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The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins: A Novel
When Lucy Brennan, a Miami Beach personal-fitness trainer, disarms a gunman chasing two frightened homeless men, the police and the breaking-news cameras are not far behind and, within hours, Lucy is a media hero. The solitary eye-witness is the depressed and overweight Lena Sorensen, who becomes obsessed with Lucy and signs up as her client – though she seems more interested in the trainer’s body than her own. When the two women find themselves more closely aligned, and can’t stop thinking about the sex lives of Siamese twins, the real problems start...
In the aggressive, foul-mouthed trainer, Lucy Brennan, and the needy, manipulative Lena Sorensen, Irvine Welsh has created two of his most memorable female protagonists, and one of the most bizarre, sado-masochistic folies à deux in contemporary fiction. Featuring murder, depravity and revenge – and enormous amounts of food and sex – The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins taps into two great obsessions of our time – how we look and where we live – and tells a story so subversive and dark it blacks out the Florida sun.
In the aggressive, foul-mouthed trainer, Lucy Brennan, and the needy, manipulative Lena Sorensen, Irvine Welsh has created two of his most memorable female protagonists, and one of the most bizarre, sado-masochistic folies à deux in contemporary fiction. Featuring murder, depravity and revenge – and enormous amounts of food and sex – The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins taps into two great obsessions of our time – how we look and where we live – and tells a story so subversive and dark it blacks out the Florida sun.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2014
175 people are currently reading
5729 people want to read
About the author
Irvine Welsh
128 books7,597 followersProbably most famous for his gritty depiction of a gang of Scottish Heroin addicts, Trainspotting (1993), Welsh focuses on the darker side of human nature and drug use. All of his novels are set in his native Scotland and filled with anti-heroes, small time crooks and hooligans. Welsh manages, however to imbue these characters with a sad humanity that makes them likable despite their obvious scumbaggerry. Irvine Welsh is also known for writing in his native Edinburgh Scots dialect, making his prose challenging for the average reader unfamiliar with this style.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 473 reviews
April 28, 2023
One of Welsh's lesser novels. Yes, it is worse than Crime. Somehow, Welsh is not at his best when he is out of his comfort zone - writing about the Scottish working and middle classes. Irvine Welsh writing a novel set outside Scotland is like Martin Scorsese making a movie which is not about Italian Americans.
Frankly, a lot of Welsh's commentary on American society is trite and antiquated. So Americans are religious and gluttonous and philistine and TV addicted. A million articles and novels have already been written about all these attributes. The novel is up to its neck in cliches about American society.It is almost as if he wrote this book in his sleep. A lot of it seemed to be uninspired. The main character was downright mean and nasty and Welsh was only mildly successful in capturing the pathos of Lucy's situation. Even though Francis Begbie, Sick Boy and Juice Terry were despicable characters, Welsh was always able to flesh out their humanity. In this book, the things that needed to be foregrounded were always in the background. Welsh's razor sharp wit was also absent - a lot of the jokes were unfunny and crude.
I would still pre-order Welsh's next novel (I read it is going to be about Juice Terry). But The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins was a real let down. I hope Welsh does not prove Sick Boy's "unifying theory of life" to be correct :).
Frankly, a lot of Welsh's commentary on American society is trite and antiquated. So Americans are religious and gluttonous and philistine and TV addicted. A million articles and novels have already been written about all these attributes. The novel is up to its neck in cliches about American society.It is almost as if he wrote this book in his sleep. A lot of it seemed to be uninspired. The main character was downright mean and nasty and Welsh was only mildly successful in capturing the pathos of Lucy's situation. Even though Francis Begbie, Sick Boy and Juice Terry were despicable characters, Welsh was always able to flesh out their humanity. In this book, the things that needed to be foregrounded were always in the background. Welsh's razor sharp wit was also absent - a lot of the jokes were unfunny and crude.
I would still pre-order Welsh's next novel (I read it is going to be about Juice Terry). But The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins was a real let down. I hope Welsh does not prove Sick Boy's "unifying theory of life" to be correct :).
June 9, 2014
Irvine Welsh has always been an author that I have wanted to read, but he always seemed to sit on the backburner. I have Trainspotting on my bookshelf and I’m sure I’ll get to it eventually. His new novel The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins seemed like just the right amount of filth and bizarreness for me at the time. The novel kicks off questioning American’s obsession with numbers, from statistics, ratings, western culture seems to measure everything with numbers. From crime rates, percentages to economical values to shoe and breast sizes; everything is about numbers. This sets up the protagonist, personal trainer Lucy Brennan, who obsessively records everything, from her calories, her exercise and every aspect of her life, as well as those she trains.
Set in the image obsessed Miami, The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins tells the story of Lucy who heroically disarms a gunman who was chasing down two homeless men. This was witnessed and recorded by the sole eyewitness, Lena Sorensen. Lucy’s act of heroism transforms her into an insta-celeb with national exposure, giving her the break she has been looking for. Lena becomes obsessed with Lucy and signs up as one of her clients. The two find themselves getting closer, too close for comfort.
I officially believe that all personal trainers are sadists; however Lucy takes this to a whole new level. She goes from strict personal trainer to scary crazy in the efforts to get Lena into shape. Reading this novel reminds me never to get a trainer; I don’t think I can handle the efforts one might go to, to get me into shape. I won’t go into details; the whole concept of fitness and eating healthy within this novel is worth exploring without any spoilers.
In an interesting twist, it turns out that the two frightened men Lucy saves from the angry gunman turned out to be paedophiles. The media focus quickly shifts from heroine to whether she should have stopped a victim of sex abuse from getting his revenge. Would she have acted differently if she knew the reason? It is no longer a story about bravery and heroics but one of pain and vengeance.
I read this novel as a caper that quickly spiralled out of control. Irvine Welsh was able to produce very unique acerbic characters, all vastly different from each other, with their own little quirks and flaws. Lucy a militant personal trainer, we get to watch her stardom rise and fall and Lena an avant-garde sculptor who is a shy talent with a dark side that comes through mainly in her art.
I get the impression that Welsh likes to explore the darker side of humanity. While I tend to enjoy transgressive fiction I was finding some issues within this novel that I will try to explain. Irvine Welsh doesn’t hold back; Lucy Brennan is a hard hitting, foul-mouthed, aggressive woman; an anti-hero that I can’t help wondering if she is realistic. She claims to be a feminist but comes across almost like a misogynist, rather than just an angry bitch. I increasingly began to see her less as a female protagonist and more as Welsh’s fantasy of the ideal woman. His own masculinity seems to come through in this character and she comes across as a slutty bi-sexual that has the libido and personality of a teenage boy. That is not to say that there aren’t women like that out in the world; for me, her personality never rung true.
I was never sure how to take Lucy; she started off as a strong willed, fitness freak with no social filter and a mouth and sex drive that is unmatched. These people obviously do exist in the world and I tried to take her seriously but as the novel went on it become harder and harder to suspend my disbelief. She became less of a character in the novel and more the voice that satirizes Irvine Welsh’s own soapbox views.
Lean Sorensen is far more interesting; she comes across as timid but talented artist but she doesn’t see that. She views herself the same way the world does, as just a pathetic overweight woman. Whether it is the manipulative ex-boyfriend, the passive aggressive parents or the fake friends of the art world, she is depicted as a broken woman trying to get her life together. I enjoyed the darkness that came through under the perky and cheerful facade that she tries to put on; it really rounded out the character. She kept my interest throughout the novel.
The title The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins is an interesting topic as it refers to a subplot about the media frenzy around two conjoined teens, Annabel and Amy. Annabel is considering losing her virginity to her boyfriend but Amy is not too keen on this idea. A conversation about the twins and their sex lives is a reoccurring conversation/argument between Lucy and Lena. They have differing views about sex and the conjoined twins and often the focus of their personality clash.
I have to mention the morning pages program that mentioned throughout this novel. It is a program where you must write three pages in a stream of consciousness format every morning. The idea of this program is to help identify issues that need extra attention while trying to achieve their goal, in this example weight loss. Morning pages interested me because it was the concept that inspired 750words.com a site I’ve been using to develop a good writing habit.
In the pursuit for perfection, things get dark and twisted; The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins explores this very topic. A novel of depravity, revenge, sex and crime, Welsh gives the reader plenty to think about and if you can suspend your disbelief when it comes to Lucy, this book really is extremely rewarding. Be warned there is a lot of swearing and sex, not for the sweet and innocent. The sex has a voyeuristic approach to it, not erotic at all and often disturbing. In the end, this novel was a rewarding endeavour into transgressive fiction but I need something sweet to read next.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2014/...
Set in the image obsessed Miami, The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins tells the story of Lucy who heroically disarms a gunman who was chasing down two homeless men. This was witnessed and recorded by the sole eyewitness, Lena Sorensen. Lucy’s act of heroism transforms her into an insta-celeb with national exposure, giving her the break she has been looking for. Lena becomes obsessed with Lucy and signs up as one of her clients. The two find themselves getting closer, too close for comfort.
I officially believe that all personal trainers are sadists; however Lucy takes this to a whole new level. She goes from strict personal trainer to scary crazy in the efforts to get Lena into shape. Reading this novel reminds me never to get a trainer; I don’t think I can handle the efforts one might go to, to get me into shape. I won’t go into details; the whole concept of fitness and eating healthy within this novel is worth exploring without any spoilers.
