The Blade Artist by Irvine Welsh is a riveting continuation of the Trainspotting series, focusing on the character of Francis Begbie, who has now transformed into Jim Francis. The book delves into Begbie's new life as an artist in America, only to be brought back to Edinburgh due to his son's death, leading to a twisted and inventive storyline that keeps readers guessing until the end. Welsh's writing style seamlessly weaves together different storylines, drawing readers in and making them eager to learn more about what will happen next.

Characters:

Characters are generally well-developed, especially the protagonist experiencing transformation, while some are criticized for being one-dimensional.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style features engaging prose with a blend of Scottish dialect, delivering a fast-paced narrative that offers moments of both humor and horror.

Plot/Storyline:

The storyline revolves around the transformation of a well-known character from a previous series, delving into his past and a current mystery, maintaining suspense throughout.

Setting:

The setting predominantly takes place in Edinburgh, exploring the city's underbelly while contrasting the protagonist's past and current life.

Pacing:

The pacing is brisk, allowing for a quick read that maintains the reader's interest throughout, though some may find it overly fast.

As he elevates her skywards, the bright sun seems to burst out from behind Eve’s head, offering Jim Francis a transcendental moment that he pauses to savour before he lowers the child. The hot sand wi...

Notes:

The Blade Artist features Francis Begbie, a well-known character from Irvine Welsh's earlier works.

Readers are divided about the transformation of Begbie into Jim Francis, questioning its believability.

The book has a mix of horror and humor, making Begbie a compelling character.

The story is set in Edinburgh and explores the underground scene.

The plot involves Begbie returning to Scotland after a tragic event in his life.

Some readers found the pacing of the book to be fast and easy to read, finishing it quickly.

Critics mention the absence of deep storytelling compared to Welsh's previous books like Trainspotting.

Characters from previous novels, including Trainspotting and Porno, reappear, providing continuity to the narrative.

The novel's tone includes elements of Scottish dialect, characteristic of Welsh's style.

The ending of The Blade Artist left readers with mixed feelings, some enjoying it while others found the character changes hard to accept.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include violence, substance abuse, and themes of mental illness, which may be triggering for some readers.

From The Publisher:

Jim Francis has finally found the perfect life - and is now unrecognisable, even to himself. A successful painter and sculptor, he lives quietly with his wife, Melanie, and their two young daughters, in an affluent beach town in California. Some say he's a fake and a con man, while others see him as a genuine visionary.

But Francis has a very dark past, with another identity and a very different set of values. When he crosses the Atlantic to his native Scotland, for the funeral of a murdered son he barely knew, his old Edinburgh community expects him to take bloody revenge. But as he confronts his previous life, all those friends and enemies - and, most alarmingly, his former self - Francis seems to have other ideas.

When Melanie discovers something gruesome in California, which indicates that her husband's violent past might also be his psychotic present, things start to go very bad, very quickly.

The Blade Artist is an elegant, electrifying novel - ultra violent but curiously redemptive - and it marks the return of one of modern fiction's most infamous, terrifying characters, the incendiary Francis Begbie from Trainspotting.

Ratings (2)

Incredible (1)
Loved It (1)

Reader Stats (3):

Read It (2)
Not Interested (1)

What can you read after
The Blade Artist?

See the list (27 books)

About the Author:

Irvine Welsh is the author of eleven previous novels and four books of shorter fiction. He currently lives in Chicago. https://www.facebook.com/irvinewelshauthor https://twitter.com/IrvineWelsh

Meet New Books is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products and services on amazon.com and its subsidiaries.
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.

The Blade Artist

Irvine Welsh