Irvine Welsh Books

I bought this book because it sounded very interesting. A cop living his life in depravity while still maintaining his career. I know the author had written Trainspotting and I enjoyed that movie. But thats the problem. If I would have read Trainspotting I probably would have put the book down after 20 pages like I did with Filth. Nothing against the author or the book itself I just could not understand there use of the english language. For those who have seen Trainspotting try to imagine reading it instead of watching it and try to understand the slang words and that cockney dialect in written form. I just couldn't read a novel that I couldn't understand. Filth does sound like it would make a good movie though.

Boy I love this book. Chocked full of depravity and debauchery, this is a trip through the seedy side of life, and your tour-guide is Bruce Robertson, the most corrupt, vile cop ever. And by the way, he is hilarious. To crawl into the mind of this man is a trip inside the mind of Satan the detective. Irvine Welsh has a sense of what makes people uncomfortable, and he shoves your face in it.

This book is definetely not for the faint of heart or the easily offended, but if you like stories that drag you along the downward spiral through the dredges of society, and leave you begging for more, pick up this book. You won't be able to put it down, even though many times you will feel compelled to.

I was only bored for about 1.5 pages of this book, which says quite a bit for a novel. Usually I get to about page 180 of a book and say, "All right, let's wrap it up. Enough's enough." Not so with "Filth" (or "The Great Gatsby" [which isn't all that long, mind you].)

If you buy this book and read it and have some sort of decency about you, you will, at times, feel ashamed that you continue to turn the pages, wondering what D.S. Bruce Robertson is going to do or say next. The main character is about as deplorable as any human being can be, but he does try to save a man having a heart attack, so he's got that going for him.

Robertson has a tapeworm inside him that occasionally speaks through text overlaid on text. Trust me, you don't miss anything due to some words being obscured.

The part where Robertson goes to Amsterdam is really the part where the hammer drives the spike. Just remember, there are people out there like the main character, spiralling into depravity and cruelty.

It's really a wonder that this thing ever got published . . . but I'm glad it did. Long live free speech and publication.

This fantastic and original novel was given to me by a musician buddy, just as I was going to forever put down the pen. Needless to say, I was blown away and led me to believe that originality and unique voice still resonates with some readersPILATE: A Brutal Bible Tale

bruce robertson one of my favorite kooks this one belongs between your dostoevsky and shakespeare on your bookshelf i kid you not

This is my first Welsh novel. Written in a Scottish dialect, it takes time to understand what he has written. After the first 50 pages or so, you become accustomed to the style of writing. At times you feel you are reading another language. The dialect actually helps you become one of the onlookers and puts you right there with them, their "5th friend" in this group of 4. Others here have reviewed the "dog cruelety" scene. Bewarned, it is extermely graphic. But the scene is there for a reason showing the cruel and sadistic nature of one group outside of our bunch. This is one of the best books I've read and will definitely read Welsh again.

A good read well written, but could do with shortening. And kind of clichéd; haven't we got passed the idea that the only way onwards and upwards for your urban poor is music and boxing? Stuck in the past.

This story may not be as big a hit as Trainspotting, however the stories of the development of a group of friends from the schemie are worth reading. Featuring plenty of laugh out loud moments, and accurately protraying the work-shy and/or alcoholic lifestyles of the characters this is an entertaining and worthwhile read

as i am what i consider a "dedicated" fan of Irvine Welsh's writing, i was eagerly anticipating my copy of "Glue" in the mail, and while i would not go as far as say i was unsatisfied with this book, i was definitely unimpressed.

set in the familiar surrounding of the Scottish "schemes," Glue follows three decades in the lives of four friends who have an intimate attachment and loyalty to each other that supercedes even time. although they are different in many ways, they share a unique bond that begins at where most bonds begin, their societal position. all of the same working class neighborhood, the boys [Terry, Carl, Billy, and Andrew] are actually linked up through their parents, if not their elementary school. needless to say, the similarities end there.

Carl is a budding DJ, Billy a budding boxer, Terry is a budding sex fiend, and Andrew is a budding loser. all of them are nice lads, and Welsh is an expert at describing the psychology of each character so that the reader can see the inherant differences in each ones modus operandi. they each approach each situation, weather it be girls, thugs, drugs or death, with their own seperate ideas and methods, but their unflappable bond remains unsevered throughout it all.