In an interesting twist, it turns out that the two frightened men Lucy saves from the angry gunman turned out to be paedophiles. The media focus quickly shifts from heroine to whether she should have stopped a victim of sex abuse from getting his revenge. Would she have acted differently if she knew the reason? It is no longer a story about bravery and heroics but one of pain and vengeance.
I read this novel as a caper that quickly spiralled out of control. Irvine Welsh was able to produce very unique acerbic characters, all vastly different from each other, with their own little quirks and flaws. Lucy a militant personal trainer, we get to watch her stardom rise and fall and Lena an avant-garde sculptor who is a shy talent with a dark side that comes through mainly in her art.
I get the impression that Welsh likes to explore the darker side of humanity. While I tend to enjoy transgressive fiction I was finding some issues within this novel that I will try to explain. Irvine Welsh doesn’t hold back; Lucy Brennan is a hard hitting, foul-mouthed, aggressive woman; an anti-hero that I can’t help wondering if she is realistic. She claims to be a feminist but comes across almost like a misogynist, rather than just an angry bitch. I increasingly began to see her less as a female protagonist and more as Welsh’s fantasy of the ideal woman. His own masculinity seems to come through in this character and she comes across as a slutty bi-sexual that has the libido and personality of a teenage boy. That is not to say that there aren’t women like that out in the world; for me, her personality never rung true.
I was never sure how to take Lucy; she started off as a strong willed, fitness freak with no social filter and a mouth and sex drive that is unmatched. These people obviously do exist in the world and I tried to take her seriously but as the novel went on it become harder and harder to suspend my disbelief. She became less of a character in the novel and more the voice that satirizes Irvine Welsh’s own soapbox views.
Lean Sorensen is far more interesting; she comes across as timid but talented artist but she doesn’t see that. She views herself the same way the world does, as just a pathetic overweight woman. Whether it is the manipulative ex-boyfriend, the passive aggressive parents or the fake friends of the art world, she is depicted as a broken woman trying to get her life together. I enjoyed the darkness that came through under the perky and cheerful facade that she tries to put on; it really rounded out the character. She kept my interest throughout the novel.
The title The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins is an interesting topic as it refers to a subplot about the media frenzy around two conjoined teens, Annabel and Amy. Annabel is considering losing her virginity to her boyfriend but Amy is not too keen on this idea. A conversation about the twins and their sex lives is a reoccurring conversation/argument between Lucy and Lena. They have differing views about sex and the conjoined twins and often the focus of their personality clash.
I have to mention the morning pages program that mentioned throughout this novel. It is a program where you must write three pages in a stream of consciousness format every morning. The idea of this program is to help identify issues that need extra attention while trying to achieve their goal, in this example weight loss. Morning pages interested me because it was the concept that inspired 750words.com a site I’ve been using to develop a good writing habit.
In the pursuit for perfection, things get dark and twisted; The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins explores this very topic. A novel of depravity, revenge, sex and crime, Welsh gives the reader plenty to think about and if you can suspend your disbelief when it comes to Lucy, this book really is extremely rewarding. Be warned there is a lot of swearing and sex, not for the sweet and innocent. The sex has a voyeuristic approach to it, not erotic at all and often disturbing. In the end, this novel was a rewarding endeavour into transgressive fiction but I need something sweet to read next.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2014/...
April 29, 2014
When Lucy Brennan, a Miami Beach personal-fitness trainer, disarms a gunman chasing two frightened homeless men, the police and the breaking-news cameras are not far behind and, within hours, Lucy is a media hero. The solitary eye-witness is the depressed and overweight Lena Sorensen, who becomes obsessed with Lucy and signs up as her client – though she seems more interested in the trainer’s body than her own. When the two women find themselves more closely aligned, and can’t stop thinking about the sex lives of Siamese twins, the real problems start…
Superficially Lucy and Lena couldn’t really be more different. Lucy is toned and trim with a sharp tongue and an extrovert nature. Her foul mouth and gung-ho attitude towards life seems like the perfect tools to navigate life in the self-obsessed environment of Miami Beach. Lena meanwhile is the polar opposite. Overweight, introspective and shy she hides away from the world. Where Lucy appears confident and strong, Lena is weak willed and easily lead. A chance meeting brings the two together and it’s not long before they both realise that appearances can be more than a little deceptive.
I love the way that Welsh’s characters often verge on the very cusp of the grotesque, but he never allows them to cross that line. He is such a keen observer of humanity and seems to be able to get to the very core of all his characters with ease. Both Lucy and Lena are riddled with flaws but that’s what makes them so compelling. It makes them come across as realistic and human. Certain aspects of the characters remind me of people that I’ve met before. When it comes to fiction, flawed protagonists are always fascinating to follow, and in The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins the reader is spoiled for choice.
The better Lucy gets to know Lena, the darker the story becomes. There are a series of chapters where Lena recalls her history and they offer real insight into how events in her life have shaped everything about her and her world-view. From her upbringing in a small town, through her time in art school, right up until the moment where she and Lucy first meet; all of these moments leave their mark.
As events begin to spiral out of each woman’s control, Welsh uses the paradigm shifts in their relationship to explore modern attitudes towards everything from sex and death, to celebrity culture, body image and religion. Fiction that challenges pre-conceived notions and demands introspection really doesn’t come much better than this.
I remember way back in the early 90s and the first time I cracked open a copy of Trainspotting, though I was born and grew up only fifty miles away from where the novel was set this was a completely alien world to me. I’d never read anything like it, and I was utterly stunned by how emotive and thought provoking Welsh’s work was. His writing has continued to display that same self-assured confrontational edge over the years. Time has not diminished this author’s ferocious passion one iota. I loved his writing back then and I still love it now.
As is always the case with a new Irvine Welsh novel things are unashamedly adult. I’d imagine there are those who think Welsh’s use of adult language, sex and violence are too extreme but I’d disagree. Yes, sometimes there are scenes that can, in isolation, be viewed as shocking, but within the context of the story they are entirely appropriate and are necessary to move the plot forward. Welsh doesn’t ever pull his punches. He lets the reader make up their own mind and draw their own conclusions, it’s the thing I’ve always found most enjoyable about his work. He doesn’t pander to anyone he writes from the heart and it shows.
Overall, I found The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins to be mind-bendingly good stuff. The writing dissects every 21st century obsession you could name with a critical flair. There is no aspect of modern society that escapes the author’s steely gaze. Nowadays, it often feels like we exist in a multimedia bubble and Welsh plays with that fact, using it as the basis for his entire narrative. In a world where fame has become an addictive commodity, the big question this novel asks is at what cost?
The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins is published by Jonathan Cape Ltd and available from 1st May 2014.
Superficially Lucy and Lena couldn’t really be more different. Lucy is toned and trim with a sharp tongue and an extrovert nature. Her foul mouth and gung-ho attitude towards life seems like the perfect tools to navigate life in the self-obsessed environment of Miami Beach. Lena meanwhile is the polar opposite. Overweight, introspective and shy she hides away from the world. Where Lucy appears confident and strong, Lena is weak willed and easily lead. A chance meeting brings the two together and it’s not long before they both realise that appearances can be more than a little deceptive.
I love the way that Welsh’s characters often verge on the very cusp of the grotesque, but he never allows them to cross that line. He is such a keen observer of humanity and seems to be able to get to the very core of all his characters with ease. Both Lucy and Lena are riddled with flaws but that’s what makes them so compelling. It makes them come across as realistic and human. Certain aspects of the characters remind me of people that I’ve met before. When it comes to fiction, flawed protagonists are always fascinating to follow, and in The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins the reader is spoiled for choice.
The better Lucy gets to know Lena, the darker the story becomes. There are a series of chapters where Lena recalls her history and they offer real insight into how events in her life have shaped everything about her and her world-view. From her upbringing in a small town, through her time in art school, right up until the moment where she and Lucy first meet; all of these moments leave their mark.
As events begin to spiral out of each woman’s control, Welsh uses the paradigm shifts in their relationship to explore modern attitudes towards everything from sex and death, to celebrity culture, body image and religion. Fiction that challenges pre-conceived notions and demands introspection really doesn’t come much better than this.
I remember way back in the early 90s and the first time I cracked open a copy of Trainspotting, though I was born and grew up only fifty miles away from where the novel was set this was a completely alien world to me. I’d never read anything like it, and I was utterly stunned by how emotive and thought provoking Welsh’s work was. His writing has continued to display that same self-assured confrontational edge over the years. Time has not diminished this author’s ferocious passion one iota. I loved his writing back then and I still love it now.
As is always the case with a new Irvine Welsh novel things are unashamedly adult. I’d imagine there are those who think Welsh’s use of adult language, sex and violence are too extreme but I’d disagree. Yes, sometimes there are scenes that can, in isolation, be viewed as shocking, but within the context of the story they are entirely appropriate and are necessary to move the plot forward. Welsh doesn’t ever pull his punches. He lets the reader make up their own mind and draw their own conclusions, it’s the thing I’ve always found most enjoyable about his work. He doesn’t pander to anyone he writes from the heart and it shows.
Overall, I found The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins to be mind-bendingly good stuff. The writing dissects every 21st century obsession you could name with a critical flair. There is no aspect of modern society that escapes the author’s steely gaze. Nowadays, it often feels like we exist in a multimedia bubble and Welsh plays with that fact, using it as the basis for his entire narrative. In a world where fame has become an addictive commodity, the big question this novel asks is at what cost?
