A neglected masterpiece..., 10 Mar 2001
Cain's Book is undoubtedly one of the neglected masterpieces of twentieth-century literature. Perhaps the source of this is Trocchi's unflinching, at times disturbing, yet always honest look at the subject of heroin addiction; in fact, his own heroin addiction. But this is no vulgar piece of sensationalism. Trocchi was formerly a student of Samuel Beckett and it is his influence that can be felt on each page of Cain's Book: the magical, musical prose, the lapse into revery and memory, the coolly analytical look at daily reality, the play with form and language. But Trocchi was an independent writer of immense gifts and Cain's Book, rather than being a downbeat, depressing look at a sordid subject, is quite the reverse: the beauty of its prose, the movement of Trocchi's mind through life and memory, all lift this up into the highest level of literature. It should be bought by anyone with an interest in post-war literature, though admirers of Kerouac, Bukowski, Celine, Joyce, Beckett and William Burroughs should add this to their collection. They will certainly not be disappointed. A great book, then, it is perhaps the twentieth-century equivalent of De Quincey's classic Confessions of an Opium Eater... Get it now!

A neglected masterpiece..., 10 Mar 2001
Cain's Book is undoubtedly one of the neglected masterpieces of twentieth-century literature. Perhaps the source of this is Trocchi's unflinching, at times disturbing, yet always honest look at the subject of heroin addiction; in fact, his own heroin addiction. But this is no vulgar piece of sensationalism. Trocchi was formerly a student of Samuel Beckett and it is his influence that can be felt on each page of Cain's Book: the magical, musical prose, the lapse into revery and memory, the coolly analytical look at daily reality, the play with form and language. But Trocchi was an independent writer of immense gifts and Cain's Book, rather than being a downbeat, depressing look at a sordid subject, is quite the reverse: the beauty of its prose, the movement of Trocchi's mind through life and memory, all lift this up into the highest level of literature. It should be bought by anyone with an interest in post-war literature, though admirers of Kerouac, Bukowski, Celine, Joyce, Beckett and William Burroughs should add this to their collection. They will certainly not be disappointed. A great book, then, it is perhaps the twentieth-century equivalent of De Quincey's classic Confessions of an Opium Eater... Get it now!

Sexistential, 26 Nov 2003
A very slim 'read-it-in-one-sitting' novel but structured around the most important of themes.

Joe, too often (and self-defeatingly) identified as Camus' main protagonist in 'The Outsider'is a superbly realised character whose sexual confidence has literally deadly consequences.

Trochhi was once a paid pornographer and there is a vivid and beautifuly depicted scene where ... well let's just say it involves custard and some other household fluids.

The turgid opening paragraphs on the difficulty of language disqualifies this novella from five stars but there also fine insights into both personality traits and the physical landscape of canal life - that outer point of urban living.

The recent film is very faithful to this text, though, as is often the case, inferior to it as well.

An outsider - not an outlaw, 09 Nov 2001
Meeting Alex Trocchi was always memorable - and unpredictable. So reading Young Adam is to glimpse Trocchi's genius as a writer and lifelong determined objectionist. In Young Adam his declared preoccupation with sex should not be confused with the exploitation of women - a definition of pornography. The poetic landscape he creates is women-centric but never demeaning. The result is a timeless quality; a moment portrayed; a visual flickering of events that indeed lend themselves to celluloid.

'Trainspotting' could be a curtainraiser to the impossible genius of Alex Trocchi. Young Adam has that rarity of literary effects: you hold your breath. If Trocchi hadn't been such a determined heroin user, mainstream publishing (at least outside Scotland) would have made his genius respectable - probably to his intense annoyance and possibly to his secret delight. He'd have won. He may still if this book makes it to Hollywood.

Existentialist Thriller, 06 Jun 2001
This book has often been compared with Camus's The Outsider. Frankly, I think it's better. Darker. More human. More ambiguous. More sensual. And more messy.

