Weird punk novel?
- Thread starter STN
- Start date
IdleRich
IdleRich
My Dad's family are from there (his mum's family name is Isbister which is a place in Orkney (and several places in the Shetlands for that matter)), got a load of distant relatives there, one time we got stranded on North Ronaldsey because the plane that takes you there lands in a field and the weather conditions wouldn't allow it to land, we had to stay overnight in a bird sanctuary thing, it was ace. I've only been a couple of times but looks as though we may be organising a big extended family holiday there next year.
I've never actually been to Hoy where the book is set but been past it by boat on several occasions - The Old Man of Hoy is a very famous landmark.
Not at all although that's not precisely what I meant. I meant that it seemed to imply that the first bit of the book was pointless and I felt that it had been a bit of a piss-take making me read and enjoy it.
Grievous Angel
Beast of Burden
I'll be the paranoid heternormative empiricist fascist communist liberal, then (if things I've been called on here in the past few months are anything to go by).
Oh, not ANOTHER paranoid heternormative empiricist fascist communist liberal, I HATE them, they're so dull and common place.
Still, if you hang out in the politics forum what do you expect?
Mr. Tea
Let's Talk About Ceps
Heh, I don't mind, I mostly find it amusing, actually.
I'd like to post more in the music forums but a) I don't really listen to the kind of music most people on here like to talk about (I'd be hard-pressed to tell grimestep from dubcore, truth be told) and b) my general knowledge of most kinds of music, with a few exceptions, is fairly ropy.
I'd like to post more in the music forums but a) I don't really listen to the kind of music most people on here like to talk about (I'd be hard-pressed to tell grimestep from dubcore, truth be told) and b) my general knowledge of most kinds of music, with a few exceptions, is fairly ropy.
Gideon Sams' "The Punk" is utter rubbish, but quite enjoyable - it's written like a school story (he was only 12 or something) and there's a hilarious love scene where part of the build-up is "she rolled down her sexy dungarees" or something. It later formed the plot of an absolutely atrocious 80s film about a 'punk' who falls in love with a spoilt Belsize Park girl and stabs her implausible biker boyfriend. Actually, don't bother with either, the book's funnier but it'll take you all of 3 minutes to read.
I thought "Human Punk" was tedious as fuck, probably autobiographical.
As for Richard Allen, "Punk Rock" is brilliant, mostly cos 1) Allen hasn't a clue about punk and the names he comes up with for punk stars / songs is so clueless it's funny 2) it's the best pulp novel written about corrupt music hacks EVER - it also established the brilliant fictional publication 'SPINS' which was still going when Stewart Home started writing 3) there's a line of anti-punk moralism running through it, which again is really funny - it's clear Allen disliked punk and was forced to write about it to cash in on the craze 4) it contains the post-coital line "Did you choke Linda Lovelace?" 5) oh...just get it, it's brilliant.
But the best Allen book was "Boot Boys", by about 1,000 light years, and seriously rivals Stewart Home for craziness. Home-wise, I still love "Red London" and "Slow Death", but for me "New Britain" cracked it.
There was another book with punks and skinheads I read at school, but I can't remember what it was called, except some punk girl gets her safety pin ripped through her cheek and a skinhead bully dies at the end.
Some of Martin Millar's stuff's OK, though some people hate him.
I thought "Human Punk" was tedious as fuck, probably autobiographical.
As for Richard Allen, "Punk Rock" is brilliant, mostly cos 1) Allen hasn't a clue about punk and the names he comes up with for punk stars / songs is so clueless it's funny 2) it's the best pulp novel written about corrupt music hacks EVER - it also established the brilliant fictional publication 'SPINS' which was still going when Stewart Home started writing 3) there's a line of anti-punk moralism running through it, which again is really funny - it's clear Allen disliked punk and was forced to write about it to cash in on the craze 4) it contains the post-coital line "Did you choke Linda Lovelace?" 5) oh...just get it, it's brilliant.
But the best Allen book was "Boot Boys", by about 1,000 light years, and seriously rivals Stewart Home for craziness. Home-wise, I still love "Red London" and "Slow Death", but for me "New Britain" cracked it.
There was another book with punks and skinheads I read at school, but I can't remember what it was called, except some punk girl gets her safety pin ripped through her cheek and a skinhead bully dies at the end.
Some of Martin Millar's stuff's OK, though some people hate him.
STN
sou'wester
I'm afraid I'm one of them. Do you remember that Hell's Angels trilogy? It may even be by Mick Farren or someone?
john eden
male pale and stale
Has anyone else read "Pulpmania" mag? It's pretty good and has some nice interviews with Peter Cave and Guy N Smith in it:
http://www.pulpmania.co.uk/issue1.htm
http://www.pulpmania.co.uk/issue1.htm
Last edited:
It's like - got train to London. This is it. THIS IS FUCKING IT. 999 live. Just blinding. Energy. My mate had a dodgy kebab and spent the gig in the toilet. But we're here. Here and alive. Pogoing around and we don't care we're the let-down generation, away from our shitty council houses and all the ZZZZ. Then the rest of it's him as a grown up, looking after his kid.
Not strictly punk, but has anyone read "Camden Girls" by Jane Owen? It's such a pile of shit, it really scarred me for life.
Last edited:
STN
sou'wester
I've got a soft spot for 999. Feelin' alright with the crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!
There's one particularly stupid one with these faeries (as in little folk; I'm not a homophobic old colonel) who are, like, well into the New York Dolls. Awful.
I've not read Camden Girls, what's it like? Desperately self-congratulatory, I expect.
Is there some variant of that Godwin's Law business where any discussion on this topic slides inexorably towards Bidisha?
There's one particularly stupid one with these faeries (as in little folk; I'm not a homophobic old colonel) who are, like, well into the New York Dolls. Awful.
I've not read Camden Girls, what's it like? Desperately self-congratulatory, I expect.
Is there some variant of that Godwin's Law business where any discussion on this topic slides inexorably towards Bidisha?
Funny you mention her - did you know, I used to see her at gigs? I saw her fall over on a train once as well. She used to do a fanzine called 'Girl Pride' which was really shit, then she wrote 2 shit books. But she's very brainy. She's on the Newsnight Review now. So is some bloke whose sister I used to go out with, but he's best left nameless.
"Camden Girls" is just...you'll probably go red reading it, even if you're the last man on earth. A 28-year old trying to come across like a sassy, streetwise 17-year old. No exagerration, probably the shittest book I've ever read.
Last edited:
Do you have that at all? Any chance of a dib on the revolving NE London library?
STN
sou'wester
I think you might have mentioned her presence at gigs before, now I think about it. That King Arthur novel she did was pretty wretched.
I know from that description precisely what Camden Girls is like.
John - keep meaning to pick up Pulpmania but my pathological laziness has hamstrung me thus far.
I'd like Gene October to pen a novel. I'd buy it if he did.
john eden
male pale and stale
Yeah I've got that and pulpmania.... consider it bagged...
"parasites" could do with a bit of proofing and editing, mind.