The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins is published by Jonathan Cape Ltd and available from 1st May 2014.
October 17, 2023
Let me begin by saying that Irvine Welsh is my favourite writer of the last 25 years. I was blown away by Trainspotting, The Acid House, Ecstasy, Glue and Filth. I didn’t particularly enjoy Marabou Stork Nightmares but I could appreciate its ambition and power…it haunts me still. I loved Porno, but after that he started to seem a tad jaded. If You Enjoyed School You’ll Love Work was trying too hard. The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs was a confused mess. And Crime left me cold (with too much riding on a late-revealed traumatic childhood to explain a dysfunctional adult – ground he’d already covered so brilliantly with Bruce Robertson in Filth.
There was a brief return to form with Skag Boys – Begbie in particular was breathtaking in that reprise – so I looked forward to Irvine’s next effort confident that he’d rediscovered his edge.
Alas, he has not. The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins is an almost colour-by-numbers attempt to counterpoint the evolving relationship of two women (one fit, one fat) with the developing media fascination with a pair of conjoined twins who want different things in their lives.
It was pretty hard for me to get into the story – mainly because I didn’t like (or believe) the main character – Lucy. She seemed to have the same voice as the increasingly coke-psychotic Sick Boy from the second half of Porno, and the only reason I knew she was a woman was because she kept saying so (despite her unrelenting misogyny).
Neither did I believe the other main character (Lena) – especially her true sexual orientation which is conveniently revealed towards the end. I especially did not believe the major turning point that happens about halfway through. Stranger things have happened, of course, but there needed to be at least some vague foreshadowing that such was possible to make it believable when it came. Too much in one go did not make sense.
There was an interesting idea underpinning the plot but the whole thing read like a first draft. The story needed a lot more structural editing to pull it into shape. Most disappointing was the absence of the usual Welsh dark humour. The sex scenes also read like a middle aged man’s lesbotic fantasy rather than smacking of any authenticity. And TWO main characters with dysfunctional lives attributable to past trauma is just getting lazy. Worst of all, I guessed every detail about the ending long before it happened. A further couple of drafts might have enabled him to conceal the ‘twists’ a little better – or even come up with some better twists to trump the reader’s expectation.
The question must be asked: has Irvine Welsh become the sort of writer he might most have despised when still scribbling in obscurity? Is he now a complaisant ex-virtuoso basking in the ebbing shadows of former glory like Meatloaf at the MCG? (Google it.) I reckon the talent is still there, he just needs to work harder than ever to refine his draft plots into something worthy of the Irvine Welsh brand.
Mibbe eh just needs back oan the skag? Ah widnae mind a sequel tae Porno. Aye right, Irvine?
There was a brief return to form with Skag Boys – Begbie in particular was breathtaking in that reprise – so I looked forward to Irvine’s next effort confident that he’d rediscovered his edge.
Alas, he has not. The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins is an almost colour-by-numbers attempt to counterpoint the evolving relationship of two women (one fit, one fat) with the developing media fascination with a pair of conjoined twins who want different things in their lives.
It was pretty hard for me to get into the story – mainly because I didn’t like (or believe) the main character – Lucy. She seemed to have the same voice as the increasingly coke-psychotic Sick Boy from the second half of Porno, and the only reason I knew she was a woman was because she kept saying so (despite her unrelenting misogyny).
Neither did I believe the other main character (Lena) – especially her true sexual orientation which is conveniently revealed towards the end. I especially did not believe the major turning point that happens about halfway through. Stranger things have happened, of course, but there needed to be at least some vague foreshadowing that such was possible to make it believable when it came. Too much in one go did not make sense.
There was an interesting idea underpinning the plot but the whole thing read like a first draft. The story needed a lot more structural editing to pull it into shape. Most disappointing was the absence of the usual Welsh dark humour. The sex scenes also read like a middle aged man’s lesbotic fantasy rather than smacking of any authenticity. And TWO main characters with dysfunctional lives attributable to past trauma is just getting lazy. Worst of all, I guessed every detail about the ending long before it happened. A further couple of drafts might have enabled him to conceal the ‘twists’ a little better – or even come up with some better twists to trump the reader’s expectation.
The question must be asked: has Irvine Welsh become the sort of writer he might most have despised when still scribbling in obscurity? Is he now a complaisant ex-virtuoso basking in the ebbing shadows of former glory like Meatloaf at the MCG? (Google it.) I reckon the talent is still there, he just needs to work harder than ever to refine his draft plots into something worthy of the Irvine Welsh brand.
Mibbe eh just needs back oan the skag? Ah widnae mind a sequel tae Porno. Aye right, Irvine?
September 10, 2014
When I spotted this on the new releases shelf of my local library, I was baffled of the idea of Welsh having written this book, set in Miami, about two women in their early thirties, one of which is a body obsessed fitness obstructor. What could the author of Trainspotting and Filth tell me about these people, and this place?
I was absolutely blown away. From the Americanisms in the pov voices of the two main protagonists, to the female experience of sex, image, experiences and our placement within the world at large, I had to keep reminding myself that this was written by a Scottish Middle aged man. It was fantastic. The story was spellbinding and had me hooked, I pounded through in two days, staying up way past my bedtime to see what would happen next, as I honestly could not see any of it coming, unlike any book I've read in many years.
The setting and environments were so well imagined and conveyed, I found myself in southern Florida for 48 hrs, and strolled their haunts, their homes, the climate and their minds.
I honestly don't know if I would have taken this book if it had been by another author, and especially I think, if it had been written by a woman as by the blurb, it could so easily have led into another dull tale of body image and boyfriends. In hindsight, that actually is what it is, but it's been brought to us in a brand new, non-simpering manner, with the added typical horror and revulsion we have all come to know, and many of us love, from Irvine Welsh.
I actually hugged the book when I'd finished. Don't tell the library though, I think that's disallowed in their new pamphlet of rules.
I was absolutely blown away. From the Americanisms in the pov voices of the two main protagonists, to the female experience of sex, image, experiences and our placement within the world at large, I had to keep reminding myself that this was written by a Scottish Middle aged man. It was fantastic. The story was spellbinding and had me hooked, I pounded through in two days, staying up way past my bedtime to see what would happen next, as I honestly could not see any of it coming, unlike any book I've read in many years.
The setting and environments were so well imagined and conveyed, I found myself in southern Florida for 48 hrs, and strolled their haunts, their homes, the climate and their minds.
I honestly don't know if I would have taken this book if it had been by another author, and especially I think, if it had been written by a woman as by the blurb, it could so easily have led into another dull tale of body image and boyfriends. In hindsight, that actually is what it is, but it's been brought to us in a brand new, non-simpering manner, with the added typical horror and revulsion we have all come to know, and many of us love, from Irvine Welsh.
I actually hugged the book when I'd finished. Don't tell the library though, I think that's disallowed in their new pamphlet of rules.
September 26, 2019
«I perdenti trovano scuse, i vincenti trovano soluzioni.»
Cinquanta pagine da funny book, Irvine traveste da femmina il suo personaggio maschile più riuscito di sempre (Franco). Vi saranno davvero donne con la cattiveria della personal trainer Lucy Brennan? Ancora una volta buona parte della resa credo sia imputabile al traduttore. Bocchiola ha creato un vero e proprio linguaggio per restituire lo slang in italiano: termini inventati, vezzeggiativi troncati, abbreviativi, volgarità talmente ripetute da affievolirsi a causa dell’abuso. L’odio per il cibo spazzatura e le sue consumatrici bulimiche, l’ossessione per il conteggio delle calorie io li ho trovati molto divertenti. Era quello che mi occorreva dopo il nozionismo e le elucubrazioni delle ultime letture. Potessi leggerei solo per divertimento ma i libri che lo garantiscono sono veramente pochi. “La vita sessuale delle gemelle siamesi” lo fa per una settantina di pagine in totale e lo fa se si lascia perdere la trama implausibile, gli inserti da action movie e quelli da dissertazione psicanalitica.
Lucy Brennan diventa famosa grazie ad un video in cui disarma un tale che ha la pistola spianata. Il video lo gira Lena Sorenson “una pacciarotta bassa, gli occhi seminascosti dalla frangia, l’uno e sessanta lo vede col binocolo, ma sarà un quintale. Come con tutti quelli sovrappeso, si può solo congetturare la sua età, ma direi sotto i trenta.”
Fra le due donne nascerà un legame così simbiotico e perverso da ricordare quello di Amy e Annabel due adolescenti siamesi che non sono state separate alla nascita e che ora chiedono di acquisire ognuna la propria indipendenza. La vicenda è ambientata a Miami dove il culto della bellezza e della forma fisica mi pare assai diverso da quello esibito a New York. Welsh forse fra i suoi scopi avrebbe anche quello di denunciare il pericolo dell’esposizione mediatica negli anni ’10, l’irrealtà della trama che architetta però a mio avviso rende vano qualsiasi tentativo di denuncia. Del libro salvo il sarcasmo spesso pesante di Welsh (deve piacermi la sua attitudine a colpire anche sotto la cintura, cosa che io non sono disposto a fare ma che evidentemente farei volentieri) e alcuni passaggi in cui quel sarcasmo non è sufficiente a coprire la sensibilità che è prerogativa di chiunque scriva.