Trocchi, as well as being a fine novelist, was also a drug addict and an accomplished writer of pornography. These aspects of him bleed into the writing style. He is probaly the least known of all the Beat Writers, yet he seems to be in a higher league from all the sophomoric rantings of his more famous peers. If you're a fan of the Beat Writers, this is probably the best book of them all.

What is Justice??, 17 May 2001
Trocchi style is enchanting, slick and clever. WE find our potaginist on a barge with a family travelling from Glasgow to Edinburgh - But do not be put off this could be set anywhere in the world and the language is not trainspotting- the story unravals revealing crimes of passion both personal and criminal, and the huge question of guilty till proven innocent. This novel is exceptional and a must for those who like the darker side, but be prepared you may not want to put it down .....

A lost classic from a great Scottish author., 11 Jan 1999
Young Adam was the first novel that Alexander Trocchi wrote, and due to circumstances the actual content of the novel has been changed and pirated over the years but this edition is the one that he himself felt was the best. The story concerns a barge operator, Joe, who dislikes the work ethic and would rather spend his time in leisure. He and the barge captain find a dead body in the water, which Joe has some relation to. The plot also follows the personal relationships between Joe and those around him. However I think that the plot is not the most important part of the book, when I read the book I was struck by the quality of the language, the way that Trocchi describes sensations is perfect, and also the ideas contained in the text. In a way this book is similiar to "L'etranger" by Camus, but more didactic and direct in its approach. The style and central character's observations, asides to an audience almost, are amongst the best I have ever read, in some ways these are comparable with those of "Junky" by William Burroughs, but Trocchi had a more fluent style. Most of the myth around Trocchi comes from his lifestyle and list of famous friends, but what will remain ultimately are his novels, of which I find this to be the best, due to its ability to conjure a large range of emotions, its technical quality and its ideas. I hope this publishing of Young Adam will stop Alexander Trocchi from being just a footnote in the careers of Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs and other 'beat' writers, and show how he was a great writer in his own right. (When will anyone republish the anthology "Writers in Revolt" that he coedited? or any of his translations?).

A neglected masterpiece..., 10 Mar 2001
Cain's Book is undoubtedly one of the neglected masterpieces of twentieth-century literature. Perhaps the source of this is Trocchi's unflinching, at times disturbing, yet always honest look at the subject of heroin addiction; in fact, his own heroin addiction. But this is no vulgar piece of sensationalism. Trocchi was formerly a student of Samuel Beckett and it is his influence that can be felt on each page of Cain's Book: the magical, musical prose, the lapse into revery and memory, the coolly analytical look at daily reality, the play with form and language. But Trocchi was an independent writer of immense gifts and Cain's Book, rather than being a downbeat, depressing look at a sordid subject, is quite the reverse: the beauty of its prose, the movement of Trocchi's mind through life and memory, all lift this up into the highest level of literature. It should be bought by anyone with an interest in post-war literature, though admirers of Kerouac, Bukowski, Celine, Joyce, Beckett and William Burroughs should add this to their collection. They will certainly not be disappointed. A great book, then, it is perhaps the twentieth-century equivalent of De Quincey's classic Confessions of an Opium Eater... Get it now!

Sexistential, 26 Nov 2003
A very slim 'read-it-in-one-sitting' novel but structured around the most important of themes.

Joe, too often (and self-defeatingly) identified as Camus' main protagonist in 'The Outsider'is a superbly realised character whose sexual confidence has literally deadly consequences.

Trochhi was once a paid pornographer and there is a vivid and beautifuly depicted scene where ... well let's just say it involves custard and some other household fluids.

The turgid opening paragraphs on the difficulty of language disqualifies this novella from five stars but there also fine insights into both personality traits and the physical landscape of canal life - that outer point of urban living.

The recent film is very faithful to this text, though, as is often the case, inferior to it as well.

