Carspotting: The Real Adventures of Irvine Welsh

by Sandy Macnair

Having Irvine Welsh as one of your best mates was not without its problems. Sandy Macnair and Irvine Welsh were friends long before fame and fortune arrived by train, and their adventures and Welsh's novels have obvious parallels. Their adventures were certainly extraordinary. Irvine Welsh was always the instigator, the free spirit who would act on a whim and deal with the consequences later. Sandy Macnair was his loyal wing man, there to enjoy the ride and to help pick up the pieces when things, as they usually did, went wrong. In "Carspotting", Sandy Macnair now presents an affectionate portrayal of their adventures together and the highs and lows of the rollercoaster ride that was their late teens and twenties. As well as a highly entertaining read, Sandy also reveals nuggets that will fascinate all Irvine Welsh fans, like the real role model for Begbie, the true Gorgie/Dalry Oyster Bar, the real location of various scenes from Trainspotting and the story behind Marabou Stork Nightmares that none of the critics spotted, which makes this a fascinating and entertaining account of one of our best-loved authors.

Genres: Biography

230 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2011

Reviews

[Newfad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting if sparse look at the influences/shenanigans of Mr Welsh pre Trainspotting. Mainly confined to alcoholic indulgence but with the occasional insight into characters and places that have obviously influenced his writing.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great insights and storytelling.

[Aaron Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious

[Danny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting stuff about situations that arose in Welsh's work and how some characters came about.

[Briony · Rating 2 out of 5]

Avoid unless you are a huge Welsh fan. I found it a bit tedious at times, but worth reading for an insight into the author.

[Thomas Healey · Rating 4 out of 5]

He really is 1 off the boys.

Great book,let's you find out about some of the events that shaped parts of his books,and surely Sandy's due some backdated compo/danger money?

[David Williams · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be fair, the author did say 'Teetotallers put this back on the shelf, it aint for you'.