Although I really enjoyed this, I would probably recommend other titles from the Welsh collection first. Once you are hooked on the world Irvine Welsh creates, this sits happily as an addition to the broad array of characters he paints for us. and is worthy of its place in the collection. However, I think you need to meet the others and be introduced to his world first.

I tried getting into this novel but somehow I just couldn't connect to Welsh's writing style or the plot itself. Since I couldn't finish the book I won't post a review on my blog or Goodreads since my opinions aren't based on the whole book. I will give it an average of 3 stars since it didn't work for me but could for someone else.

BEGBIE IS BACK!!! Ok, got that out of the way… but really that was my first, and repeated, thought when I first heard about this book. Franco Begbie is an electrifyingly realised amoral psychopath, undoubtedly Irvine Welsh’s greatest character (and brilliantly portrayed by Robert Carlyle in Trainspotting). But this is Begbie as we have never seen him before… now known as Jim Francis, he is a successful sculptor with a beautiful wife and two adored daughters, living the good life in California. He has had a lot of therapy (he is married to his art therapist from prison) and he has become skilled at anger management. He is also played by Robert Carlyle in my head!

Begbie’s past actions are put in the context of being the anger response of the trapped working class with a horrifically violent childhood. As he works on his breathing to push down his anger, as he makes his art over Guns n Roses blaring, Welsh makes us wonder - has Begbie broken free of his conditioning into violence? Or has he learned a veneer of behaviour to hide his true nature? The death of his son brings him home to Scotland, and it is here, in the face of the expectation of those who know him as a psychotic violence machine, not to mention the endless irritation of dealing with Tesco mobile, the Begbie we know and fear comes closer to the surface... if you liked Trainspotting, you have to read this. If you don’t like Trainspotting – you won’t. If you haven’t read/watched Trainspotting – what have you been doing with yourself?!?!?! Rectify that, and then see advice above for The Blade Artist.

At the beginning of this book we meet Begbie, who is now known as Jim Francis, he is married with two lovely daughters. We are shown an unrecognisable ‘Begbie’, as he is devoted to his family and seems to have a lovely Californian life. Those who know Begbie only from Trainspotting would be confused, – as was I.

The story continues and we hear that Jim Francis has to return to Edinburgh because his son has been killed. Does returning to the place that made you, make you turn back to the person you once were? Everybody in Leith is expecting Begbie to take revenge, to show that side of him that he is known as. I’m not about giving spoilers or too much information on the plot, so if you want to know you will need to read the book yourself.

I loved the title of this book, and as you read about what Jim Francis does and did while he was in prison, the title is very apt.

“That’s the thing aboot bein an artist, ye get…..creative”

I liked the contrast between the two places, and how this is also reflected in the characters. At first it seemed difficult to imagine the Begbie we knew as this devoted American Husband and Dad, but as the story goes on, and we hear about Begbie’s past and we learn a lot more about him and the question you have to ask really is, ‘You can take the boy out of Scotland, but can you take Scotland out of the boy?’ (or maybe that should be Leith!)
It took me a bit longer to read this as Edinburgh dialect is used in the book, and while I live in Scotland I could easily understand it, it doesn’t read as easily as ‘The Queen’s English’. But it wouldn’t have been authentic Irvine Welsh if he hadn’t have used the dialect would it now?!

“Eh pilled ehsel tae ehs climbin frame n yanked ehsel up. Tried tae come at ays! It was ridic! he booted it oot fae under him and watched him crash tae the flair.”

This was an enjoyable book, which I read at a perfect time with T2 Trainspotting just out. It was gritty, character led and typically Irine Welsh.