Welsh's prose, written largely in Scottish dialect, is not as tight as expected, and sometimes the plot gets a little tangental, but each chapter, as told from the first person perspective of one of the characters [usually one of the four main guys, but sometimes from an ancillary character] has ceratin gems of insight and developement that carries the reader on to the next. hardly is the language as strong and gritty as "Trainspotting" or "The Acid House", which had some truly inspiring prose, but the fluidity and effortless dialog is still in tact.

still, even though it is stressed repeatedly, the reader never gains the same bond with the characters, nor sees the strength of the bond between them. it just never becomes clear just WHY these guys are so loyal to eachother. i personally didnt see the charm. unlike the characters in Trainspotting, which not only are these lads most similar too, but who also make a welcome and sometimes hilarious appearance at different times in the book, i never understood why the antics of certain guys in this book were tolerated. there was no sense of desperation that kept them together [like in Trainspotting] nor were some of them that 'lovable,' regardless of their charisma. in the end, i didnt see much redemption in any of the characters, and didnt care what happened to them.

but as i said, its not like i wasnt satisfied, and the growth of the characters, while sometimes tedious, was well done. when you get towards the end of the story it makes sense that they would be where they are, and the writing, while not as stunning as some of his past efforts, is better than a lot of writing you'll find. its a good read for fans of Welsh's, but not essential overall.

Irvine Welsh is certainly a unique writer. His prose is written in a language spoken by Scottish youth, which makes it barely understandable for most everyone else (at least in the beginning). And his knowledge of the Scottish youths lost to drugs is scarily in-depth. Unfortunately 'Glue' doesn't break new ground for the author. All the drugged out characters have already been hashed through in his earlier works. And 'Glue' doesn't have the sort of extra madness found in 'Filth'. But 'Glue' is an interesting story of four Scottish youths who fight drugs, alcohol, and each other until they reach their middle years. There is also a rather good, moving ending (no spoilers). So 'Glue' isn't special by any means. Just a fine read.


Bottom line: best left to those who've read better works by the author. Yet recommended nonetheless.

The screenplay was horridly written. A complete mockery of hte book and of the movie.

I loved the movie "Trainspotting." I watched it in the theater on my 14th birthday and have worshipped it since. This book was an instant buy after watching the movie, not only to memorize the entire script (well, not exactly,) but also to actually understand what the movie was saying. After all, the movie was a bit difficult to understand with the strong accents and all. Buy this book, it's a great way to "see" the movie all over again.

I didn't buy the Screenplay for a need to understand the movie persay, however it was a definate treat. Sometimes you just don't want to read the entire book but you want to visualize the movie in your head. The screenplay is perfect for this. I recommend it for any Trainspotting fan.

There are two reasons to pick up John Hodge's screenplay for "Trainspotting," based on the novel by Irvine Welsh. The first is because you have trouble understand English spoken with strong Scottish brogues and you cannot figure out how to use closed captioning. Admittedly, this is the minor reason. The second and major reason is to appreciate how well Hodge transformed Welsh's novel into a solid screenplay. After all, the novel was a collection of loosely related short stories about several different characters that neither aspires to nor reaches a complete narrative form. Also, the key to the characters comes as much from their internal monologues as it does from anything they say or do. Of course the solution was to focus on one character and make him the "narrator" of the film. This becomes Mark Renton, the unrepentant drug abuser who does not seem to be as hell-bent on self-destruction as the rest of his mates.

This volume includes an introduction by Hodge, who explains how he came to be coerced into writing the screenplay. The screenplay is indeed the screenplay, and not a transcript of the film, so there are plenty of changes in dialogue and editing if you actually do sit down and follow along while watching Danny Boyle's film. Notations tell you want scenes or bits of dialogue were cut from the film and there are plenty of black & white photographs of the various scenes (but just Ewen McGregor coming OUT of the toilet...). The Afterword consists of a brief interview with author Irvine Welsh, conducted during the penultimate week of the shooting of the film (Welsh was doing a cameo performance as the drug dealer Mikey Forrester). Welsh speaks candidly about the transformation of his novel into a film and how the drug scene in Scotland has changed since the book's original publication. However, for those who have actually tracked down and read the novel, reading the screenplay soon afterwards will give you a greater appreciation of how excellent a job Hodges did with this adaptation.

Trainspotting the movie was full of great details and funny dialogue that has to be tasted and thought about which like good wine gets better with age.

The companion interview with Irvine Welsh is a real treat. The man is articulate, funny, and has a lot to say. It is seldom one can get inside the author and his feelings on a movie that is made.

