Arnold
Tash Jayasinghe
CibbuanoPorno by Irvine Welsh
September 25th 2007 02:40
Published in 2002, the book focuses the lives of Renton, Sick Boy, Spud and Begbie, nine years after the end of Trainspotting... they've almost all cleaned up on heroin, and have moved onto fat lines of cocaine.
The name of the book is in reference to Sick Boy entering the pornography business, trying to make his name in film by making a low budget porno movie. It's quite entertaining and, in the same style of Trainspotting, Welsh writes from the view of several different protagonists... whether it's the arrogant Sick Boy, the down-and-out Spud, the matured Renton or the still-psychotic Begbie - as well as a new character, Nikki.
Welsh shines with his ability to differentiate the narrators with unique voices... Spud and Begbie speak in Scots, and there's even a subtle difference between them, whereas Renton and Sick Boy speak in proper English, but slip into Scottish slang when pressured. It's an easy way to make the characters feel lifelike.
While Porno doesn't push the reader into unfamiliar territory, as Trainspotting did, showing us the harsh reality of lower-class Scotland, with the drugs and the violence, Welsh's sequel touches on new concepts. The gentrification of Scotland as the middle class absorbs old neighborhoods is a major topic in the book, with some characters enjoying the fact that their homes are being cleaned up - but some 'whingeing on' about the effect of new money.
Porno is fun to read, especially once you've come to terms with the dialect, and it's easy to feel connected to the characters, as they've been very well fleshed out in the original book as well as the film. Recommended!
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