Il sorriso c’è ancora, profondo, insinuante, adesso più conturbante che mai, mi investe come una tonnellata di mattoni costringendomi di riflesso ad aggiustarmi pateticamente i capelli.
Vi ricordate l’ultima volta che avete aggiustato i vostri capelli davanti ad un sorriso dopo essere usciti con mentita nonchalance da una tonnellata di mattoni che vi era rovinata addosso? L’ultima volta che è successo a me ero già completamente calvo, si trattava di un sorriso con cui non sono mai riuscito a scendere a patti, sempre lo stesso la mia personale tonnellata di mattoni, la mia purga.
Welsh deve essere un ammiratore di Joan Jett, nel libro perfino la suoneria del telefono di Lucy Brennan è sua
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvoV2...
è ciò dopo aver già citato Love is pain, Roadrunner, I Hate Myself for Loving You ma non la mia preferita che è una cover pazzesca di un pezzo degli Arrows
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBRwZ...
Cinquanta pagine da funny book, Irvine traveste da femmina il suo personaggio maschile più riuscito di sempre (Franco). Vi saranno davvero donne con la cattiveria della personal trainer Lucy Brennan? Ancora una volta buona parte della resa credo sia imputabile al traduttore. Bocchiola ha creato un vero e proprio linguaggio per restituire lo slang in italiano: termini inventati, vezzeggiativi troncati, abbreviativi, volgarità talmente ripetute da affievolirsi a causa dell’abuso. L’odio per il cibo spazzatura e le sue consumatrici bulimiche, l’ossessione per il conteggio delle calorie io li ho trovati molto divertenti. Era quello che mi occorreva dopo il nozionismo e le elucubrazioni delle ultime letture. Potessi leggerei solo per divertimento ma i libri che lo garantiscono sono veramente pochi. “La vita sessuale delle gemelle siamesi” lo fa per una settantina di pagine in totale e lo fa se si lascia perdere la trama implausibile, gli inserti da action movie e quelli da dissertazione psicanalitica.
Lucy Brennan diventa famosa grazie ad un video in cui disarma un tale che ha la pistola spianata. Il video lo gira Lena Sorenson “una pacciarotta bassa, gli occhi seminascosti dalla frangia, l’uno e sessanta lo vede col binocolo, ma sarà un quintale. Come con tutti quelli sovrappeso, si può solo congetturare la sua età, ma direi sotto i trenta.”
Fra le due donne nascerà un legame così simbiotico e perverso da ricordare quello di Amy e Annabel due adolescenti siamesi che non sono state separate alla nascita e che ora chiedono di acquisire ognuna la propria indipendenza. La vicenda è ambientata a Miami dove il culto della bellezza e della forma fisica mi pare assai diverso da quello esibito a New York. Welsh forse fra i suoi scopi avrebbe anche quello di denunciare il pericolo dell’esposizione mediatica negli anni ’10, l’irrealtà della trama che architetta però a mio avviso rende vano qualsiasi tentativo di denuncia. Del libro salvo il sarcasmo spesso pesante di Welsh (deve piacermi la sua attitudine a colpire anche sotto la cintura, cosa che io non sono disposto a fare ma che evidentemente farei volentieri) e alcuni passaggi in cui quel sarcasmo non è sufficiente a coprire la sensibilità che è prerogativa di chiunque scriva.
Il sorriso c’è ancora, profondo, insinuante, adesso più conturbante che mai, mi investe come una tonnellata di mattoni costringendomi di riflesso ad aggiustarmi pateticamente i capelli.
Vi ricordate l’ultima volta che avete aggiustato i vostri capelli davanti ad un sorriso dopo essere usciti con mentita nonchalance da una tonnellata di mattoni che vi era rovinata addosso? L’ultima volta che è successo a me ero già completamente calvo, si trattava di un sorriso con cui non sono mai riuscito a scendere a patti, sempre lo stesso la mia personale tonnellata di mattoni, la mia purga.
Welsh deve essere un ammiratore di Joan Jett, nel libro perfino la suoneria del telefono di Lucy Brennan è sua
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvoV2...
è ciò dopo aver già citato Love is pain, Roadrunner, I Hate Myself for Loving You ma non la mia preferita che è una cover pazzesca di un pezzo degli Arrows
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBRwZ...
January 9, 2015
Wow. In this novel, Irvine Welsh has created some of his most engaging characters. I love the fact that he doesn't mind writing from the female point of view, and he doesn't mind making his characters incredibly fucked up. As always, no character is inherently bad. There's motivation, and even if you don't muster up empathy, there's at least some sympathy. This book is definitely twisted, and I loved every minute of it. "Vince Vaughn eyes" is one of the greatest descriptions I've ever read, and the metaphor lingers in my mind even now.
May 7, 2014
This is an excellent book. I was excited that this was the first time I got to read my favourite author's new book as soon as it was released and it didn't disappoint.
Much has been made of the fact this is the first novel Welsh has released that doesn't contain any reference to his native Scotland (Crime was set in the States but still had ties by virtue of Lennox being Scottish and featuring himself in Filth). I'd say he's executed the 'transition' beautifully although much of that is owed to the fact that his characters still have the same borderline-psychopath tendencies of a Begbie or Bruce Robertson.
Whilst still containing the trademark depravity, the story is enjoyable and original. I came close to giving it 5 stars because there are broader messages being conveyed but ultimately they're not intellectually fresh enough in my opinion to warrant 'classic' status. For the record, the novel is an exploration into how the American society is increasingly polarised into the junk-food eating obese population and the health-obsessed. Sex (specifically feminimity) features heavily and the way two people in close proximity interract in the context of this and the aforemententioned society is crucial to the entire book...it's very hard to be more specific without ruining some of the nice twists and turns in the book! On writing this review, I may revise my rating upwards to 5 stars but I just don't quite feel it's a rich enough or comprehensive enough insight to rival Skagboys or Trainspotting.
Much has been made of the fact this is the first novel Welsh has released that doesn't contain any reference to his native Scotland (Crime was set in the States but still had ties by virtue of Lennox being Scottish and featuring himself in Filth). I'd say he's executed the 'transition' beautifully although much of that is owed to the fact that his characters still have the same borderline-psychopath tendencies of a Begbie or Bruce Robertson.
Whilst still containing the trademark depravity, the story is enjoyable and original. I came close to giving it 5 stars because there are broader messages being conveyed but ultimately they're not intellectually fresh enough in my opinion to warrant 'classic' status. For the record, the novel is an exploration into how the American society is increasingly polarised into the junk-food eating obese population and the health-obsessed. Sex (specifically feminimity) features heavily and the way two people in close proximity interract in the context of this and the aforemententioned society is crucial to the entire book...it's very hard to be more specific without ruining some of the nice twists and turns in the book! On writing this review, I may revise my rating upwards to 5 stars but I just don't quite feel it's a rich enough or comprehensive enough insight to rival Skagboys or Trainspotting.
August 31, 2015
Much better than I was expecting
Irvine Welsh is my favourite contemporary writer. Since reading 'Trainspotting’, around the time it came out, I have read most of Irvine Welsh's books and, to one degree or another, enjoyed them all.
On 4th May 2014, I went to see Irvine Welsh in conversation with (the nearly as brilliant) John Niven at the Brighton Festival. It was around the time 'The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins' was published. Everything I heard that night suggested this would be another Welshian winner. For whatever reason I have only just got round to reading it and in the interim my expectation levels dipped significantly having read a few negative reviews from long time fans.
For my money 'The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins' is up there with Irvine Welsh's best work. It’s not quite Trainspotting, Skagboys, or Porno - but then what is?
'The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins' contains a couple of classic Irvine Welsh characters - Lucy Brennan and Lena Sorenson. Irvine Welsh writes brilliant characters and these are right up there with some of his best. Especially the monstrous, hilarious Lucy Brennan - the ultimate, obsessive personal trainer - a bisexual with a voracious sex drive and a-take-no-prisoners attitude that is both appalling and very funny. Lena Sorenson appears to be very different to Lucy - an overweight, self effacing artist who is both damaged and vulnerable - but are they really so very different?
I’ve always enjoyed Irvine Welsh’s female characters so a book narrated entirely from the point of view of Lucy and Lena was wonderful. The book opens with a very dramatic incident and I was gripped from the off and enjoyed every page.
The Miami location and all American cast are also a refreshing change from his Scotland based work.
Were it not for the mixed reviews, I would confidently assert that if you like Irvine’s oeuvre you’ll love this too. I thought 'The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins' was very entertaining and another winner from the great man.
4/5
Irvine Welsh is my favourite contemporary writer. Since reading 'Trainspotting’, around the time it came out, I have read most of Irvine Welsh's books and, to one degree or another, enjoyed them all.
On 4th May 2014, I went to see Irvine Welsh in conversation with (the nearly as brilliant) John Niven at the Brighton Festival. It was around the time 'The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins' was published. Everything I heard that night suggested this would be another Welshian winner. For whatever reason I have only just got round to reading it and in the interim my expectation levels dipped significantly having read a few negative reviews from long time fans.
For my money 'The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins' is up there with Irvine Welsh's best work. It’s not quite Trainspotting, Skagboys, or Porno - but then what is?