There is also a preface written by John Hodge himself that details his process of from writing Shallow Grave and how that movie got made and then how the others convinced him to make trainspotting although he was terrible reluctant. That in itself was an amazing story.

I loved his note to the readers about how he was sorry he didn't put our favourite bits of the book in the movie and how he didn't get to put his own favorites bits himself. He also comments about the liberty he took with the text, and explained some of them. As an Irvine Welsh fan I felt placated and had a new respect for Hodge.

As for the screen play itself. You can read about Sick Boy's ideas about Sean Connery, personal thoughts of renton, his relationship with Diane, in detail. Everything in the movie is amplified. A small detail and a big scene takes the same importance on the page.

I love picking it up and reading my favourite bits. As an avid Irvine Welsh fan I could really take the time to see what John Hodge added to the film and apreciate it.

Watching the movie again takes about two hours of your time, and replaying your favorite bits is never the same. This screen play allow you to do just that without much effort. It is short and easy to read, and hey to be honest, I didn't hear what was said in the film because of the accents. Here I can read exactly what was said. If you love the book and/or the movie god this is a great companion to go with it.

I've read everything this man has written...but haven't heard of this before...what's going on?

Someone send me a copy of this so I can review it properly!

I'm sure it will be brilliant.

"Cola" translates as "Glue". This is one of a series of Spanish translations, with copious amounts of notes, so well worth buying if you know the language, although the price may be enough to put all but the most ardent of Welsh's fanbase off.

A fairly good book about French football (soccer). I was searching around for a book about the history of French Football and I found this one, although it is not quite an account of the history of football in France. Each chapter is somewhat different--some are straight historical studies, while others are very artsy (especially the Zidane and Petit/Vieira chapters). The only repeat author is Mr. Ruhn, so there is quite a variety of writers.

The book is divided into six sections: the Clubs, National Team, Stars, Coaches, Scandals, and Supporters. Each section contains 3 or 4 chapters (except for the Stars which has 12) devoted to the subject heading. Thus, Mr. Ruhn is able to include many different events and/or people that have significantly impacted French football over the past 25 years.

Overall, I liked the book very much. My only large complaint is that some of the chapters left me wanting a little more, e.g., the Canal Plus, Arsene Wenger, the 1982 World Cup and 1984 Euro Cup chapters. With the book under 300 pages, I felt more could have been devoted to those chapters. Also, I felt as though there should have been a chapter on Jean Tigana.

That said, it was a very good book, even the chapters I thought were a bit short. The interviews with Laurent Perpere [Canal Plus] and Michel Platini were well done as well as the chapters on Eric Cantona and Arsene Wenger. The writing done by Chris Waddle and Marcel Desailly is exceptional as well. If anything, get it for the interesting chapter on Petit and Vieira.

A fairly good book about French football (soccer). I was searching around for a book about the history of French Football and I found this one, although it is not quite an account of the history of football in France. Each chapter is somewhat different--some are straight historical studies, while others are very artsy (especially the Zidane and Petit/Vieira chapters). The only repeat author is Mr. Ruhn, so there is quite a variety of writers.

The book is divided into six sections: the Clubs, National Team, Stars, Coaches, Scandals, and Supporters. Each section contains 3 or 4 chapters (except for the Stars which has 12) devoted to the subject heading. Thus, Mr. Ruhn is able to include many different events and/or people that have significantly impacted French football over the past 25 years.

Overall, I liked the book very much. My only large complaint is that some of the chapters left me wanting a little more, e.g., the Canal Plus, Arsene Wenger, the 1982 World Cup and 1984 Euro Cup chapters. With the book under 300 pages, I felt more could have been devoted to those chapters. Also, I felt as though there should have been a chapter on Jean Tigana.

That said, it was an interesting book. Even the chapters I thought were a bit short I enjoyed. The interviews with Laurent Perpere [Canal Plus] and Michel Platini were well done as well as the chapters on Eric Cantona and Arsene Wenger. The writing by Chris Waddle and Marcel Desailly is exceptional, especially Waddle's opinions on the French game and Desailly's thoughts on life versus football.

If anything, get it for the interesting chapter on Petit and Vieira.

If Guy Ritchie wrote books they would probably be a lot like this. Once you get past deciphering the language it's a fast paced, worthy read. Seems to be a gangsters holiday. I couldn't help thinking of the movie Snatch when I read it. If your into backstabbing, ruthless violence with a first person's account for it then this book is for you.