An outsider - not an outlaw, 09 Nov 2001
Meeting Alex Trocchi was always memorable - and unpredictable. So reading Young Adam is to glimpse Trocchi's genius as a writer and lifelong determined objectionist. In Young Adam his declared preoccupation with sex should not be confused with the exploitation of women - a definition of pornography. The poetic landscape he creates is women-centric but never demeaning. The result is a timeless quality; a moment portrayed; a visual flickering of events that indeed lend themselves to celluloid.

'Trainspotting' could be a curtainraiser to the impossible genius of Alex Trocchi. Young Adam has that rarity of literary effects: you hold your breath. If Trocchi hadn't been such a determined heroin user, mainstream publishing (at least outside Scotland) would have made his genius respectable - probably to his intense annoyance and possibly to his secret delight. He'd have won. He may still if this book makes it to Hollywood.

Existentialist Thriller, 06 Jun 2001
This book has often been compared with Camus's The Outsider. Frankly, I think it's better. Darker. More human. More ambiguous. More sensual. And more messy.

Trocchi, as well as being a fine novelist, was also a drug addict and an accomplished writer of pornography. These aspects of him bleed into the writing style. He is probaly the least known of all the Beat Writers, yet he seems to be in a higher league from all the sophomoric rantings of his more famous peers. If you're a fan of the Beat Writers, this is probably the best book of them all.

What is Justice??, 17 May 2001
Trocchi style is enchanting, slick and clever. WE find our potaginist on a barge with a family travelling from Glasgow to Edinburgh - But do not be put off this could be set anywhere in the world and the language is not trainspotting- the story unravals revealing crimes of passion both personal and criminal, and the huge question of guilty till proven innocent. This novel is exceptional and a must for those who like the darker side, but be prepared you may not want to put it down .....

A lost classic from a great Scottish author., 11 Jan 1999
Young Adam was the first novel that Alexander Trocchi wrote, and due to circumstances the actual content of the novel has been changed and pirated over the years but this edition is the one that he himself felt was the best. The story concerns a barge operator, Joe, who dislikes the work ethic and would rather spend his time in leisure. He and the barge captain find a dead body in the water, which Joe has some relation to. The plot also follows the personal relationships between Joe and those around him. However I think that the plot is not the most important part of the book, when I read the book I was struck by the quality of the language, the way that Trocchi describes sensations is perfect, and also the ideas contained in the text. In a way this book is similiar to "L'etranger" by Camus, but more didactic and direct in its approach. The style and central character's observations, asides to an audience almost, are amongst the best I have ever read, in some ways these are comparable with those of "Junky" by William Burroughs, but Trocchi had a more fluent style. Most of the myth around Trocchi comes from his lifestyle and list of famous friends, but what will remain ultimately are his novels, of which I find this to be the best, due to its ability to conjure a large range of emotions, its technical quality and its ideas. I hope this publishing of Young Adam will stop Alexander Trocchi from being just a footnote in the careers of Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs and other 'beat' writers, and show how he was a great writer in his own right. (When will anyone republish the anthology "Writers in Revolt" that he coedited? or any of his translations?).

Beautifully Written Erotic Mystery Thriller, 05 Apr 2007
This is a superbly written mystery thriller whose descriptions of erotic activity are very much `no holds barred'. The narrator, whose sexual prowess conquers all the women he encounters, sets off in pursuit of a legendary beauty who has been abducted and kept prisoner in North Africa. As intrepid as you would wish, he braves all possible hazards in order to find and rescue the damsel. As you would expect she is ultimately suitably grateful, giving of herself fully at the successful conclusion of the book. A classic, which has appeared in several editions including one from Masquerade in 1990, in which Trocchi remains anonymous, in character with a large fraction of this erotic genre.

