Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance
First edition cover
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| Author | Irvine Welsh |
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| Country | Scotland |
| Language | English |
| Publisher |
Jonathan Cape (UK) W. W. Norton (US) |
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Publication date
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May 1996 (UK) August 1996 (US) |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback) |
| Pages | 276 pp |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 35331741 |
Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance is a collection of three novellas by Irvine Welsh.
After suffering a stroke, Rebecca Navarro, a best-selling romance novelist, discovers the truth about her corrupt, pornography-loving husband. With the help of Lorraine, her sexually confused nurse, she plots her revenge.
Another nurse at the hospital, Glen, has been secretly admiring Lorraine but after a night at a club, decides to pursue her friend Yvonne instead. Meanwhile, Glen has been accepting money from Freddy Royle, a necrophiliac TV personality. The hospital trustees turn a blind eye to Freddy's nefarious pastime but have to do some fast talking when the new coroner begins asking questions.
Samantha Worthington, an angry and bitter 'Tenazedrine' (Thalidomide) victim, enlists a football hooligan, Dave, to help her seek revenge on the last man left alive who pushed the drug who caused her deformed arms, the drug's marketing director.
The story is told in flashbacks from Samantha's past, flashbacks of the drug marketer's past and his present well-being, and a first person perspective from Dave's eyes. It is known as a "psychedelic" novel.
The longest story, The Undefeated, presents slice-of-life episodes from the lives of two recreational drug users. Lloyd, an ageing clubber, begins to question his life and considers the possibility of falling in love. Housewife Heather leaves her Dire Straits-loving suburban husband and starts a new life amongst the rave scene, where she meets Lloyd. The film based on The Undefeated was produced and directed by Rob Heydon in 2011.
'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.'
Soon after publication the book was adapted for the stage by Canadian playwright Keith Wyatt. Debuting at the Edmonton Fringe Festival (1998), the play was considered to be a tremendous hit, leading to its subsequent tour across Canada (1999), and on to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In Edinburgh, the production was attended by the story's original author, Irvine Welsh, whose appreciation for the play led to its international publication in an omnibus of Irvine Welsh stage adaptations, entitled 4 Play, through Vintage/Random House UK.
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