I finished this Liverpudlian writer's fifth novel last night. What I like about Griffiths is his mixture of the demotic, full of invective, overdetermined (admittedly a great lit crit adjective), and often futile ravings at the injustice of it all. He blends into this a rather somber, measured, omniscient voice that to me hints of the kenning, the sermon, the treatise, and the meditation. This register's notably more erudite, often tossing in meteorological or geological terms amidst finely crafted reflections on mortality, history, and individuals who even in post-Thatcher, now-New Labour Britain, at its Cymric fringe and the corridor past Wrexham to Rhyl and points southerly. The best of his broken, flawed protagonists manage at least to strive towards the right, the good, and the moral center. They may not find it, however. How Griffiths does this within fiction that if opened randomly appears to have been transcribed by some recording angel from a tape recording at a pub, a rave, a football match's aftermath, or the scene of a crime all with the liberal use of limited phrases, is masterful.

My wife as I was reading 'Wreckage' asked me about the book and author. I said that while he's inevitably compared to Irvine Welsh, Griffiths is his own man, who uses the surface of a caper to delve into deeper depictions of youthful apathy, bitter inarticulation, and frustrated glimpses of the beautiful and the orderly beneath the carnage his characters leave in their frenzied wakes. Well, at least the Welsh and caper tags. She then noticed what I did not. Trainspotting's author's blurb on the bottom of the front cover. I then noticed on the back the Daily Telegraph's blurb: 'In the foreground is a caper story; in the background, a poetically expressed, apocalyptic history of Liverpool.' So, I was intuitively in line with my fellow critics and literati.

This book picks up where the caper of the previous 'Stump' collapsed, with hapless Alastair and raging Darren back from a failed hit in Aberystwyth-- whose town-and-gown, tourist vs. scholar, student vs. everyone else milieux earn vivid illustration-- their failure itself hinged on a marvelous sort of shaggy-dog anecdote that I cannot give away. The pair witlessly and suddenly decide to rob the post office in the village of Cilcain. (Hmm-- symbolic name?) Darren coshes the old postmistress, and absconds with the loot before Emrys, her hurrying husband, can get off a shot from his gun in defense. Their Scouse accents are heard hooting, their Morris Minor 1000 gains attention for a moment, and soon their crime's on the news for their gangland boss Tommy Maguire to hear about and put two-and-literally another bumbling two, Robbo and Steve, together with the subversive robbers Darren & Alastair. Complications ensue as the four thousand pounds stolen make its successive stealers think they can rule the world of Lime Street, with blow and broads enticing their fevered, puny visions of utter wealth and eternal power derived from this rucksack of banknotes.

A sample of his style early on, pg. 8. A description of the postmistress: 'THUNK, that hammer went as it struck skull. THUNK. And no noise made as the old woman fell except for a dry rustle of starched apron and old skin similarly bereft of moisture because of the years spent behind that counter franking envelopes and shuffling papers until the body becomes a parchment itself. And then the world's rude reward: attack and blackness, and the body brought to earth with one THUNK and crisp rustle as if its station has consumed it whole, the obliteration of one office never- altering.' You can see the cadences. Implosive violence amidst a flow of contemplation.

Add to this nuanced minor characters (although a few of the couple dozen distinct narrative voices that appear in secondary roles perhaps inevitably don't totally convince and seem cardboard clichés), a take on the past century of violence in Liverpool, a glimpse at the Irish Famine that drove Tommy Maguire's forebears to Liverpool, and a lot of introspection amidst the vividly conveyed mayhem: the result is another Griffith study of lowlifes that also rises to unexpected heights in subject matter, prose style, and intelligence. With lots of invective.

