A review by seanantrob
Meantime by Frankie Boyle

5.0

It was a challenging read. But in an excellent way! I wanted to gulp the book down in great draughts but had to force myself to breathe and savour every moment, fearful I'd miss one of the gems of insight, wisdom or humour that glitter on every page.  A true delight to read. As a recovering addict myself, the drug scenes, though comical, shine a light on how harrowing and chaotic dependence can be. Frankie deals with addiction with great humour and a deft, knowing touch while leaving us in no doubt of the torment it leaves in its wake - or, indeed, the torment that informs the addiction in the first place. The evolution of the characters works wonderfully, especially Felix: piecing together his personal story is on a par with trying to solve the crime he's investigating. Even the bit-part characters have immediate impact and Greg, in particular, made me laugh out loud more than most (and laughing out loud at  a book is rare experience for me). Genius work. Clever, funny, compassionate and satisfying. I hope he writes another.