Not a book for everyone but I highly enjoyed the creativity invovled with the tape worm. I also admire how the character is portrayed even though he's a complete fucking asshole but he's honest about it. I love the twist concerning his ex and how tragically it ends. Makes you hope for the best just to completely smash that hope to pieces. Beautiful. ( )

I tried reading this book a few years ago, and like many of the other reviewers found it just too distasteful to continue... the Scottish writing and slang notwithstanding... it's hard to get into a book where you despise the main character from the get go.
But I tried it again, and I'm glad that I did...
Like most unpleasant things, if you just try to power through it you can get to something rewarding.
Once things really start falling apart for Mr. Robertson I couldn't put the book down... my poor neglected girlfriend can attest to that.
Now that I'm done I'm going to take a shower and read something fuzzier... like the new Stephen King I just got. ( )

Yes, this book (and most others by Welsh) is about unseedy behavior, and, up until page 80, where I put the book down for good, that's about all that "Filth" contributes. The Scottish brogue is not as daunting as I thought it might be, but the lack of a point, an insight, a reason to the incorrigible behavior is. It seems tailor-made for those who enjoy discovering dirty words and prurient thoughts as they read, with little else to get in the way of their adolescent enjoyment.However, I have heard a few good things about Welsh's other books, so I would like to give him another shot. ( )

Yes, this book (and most others by Welsh) is about unseedy behavior, and, up until page 80, where I put the book down for good, that's about all that "Filth" contributes. The Scottish brogue is not as daunting as I thought it might be, but the lack of a point, an insight, a reason to the incorrigible behavior is. It seems tailor-made for those who enjoy discovering dirty words and prurient thoughts as they read, with little else to get in the way of their adolescent enjoyment.However, I have heard a few good things about Welsh's other books, so I would like to give him another shot. ( )

I had to give this 1 star as it is well written, but it is one of the few books I couldn't finish. It started to get boring wanting to strangle the main character all the time, and the other review which says you'll want to take a shower after reading it was dead on. I will probably try to get through it again, as I do like his work in general. If you haven't read him yet, I'd recommend starting with Ecstasy (if you like short stories) or Trainspotting (if you prefer novels.) Oh, and for all you non-Brits out there (like me) "the filth" is slang for the police. ( )

You'll feel like taking a shower with oven cleaner after reading this. I love how Welsh can create characters so vile yet believable. And writing from the perspective of the parasite...? Brilliant! ( )

Welsh's tightest novel: perfectly paced and deeply involving, due to the first-person present-tense narrative.

I really enjoyed this novel. It reminded me of Sterne. Interesting to have an utterly loathsome main protaganist and yet you still keep reading. A horrifying read, but worth it. ( )

Read Trainspotting, instead. Writing in accent is still funny though. However, in the case of this book it definitely starts to drag, or even pall, and it isn't that interesting to start with. For hardcore Welsh fans only, methinks. Too much of a good thing, in this case, really. ( )

I forced my way through this, I couldn't really say I enjoyed it though. ( )