Marabou Stork Nightmares

I've been a huge fan of Irvine Welsh for years. He's someone I truly admire. So, yeah, this review might be a bit biased."Marbou Stork Nightmares" isn't for the weak stomached or (some) survivors of sexual abuse. The latter might find the story triggering. It's a dark, disturbing, well-written tale. Like most of Welsh's work, most of the story's told using a thick, confusing Scottish dialect. Unlike his other or stories, this one also includes segments written in parody of something cheery by Enid Blyton or whoever. Sort of. Er, coma-dreams are involved... among other things. I'm honestly not sure how to explain. Why don't you read it yourself? It's quite probably the greatest book of the Transgressive Literature movement. Seriously.Also, the song lyrics were a nice touch. They made the story seem even more real. Too many authors forget the importance of popular music.

This book is truly a work of genius but it is also an absolute nightmare. Massive trigger warnings for rape, molestation, child abuse, violence (sexual and regular,) animal cruelty...the list goes on. I knock a single star off because of how incredibly disturbing and difficult the material is, but I absolutely praise the writing and organization. I have never read anything like it. It's a sneaky rape-revenge tale wrapped up in a feverish fictional memoir, if you are prepared for the pain, you will appreciate the process.

I love a good and disturbing book, so Stork Nightmares was a great read for me. To me Welsh is very unique and the writing style is so specific to him. The only other book I read of his was Trainspotting, but I'm eager to read more. "Nightmares" is a much easier read than Trainspotting and though the entire book is not written in Scottish dialect, the parts that are makes it fun to read.The plot was unlike any other I've read. The main character is in a comma and goes in and out of real life, his past life and a dream like state. All three plots are equally interesting and I am most impressed by how Welsh pulls off the transition between a dream state and reality. It was completely believable and reminded me of that feeling you have in the middle of a vivid dream-when you know you are dreaming but feel compelled to stay active in the dream.It's a great an interesting read and I definitely recommend it.

.... the ending, I mean. The main character suffered great traumas in his life, but he also inflicted great traumas on other people. Much of the story is him looking back on his life while being in a coma. This is one of the rare occasions where a perpetrator really and truly gets theirs in the end.

There is a fine line between genius and insanity. Welsh jumps between the two, skewering perceptions of what creates hardship for one person and how that hardship becomes that individuals expression. Never does it seem more taboo than when the victim of an atrocity becomes the perpetrator themself. And this tale will surely have you questioning your own morals.

The book is amazing and in decent condition. I got a different cover than pictured.

A shining example of Welsh's ability to capture, construct, direct and craft basic words into a multi-layered master piece. The use of varying levels of Scottish accents and print manipulation draws you further down.. down.. down.. into Roy's fantasy land. While some scenes are difficult to read through, even for somebody with a strong stomach, they're all well worth it to catch a glimpse of Welsh's celebrated word play. I've recommended this book to everybody I know who has an interest in contemporary fiction.

One of Welsh's best. Very graphic but fantastically well written book. Note that this is written in a Scottish vernacular, so it may be difficult for some to get through. If you are a fan of Welsh's other work, you will like this one.

Glueを読んだ後、他のIrvine Welshの本～と探していて出会った本。そのタイトルにふさわしく、私たちを悪夢の世界にいざないます。現在、過去、そして主人公の理想とする世界？が交差して、なんともいえない怪しい雰囲気。舞台も南アフリカとスコットランド、ふたつの舞台で展開される（それがどこで結びついているのかは、物語を読んでのお楽しみ！）。主人公Royの旅。Marabou Storkとは何ぞや？なぜRoyは、こんな状況におかれているのか･･･？読み進めていけばいくほど、三つの世界がひとつになっていきます。こんなに切ない読後感を残す本って･･･。ぜひ読んでみて下さい。