'The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins' contains a couple of classic Irvine Welsh characters - Lucy Brennan and Lena Sorenson. Irvine Welsh writes brilliant characters and these are right up there with some of his best. Especially the monstrous, hilarious Lucy Brennan - the ultimate, obsessive personal trainer - a bisexual with a voracious sex drive and a-take-no-prisoners attitude that is both appalling and very funny. Lena Sorenson appears to be very different to Lucy - an overweight, self effacing artist who is both damaged and vulnerable - but are they really so very different?
I’ve always enjoyed Irvine Welsh’s female characters so a book narrated entirely from the point of view of Lucy and Lena was wonderful. The book opens with a very dramatic incident and I was gripped from the off and enjoyed every page.
The Miami location and all American cast are also a refreshing change from his Scotland based work.
Were it not for the mixed reviews, I would confidently assert that if you like Irvine’s oeuvre you’ll love this too. I thought 'The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins' was very entertaining and another winner from the great man.
4/5
January 2, 2018
It's no secret I am an Irvine Welsh fan. A huge fan. And after reading this novel, I remain so. By removing the action from his native Scotland, Welsh becomes only slightly (infinitesimally) less luminous and shocking in his writing than when he is comfy at home. And so is the case for "The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins", which sees the setting shift to the USA. South Beach, Miami to be precise.
This adventure was unlike Welsh's other works that I had previously enjoyed, yet it was perverse enough in its approach to rate a five on my Goodread-ometer. Dark, gnarly and full of the unexpected, take a fantastic ride with a narcissistic and downright horrible personal trainer and a host of other dodgy characters so typical of a Welsh ensemble. Deliciously bizarre romp.
This adventure was unlike Welsh's other works that I had previously enjoyed, yet it was perverse enough in its approach to rate a five on my Goodread-ometer. Dark, gnarly and full of the unexpected, take a fantastic ride with a narcissistic and downright horrible personal trainer and a host of other dodgy characters so typical of a Welsh ensemble. Deliciously bizarre romp.
March 30, 2015
Would you want to read a book where the protagonist is fitness fanatic professional who uses abuse and shame to kick her victims clients into shape?
Do you enjoy when this sort of thing happens?
Me neither. And it's a shame because this was actually a good dark and twisty tale that kept me quite entertained. Writing extreme characters is tricky, they can quickly turn into caricatures and any growth or development feels contrived. Lucy is as tough as nails, disciplined, angry and has a potty mouth. Despite being bisexual, she drops fag and dyke bombs regularly. The other protagonist, Lena, is an unusual blend of naive stress-eating Minnesotan and darling of the art world who creates sculptures from animal bones.
Lucy is angry. Lena is needy. Lucy and Lena get inextricably tied together, not unlike conjoined twins. Which is exactly why I picked this book. The title snagged me. And it's not the first time. Many years ago, I read
for the same reason. The book about Change and Eng is a fake-memoir, but they both did father children and I was curious as to how they went about it. If you must know what the author made up, .
Back to Lucy and Lena. If the author would have brought them down a notch (or 2 in Lucy's case) this would have been a solid 4 stars. Read it if you like crazy effed-up dark characters with a side of non-con. Read it if this quote makes you smile:
catchy title - 5 stars
entertainment - 4 stars
characters - 2 stars
writing - 3 stars
surprise factor - 3 stars
audio narration - 2 stars
Do you enjoy when this sort of thing happens?
Me neither. And it's a shame because this was actually a good dark and twisty tale that kept me quite entertained. Writing extreme characters is tricky, they can quickly turn into caricatures and any growth or development feels contrived. Lucy is as tough as nails, disciplined, angry and has a potty mouth. Despite being bisexual, she drops fag and dyke bombs regularly. The other protagonist, Lena, is an unusual blend of naive stress-eating Minnesotan and darling of the art world who creates sculptures from animal bones.
Lucy is angry. Lena is needy. Lucy and Lena get inextricably tied together, not unlike conjoined twins. Which is exactly why I picked this book. The title snagged me. And it's not the first time. Many years ago, I read
for the same reason. The book about Change and Eng is a fake-memoir, but they both did father children and I was curious as to how they went about it. If you must know what the author made up, .Back to Lucy and Lena. If the author would have brought them down a notch (or 2 in Lucy's case) this would have been a solid 4 stars. Read it if you like crazy effed-up dark characters with a side of non-con. Read it if this quote makes you smile:
If there are two bitches in a bedroom, I'm the psycho one every fucking time.
catchy title - 5 stars
entertainment - 4 stars
characters - 2 stars
writing - 3 stars
surprise factor - 3 stars
audio narration - 2 stars
February 16, 2020
Disturbing. Perverted. Harsh. Definitely psychotic. But I couldn’t put it down. This was my first Irvine Welsh novel. Can’t wait to read Trainspotting.
July 11, 2014
I'm not sure if it's my impression but ever since Glue my interest in Irvine Welsh as been going down and with each subsequent book I've experienced nothing but disappointment. Disclaimer one - I thought Porno was a ton of fun. Disclaimer 2. I haven't read Crime or Skagboys but they are on my to be read shelf.
When I found out that Welsh was publishing another book this year, I thought I'd give him one more chance and if I disliked The sex lives... I would stop investing in his books.
As it turns out, i'll be buying more of his publications in the future.
Welsh excels at two things. One is documenting the Scottish working class and the other is being disgusting - in fact the more gross he is, the more enjoyable the book is and The Sex Lives forms part of the latter.
Lucy Brennan is a fitness nazi in the land of the obese - the USA and at the start of the book she stops a murder taking place using violence. The thing is that Welsh cleverly turns things around and with some twists Lucy ends up being a victim of media bullying. To complicate things she gets stalked by an artist , who has a lot of baggage herself.
The novel starts slow - Welsh takes over a hundred pages in order to set the scene but after that it's the classic Welsh that was lacking in novels like Glue and Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs. Both Lucy and the artist, Lorna end up in a psycho bizarro sexual relationship that only Irvine Welsh can think up of.
In the past Welsh used a lot of shock factor but here he's become more versatile as he tackles topics such as American dietry habits, sexual harassment , feminism,post modern art, Reality TV culture and many more, not to mention the metaphorical use of the novel's title.
So yes, I did enjoy reading this and I also do like the new complex Irvine Welsh - he's grown up but the childish streak of yore is still present.
August 23, 2016
I think I liked this more as an audiobook than I would have just reading it. The narrators did a fantastic job.
March 14, 2016
Torna a casa, Irvine!
Allontanando le sue storie da Edimburgo, Welsh smarrisce la parte migliore e più originale della sua ispirazione.
Ho appreso da alcune note biografiche che negli ultimi anni l’autore scozzese è solito svernare in Florida e quindi l’ambientazione scelta per questo romanzo, peraltro già utilizzata nel precedente Crime (2008), non è totalmente frutto di fantasia ma anche di conoscenza diretta delle locations.
Tuttavia, rispetto alla potente e interiorizzata esperienza personale di edimburghese doc, che costituisce uno degli ingredienti imprescindibili di Trainspotting e delle altre opere più note e riuscite di Welsh, qui lo spirito ironico e maligno dello scrittore si perde in un superficiale sguardo esterno, un approccio da turista che cita strade e locali di ritrovo di Miami Beach senza riuscire ad infondere vita vera ai luoghi descritti.
In più certamente non aiuta la scarsa simpatia delle protagoniste, così come si rivela una scommessa tanto audace quanto perduta in partenza l’avere assunto un io narrante nei panni di una trentenne “personal trainer”, palestrata, aggressiva e salutista che con i precedenti indimenticabili protagonisti welshiani, e con Welsh stesso, ha in comune solo il fatto di essere discretamente fuori di testa e nulla più…
Riguardo poi all’ammiccante titolo che sembra alludere a inquietanti e grottesche implicazioni “à la Welsh”, va precisato che le gemelle siamesi restano marginali sullo sfondo dei telegiornali, assumendo piuttosto una valenza metaforica come grado massimo dell’interdipendenza che si viene a creare fra le due L (Lucy e Lena) protagoniste del libro.
Un tema interessante è invece la deriva dietetico-salustista a livelli talebani che avvolge l’ossessiva Lucy (che ci presenta i personaggi del racconto a partire dalle loro misure di peso e altezza) e il suo ambiente, dove il conteggio delle calorie assunte e smaltite è quasi una religione e il sovrappeso è giudicato una porcheria, proprio qui nella nazione che vanta il più alto tasso di ciccioni del pianeta!
Ma La vita sessuale delle gemelle siamesi resta un romanzo mal riuscito, forzato e prolisso in modo a tratti insopportabile soprattutto nei piatti e prevedibili flashback sull’adolescenza delle protagoniste e sulle angherie cui sono state soggette, o negli inserti di sesso trash o addirittura in scene splatter che Welsh aggiunge alla miscela per mantenere il tasso di trasgressione che ci si deve aspettare dai suoi libri.
Allontanando le sue storie da Edimburgo, Welsh smarrisce la parte migliore e più originale della sua ispirazione.
Ho appreso da alcune note biografiche che negli ultimi anni l’autore scozzese è solito svernare in Florida e quindi l’ambientazione scelta per questo romanzo, peraltro già utilizzata nel precedente Crime (2008), non è totalmente frutto di fantasia ma anche di conoscenza diretta delle locations.
