Latest news with #SickBoy
Daily Mail
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
This week's literary fiction: MEN IN LOVE by Irvine Welsh, SEASCRAPER by Benjamin Wood, MIGRAINE by Samuel Fisher
MEN IN LOVE by Irvine Welsh (Cape £20, 544pp) In 2017, Welsh said he'd never write another novel about the characters from Trainspotting, but who truly believed him? Men In Love follows the old gang of heroin-addicted benefit cheats – Renton, Sick Boy and Spud, together with psychotic hardman frenemy Begbie – into the Nineties, each going their own way after Renton sneakily pockets the shared proceeds of a drugs heist. He's in Amsterdam, Begbie's in jail, Spud is trying to go straight and Sick Boy is prowling for sex... business as usual, then, as Welsh knits their stream-of-consciousness chapters around a farce involving Sick Boy's bid to worm his way into the heart of a civil servant's daughter. Cartoonish and often in terrible taste, it works, because these characters remain alive on the page, more than 30 years on. SEASCRAPER by Benjamin Wood (Viking £14.99, 176pp) I loved Wood's Eighties-set novel, A Station On The Path To Somewhere Better, the chilling story of a boy's catastrophic day out with his estranged dad, a set designer on his favourite TV show. Themes of illusory promise resurface in his new novel, another wrong-footing and enormously compelling coming-of-age narrative. Set in the early 1960s on the Kentish coast, it follows a stifled young man who lives with his mum and earns his keep by scraping shrimp from the beach, dreaming about a girl he doesn't have the courage to ask out. His fortunes change when a Hollywood director pays him an untold sum to scout locations for a new film. The deal isn't all it seems – but nor is this novel, which drifts from quiet lyricism into a weirder, more hallucinatory style as we delve deeper into the protagonist's haunted interiority. MIGRAINE by Samuel Fisher (Corsair £13.99, 192 pp) Fisher's third novel, a standalone follow-up to his 2022 climate dystopia Wivenhoe, transports us to a richly imagined near-future London battered by storms that cause mind-expanding headaches. The narrator, Ellis, having suffered his first migraine, roams the emptied streets in search of an ex-girlfriend who had them frequently. As he searches for her, accompanied by a shadowy bookseller who knows more about Ellis's past than he lets on, the novel portrays the social divisions and conspiratorial worldviews that take root as a result of the city's competing experiences of the mysterious chronic pain. If the texture of Fisher's speculative scenario holds attention, extra compulsion lies in the emerging story of lost love and buried guilt. Elegiac, languid, interrogatory, it resembles a cross between the cyberpunk of William Gibson and the psychogeography of Iain Sinclair.
STV News
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- STV News
Men in Love: Irvine Welsh releases new Trainspotting sequel
Irvine Welsh has released a direct sequel to Trainspotting, more than 30 years after the cult novel's publication. Men in Love, released on Thursday, sees the return of beloved characters Renton, Sick Boy, Spud, and Begbie. Irvine's fifth Trainspotting spin-off displaces 2002's Porno as the original's most direct sequel, and follows the misfit Leith crew as they attempt to replace drug addiction with 'love and romance' while they experience the heyday of rave culture in the late 80s and early 90s. The original novel quickly became a cult classic, and made a hugely successful transition from page to screen thanks to director Danny Boyle and up-and-coming actor Ewan McGregor, with a sequel released in 2017 reuniting most of the original cast. Men in Love will open in the late 80s, 'at the end of punk and just before acid house'. Getty Images The book's description reads: 'It is the late 1980s, the closing years of Thatcher's Britain. For the Trainspotting crew, a new era is about to begin – a time for hope, for love, for raving. 'Leaving heroin behind and separated after a drug deal gone wrong, Renton, Sick Boy, Spud and Begbie each want to feel alive. They fill their days with sex and romance and trying to get ahead; they follow the call of the dance floor, with its promise of joy and redemption. 'Sick Boy starts an intense relationship with Amanda, his 'princess' – rich, connected, everything that he is not. When the pair set a date for their wedding, Sick Boy sees a chance for his generation to take control at last. But as the 1990s dawn, will finding love be the answer to the group's dreams or just another doomed quest? 'Irvine Welsh's sequel to his iconic bestseller Trainspotting tells a story of riotous adventures, wild new passions, and young men determined to get the most out of life.' The release comes ahead of a documentary of Welsh's life, which will close the Edinburgh International Film Festival on August 20. Reality Is Not Enough will follow the best-selling author at a 'crossroads' in life where he is 'acutely aware of his mortality and accepting that his hedonistic days are drawing to a close'. It is also said to explore the 'inner and outer life' of the writer, who was propelled to fame with his debut novel focusing on heroin addicts in Leith in 1993. From director Paul Sng, the documentary, which was previously titled I Am Irvine Welsh, has been described as a 'captivating piece of autobiographical filmmaking'. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scotsman
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Men in Love by Irvine Welsh review: 'his paciest, funniest book in years'
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The early stages of drug dependency and romantic love have such similar rushing, all-consuming power that scientific studies of their comparative neurological effects have been made. That a book about one group of young men's devastating heroin habits should be followed by another about their often self-destructive pursuits of sex and relationship highs therefore makes plenty of sense. Thirty-two years have passed since Leith tearaways Renton, Sick Boy, Spud and Begbie first leapt off the pages of Irvine Welsh's darkly delirious million-selling masterpiece Trainspotting. Danny Boyle's 1996 film adaptation subsequently made icons of the characters and their creator. There have been numerous prequel, sequel and spin-off novels and short stories of varying merit, plus an iffy follow-up movie (2017's T2, set decades after the original). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Irvine Welsh At the outset of Men In Love, merely weeks have expired since Trainspotting's end, when Renton chose life by ripping off his mates in a drug deal before disappearing with their cash. The mixture of guilt, rage, betrayal and confusion each man feels is as fresh as the sweat on Renton's brow, as he goes cold turkey in Amsterdam trying to get clean. He, Sick Boy and Spud are estranged, yet largely united in their resolve not to fall back on the smack (Begbie's tangential compulsion for violent mayhem, meanwhile, rages unchecked). But what should fill the void? Foreshadowing 2002's Porno, the book that inspired T2, pseudo-sophisticate Scots Italian manipulator Sick Boy is in London building a career in adult entertainment, while using and abusing various women to different ends. Including Amanda, an upper-class dropout he encounters at drug counselling. She forces him to feel forbidden feelings no natural born shagger should feel. The thickest yet most morally sound of them all, Spud, is in a relationship with Sick Boy's ex Alison, whom he showers with a desperate, cloying love she can't requite. In Amsterdam, Renton becomes immersed in the burgeoning acid house club scene, and a world of fluid sexual and romantic relationships he may not be emotionally equipped for. Begbie's devotion remains only to Leith, the blade and the bottle. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The raw, gritty, trippy urgency and hyper-realism that drove Welsh's debut novel has long-since faded from his writing. Some of his graphic descriptions of oftentimes squalid sex may leave you needing a shower. But the simple ease and joy with which he reinhabits these vivid characters makes this his paciest, funniest, most page-turning book in years. If there is a love to be felt, it's Welsh's for his Leith young team, who for all their flaws and indeed evils, he never leaves without hope of redemption - be it Sick Boy in his battle of wits with Amanda's toff hypocrite father in the build up to their wedding, or Begbie, the world's worst best man, hanging over the climactic posh nuptials like a black cloud, threatening to rain either rough class justice or purely psychotic chaos.
Scottish Sun
30-06-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Inside £69m plans to transform ‘neglected' Trainspotting tower blocks
Under the plans, the landmark 10-storey buildings, would see a £69 million investment to make the homes safer and more energy efficient. Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PLANS to transform a tower block made famous by Trainspotting have taken a major step forward, with a planning application being submitted by architects. The iconic Cables Wynd House and Linksview House in Leith, made famous as Sick Boy's home in the cult classic, will see a £69 million investment to make the homes safer and more energy efficient if the plans get the green light. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Major plans have been lodged to improve the iconic flats, which were built in the 1960s Credit: Euan Cherry 3 Cult classic film Trainspotting featured the 10-storey towers, which then went on to gain A-list status by heritage chiefs Credit: Alamy Built in the 1960s, the iconic 10-storey flats - known as the "Banana Flats" due to its distinctive curved design - have served generations of residents living in the 310 flats, the majority of which are owned by the Council for social rent. Back in 2017, they were given A-list status by heritage chiefs, meaning they ranked as one of Scotland's finest structures alongside the likes of Stirling Castle, the Forth Road Bridge and the National Wallace Monument. The huge proposals represent a significant investment in securing their future as safe, high-quality homes and is being driven by the need to meet the Scottish Government's Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing – EESSH2. This will mean substantial upgrades to both the building fabric and mechanical systems for the buildings, and wider improvements in general by the council, in a bid to bring the buildings in line with modern new-build standards. Key elements of the proposal include energy efficiency upgrades - including improved insulation, window replacements, and energy-efficient heating systems to meet EESSH2 standards - and fire safety enhancements including the installation of sprinkler systems, smoke ventilation, a new fire-fighting lift, and improved fire compartmentalisation in communal areas. The removal of legacy bin chutes and inclusion of internal waste management facilities will also enhance the fire safety of the buildings. Just last month, residents of Cables Wynd House - except for two households - were evacuated after a huge inferno engulfed and believed to have destroyed one flat. Thankfully, nobody was injured in the blaze on June 6, which started around 11pm and saw nine fire crews in attendance. Proposed plans to ensure the safety and security of residents are also mentioned, with upgraded internal and external lighting, CCTV and improved access control throughout the buildings. The refurbishment project also presents a unique opportunity to reimagine the outdoor environment surrounding both towers, with new play areas, external seating and wildflower meadows being proposed, as well as the implementation of sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS), and a full review of parking and waste facilities. Fire crews rush to Leith banana flats as huge blaze engulfs Trainspotting tower block Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener Lezley Marion Cameron said: 'I am delighted that the proposals for the council's £69 million investment in Cables Wynd House and Linksview House have now been submitted to the CEC Planning Service, setting out our plans to make our residents' homes safer, more comfortable and more energy efficient. Dua Lipa 'splits the G' in popular Dublin pub 'Cables Wynd and Linksview House residents have long campaigned for this much needed and substantive investment in their homes to happen. Their influence and input into our consultation sessions have shaped these proposals and is hugely valued. 'I look forward to continuing this positive engagement with Cables Wynd and Linksview House residents and Leith Ward councillors as the project progresses.' Carl Baker, an architect and certified Passivhaus designer for Collective Architecture, said: 'Collective Architecture is proud to be working with The City of Edinburgh Council on the retrofit of Cables Wynd House and Linksview House. Our proposals place residents at the heart of the process, aiming to provide greener, warmer homes, while celebrating and sensitively enhancing the unique character of the Category A listed buildings. 'As part of a just transition, our carefully considered interventions will improve the thermal and environmental performance of the iconic structures - boosting energy efficiency and alleviating the risk of fuel poverty. 'As with many of our projects, meaningful resident engagement has been central to the design process and will remain a key focus through the final design stage and into construction.' Subject to planning approval, the council says it will continue to engage closely with residents throughout the design and construction process, ensuring their needs remain at the heart of the project.
