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Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance is a collection of three novellas by Irvine Welsh.
The title refers to an early Rosicrucian pamphlet, entitled The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosencreutz.
Stories
Lorraine Goes To Livingston
Features a TV personality necrophiliac with a strong Somerset accent, and an obese Romance writer who suffers a stroke. Parts of this are written in a romantic fiction style rather like parts of Marabou Stork Nightmares.Fortune's Always Hiding
An angry and bitter 'Tenazedrine' (Thalidomide) victim and her lover seek revenge on the drug's marketing director.The Undefeated
The longest story, The Undefeated, presents slice-of-life episodes from the lives of various representatives of Welsh's favourite subculture: recreational drug users. "I think once you hit your teens, you spend the next 20 years trying to kill yourself," says Irvine. "And then when you turn 40 and realize you didn't die, it's like, 'Oh, no, what do I do now? Guess I'd better start taking care of myself.'"Housewife Heather ditches her Dire Straits-loving suburban husband and finds a new life amongst the rave scene. Lloyd (an aging clubber she meets) and Heather only get together once she realises that Lloyd has given up drugs.
'Welsh smoothly demonstrates his belief in the liberating power of dance culture. Most interestingly, he avoids the easy route of claiming utopia. If drugs can liberate you, then they can as easily ruin you.'*
Stage adaptation
Soon after publication the book was adapted for the stage. The stage version ultimately inspired the film to be made. In the late nineties the stage toured the UK and Canada.
Film adaptation
In 2006, a film based on Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance will be produced.
Cultural reference
The band My Chemical Romance took their name from the title of this book.
External link
"Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance"