Very funny, very tragic...but mostly very funny.
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It is a very cleverly written book indeed, and very funny. The observation of this fictitious biography is so good it can't possibly be fiction. The serious bits hit you like a drunk wielding a table leg and the funny bits (of which there are many) made me laugh out loud....yeah, I know all book reviews say that but this one actually did. Pattisons writing style is poetry. I found myself reading many sentences twice or more to appreciate them fully. You get the feeling he loves to play with words, his analogies are bizarre but perfect, his irony exemplary in a time when irony has been done to death. Every page of this book is chock full of imagery which will give you uncontrollable giggles (when Rab learns he is in for good beating, he resigns himself to either death or a life "wearing a bobble hat and swapping comics with the weans"). Though the story is beautifully crafted, there's no sense of overediting. It never gets too clever. This book is very similar, but even better, even much better, than the brilliant Jeff Torrington best-seller and Whitbread winner 'Swing Hammer, Swing'. I can't recommend it highly enough. One important thing though - a liking for the TV character/series is absolutely NO prerequisite. Change the names in the story and you wouldn't necessarily make the connection.
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I drink, therefore I am.
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Govans possibly only and greatest philosopher gives forth his opinions on, from being born poor to family life, and the whole of existence inbetween. If you enjoyed the T.V. show then this book goes further, getting under the grubby skin and inside the bandaged head of the man whose outlook on life is maybe a lot closer to the the real world than some people would like. His views may be seen through an alcholic haze, and his ramblings are not always well thought out, but they are ment with the best of intentions, beneath that semmitas beats a devious heart of gold. You will probably laugh out loud whilst reading this book, but be prepared for the more melancholic, jaundiced look at modern day life, you may well be caught out.
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better than the telly program
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Whilst ostensibly humorous the book is really very black and at times very touching. It is something akin to a cross between a James Kelman and George McDonald Fraser book. Surprisingly whilst there are laughs in almost every paragraph, this does not sacrifice the pathos of the book. Pattison perfectly captures the peculiarly Glaswegian mix of cynicism and sentiment in the protagonist Nesbitt. Plus there are some great put-downs that I have memorised and can't wait to use!
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