Grits (novel)

Grits
First edition
Author Niall Griffiths
Cover artist Matt Smith/PYMCA
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Publisher Jonathan Cape
Publication 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

References

  1. ↑ Rear cover, 2001 Vintage Books edition, ISBN 0-09-9285177
  2. ↑ Niall Griffiths | British Council Literature
  3. 1 2 Last exit to Aberystwyth, The Guardian, Saturday 3 February 2001
  4. ↑ Nee, Laura. "Grits". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 23 June 2008
  5. ↑ "Retrieved 2014-03-28". Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2014-03-29.


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