A neglected masterpiece..., 10 Mar 2001
Cain's Book is undoubtedly one of the neglected masterpieces of twentieth-century literature. Perhaps the source of this is Trocchi's unflinching, at times disturbing, yet always honest look at the subject of heroin addiction; in fact, his own heroin addiction. But this is no vulgar piece of sensationalism. Trocchi was formerly a student of Samuel Beckett and it is his influence that can be felt on each page of Cain's Book: the magical, musical prose, the lapse into revery and memory, the coolly analytical look at daily reality, the play with form and language. But Trocchi was an independent writer of immense gifts and Cain's Book, rather than being a downbeat, depressing look at a sordid subject, is quite the reverse: the beauty of its prose, the movement of Trocchi's mind through life and memory, all lift this up into the highest level of literature. It should be bought by anyone with an interest in post-war literature, though admirers of Kerouac, Bukowski, Celine, Joyce, Beckett and William Burroughs should add this to their collection. They will certainly not be disappointed. A great book, then, it is perhaps the twentieth-century equivalent of De Quincey's classic Confessions of an Opium Eater... Get it now!

Sexistential, 26 Nov 2003
A very slim 'read-it-in-one-sitting' novel but structured around the most important of themes.

Joe, too often (and self-defeatingly) identified as Camus' main protagonist in 'The Outsider'is a superbly realised character whose sexual confidence has literally deadly consequences.

Trochhi was once a paid pornographer and there is a vivid and beautifuly depicted scene where ... well let's just say it involves custard and some other household fluids.

The turgid opening paragraphs on the difficulty of language disqualifies this novella from five stars but there also fine insights into both personality traits and the physical landscape of canal life - that outer point of urban living.

The recent film is very faithful to this text, though, as is often the case, inferior to it as well.

An outsider - not an outlaw, 09 Nov 2001
Meeting Alex Trocchi was always memorable - and unpredictable. So reading Young Adam is to glimpse Trocchi's genius as a writer and lifelong determined objectionist. In Young Adam his declared preoccupation with sex should not be confused with the exploitation of women - a definition of pornography. The poetic landscape he creates is women-centric but never demeaning. The result is a timeless quality; a moment portrayed; a visual flickering of events that indeed lend themselves to celluloid.

'Trainspotting' could be a curtainraiser to the impossible genius of Alex Trocchi. Young Adam has that rarity of literary effects: you hold your breath. If Trocchi hadn't been such a determined heroin user, mainstream publishing (at least outside Scotland) would have made his genius respectable - probably to his intense annoyance and possibly to his secret delight. He'd have won. He may still if this book makes it to Hollywood.

Existentialist Thriller, 06 Jun 2001
This book has often been compared with Camus's The Outsider. Frankly, I think it's better. Darker. More human. More ambiguous. More sensual. And more messy.

Trocchi, as well as being a fine novelist, was also a drug addict and an accomplished writer of pornography. These aspects of him bleed into the writing style. He is probaly the least known of all the Beat Writers, yet he seems to be in a higher league from all the sophomoric rantings of his more famous peers. If you're a fan of the Beat Writers, this is probably the best book of them all.

What is Justice??, 17 May 2001
Trocchi style is enchanting, slick and clever. WE find our potaginist on a barge with a family travelling from Glasgow to Edinburgh - But do not be put off this could be set anywhere in the world and the language is not trainspotting- the story unravals revealing crimes of passion both personal and criminal, and the huge question of guilty till proven innocent. This novel is exceptional and a must for those who like the darker side, but be prepared you may not want to put it down .....

A lost classic from a great Scottish author., 11 Jan 1999
Young Adam was the first novel that Alexander Trocchi wrote, and due to circumstances the actual content of the novel has been changed and pirated over the years but this edition is the one that he himself felt was the best. The story concerns a barge operator, Joe, who dislikes the work ethic and would rather spend his time in leisure. He and the barge captain find a dead body in the water, which Joe has some relation to. The plot also follows the personal relationships between Joe and those around him. However I think that the plot is not the most important part of the book, when I read the book I was struck by the quality of the language, the way that Trocchi describes sensations is perfect, and also the ideas contained in the text. In a way this book is similiar to "L'etranger" by Camus, but more didactic and direct in its approach. The style and central character's observations, asides to an audience almost, are amongst the best I have ever read, in some ways these are comparable with those of "Junky" by William Burroughs, but Trocchi had a more fluent style. Most of the myth around Trocchi comes from his lifestyle and list of famous friends, but what will remain ultimately are his novels, of which I find this to be the best, due to its ability to conjure a large range of emotions, its technical quality and its ideas. I hope this publishing of Young Adam will stop Alexander Trocchi from being just a footnote in the careers of Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs and other 'beat' writers, and show how he was a great writer in his own right. (When will anyone republish the anthology "Writers in Revolt" that he coedited? or any of his translations?).

