Grits (novel) explained
| Grits |
| Border: | yes |
| Cover Artist: | Matt Smith/PYMCA |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Publisher: | Jonathan Cape |
| Pub Date: | Feb 2000 |
| Media Type: | Print (paperback) |
| Pages: | 481 |
| Isbn: | 0-224-05996-3 |
| Followed By: | Sheepshagger |
Grits is the debut novel by British author Niall Griffiths, published in 2000 by Jonathan Cape. Set in and around Aberystwyth and concerning promiscuity, drugs, alcohol, and petty crime[1] it gained for its author, who lives and works in the town[2] the dubious honorific "the Welsh Irvine Welsh".[3] The novel is largely autobiographical, Griffiths moved to Aberystwyth to research a PhD in post-war British poetry but soon became, as he puts it, an "enthusiastic participator in parties"[4] and dropped out of his studies.[5]
Ianto, a character briefly appearing in Grits became the anti-hero of Griffith's second novel Sheepshagger.[3]
Reception
From the rear of the 2001 Vintage Books edition :
- "When it comes to kick starting the literary millennium, Grits - difficult, disturbing and unforgettable - may well be the book to back" - Independent
- "Griffiths is undoubtedly a writer of talent. In the breadth of his huge, pulsing first novel, he captures the tedium of a life lived from one fix to the next" - Observer
- "If you liked Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting you'll love Grits" - Daily Express
External links
Notes and References
- Rear cover, 2001 Vintage Books edition,
- Web site: Niall Griffiths British Council Literature . 28 March 2014 . 8 March 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140308233014/http://literature.britishcouncil.org/niall-griffiths . live .
- https://www.theguardian.com/books/2001/feb/03/fiction.reviews2 Last exit to Aberystwyth
- Web site: Nee, Laura. "Grits". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 23 June 2008 . 29 March 2014 . 7 April 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140407071511/https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=22020 . live .
- Web site: Retrieved 2014-03-28 . 2014-03-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140407064746/http://www.themodernnovel.com/welsh/griffiths/author.htm . 2014-04-07 . dead .
