c_j_mk2's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
dbookburke's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
eperagi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
eloiseh's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
thomasgammon's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
the_coycaterpillar_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Meantime is beautiful in its harsh and brutal narrative. The writing is crystal clear, each word soaks into your skin like the bleak Scottish rain. No happy endings but it is intricate, it settled under my skin and had me craving more. Every mistake carves a deep and unsettling wound. If one sentence could sum it up it would be that.
Meantime captures the banal and lively existence of being Glaswegian like a seesaw that drops you into oblivion. There are many downs, but it’s occasionally peppered with some good. It holds a different kind of magic, one where the disappointment from the referendum eats at the shoes of people walking to work, hailing taxis, and people on serious comedowns in dingy wee flats that contain all the hope of a mouldy pizza sitting on the countertop. Felix McAveety’s life has always been the sad rendition of unrealised potential. The death of his friend, Marina, is the fuse to allow himself to care about something again.
Felix is stuck in a rut. He’s willing to have a “pop” at any mind-altering pharmaceutical. Alcohol, Diazepam, Cannabis, if it gets him buzzing then he’s in. Valium being his ruination of choice. An ex-employee of BBC Scotland he became disenfranchised with… everything really. He’s a non-football supporter and in Glasgow that is close to committing a murder yourself. His life has been hard but ultimately, he is a good guy, and one thing that Frankie Boyle has in common with George R.R. Martin’s “A Game of Thrones” is that likable characters rarely have a happy ending.
Meantime is heavily embellished with Boyle’s sense of humour. Those that get him get him fully and those that don’t, well don’t. There are pages upon pages of one-liners that had me cackling. Some that particularly floated my boat were – “A body like a dropped Lasagne.” “She was dripping talking about him like a knackered fridge.” Boyle is well known for his controversial brand of comedy and Meantime is no exception. He’s an equal opportunity comedian – he can take a pop at anyone.
Felix’s friend, Marina, an American in Scotland is found dead in a Glasgow Park. He finds out this devastating news when the police wake him out of his drug-fuelled slumber. He’s taken to the station where he later finds out that sperm was found on her scarf. He is later released and with the help of his Watson, Donnie, his downstairs neighbour undertake an investigation of their own. Donnie who is also partial to mind-numbing substances provides some light-hearted relief. An overweight middle-aged guy who is struggling with his divorce but who also appears to have no internal filter – “We were the two people least suited to investigating anything, but with the right drug combinations we could be whoever we had to be.”
Meantime captures the banal and lively existence of being Glaswegian like a seesaw that drops you into oblivion. There are many downs, but it’s occasionally peppered with some good. It holds a different kind of magic, one where the disappointment from the referendum eats at the shoes of people walking to work, hailing taxis, and people on serious comedowns in dingy wee flats that contain all the hope of a mouldy pizza sitting on the countertop. Felix McAveety’s life has always been the sad rendition of unrealised potential. The death of his friend, Marina, is the fuse to allow himself to care about something again.
Felix is stuck in a rut. He’s willing to have a “pop” at any mind-altering pharmaceutical. Alcohol, Diazepam, Cannabis, if it gets him buzzing then he’s in. Valium being his ruination of choice. An ex-employee of BBC Scotland he became disenfranchised with… everything really. He’s a non-football supporter and in Glasgow that is close to committing a murder yourself. His life has been hard but ultimately, he is a good guy, and one thing that Frankie Boyle has in common with George R.R. Martin’s “A Game of Thrones” is that likable characters rarely have a happy ending.
Meantime is heavily embellished with Boyle’s sense of humour. Those that get him get him fully and those that don’t, well don’t. There are pages upon pages of one-liners that had me cackling. Some that particularly floated my boat were – “A body like a dropped Lasagne.” “She was dripping talking about him like a knackered fridge.” Boyle is well known for his controversial brand of comedy and Meantime is no exception. He’s an equal opportunity comedian – he can take a pop at anyone.
Felix’s friend, Marina, an American in Scotland is found dead in a Glasgow Park. He finds out this devastating news when the police wake him out of his drug-fuelled slumber. He’s taken to the station where he later finds out that sperm was found on her scarf. He is later released and with the help of his Watson, Donnie, his downstairs neighbour undertake an investigation of their own. Donnie who is also partial to mind-numbing substances provides some light-hearted relief. An overweight middle-aged guy who is struggling with his divorce but who also appears to have no internal filter – “We were the two people least suited to investigating anything, but with the right drug combinations we could be whoever we had to be.”
ecargelle's review against another edition
3.0
I really loved this book. It made me laugh out loud, which I don’t think has ever happened before with a novel. Although the book is marketed as a crime novel, I’d say it’s more philosophical in nature with the occasional plot point - normally this would irritate me, but his writing is so sharp and interesting that I actually enjoyed the meandering pace. The characterisation is so real, that’s where the laughs came from for me is when he’s describing the people around him with this horrid honesty.
The reason the book is a three star is because it just tried to do too much, the plot itself became a little lost and there seemed almost too much to it. A little over ambitious. I’d have been happy to read a much less grandiose plot in his style. A very unusual three stars as I loved this, but am trying to be realistic.
The reason the book is a three star is because it just tried to do too much, the plot itself became a little lost and there seemed almost too much to it. A little over ambitious. I’d have been happy to read a much less grandiose plot in his style. A very unusual three stars as I loved this, but am trying to be realistic.
obscuredbyclouds's review against another edition
3.0
I found this an entertaining eclectic romp, although the crime story is just the a vague excuse for an outline. It's as rambly as a story about a drug-addicted guy out of his mind trying to solve the murder of his friend as you expect it to be, but I was never bored. As far as the murder goes... I didn't really understand how it was solved and I'm not sure if I missed something or we're supposed to not get it. I can definitely understand why this book is so divisive!
kathleenwho's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5