Beautifully Written Erotic Mystery Thriller, 05 Apr 2007
This is a superbly written mystery thriller whose descriptions of erotic activity are very much `no holds barred'. The narrator, whose sexual prowess conquers all the women he encounters, sets off in pursuit of a legendary beauty who has been abducted and kept prisoner in North Africa. As intrepid as you would wish, he braves all possible hazards in order to find and rescue the damsel. As you would expect she is ultimately suitably grateful, giving of herself fully at the successful conclusion of the book. A classic, which has appeared in several editions including one from Masquerade in 1990, in which Trocchi remains anonymous, in character with a large fraction of this erotic genre.

A bit twisted, but that's a good thing..., 17 Sep 1997
This is definitely a great offering from Alexander Trocchi. It stands out from other works of his like Helen and Desire since it wasn't rushed. He creates a situation I'm sure every guy has dreamed about in one way or another... and that character of the cook! Repulsive yet somehow strangely alluring at the same time... Many times I found myself wanting to be in his place. He comes up with some bizarre situations at the beginning, but then you don't see those through the rest of the book (relatively speaking). This was one of the books shortcomings. The ending was a bit Deus ex Machina for my tastes... and it seemed to end a bit short. It was a quick read and can probably be finished in one or two sittings by a fast reader.

A neglected masterpiece..., 10 Mar 2001
Cain's Book is undoubtedly one of the neglected masterpieces of twentieth-century literature. Perhaps the source of this is Trocchi's unflinching, at times disturbing, yet always honest look at the subject of heroin addiction; in fact, his own heroin addiction. But this is no vulgar piece of sensationalism. Trocchi was formerly a student of Samuel Beckett and it is his influence that can be felt on each page of Cain's Book: the magical, musical prose, the lapse into revery and memory, the coolly analytical look at daily reality, the play with form and language. But Trocchi was an independent writer of immense gifts and Cain's Book, rather than being a downbeat, depressing look at a sordid subject, is quite the reverse: the beauty of its prose, the movement of Trocchi's mind through life and memory, all lift this up into the highest level of literature. It should be bought by anyone with an interest in post-war literature, though admirers of Kerouac, Bukowski, Celine, Joyce, Beckett and William Burroughs should add this to their collection. They will certainly not be disappointed. A great book, then, it is perhaps the twentieth-century equivalent of De Quincey's classic Confessions of an Opium Eater... Get it now!

Sexistential, 26 Nov 2003
A very slim 'read-it-in-one-sitting' novel but structured around the most important of themes.

Joe, too often (and self-defeatingly) identified as Camus' main protagonist in 'The Outsider'is a superbly realised character whose sexual confidence has literally deadly consequences.

Trochhi was once a paid pornographer and there is a vivid and beautifuly depicted scene where ... well let's just say it involves custard and some other household fluids.

The turgid opening paragraphs on the difficulty of language disqualifies this novella from five stars but there also fine insights into both personality traits and the physical landscape of canal life - that outer point of urban living.

The recent film is very faithful to this text, though, as is often the case, inferior to it as well.

An outsider - not an outlaw, 09 Nov 2001
Meeting Alex Trocchi was always memorable - and unpredictable. So reading Young Adam is to glimpse Trocchi's genius as a writer and lifelong determined objectionist. In Young Adam his declared preoccupation with sex should not be confused with the exploitation of women - a definition of pornography. The poetic landscape he creates is women-centric but never demeaning. The result is a timeless quality; a moment portrayed; a visual flickering of events that indeed lend themselves to celluloid.