Tuttavia, rispetto alla potente e interiorizzata esperienza personale di edimburghese doc, che costituisce uno degli ingredienti imprescindibili di Trainspotting e delle altre opere più note e riuscite di Welsh, qui lo spirito ironico e maligno dello scrittore si perde in un superficiale sguardo esterno, un approccio da turista che cita strade e locali di ritrovo di Miami Beach senza riuscire ad infondere vita vera ai luoghi descritti.
In più certamente non aiuta la scarsa simpatia delle protagoniste, così come si rivela una scommessa tanto audace quanto perduta in partenza l’avere assunto un io narrante nei panni di una trentenne “personal trainer”, palestrata, aggressiva e salutista che con i precedenti indimenticabili protagonisti welshiani, e con Welsh stesso, ha in comune solo il fatto di essere discretamente fuori di testa e nulla più…
Riguardo poi all’ammiccante titolo che sembra alludere a inquietanti e grottesche implicazioni “à la Welsh”, va precisato che le gemelle siamesi restano marginali sullo sfondo dei telegiornali, assumendo piuttosto una valenza metaforica come grado massimo dell’interdipendenza che si viene a creare fra le due L (Lucy e Lena) protagoniste del libro.
Un tema interessante è invece la deriva dietetico-salustista a livelli talebani che avvolge l’ossessiva Lucy (che ci presenta i personaggi del racconto a partire dalle loro misure di peso e altezza) e il suo ambiente, dove il conteggio delle calorie assunte e smaltite è quasi una religione e il sovrappeso è giudicato una porcheria, proprio qui nella nazione che vanta il più alto tasso di ciccioni del pianeta!
Ma La vita sessuale delle gemelle siamesi resta un romanzo mal riuscito, forzato e prolisso in modo a tratti insopportabile soprattutto nei piatti e prevedibili flashback sull’adolescenza delle protagoniste e sulle angherie cui sono state soggette, o negli inserti di sesso trash o addirittura in scene splatter che Welsh aggiunge alla miscela per mantenere il tasso di trasgressione che ci si deve aspettare dai suoi libri.
August 28, 2014
Irving Welsh has moved from Edinburgh to America and based his latest book in Miami. At its heart though it is still about how we live and if one has read his previous books there is a comparison to be drawn between the nature of an addition to drugs, as with his Leith novels (Trainspotting etc), with the nature of an addiction to fitness.
The main character Lucy is tough and uncompromising. She works as a personal trainer and is obsessed with calories and exercise. Her own workouts are hard, boxing and martial arts training, and she lives an existence that doesn’t have room for anyone else. Yet as we discover she is trapped on a road that she believes the is only one as she is terrified to stray of it, even one tiny bit. Just like a drug addicts in the Leith novels are trapped in a particular environment that is difficult to escape.
For me the book is about American culture and how it feeds into a particular type of individualism and ultimately traps Lucy into maintaining a persona that deep down isn’t her.
The main character Lucy is tough and uncompromising. She works as a personal trainer and is obsessed with calories and exercise. Her own workouts are hard, boxing and martial arts training, and she lives an existence that doesn’t have room for anyone else. Yet as we discover she is trapped on a road that she believes the is only one as she is terrified to stray of it, even one tiny bit. Just like a drug addicts in the Leith novels are trapped in a particular environment that is difficult to escape.
For me the book is about American culture and how it feeds into a particular type of individualism and ultimately traps Lucy into maintaining a persona that deep down isn’t her.
January 15, 2018
“The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins” came as a surprise for me. While you can see strong female characters throughout Welsh’s books, this was the first one for me where there were two female leads, each strong but fucked up in their own way.
The story begins with one of the protagonists, Lucy Brennan, personal trainer extraordinaire, disarming a gunman chasing two unarmed men. Her bravery is recorded by the second protagonist, an overweight artist, Lena Sorensen, who quickly begins to idolize Brennan.
Sorensen becomes a client of Brennan, and the two begin to get closer and closer. The differences between them and their belief systems are shown from the perspective they both had on a pair of Siamese twins (part of a reality show they watch) and said twins sex lives.
As the story evolves, we get to see insights on both their lives and what got them to where they are now: why Brennan is obsessed with winning and not showing any weaknesses and why Sorensen is overweight and has low self-esteem.
As almost all of Welsh’s books, the ending is something else, and I will let you discover that on your own, but it is anything but predictable. The book is easy to read, the action flows quickly, and it is in some ways quite educational as it is clearly seen that it was well researched.
As a badger’s final thoughts on this book, it is not for the faint-hearted, the language is sometimes cruel, but necessary, the subject is a little controversial, but it did give me a very good feeling and perspective at the end.
The story begins with one of the protagonists, Lucy Brennan, personal trainer extraordinaire, disarming a gunman chasing two unarmed men. Her bravery is recorded by the second protagonist, an overweight artist, Lena Sorensen, who quickly begins to idolize Brennan.
Sorensen becomes a client of Brennan, and the two begin to get closer and closer. The differences between them and their belief systems are shown from the perspective they both had on a pair of Siamese twins (part of a reality show they watch) and said twins sex lives.
As the story evolves, we get to see insights on both their lives and what got them to where they are now: why Brennan is obsessed with winning and not showing any weaknesses and why Sorensen is overweight and has low self-esteem.
As almost all of Welsh’s books, the ending is something else, and I will let you discover that on your own, but it is anything but predictable. The book is easy to read, the action flows quickly, and it is in some ways quite educational as it is clearly seen that it was well researched.
As a badger’s final thoughts on this book, it is not for the faint-hearted, the language is sometimes cruel, but necessary, the subject is a little controversial, but it did give me a very good feeling and perspective at the end.
June 26, 2014
This is the first time I have ever read anything of Irvine Welsh and I must say it was quite confronting. I wouldn't think this would be a read for the "fainthearted". It really was quite in your face with language and themes that were shocking and dark. Whilst not disliking it I'm not really sure what I thought of this book. I didn't really like the characters and I'm not sure that I'm satisfied with the resolution of the story. I guess though as the blurb says this book has it all...food, sex, murder, suspense and revenge. I give it 3.5 stars.
June 14, 2018
Godibile, Welsh regala una storia che per certi versi mi ricorda "Il lercio", anche se meno morbosa. L'ho letto volentieri e lo consiglio agli amanti dello scrittore.
January 5, 2022
Despre cum drumul spre Iad este pavat cu bune intentii sau calea spre Rai este plina de rahat :D.
Avem o radiografie dura a societatii noastre, unde ies in evidenta superficialitatea, mocirla mass-media - cu toata manipularea aferenta si obsesia morbida pentru senzational, lupta pentru succes cu orice pret, mecanismele de aparare ce ne fac prizonieri in propria minte si relatiile toxice (atat intre parinti/copii, cat si intre parteneri).
Avem o radiografie dura a societatii noastre, unde ies in evidenta superficialitatea, mocirla mass-media - cu toata manipularea aferenta si obsesia morbida pentru senzational, lupta pentru succes cu orice pret, mecanismele de aparare ce ne fac prizonieri in propria minte si relatiile toxice (atat intre parinti/copii, cat si intre parteneri).
Read
March 20, 2020?/5 - Mein erstes Buch von Irvine Welsh. Das einzige, das ich wusste war: Der Mann hat Trainspotting geschrieben. Und Trainspotting (der Film!) war: haarsträubend, brutal, skurril, witzig, ernst, abscheulich, dramatisch, rührend und ekelig. Genau aus diesem Grund wollte ich "Das Sexleben siamesischer Zwillinge" lesen. Und genau das habe ich auch bekommen. Nach über 400 langen Seiten.
Ich bin ganz ehrlich: Ich war mehrfach kurz davor, das Buch abzubrechen.
1) Welsh lässt sich beim erzählen der Story Zeit. Viel Zeit. Aber irgendwie passt es auch zur Situation im Buch.
2) Die Ich Erzählerin ist eine Bitch. Durch und durch. Knallhart. Kein Sympathieträger, echt nicht!
3) Hatte ich das Gefühl, die Geschichte dreht sich im Kreis, und weiß nicht, in welche Richtung sich alles entwickelt (siehe 1)
Ich musste aber immer daran denken: Der Typ hat Trainspotting geschrieben, das kommt also noch was, wahrscheinlich knüppeldick.
Und das kam dann auch.
Mein Durchhalten hat sich also gelohnt. Aber ich kann unmöglich 4 Punkte geben, weil ich drauf und dran war, das Buch abzubrechen.
Gerade habe ich das Buch beendet, lasse es also noch etwas sacken und entscheide mich dann später für eine Punktzahl.
Triggerwarnungen für:
- ausfallende Sprache
- Depressionen
- Essstörungen
- Missbrauch
- Pornosprech
- Ein Tier kommt zu Schaden
Ich bin ganz ehrlich: Ich war mehrfach kurz davor, das Buch abzubrechen.
1) Welsh lässt sich beim erzählen der Story Zeit. Viel Zeit. Aber irgendwie passt es auch zur Situation im Buch.
2) Die Ich Erzählerin ist eine Bitch. Durch und durch. Knallhart. Kein Sympathieträger, echt nicht!
3) Hatte ich das Gefühl, die Geschichte dreht sich im Kreis, und weiß nicht, in welche Richtung sich alles entwickelt (siehe 1)
Ich musste aber immer daran denken: Der Typ hat Trainspotting geschrieben, das kommt also noch was, wahrscheinlich knüppeldick.
Und das kam dann auch.
Mein Durchhalten hat sich also gelohnt. Aber ich kann unmöglich 4 Punkte geben, weil ich drauf und dran war, das Buch abzubrechen.
Gerade habe ich das Buch beendet, lasse es also noch etwas sacken und entscheide mich dann später für eine Punktzahl.
Triggerwarnungen für:
- ausfallende Sprache
- Depressionen
- Essstörungen
- Missbrauch
- Pornosprech
- Ein Tier kommt zu Schaden
May 9, 2019
Mixed martial artist and serial calorie counting personal trainer, Lucy Brennan, finds herself in a car accident on a highway one night.
Things spiral out of control and before Lucy knows it she's disarming a gunman and pinning him to the ground until the Police arrive.
Meanwhile all is caught on camera by another motorist.
Meet camera woman, extremely overweight artist, Lena Sorensen. Who soon becomes obsessed with Lucy. But as their lives carry on, who really is obsessed with who?
Both women have dark pasts and different coping mechanisms, Lena -food, Lucy -exercise.
One thing they do have in common is a current news story of conjoined twins, Amy & Annabel, one that is in love & the other is objecting to the relationship.
The conjoined twins will have u hooked! Along with Lucy's mission to help Lena loose weight.
The end is a shocker & is for u to discover when u read this book!!!
3 stars
Things spiral out of control and before Lucy knows it she's disarming a gunman and pinning him to the ground until the Police arrive.
Meanwhile all is caught on camera by another motorist.
Meet camera woman, extremely overweight artist, Lena Sorensen. Who soon becomes obsessed with Lucy. But as their lives carry on, who really is obsessed with who?
Both women have dark pasts and different coping mechanisms, Lena -food, Lucy -exercise.
One thing they do have in common is a current news story of conjoined twins, Amy & Annabel, one that is in love & the other is objecting to the relationship.
The conjoined twins will have u hooked! Along with Lucy's mission to help Lena loose weight.
The end is a shocker & is for u to discover when u read this book!!!
3 stars
August 17, 2024
Am apreciat aciditatea temelor, dar refuz să cred că există cineva care folosește un limbaj atât de dezgustător. Nu înțeleg de ce a fost folosită vulgaritatea în exces pentru a sublinia un mesaj deja clar, făcând astfel să pară totul forțat. Potrivită pentru fanii lui Chuck Palahniuk și Charles Bukowski.
,,viața se petrece în timp ce tu îți faci alte planuri."
,,Cum îmbătrânești? Te porți cât mai reținut și mai demn, iar atunci viața devine teribil de plictisitoare. Dacă faci ce ai chef, atunci ești penibil și de râsul curcilor. Indiferent ce-ai alege, n-ai cum să câștigi."
,,viața se petrece în timp ce tu îți faci alte planuri."
,,Cum îmbătrânești? Te porți cât mai reținut și mai demn, iar atunci viața devine teribil de plictisitoare. Dacă faci ce ai chef, atunci ești penibil și de râsul curcilor. Indiferent ce-ai alege, n-ai cum să câștigi."
January 5, 2015
*NetGalley book review*
Nope. I made it about 40% into it and was still baffled by what I was reading. Not for me.
Nope. I made it about 40% into it and was still baffled by what I was reading. Not for me.
June 28, 2019
Götü son 100 sayfada toplayan bir Irvine Welsh kitabı oldu benim için ki belirtmemde fayda var; bu adam kendimi en rahat şekilde özdeşleştirebildiğim karakteri yaratan yazar. Eğer ki Trainspotting ve Porno'dan kaynaklı sonsuz kredisi olmasa bende, kitaba inanç ve bağlılık gösterip bitirir miydim, emin değilim.
Kitapla ilgili yazılabilecek onlarca şey var lâkin boş konuşup kimsenin kafasını şişirmeyeyim. Eğer ki öncesinde bir Welsh kitabı okuduysanız veya ağır dil ve üslûp sizi pek yormuyorsa, yazımı seveceksiniz. Zira Welsh bu konuda duayen. Kurgu fena değil, yer yer neyin ne olacağı kestirilebilir olsa da bir sorun teşkil etmiyor bu, zira kitabın okuru şok etme gibi bir iddiası yok. Sanıyorum ki karakterler en ağır eleştiriyi hak eden kısım kitap dahilinde; Lucy de Lena da tın tın teneke. Belki Mark, Simon, Spud ve Begbie standartından ötürü bu yorumu yapıyorum ama Lena'nın iç dünyasına girene kadar kitapta karakterlere dahil kayda değer hiçbir şey göremedim. Zaten Lucy ve Lena haricinde başka bir karakter de yok gibi bir şey.
Girizgâh kısmında belirttiğim "son 100 sayfa" mevzusunu burada biraz daha açayım. Benim için fena başlamadı kitap, fakat ilerledikçe temposu düştü, belli bir noktada durma noktasına geldi fakat tam bu anda sadece Lucy tarafından okuduğumuz hikâye duraklatıldı ve Lena hakkında bir şeyler öğrenmeye başladık. Bu noktadan sonra kitabın sonuna kadar uçtum desem yeridir. Fakat yine de temizinden bi' 100 sayfa daha kısa olabilirmiş. Neyse, iyice nalbura bağlamayayım.
Özet olarak fena değil, ederi direkt üç yıldız bir kitap. Eğer ki kadın karakterlere, sorunlu tiplere vs. ilginiz varsa, böyle bir üslûbu seviyorsanız, pek gölgelenmeyen kurgu canınızı sıkmıyorsa okuyabilirsiniz.
Ekleme: Kitabı basan Nemesis Kitap iyi bir çıkarmış. Her ne kadar asshole'u yer yer "göt deliği" olarak çevirseler de cımbızla ayıklamayacağım hataları. Yalnız çok önemli bir husus var ki değerlendirmeyi yazarken eklemeyi unutmuşum. Kitabın "Sabah Sayfaları" bölümleri günlük niteliğinde, bu sebepten ötürü el yazısı havası vermek için okunması insanı kanser eden bir font seçilmiş. 2-3 sayfayı aşmıyor bu bölümler başta ama, bir yerde 30 sayfalık bir bölüm mevcut ki direkt olarak atlamak zorunda kaldım. Sırf böyle anlamsız, okunması zor ve insanı bunaltan bir font yüzünden.
Kitapla ilgili yazılabilecek onlarca şey var lâkin boş konuşup kimsenin kafasını şişirmeyeyim. Eğer ki öncesinde bir Welsh kitabı okuduysanız veya ağır dil ve üslûp sizi pek yormuyorsa, yazımı seveceksiniz. Zira Welsh bu konuda duayen. Kurgu fena değil, yer yer neyin ne olacağı kestirilebilir olsa da bir sorun teşkil etmiyor bu, zira kitabın okuru şok etme gibi bir iddiası yok. Sanıyorum ki karakterler en ağır eleştiriyi hak eden kısım kitap dahilinde; Lucy de Lena da tın tın teneke. Belki Mark, Simon, Spud ve Begbie standartından ötürü bu yorumu yapıyorum ama Lena'nın iç dünyasına girene kadar kitapta karakterlere dahil kayda değer hiçbir şey göremedim. Zaten Lucy ve Lena haricinde başka bir karakter de yok gibi bir şey.
Girizgâh kısmında belirttiğim "son 100 sayfa" mevzusunu burada biraz daha açayım. Benim için fena başlamadı kitap, fakat ilerledikçe temposu düştü, belli bir noktada durma noktasına geldi fakat tam bu anda sadece Lucy tarafından okuduğumuz hikâye duraklatıldı ve Lena hakkında bir şeyler öğrenmeye başladık. Bu noktadan sonra kitabın sonuna kadar uçtum desem yeridir. Fakat yine de temizinden bi' 100 sayfa daha kısa olabilirmiş. Neyse, iyice nalbura bağlamayayım.
Özet olarak fena değil, ederi direkt üç yıldız bir kitap. Eğer ki kadın karakterlere, sorunlu tiplere vs. ilginiz varsa, böyle bir üslûbu seviyorsanız, pek gölgelenmeyen kurgu canınızı sıkmıyorsa okuyabilirsiniz.
Ekleme: Kitabı basan Nemesis Kitap iyi bir çıkarmış. Her ne kadar asshole'u yer yer "göt deliği" olarak çevirseler de cımbızla ayıklamayacağım hataları. Yalnız çok önemli bir husus var ki değerlendirmeyi yazarken eklemeyi unutmuşum. Kitabın "Sabah Sayfaları" bölümleri günlük niteliğinde, bu sebepten ötürü el yazısı havası vermek için okunması insanı kanser eden bir font seçilmiş. 2-3 sayfayı aşmıyor bu bölümler başta ama, bir yerde 30 sayfalık bir bölüm mevcut ki direkt olarak atlamak zorunda kaldım. Sırf böyle anlamsız, okunması zor ve insanı bunaltan bir font yüzünden.
February 16, 2015
http://ensuingchapters.com/2015/02/15...
Longtime fans will not instantly recognize the author in this new work. Rather than the gray-skied schemes of Scotland, the drama unfolds in sun-kissed Miami, and missing is the phonetic text and colorful British slang.
Not absent, however, are the troubled characters, existential peril and sharp-tongued satire expected from the author of Trainspotting.
In his brilliant new book, Welsh entangles the lives of a body-obsessed fitness instructor, an overweight artist and a child-abuse victim bent on his pound of flesh. The three meet on a bridge, when Lucy, seeing a gunman chasing after two homeless men, intercedes to stop the attack. All of this is caught on tape by Lena, who becomes obsessed with the feisty trainer.
