Kind of bonkers, often funny, sometimes expectedly poignant, this is a murder mystery investigation the like of which I have definitely not read before. Another plus was that chapters were often about 10 pages each so it was very easily digestible and not at all difficult to let my tea go cold as I kept telling myself “one more chapter”.

Meantime by Frankie Boyle | Goodreads

In a four-star review for The Daily Telegraph, Kerridge praised that the author "regularly deploys the beautifully offbeat imagery that characterises the best of his stand-up", and wrote that he could hear Boyle in his head as the narrator. Channel 4 head of comedy Shane Allen told the press that "it's very much like Parkinson or Wogan, but with paedo jokes" and that the show would feature Boyle "in a studio, riffing off the audience a bit with some people challenging what he says". Andre's representative also responded to the comments made by Boyle and said "We're all disgusted by these comments. The political points are brilliant, the quality of observations and resultant humour is constant throughout and particularly if you hail from the west of Scotland you will get a lot out of this.In 2012 Boyle posted a tweet about Olympic cyclist Victoria Pendleton saying that it was sexy that while she could lift twice her own weight, she still couldn't force him off of her. There will be a lot of people watching who will wonder what does a true Scotsman wear under his kilt, and I can tell you a true Scotsman will never tell you what he wears under his kilt. Featuring guests Katherine Ryan and Sara Pascoe, Boyle dissected the Scottish independence referendum, 2014 and general election. Reading with my brain adopting Frankie's familiar voice telling stories about the people, times, and places that I recognised really enhanced my enjoyment of this book. 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).

Frankie Boyle | Official Website

The recording includes some audience interaction, with Boyle offering to test some of his new "put-downs" on the crowd. When making the TV show Frankie Goes to Russia before the 2018 World Cup, he travelled there by train. When drug addict Felix McAveety’s best friend Marina’s body is discovered in a park, Felix sets off on his own to uncover the culprit given the police force’s lack of leads. He began co-operating with the government, with Agent Brond as his handler; at their request he began a sexual relationship with the SNP politician Gary Mount. If like me, you can find humor in even the most desperate of situations, then this one will fit well within your wheelhouse.Frankie Boyle did a brilliant job of making it feel relevant and of its time, whilst still tapping into many of the arguments that still prevail. This is fun to read and the plot does engage with you from the get go, but as you expect the characters just jump out from the pages. The rambling, incoherent narrative you’d expect from a narrator on drugs, but what I didn’t expect was the pompous, continual banality of his internal monologue. If someone decided to remake Trainspotting crossed with Columbo and it was co directed by the Coen Brothers and David Lynch then this is most likely what they would come up with. As a recovering addict myself, the drug scenes, though comical, shine a light on how harrowing and chaotic dependence can be.

Meantime: The gripping debut crime novel from Frankie Boyle

Rachael O'Connor – a delusional stalker who formerly pursued Felix and is currently obsessed with a man named Greg. In response to the Rwanda asylum plan unveiled by the Johnson government in 2022, Boyle denounced the scheme on Twitter, writing that "The reason you don't have a significant fascist party in Britain is that those voters are very happy with the government. a political comedy book, Scotland's Jesus (2013); [4] and a political essay, The Future of British Politics (2020). Told in first person, this is a story which is as confusing as it is entertaining and which is packed with humour. Mencap spokesman Ismail Kaji said that the comments could be misconstrued and seen as "no different to bullying".His reasons for doing so are not initially apparent but are explained in a couple of harrowing chapters near the climax of the novel. The character, wrote Chortle, is "nihilistic and pessimistic" but "good-natured" and does not aim to harm others. On the show, Boyle said: "Apparently, Jordan and Peter Andre are fighting each other over custody of Harvey.

Frankie Boyle review: gloriously funny mystery Meantime by Frankie Boyle review: gloriously funny mystery

After consuming a dangerous drug cocktail, Felix interviews for a job at Beloved Intelligence under an alias.

There are some great bits in towards the end but you've got to wade through quite a bit of unreliable drug-fuelled narration before that. The audience member explained that her five-year-old daughter had the condition and strongly criticised Boyle's portrayal of people with Down syndrome. This is Scottish comedian Frankie Boyle's debut novel and being a fan of his brand of humour, I knew I just had to read this.