'Trainspotting' could be a curtainraiser to the impossible genius of Alex Trocchi. Young Adam has that rarity of literary effects: you hold your breath. If Trocchi hadn't been such a determined heroin user, mainstream publishing (at least outside Scotland) would have made his genius respectable - probably to his intense annoyance and possibly to his secret delight. He'd have won. He may still if this book makes it to Hollywood.

Existentialist Thriller, 06 Jun 2001
This book has often been compared with Camus's The Outsider. Frankly, I think it's better. Darker. More human. More ambiguous. More sensual. And more messy.

Trocchi, as well as being a fine novelist, was also a drug addict and an accomplished writer of pornography. These aspects of him bleed into the writing style. He is probaly the least known of all the Beat Writers, yet he seems to be in a higher league from all the sophomoric rantings of his more famous peers. If you're a fan of the Beat Writers, this is probably the best book of them all.

What is Justice??, 17 May 2001
Trocchi style is enchanting, slick and clever. WE find our potaginist on a barge with a family travelling from Glasgow to Edinburgh - But do not be put off this could be set anywhere in the world and the language is not trainspotting- the story unravals revealing crimes of passion both personal and criminal, and the huge question of guilty till proven innocent. This novel is exceptional and a must for those who like the darker side, but be prepared you may not want to put it down .....

A lost classic from a great Scottish author., 11 Jan 1999
Young Adam was the first novel that Alexander Trocchi wrote, and due to circumstances the actual content of the novel has been changed and pirated over the years but this edition is the one that he himself felt was the best. The story concerns a barge operator, Joe, who dislikes the work ethic and would rather spend his time in leisure. He and the barge captain find a dead body in the water, which Joe has some relation to. The plot also follows the personal relationships between Joe and those around him. However I think that the plot is not the most important part of the book, when I read the book I was struck by the quality of the language, the way that Trocchi describes sensations is perfect, and also the ideas contained in the text. In a way this book is similiar to "L'etranger" by Camus, but more didactic and direct in its approach. The style and central character's observations, asides to an audience almost, are amongst the best I have ever read, in some ways these are comparable with those of "Junky" by William Burroughs, but Trocchi had a more fluent style. Most of the myth around Trocchi comes from his lifestyle and list of famous friends, but what will remain ultimately are his novels, of which I find this to be the best, due to its ability to conjure a large range of emotions, its technical quality and its ideas. I hope this publishing of Young Adam will stop Alexander Trocchi from being just a footnote in the careers of Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs and other 'beat' writers, and show how he was a great writer in his own right. (When will anyone republish the anthology "Writers in Revolt" that he coedited? or any of his translations?).

Beautifully Written Erotic Mystery Thriller, 05 Apr 2007
This is a superbly written mystery thriller whose descriptions of erotic activity are very much `no holds barred'. The narrator, whose sexual prowess conquers all the women he encounters, sets off in pursuit of a legendary beauty who has been abducted and kept prisoner in North Africa. As intrepid as you would wish, he braves all possible hazards in order to find and rescue the damsel. As you would expect she is ultimately suitably grateful, giving of herself fully at the successful conclusion of the book. A classic, which has appeared in several editions including one from Masquerade in 1990, in which Trocchi remains anonymous, in character with a large fraction of this erotic genre.

A bit twisted, but that's a good thing..., 17 Sep 1997
This is definitely a great offering from Alexander Trocchi. It stands out from other works of his like Helen and Desire since it wasn't rushed. He creates a situation I'm sure every guy has dreamed about in one way or another... and that character of the cook! Repulsive yet somehow strangely alluring at the same time... Many times I found myself wanting to be in his place. He comes up with some bizarre situations at the beginning, but then you don't see those through the rest of the book (relatively speaking). This was one of the books shortcomings. The ending was a bit Deus ex Machina for my tastes... and it seemed to end a bit short. It was a quick read and can probably be finished in one or two sittings by a fast reader.

