This bizarre novel (told through a large number of very short, fleeting chapters from varied perspectives) tells the story of Billy, an alcoholic. Billy is viewed by those around him as a devil of sorts because he hurts everyone with his actions when he's drunk. He is, by all accounts, a terrible human being.
I like stories about terrible human beings because usually there is a reason for what they do, and in real life we seldom look for that reason. Yet, in novels, sometimes we can find sympathy for the devil. Yes, that's the name of a Rolling Stones song, and yes that song is mentioned a handful of times through the book.
We follow Billy's life from before he was even born up until an ambiguous ending of sorts, and always we see the side toll of addiction. We know that if Billy was a player in our own lives, we would be harmed by him and push him away for the awful things he does, but as a character in this novel we pity him.
Billy is drinking heavily from age eleven. As an adult he cannot drink without pushing on through to complete drunkenness, and when he is drunk he invariably ends up doing awful things. He cheats, he starts fights, he alienates everyone.
There is one scene when he actually - uncharacteristically - goes to Alcoholics Anonymous and ends up telling a sad story and cries in front of everyone in the room. Of course, for a working class Glaswegian this is too much to bear and he goes start to the "offy" (off-licence) to buy more booze and get drunk.
The book is depressing in many ways, and it takes a while to get into it. The fragmentary nature of its composition is challenging at first, but soon you realize this is how Billy sees his own life. This is how life can be. It ends up being a rewarding, powerful book.
We follow Billy's life from before he was even born up until an ambiguous ending of sorts, and always we see the side toll of addiction. We know that if Billy was a player in our own lives, we would be harmed by him and push him away for the awful things he does, but as a character in this novel we pity him.
Billy is drinking heavily from age eleven. As an adult he cannot drink without pushing on through to complete drunkenness, and when he is drunk he invariably ends up doing awful things. He cheats, he starts fights, he alienates everyone.
There is one scene when he actually - uncharacteristically - goes to Alcoholics Anonymous and ends up telling a sad story and cries in front of everyone in the room. Of course, for a working class Glaswegian this is too much to bear and he goes start to the "offy" (off-licence) to buy more booze and get drunk.
The book is depressing in many ways, and it takes a while to get into it. The fragmentary nature of its composition is challenging at first, but soon you realize this is how Billy sees his own life. This is how life can be. It ends up being a rewarding, powerful book.
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