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Title: Welsh too obsessed with surreal
Review: This book deisappointed the hell out of me. In every piece Welsh seems so overly obsessed with with surrealism, and possibly more importantly than that, shock value and twists. This obsession has clouded the real thematic punch I know Welsh can deliver, example being "Eurotrash." A beautiful setup, fine characterization, even a hint of a true, well constructed epiphany that is completely understated by the main character's final realization about his lover. I didn't feel he tried for anything; the decisions were made for him. Despite all of this, the novella that closes the book is so well crafted and so vivid in its imagery and precise in its character construction that it saves the book altogether and wnables me to issue the rating of "2." Had the rest of the stories been executed like this one, "The Acid House" would deserve the five many other reviewers feel it does. As it is, however, there are too few redeeming qualities to warrant it.
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