters also try a drug never taken in the other books, DMT: its use in the book is one interpretation of its title, is incredibly well-illustrated (it is very cool that a comic book format was used for the parts concerning the DMT trips!) and contributes, as it is commonly used an entheogen and made several characters question their religious views, greatly to the book’s greatly important theme of finality.
Finality is an important theme in this book (I mean, one will read two descriptions of funerals in it!) I am remembering how, in “Porno”, maturity was described in realising one was not inevitable or immortal and one begins to think heavily of the thought of their own death. Indeed, as many characters in this book, though in much better social and economic situations (expect for Spud, who, even thirty-one years after “Skagboys”, still lives in poverty and is in active addiction. This makes me feel horrible as Spid is my favourite of the “Trainspotting” characters and I discuss his downfall sequence in “Skagboys” a lot and the fact that it ends this way is really depressing) feel discontent with their lives. And what certainties are there? The very simple, death and life.
This book concerns a lot of relationships between relatives in families (an important character in this book, Euan McCorkindale, ends up in a very depressing situation with his wife after Sick Boy spikes his drink with ecstasy at the beginning of the book) which, this being Irvine Welsh, are, in most cases, failing, though, for example, in Mark’s and Begbie’s families, there is a lot of unexpected warmth. Surprisingly, I found these very fun to read about them, though I treated them in the same way as I did the amazingly-described bar fights in the other books: I was very worried for the people involved but enjoyed reading how the events would unfold and dreaded finding out who would end up being treated as the victim.
I was also glad to see what has been happening to Begbie’s wife, Melanie, in “The Blade Artist” continued in this book, as I was greatly nervous for her and I felt that, with the chapters concerning her being stalked by Harry intertwining with the other main storylines (and, of course, joining one of them directly later on), this was much more well-paced.
This book was also, when it was released, frequently promoted with the statement of the fact that one of the “big four” “Trainspotting” characters would die in this book. Let us just say, when this death occurred very unexpectedly to me, I cried for fifteen minutes straight and cried even more at its consequences expressed in the feelings of the other characters. This is positively the second time I am crying over anything “Trainspotting”-related. A lot of deaths and events that have happened in previous books in this series (“Bang to Rites” from “Trainspotting” is referred to a few times as Mark meets Sharon again and that definitely made me laugh quite a bit as that chapter is very… let us say, memorable) are also explored again, especially by a maturer Mark, which I found really interesting.
Except for the usual themes of sex, drugs and violence that Irvine Welsh is known to write about, this book also talks heavily about the organ trade. What exactly happens in this book concerning that was very upsetting to me and this is a topic I do not enjoy reading about at all, though it is undeniably relevant, especially in circles of people with addictions. Though, I understand, I was supposed to be uncomfortable (as I was with “Trainspotting” too), I do not exactly think that I could read this book again due to this. I also did not like the parts concerning homosexuality as the words Sick Boy when talking to his son used were offensive and quite over-the-top (though I love the fact that Sick Boy loves the fact that his son is gay because he will not have to compete for how much women he will have sex with with him, like he did with his father), so I really cannot say I fully enjoyed this, though this was still thoroughly engaging.
(This book also had… let us say, wonderful descriptions of pubs and bars. I would love to visit the pub that has “probably changed its name over a million times” and am glad that a pub Mark visited in this book finally has “drinkable beer”!)
angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
4.0
Great stuff! I love Welsh. It was love at first read when I went through Trainspotting in the 90s. It was so out there at first in how it was written but then the voice just locks into your heid...uh...I mean head and thereafter it’s smooth sailing and brilliant. After Trainspotting I’ve gone on to read pretty much everything Welsh has written. This series that keeps popping up is classic. Skagboys unfortunately seemed forced and contrived and ended up boring me to death. But this one is a bit of a return to where I thought The Blade Artist took the story. Much better plotting. Better stuff. I thought this one was great.
cubit81's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
majortomwaits's review against another edition
4.5
It is definitely not my favourite book of the 'series', but it is far from a dislike, as well.
Each of these books offers something else. Trainspotting offers the carefree youth and vigor mixed with distrust and drugs. Porno had that 10 years later conflict that was soaked in revenge and hatred that kept the tension up. The Blade Artist was practically a character study on grown Begbie. This one offered something akin to stability, almost, but mostly setting things straight.
It did make me cry, I'll admit to that, on a few occasions and for different reasons.
Each of these books offers something else. Trainspotting offers the carefree youth and vigor mixed with distrust and drugs. Porno had that 10 years later conflict that was soaked in revenge and hatred that kept the tension up. The Blade Artist was practically a character study on grown Begbie. This one offered something akin to stability, almost, but mostly setting things straight.
It did make me cry, I'll admit to that, on a few occasions and for different reasons.
piku_baumann's review against another edition
DNF at 100 pages. Cannot be bothered.
graceless's review against another edition
5.0
There is so much about this book that I loved. Being back in the lives of Renton, Spud, Sick Boy and Begbie, along with all of the other familiar characters that live in their world really earned my heart.
Welsh's writing gets better and better with every book. This was close to perfection to me in many ways.
I strongly suggest that you read Trainspotting, Porno, Skagboys and The Blade Artist before this to get the most out of it.
Or you could read the more expanded world in time sequence order to get the most out of Dead Men's Trousers: Skagboys>Trainspotting>Porno>Glue>Crime>A Decent Ride>The Blade Artist>The Sex Live of Siamese Twins>Dead Men's Trousers
Bravo, Welsh. A phenomenal addition to your incredible works.
Welsh's writing gets better and better with every book. This was close to perfection to me in many ways.
I strongly suggest that you read Trainspotting, Porno, Skagboys and The Blade Artist before this to get the most out of it.
Or you could read the more expanded world in time sequence order to get the most out of Dead Men's Trousers: Skagboys>Trainspotting>Porno>Glue>Crime>A Decent Ride>The Blade Artist>The Sex Live of Siamese Twins>Dead Men's Trousers
Bravo, Welsh. A phenomenal addition to your incredible works.
dbro13's review
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
cattikitty's review
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
safrodite's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75