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Continuum Contemporaries series: Irvine Welsh's "Trainspotting": A Reader's Guide
 
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Continuum Contemporaries series: Irvine Welsh's "Trainspotting": A Reader's Guide (Paperback)

by Robert Morace (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
RRP: £5.00
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  • This item: Continuum Contemporaries series: Irvine Welsh's "Trainspotting": A Reader's Guide by Robert Morace

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Product details

  • Paperback: 96 pages
  • Publisher: Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd. (25 Oct 2001)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 082645237X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0826452375
  • Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 16.4 x 0.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 166,018 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Product Description

This work is part of the "Continuum Contemporaries" series giving readers accessible and informative introductions to 30 of the most popular, most acclaimed and most influential contemporary novels. It contains a biography of the novelist, a full-length study of the novel, a summary of how the novel was received upon publication, a summary of how the novel has performed since publication, and a wide range of suggestions for further reading.


From the Publisher

Advance praise for this series:
'A brilliant idea - short, perceptive books which tell you what you need to know about some of the most vibrant and challenging writing around today...a bit like having a reading group in your pocket.'

Ian Rankin

'Concerned about keeping up at the book club? Never fear, cool new study aids are here in the form of Continuum Contemporaries, a series of handy reader's guides to contemporary fiction.'

Time Out Magazine

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Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Neat shot of cult studs, 10 Jan 2002
This was my first experience of Continuum Contemporaries, and on this evidence the books deserve to sell like those 60p Penguin minatures. Morace's study is short enough to read on a half-hour train journey, but gives the sense of being condensed rather than skimpy - every page is crammed with references and quotation, drawn from an impressive pool of articles on Welsh. The discussion of theme, character and structure is refreshingly detailed; this is the kind of attention normally given to more traditional, canonical texts, and it's rewarding to follow Morace on such an dedicated close reading of a cult favourite. Though Trainspotting was still fresh in my mind, Morace drew out links I'd missed entirely, like the cameo appearance of "Bad Blood"'s Alan Venters in the far earlier vignette "Her Man", and the kitten-connection between Nicola Hanson and Matty's death. Morace's identification of "the bass beat of Matty's decline", referred to in passing behind the main events of the novel, is particularly neat, and his attempt to ground Trainspotting's narrative in real time by researching the dates of all the gigs mentioned is both witty and rewarding. Again, we might expect this kind of attention to the time-scheme of Romeo and Juliet, but few other critics have taken Welsh's narrative world this seriously.

There are a few curious gaps - no mention, in the discussion on character, of Renton's offhand admission of his gay experiences, or of his obvious understanding of Kierkegaard. I would have liked to see a closer analysis of the language and dialect, perhaps with reference to Iain (not Ian, as Morace often has it) Banks as well as James Kelman. The film is glossed over fairly quickly, which is perhaps understandable in a commentary on the novel. More generally, there is perhaps an over-reliance on secondary sources, as Morace makes most of his points through quotation of interviews or reviews; and in turn, the novel's events are often related through direct quotation from Welsh, as if Morace doesn't trust his own voice. This is a shame, as he turns out a number of well-crafted and vivid phrases when he allows himself some room for original comment.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Nice to see Welsh being taken seriously!, 30 Oct 2001
By A Customer
This wasn't what I was expecting! I thought the book was going to be a drab, York Notes style assessment of Trainspotting - completely pointless, in other words. But Mr Morace (American, I think?) is clearly in love with his subject, and his enthusiasm for Welsh and this novel in particular comes shining through. His analysis of the novel's structure was particularly strong, and he's good on the various adaptations of the novel, too. My only quibble is that he seems to think Bobby Gillespie is a solo artist, not the frontman for Primal Scream, but don't let that detract you!

It's refreshing to see a novel like Trainspotting being treated with such enthusiasm by an academic.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars If you liked Trainspotting, you'll like this!, 30 Nov 2001
By A Customer
I am really not the type of person who would usually buy a guide to a novel unless I was studying it. However, I saw this lurking in the bookshop next to Welsh's novels and once I'd started reading, I didn't want to stop. This is just an incredibly interesting book. It gives you lots of information on a fascinating man and the book which has had a greater impact (in all of its forms - as the previous reviewer noted) on the consciousness of this country than any other in the 90s. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Trainspotting or any of Welsh's other books!
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