Sexistential, 26 Nov 2003
A very slim 'read-it-in-one-sitting' novel but structured around the most important of themes.

Joe, too often (and self-defeatingly) identified as Camus' main protagonist in 'The Outsider'is a superbly realised character whose sexual confidence has literally deadly consequences.

Trochhi was once a paid pornographer and there is a vivid and beautifuly depicted scene where ... well let's just say it involves custard and some other household fluids.

The turgid opening paragraphs on the difficulty of language disqualifies this novella from five stars but there also fine insights into both personality traits and the physical landscape of canal life - that outer point of urban living.

The recent film is very faithful to this text, though, as is often the case, inferior to it as well.

An outsider - not an outlaw, 09 Nov 2001
Meeting Alex Trocchi was always memorable - and unpredictable. So reading Young Adam is to glimpse Trocchi's genius as a writer and lifelong determined objectionist. In Young Adam his declared preoccupation with sex should not be confused with the exploitation of women - a definition of pornography. The poetic landscape he creates is women-centric but never demeaning. The result is a timeless quality; a moment portrayed; a visual flickering of events that indeed lend themselves to celluloid.

'Trainspotting' could be a curtainraiser to the impossible genius of Alex Trocchi. Young Adam has that rarity of literary effects: you hold your breath. If Trocchi hadn't been such a determined heroin user, mainstream publishing (at least outside Scotland) would have made his genius respectable - probably to his intense annoyance and possibly to his secret delight. He'd have won. He may still if this book makes it to Hollywood.

Existentialist Thriller, 06 Jun 2001
This book has often been compared with Camus's The Outsider. Frankly, I think it's better. Darker. More human. More ambiguous. More sensual. And more messy.

Trocchi, as well as being a fine novelist, was also a drug addict and an accomplished writer of pornography. These aspects of him bleed into the writing style. He is probaly the least known of all the Beat Writers, yet he seems to be in a higher league from all the sophomoric rantings of his more famous peers. If you're a fan of the Beat Writers, this is probably the best book of them all.

What is Justice??, 17 May 2001
Trocchi style is enchanting, slick and clever. WE find our potaginist on a barge with a family travelling from Glasgow to Edinburgh - But do not be put off this could be set anywhere in the world and the language is not trainspotting- the story unravals revealing crimes of passion both personal and criminal, and the huge question of guilty till proven innocent. This novel is exceptional and a must for those who like the darker side, but be prepared you may not want to put it down .....

A lost classic from a great Scottish author., 11 Jan 1999
Young Adam was the first novel that Alexander Trocchi wrote, and due to circumstances the actual content of the novel has been changed and pirated over the years but this edition is the one that he himself felt was the best. The story concerns a barge operator, Joe, who dislikes the work ethic and would rather spend his time in leisure. He and the barge captain find a dead body in the water, which Joe has some relation to. The plot also follows the personal relationships between Joe and those around him. However I think that the plot is not the most important part of the book, when I read the book I was struck by the quality of the language, the way that Trocchi describes sensations is perfect, and also the ideas contained in the text. In a way this book is similiar to "L'etranger" by Camus, but more didactic and direct in its approach. The style and central character's observations, asides to an audience almost, are amongst the best I have ever read, in some ways these are comparable with those of "Junky" by William Burroughs, but Trocchi had a more fluent style. Most of the myth around Trocchi comes from his lifestyle and list of famous friends, but what will remain ultimately are his novels, of which I find this to be the best, due to its ability to conjure a large range of emotions, its technical quality and its ideas. I hope this publishing of Young Adam will stop Alexander Trocchi from being just a footnote in the careers of Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs and other 'beat' writers, and show how he was a great writer in his own right. (When will anyone republish the anthology "Writers in Revolt" that he coedited? or any of his translations?).