Lucy, of course, becomes an instant celebrity, and entertains visions of her own television show and fitness empire. Until it is learned that the men she saved were sexual predators.
Though functioning as satire of social networking, media voyeurism and the fickleness of fame, Sex Lives becomes the story of Lucy and Lena’s budding and devolving codependent relationship. We are taken for more than a few dark turns by an author famous for dark turns.
I’m a longtime fan of Welsh’s work, but I have to admit that I’ve found his recent books hit and miss. Recent novels have entertained, but lacked the gut-punch of Marabou Stork Nightmares, Filth and Glue. The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins is different from his other novels, but reveals a skilled author straining the old vinegar and aiming it at fresh targets.
Longtime fans will not instantly recognize the author in this new work. Rather than the gray-skied schemes of Scotland, the drama unfolds in sun-kissed Miami, and missing is the phonetic text and colorful British slang.
Not absent, however, are the troubled characters, existential peril and sharp-tongued satire expected from the author of Trainspotting.
In his brilliant new book, Welsh entangles the lives of a body-obsessed fitness instructor, an overweight artist and a child-abuse victim bent on his pound of flesh. The three meet on a bridge, when Lucy, seeing a gunman chasing after two homeless men, intercedes to stop the attack. All of this is caught on tape by Lena, who becomes obsessed with the feisty trainer.
Lucy, of course, becomes an instant celebrity, and entertains visions of her own television show and fitness empire. Until it is learned that the men she saved were sexual predators.
Though functioning as satire of social networking, media voyeurism and the fickleness of fame, Sex Lives becomes the story of Lucy and Lena’s budding and devolving codependent relationship. We are taken for more than a few dark turns by an author famous for dark turns.
I’m a longtime fan of Welsh’s work, but I have to admit that I’ve found his recent books hit and miss. Recent novels have entertained, but lacked the gut-punch of Marabou Stork Nightmares, Filth and Glue. The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins is different from his other novels, but reveals a skilled author straining the old vinegar and aiming it at fresh targets.
June 17, 2021
Una novela divertídisima a la vez que dura, Irvine Welsh sigue retorciendo y analizando nuestra sociedad irónicamente con este libro donde se aparta de los tipicos drogatas que vimos en Trainspotting para centrarse en las vidas de dos chicas que son radicalmente diferentes. Es también el primer libro que leo de Welsh donde las protagonistas son féminas aunque la verdad es que no les va muy diferente a los protagonistas masculinos que suelen aparecer en las más famosas novelas de este escritor.
Lucy es una entrenadora de fitness totalmente obsesionada con su cuerpo que protagonizará un acto de valentía filmado por Lena, una artista tímida y obesa. A partir de ese momento, se obsesionarán una con la otra; Lucy quiere ayudar a Lena a perder todo el peso que le sobra y Lena tiene una profunda admiración por Lucy. La cosa se irá de madre y veremos como a Lucy, a quien le dan asco las personas que no cuidan su peso utilizará técnicas poco ortodoxas.
Pero no todo es burla de las obsesiones y tópicos de los enganchados al ejercicio o a las hamburguesas, en los pensamientos y traumas de cada una de ellas veremos por lo que han tenido que pasar para ser como son.
Es un libro donde hay momentos que odias a las protagonistas y otros las amas, y es brillante como Welsh disecciona nuestra sociedad. Es su primera novela ambientada fuera de Escocia, aquí nos situamos en Miami y se ve que Welsh ha tomado buena nota del mundo superficial que le rodea ya que lleva unos años viviendo allí.
Un libro muy divertido y interesante que se lee rápido con ese lenguaje coloquial marca de la casa del escritor escocés.
Lucy es una entrenadora de fitness totalmente obsesionada con su cuerpo que protagonizará un acto de valentía filmado por Lena, una artista tímida y obesa. A partir de ese momento, se obsesionarán una con la otra; Lucy quiere ayudar a Lena a perder todo el peso que le sobra y Lena tiene una profunda admiración por Lucy. La cosa se irá de madre y veremos como a Lucy, a quien le dan asco las personas que no cuidan su peso utilizará técnicas poco ortodoxas.
Pero no todo es burla de las obsesiones y tópicos de los enganchados al ejercicio o a las hamburguesas, en los pensamientos y traumas de cada una de ellas veremos por lo que han tenido que pasar para ser como son.
Es un libro donde hay momentos que odias a las protagonistas y otros las amas, y es brillante como Welsh disecciona nuestra sociedad. Es su primera novela ambientada fuera de Escocia, aquí nos situamos en Miami y se ve que Welsh ha tomado buena nota del mundo superficial que le rodea ya que lleva unos años viviendo allí.
Un libro muy divertido y interesante que se lee rápido con ese lenguaje coloquial marca de la casa del escritor escocés.
October 22, 2016
Lena and Lucy are thrown together by a random event. They are like chalk and cheese, one is a stick thin personal trainer the other a blob of an artist. Both women are damaged, scarred by the past, and each has a different coping mechanism - eating to excess or compulsive exercise and casual sex.
They begin a strange friendship in which the power balance is constantly shifting. This being Welsh we also have a mounting tension and escalation of seemingly innocuous trends until we reach a crescendo of violence and death.
Throughout the book we have a parallel theme of Siamese twins and the will they, won't they saga as they contemplate going under the knife to be separated. One of the twins will have a relatively normal life, the other has at best a 40% chance of survival. Lena and Lucy's relationship is in some ways similar - will they excise the link, and if they do will the weaker woman go under? But who is the weaker woman?
Profane, bleak and funny - exactly as you would expect from Mr W - but this book in my view is not as good as his work set in the dives and dregs of Scottish low life. A three at best.
They begin a strange friendship in which the power balance is constantly shifting. This being Welsh we also have a mounting tension and escalation of seemingly innocuous trends until we reach a crescendo of violence and death.
Throughout the book we have a parallel theme of Siamese twins and the will they, won't they saga as they contemplate going under the knife to be separated. One of the twins will have a relatively normal life, the other has at best a 40% chance of survival. Lena and Lucy's relationship is in some ways similar - will they excise the link, and if they do will the weaker woman go under? But who is the weaker woman?
Profane, bleak and funny - exactly as you would expect from Mr W - but this book in my view is not as good as his work set in the dives and dregs of Scottish low life. A three at best.
August 20, 2021
This book is absolutely deserving of nothing less than FIVE stars. From the very first page it had me gripped - straight into a FAST-PACED plot and PACKED with energy. So many twists and turns throughout, and some truly shocking scenes that had my jaw on the floor.
But beyond the compelling action of the book, the obnoxious characters, and a sequel of grotesque sex scenes there are so many fascinating and poignant themes at play here; from addiction, personal transformation, emotional eating, redemption, childhood trauma, and America's obsession with stardom. On top of that, to use the narrative of the two conjoined teenage girls from Arkansas that once flooded America's news headlines as a mirror for the dynamics at play between the two protagonists throughout the novel, is so so clever from Welsh and very finely executed.
Every time I had to put this book down I couldn't wait to pick it back up again and continue where I left off! It's one of those books that has you thinking about it, even when you're not reading it. I've already bought my next Irvine Welsh novel, which I'm excited to get started on, but first.... I need a minute to lie down from this one......
But beyond the compelling action of the book, the obnoxious characters, and a sequel of grotesque sex scenes there are so many fascinating and poignant themes at play here; from addiction, personal transformation, emotional eating, redemption, childhood trauma, and America's obsession with stardom. On top of that, to use the narrative of the two conjoined teenage girls from Arkansas that once flooded America's news headlines as a mirror for the dynamics at play between the two protagonists throughout the novel, is so so clever from Welsh and very finely executed.
Every time I had to put this book down I couldn't wait to pick it back up again and continue where I left off! It's one of those books that has you thinking about it, even when you're not reading it. I've already bought my next Irvine Welsh novel, which I'm excited to get started on, but first.... I need a minute to lie down from this one......
April 28, 2016
De Irvine Welsh am mai citit doar Acid House, iar modul dezaxat în care scrie l-a făcut să devină repede autor pe care să-l vânez pe rafturile librăriilor, exact în același fel în care mi-am descoperit și apoi mi-am dezvoltat obsesia pentru un alt dezaxat, Chuck Palahniuk.
Am început citirea cărții așteptându-mă la cu totul altceva, iar acesta este un plus al scriitorului. Că e bine să nu primești mereu chiar ceea ce aștepți; e interesant, incitant. Însă nu știu dacă m-am bucurat pentru ce am primit. În mod cert m-a intrigat subiectul, dar până la un așa nivel că, pe la mijlocul cărții sau chiar mai devreme, am decis că e momentul să fac sport.
Recenzia integrală: http://irrefutabilis.blogspot.ro/2016...
Am început citirea cărții așteptându-mă la cu totul altceva, iar acesta este un plus al scriitorului. Că e bine să nu primești mereu chiar ceea ce aștepți; e interesant, incitant. Însă nu știu dacă m-am bucurat pentru ce am primit. În mod cert m-a intrigat subiectul, dar până la un așa nivel că, pe la mijlocul cărții sau chiar mai devreme, am decis că e momentul să fac sport.
Recenzia integrală: http://irrefutabilis.blogspot.ro/2016...
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