Ray's Reviews > Glue

It's nowhere near the caliber of Trainspotting, which must be mentioned every time one reviews anything by Irvine Welsh, but Glue was an interesting attempt to write something in that same Extended Universe with quite different themes.

Also about four Scottish friends growing up in the dredges of society under the spectre of AIDS and poverty, but the biggest difference is that many of these characters actually become successful. Welsh explores some more colorful characterization, with a famous DJ and a famous boxer who both get to escape their humble origins. There's also another celebrity who turns up, an American singer touring, which at least gets to show Welsh's range in writing about different worlds and economic classes.

A surprisingly sentimental and sappy take on friendship, and very compassionate towards those souls who constantly end up in and out of prison. The biggest impact of the book is the introduction of one sex addict Terry Lawson, certainly the grossest of the group who gets to have the staying power to return in multiple future books. Worth reading for that fact alone.

Also: If you listen to the audiobook then just the abridged version is fine...