Filth (novel)
OCLC 67804913 | | |
Followed by | Crime |
---|
Filth is a 1998 novel by Scottish writer Irvine Welsh. A sequel, Crime, was published in 2008.[1] It was adapted into a 2013 film of the same name, directed by Jon S. Baird with James McAvoy in the lead role.
Plot summary
Bruce Robertson is a
The novel begins by introducing the murder of Efan Wurie, a case Bruce has been assigned. The plot has little to do with the actual crime; instead, the novel traces Bruce throughout his life, told in a first-person, stream-of-consciousness style. Through narrative devices such as the
As the novel progresses, Bruce's
Characters
"Polis"
- Bruce Robertson: The novel's psychopathicDetective Sergeant.
- Ray Lennox: Bruce's co-worker and friend.
- Robert Toal: Bruce's workplace superior; held in contempt by Bruce, who nevertheless must attempt to curry his favour to win a promotion.
- Peter Inglis: Another co-worker of Bruce, whom he suspects of being gay.
- Amanda Drummond: A third co-worker of Bruce's, and the only one who openly disapproves of his behaviour and lifestyle.
Others
- Carole – Bruce's ex-wife.
- Stacey – Bruce's young daughter.
- Clifford Blades: Registrar General for The Scotland Office, a member of Bruce's masonic lodge; a neurotic, insecure man, Clifford's marriage problems form one of the novel's major subplots.
- Bunty Blades: Cliff Blades' wife and target of Bruce's dubious affections.
- Shirley – Carole's sister and Bruce's sister-in law.
- Tom Stronach – Footballer and Bruce's neighbour.
- Alex "Lexo" Setterington and "Ghostie" Gorman – Career criminals who live in Edinburgh.
- Ocky – A hapless petty criminal and police informant whom Bruce regularly exploits.
- Rhona – Bruce's childhood girlfriend, in which the history of said relationship is revealed not by Bruce, but the tapeworm.
Plot devices
Language
Welsh's style of writing involves mainly
Themes
In Filth, Welsh deals with
, among other problems faced by the Scottish working class.Carole
Carole, Bruce's ex-wife and the mother of his child, Stacey, is a device Welsh uses to reflect an outsider's view of Bruce Robertson's character; certain chapters only involve Carole's inner monologue related to Bruce. (It later transpires that it is, in fact Bruce fantasising while dressed as Carole.)
The Tapeworm
At a certain point in the book, the narrative starts to be interrupted by a tube-like structure that appears on top of the text, and at first is only made of the word "eat" being repeated amid the zeros that fill the empty space within the tube. It is later revealed that this is actually the thoughts of the
At first, the tapeworm only encourages Bruce to eat. Later, after becoming self-aware (and naming itself "The Self"), the tapeworm starts to ask basic existential questions and names Bruce as "The Host". It also stumbles upon the existence of other worms (collectively named by the initial worm as "The Other"). The tapeworm's monologues, which grow lengthier and more eloquent as the novel progresses, explain Bruce's backstory and how he became the person presented to the reader.
References to other Irvine Welsh novels
Ray Lennox – Lennox is the protagonist of Crime, Welsh's sequel to Filth.
Alex "Lexo" Setterington – Bruce references the violent rape that Lexo and his gang of
"Ghostie" Gorman – Ghostie was among the rapists mentioned above in Marabou Stork Nightmares. In Filth Bruce kills Gorman by biting out his tongue, causing him to reel backwards and fall out of a two-story window, where he suffers fatal head injuries.
Francis Begbie – Begbie was a main character in Trainspotting, its prequel Skagboys and sequel Porno. He is briefly mentioned a few times in Filth, associated with Lexo as running a second-hand furniture store in Leith. Mention of the business Begbie and Lexo are in is also made in Marabou Stork Nightmares and Porno.
Other minor characters mentioned in passing throughout Filth include: Simon "Sick Boy" Williamson (from Trainspotting, Skagboys and Porno), "Juice" Terry Lawson (from Glue and Porno), Danny "Spud" Murphy (from Trainspotting, Skagboys and Porno), and "Post" Alec Connolly, a recurring character in Glue.
Film adaptation
A film adaptation of Filth was released on 27 September 2013.[2] It is directed by Jon S. Baird, from a script he also wrote.[3]
References
- ^ "Grammar, Style, and Usage".
- user-generated source]
- user-generated source]