An excellent introduction to "new Scottish writing" this collection features one short story each from Irvine Welsh (Filth, Trainspotting, Ecstacy Club, Maribou Stork Nightmare), Alan Warner (Morvern Callar, These Demented Lands,The Sopranos), Gordon Legge (The Shoe, In Between Talking About the Football), James Meek (Drivetime), Laura Hird, and Paul Reekie. Gordon Legge's "Pop Life" is a gruffly tender portrait of three friends who've grown up and apart. Alan Warner's "After the Vision" is typically long on tone and atmosphere as it follows a stranded raver trying to find a place to sleep until the morning train. James Meek's "Brown Pint of Courage" amusingly depicts a trio of parking ticket writers who blow off their job. Paul Reekie's "The Submission" was perhaps the lesser of the six stories, written as a long rambling letter to a friend. The most "sexy" story is by the lone female entrant, Laura Hird, whose "The Dilating Pupil" is about a middle-aged teacher and a female student who have designs on each other which are derailed in a night of booze and drugs. Irvine Welsh's "The Rosewell Incident" is the shallowest, but possibly funniest read of the lot. It throws together alien abduction and "lads" in an unholy alliance to rule the world. A bit silly but fun. The collection as a whole is well worth checking out if you want to see what the Scottish kids are up to.

this was an interesting book. it involves the lives of people what are into the UK club scene. there wasnt a ton of chapters about the partying, and thats why i gave it 3 stars. i expected a little bit more from it.

Irvine Welsh takes the readers creature comforts and beats him or her over the head with them.
This book is divided into three short stories about chemical romance:
Lorraine Goes To Livingston - this story was just bizarre
Fortune Always Hiding - a tender story about backwards love and
The Undefeated - my favourite out of them all with a surprising ending.
Irvine Welsh delivers romance with urgency in this fast read.

when people speak of shock writers Welsh is brought up for good reson... his stories are like seeing a car accident... you don't want to look but something tell you that you must... his stories twist and turn, and so do the characters, through hospitals, clubs and the streets of England. Americans be warned this is a book sometimes hard to follow because of the diction... but as in all of his work, Welsh will leave you speechless in the end.

Irvine Welsh, of "Trainspotting" fame, delivers three edgy stories that are somehow related to one single element: ecstasy. In "Lorraine Goes to Livingston", the author offers a multi-layered, sometimes confusing tale about love and the twisted nature of some people. "Fortune`s Always Hiding" is a powerful and unsettling revenge story that resembles Quentin Tarantino`s movies at parts, due to its explicit violence, badass characters, non-linear storytelling and a very acid sense of humor. "The Undefeated" focuses on the relationship between a yuppie woman and a bohemian, messed up man. Altough far from a masterpiece, "Ecstasy" is a fun and enticing read nonetheless, presenting an author with a personal, recognizable, harsh, direct and gritty style. This book is not for everyone, but those who enjoy this kind of stuff may find it compelling.

Deserves a look.

I am a big fan of Irvine Welsh so I was anxious to get my hands on ECSTASY: THREE TALES OF CHEMICAL ROMANCE. Sadly, I was left disappointed. The premise of each novella as described on the back of the book is excellent, but Welsh's execution was very poor. For example, in the first story, "Lorraine Goes to Livingston", Welsh was not consistent in his use of Scottish dialect for the main character which was more than distracting. Also, the idea of a mortuary worker having free sex with the corpses in full knowledge of everyone in the hospital is a little too far fetched, even for Irvine Welsh. I will not bother to continue with the shortcomings of the other two stories.

Although I was disappointed in ECSTASY, I will not give up on Welsh as I still believe he has an amazing talent.

I'm a big fan of Irvine Welsh and I was not disappointed with this great book. I think it is a masterpiece of social commentary, One scene with some old hag getting her knickers down was absolutely disgusting and very close to the bone and that's just one of the things I love about the author's work because it's so true to life. The man can do no wrong in my eyes. If you enjoy this kind of reading I recommend checking out this bombshell of a book.Mind Bomb

Another pageturner from Irvine - hope to see this on the big screen sometime in the future.

Irvine Welsh's novel includes three topics...sex, food, and celebrity. Oh yeah, let's not forget drugs. Would it be an Irvine Welsh story without drugs? Maybe. Would his avid readers be satisfied? Probably not.
This tale has it's central character, in the partying Danny Skinner. He's a restaurant inspector on a journey to find his father. His enemy is the computer geek Brian Kibby. He relentlessly picks on Kibby throughout the story, and learns that their lives are somehow linked.
Skinner reads the book, "The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs," written by celebrity chef, Alan De Fretais. He eventually believes that the book may hold the secrets to finding his father.
Skinner ends up leaving Edinburgh to travel to San Francisco. He returns to Scotland, and discovers more about his nemesis, Brian Kibby.
"Bedroom Secrets" is a bit of a twisted story, about rivalry, making it in the world, and finding oneself. Welsh's skills as a writer are shown once again, to be high above his contemporaries. Though not his best work, fans will not be dissappointed.

