About this title: With the festive season almost upon him, Detective Sergeant Bruce Robertson is winding down at work and gearing up socially - kicking off Christmas with a week of sex and drugs in Amsterdam. There are irritating flies in the ointment, though, including a missing wife, a nagging cocaine habit, a dramatic deterioration in his genital health, a string of increasingly demanding extra-marital affairs. The last thing he needs is a messy murder to solve.Still it will mean plenty of overtime, a chance to stitch up some colleagues and finally clinch the promotion he craves. But as Bruce spirals ...
read more
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Date Published: 1998
ISBN-13:9780393318685ISBN:0393318680
Description: Good. Used item may show library stamps, stickers and marks. Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage
Date Published: 1999-07-01
ISBN-13:9780099284291ISBN:0099284294
Description: Good. Every heavytail order includes with a sweet! We carefully hand clean and reinspect each and every item we ship. Our quality control process ensures items to be in the condition described or better. Heavytail is determined to earn your repeat business through old fashioned customer service. We love international orders. read more
Description: Good. 0393318680 21289 PB; spine creased, text clean, cover has light shelf wear-allow up to 21 business days for standard USPS media m a i l. wt2lbpf. read more
Description: Jonathan Cape, 1998. 392 pages. 1st printing / edition. Trade paperback. Near Fine. Spine has faint stress creases, outside edges of the text block faintly age-tanned. ISBN: 0224041185 A cop, sleaze, power and the abuse of everything. [Sounds like cops everywhere to us...]. read more
Edition: Edition Unstated
Binding: Trade Paperback
Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc, Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
Date Published: 1998
ISBN-13:9780393318685ISBN:0393318680
Description: Very Good. As issued No Jacket. Slight spine lean, minor corner bumps, a few pages in middle were creased on the lower right corner, and other light shopwear. New novel by the author of Trainspotting. read more
Edition: First edition.
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Jonathan Cape
Date Published: 1998
ISBN-13:9780224041188ISBN:0224041185
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Crease in spine, a couple of dents on cover, top of one page folded, else fine. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. Audience: General/trade. read more
Edition: First edition. 1st American
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Date Published: 1998
ISBN-13:9780393318685ISBN:0393318680
Description: Fine. No dust jacket as issued. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 393 p. Audience: General/trade. read more
Edition: First American Edition; First Printing
Binding: Large Trade Paperback
Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc, New York
Date Published: 1998
ISBN-13:9780393318685ISBN:0393318680
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Jonathan Cape Ltd
Date Published: 1998
ISBN-13:9780224041188ISBN:0224041185
Description: Good. *** Expect to see light wear and some spine creasing *** Dispatched in padded packaging. ** UK SELLER-Get it in days not weeks ** read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Jonathan Cape Ltd
Date Published: 1998
ISBN-13:9780224041188ISBN:0224041185
Description: Acceptable. Well Read? Expect Some Heavy Creasing, Some Wear And Maybe A Little Damage *** Expect to receive a well read copy-The condition of the book will be readable, perhaps with heavy creasing and some damage. You wouldn't want to give it as a present-Dispatched in padded packaging. ** UK SELLER-Get it in days not weeks ** read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Jonathan Cape Ltd
Date Published: 1998
ISBN-13:9780224041188ISBN:0224041185
Description: Good. EXCELLENT value for money and ready for dispatch. Delivery usually within 3/5 days. Our reputation is built on our Speedy Delivery Service and our Customer Service Team. read more
"Welsh has a talent with words that few modern authors can come close to, and he pushes the limit here once again. I don't know if it was brilliant or merely flashy, but he does something here that an author can rarely pull off. The story is fairly engaging, but entire pages and streams of thought are sliced through and incomplete, by the thoughts of his, ah, condition, literally cutting through the prose. I don't know if I have clearly explained what he did here, so if you don't mind feeling a little dirty, you should go give this a read."
"There are several reasons why I will never forget this book. The main reason is Bruce Robertson, the main character of "Filth".
Bruce Robertson is a Police Investigator in Edinburgh. He's also, in every sense of the word, the WORST human being you can imagine. He's depraved, completely void of morality, racist, and worst of all, believes in what he does. Reading this book actually makes you fearful that there are people out there like this in positions of power. His actions are awe-inducing in their maliciousness. Sometimes they are horrifying. And amazingly, if you "connect" with this book (not everybody will), you will actually laugh out loud. Sometimes at yourself when you come to the realization that you are actually finding humor in his actions. In my adventures of reading modern fiction, I don't think I've ever come across such a horrible creation such as Bruce Robertson. He is filth.
That said, what a thrill this book was, and what a thrill it is to discover a novelist such as Irvine Welsh! He's drunk on the possibilities of language, and that's what makes this book so special. He makes it bearable to co-exist with Bruce Robertson for almost 400 pages because he writes in such a way that gets you on the same wavelength as his character. And as Bruce finds justification in his actions and philosophies, even if you don't as a reader, you are still right there with him the entire time. The Scottish dialect is easy to get used to, and adds so much to the authenticity and grit to the story. Couple all of this with a truly satisfying ending, and this is one of the most fun and memorable reads I've come across. I'll surely be seeking out more Irvine Welsh to read as well.
Update: 24 hours have passesd since I finished "Filth" and wrote the review above. As the book continues to linger on my mind, I find myself feeling more and more sympathy for Bruce. Truly the mark of a good book...that it remains with you and continues to make you think."
"Okay. Let me say it. This is absolutely, 100%, without question the most effed up and disturbing book I've ever read. The scottish polis slang kept me entertained, however. And Welsh makes surviving the hoors, fanny, blow, parasites, and stench all worth while in the end. It's pretty brilliant."
"I agree with a lot of what the other reviewers here have said. Much of this book felt like it was trying too hard to be shocking and why it didn't work to really scandalize me (or many other people) is that the types of readers that Welsh attracts are not going to be squeamish people. That evil piggy on the cover certainly isn't attracting any middle aged moms, looking for a good romance title. Perhaps I'm too unflappable (or old!) because I've been down these dirty backalleys before, so it just didn't impress me as much."
We guarantee every item's condition, as described on Alibris. If you are not satisfied that an item is as described, return your purchase for a refund.
rating
