Irvine Welsh [Paperback]

Irvine Welsh's fiction has defined an era, and this first full-length study provides a sustained textual and contextual analysis of all his work, from 'Trainspotting' and 'The Acid House' to 'Glue' and 'Porno'. A detailed chronological survey also considers the appropriateness of cultural, postmodern and postcolonial theories to Welsh's incendiary fiction.

Kelly gives a fascinating insight into the writer's formal and political ambitions, placing him in the context of the 'brat pack' which exploded onto the Scottish literary scene in the 1990s. He explores the social, class and political conditioning of Welsh's early life, and its impact on his motivations for writing.

Clearly written and accessible, this will be a key resource for students and academics alike. Choose 'Irvine Welsh'!

Series Editor's Preface

Acknowledgements

Abbreviations

Introduction: Irvine Welsh and the 'long dark night of late capitalism'

1. 'Trainspotting' (1993)

2. 'The Acid House' (1994)

3. 'Marabou Stork Nightmares' (1995)

4. 'Ecstasy' (1996)

5. 'Filth' (1998)

6. 'Glue' (2001)

7. 'Porno' (2002)

Conclusion: Plotting against power or scheming against the working class?

Bibliography

Index

Aaron Kelly is Lecturer in Modern and Contemporary Literature in English at the University of Edinburgh