I've read all of other Welsh's previous books, and found them to be stark, accurate depictions of people I knew when I was growing up in Scotland. The plots were completely believable, and unpredictable. Welsh's writing style was difficult to read at times, but well worth the effort.

So, I was excited to find Welsh's latest offering when I was looking for something to read on a long flight. But, I have to say I ended up wishing I'd taken something else to read. Its hard to imaging the same person wrote 'Master Chefs" and "Trainspotting". The plot is flimsy and well trodden, to the point that it verges on soap opera in terms of predictability. The writing style is labored and is more like a B- student in a creative writing class than that of a seasoned professional. The metaphors are tired cliches....etc. etc.

All in all. If Welsh announced this novel was written by his teenage nephew, and then he only edited slightly prior to publication, I wouldn't be surprised.

Bottom line: If you are a Welsh fan you will be very unimpressed. If you've not read 'Trainspotting' or any of his other works, read one of these instead.

PILATE: A Brutal Bible TaleExcessive drinking? check. Drug use? check. Stomach turning sex? double-check. Narcissistic tendancies? Hells, yeah. In The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs we have Standard Welsh doing Standard Welsh. Meaning, if you Dig the wide-o, which I do, you will love it. Still the ballsiest of the lot, Welsh does not dissapoint in this clear-eyed look at the red-rimmed swollen orbs of his unbelievable, but somehow familiar characters. Standard Welsh. Too right, and thank God!!

I'm a huge fan of Welsh's other books, but his characters don't translate well here. He's got a leg up in that the three main characters should all be familiar to Welsh fans, so minimal effort is needed to flesh them out, but in the end the notion that they somehow find love is so far-fetched that I thought it was a joke at first. Imagine Frank Begbie from 'Trainspotting' going soft over a bird and suddenly wanting to escape his violent and nihlistic life (all within the span of two or three pages) and you've got the essential problem I had with this play. The introduction by Welsh is actually the best part.

You get the feeling that the lost production costs are being recouped through the sale of this screenplay. Buy "Ecstasy" or "The Acid House" instead.

First play I've read from Welsh, but I was very impressed with the balance of humor, drama and typical screwed up mentality of the characters, which is a very common flavor of Irvine Welsh. It's a short read, but extremely entertaining and I couldn't put it down until I was done.

just going to be brief, but i thought this was an enjoyable quick read about two kidnappers and the guy they kidnap and his gf. its like welsh's other novels where it has some very funny parts but at other times has some very deep serious portions.
some of it might seem to be a bit of a stretch, but hey it is fiction, it'd probably be interesting to actually see on stage.
so if you like welsh i suggest readin this. or if you havent this might be a good starter read.

For those of you who don't know, such as myself, the phrase "you'll have had your hole", translates to getting some action. Which is exactly what this screenplay is all about. I enjoyed it very much. It is a quick read. Yet, somehow disturbing to the mind for a very long time. Once again, Irvine Welsh, has giving us charaters we can relate to. Though we may not all want to cop up to it. I have always found welsh's dialogs between charaters the strongest part of his work. This play is a great example of this.

It takes you though a few days in the life of three main charaters. The reader is becomes a part of a kidnapping, a seduction, a love story, violence, a rape, and into the head of a very twisted HIV infected, brutal outcast. I must confess, the end of this play really messed with my head. I wasn't sure I liked it. Until it dawned on me, how much of an impact it had on me. Any serious Welsh fan will love this play! Anyone who is sick of the same old recyceled fiction should love love it too. I've said it before, Welsh is not for the light hearted and easily distrubed people. That would be why this play was pulled off the stage in the U.K. Most people just aren't ready for this kind of writing. Which is why I think Welsh has such a big following among my generation. We all have a rebel in us wanting to get out. We all have twisted thoughts we never admit to. Welsh has no problem putting these thoughts into words. I'd hope that you fellow Welsh fans get ahold of this play. It will definatly shock even the most unshockable!

There's a much publicised divide 'twixt Edinburgh and Glasgow... the two cities lie less than fourty miles apart. One is huge and cosmopolitan, the other is the capital of Scotland. The title of the play subverts the phraze Edinburgh hosts are alleged to greet their guests with; "You'll have had your tea, then?"

This play, I think, preceeded Gargarin Way (by a playright whose name I cannot recall at present, but a similar sceniario, and just as good if not better).

It's worth reading. Really sick, obviously, but there's Mr Welsh for you.