Weekend (novel)

[1] Writing in the Guardian in 2006, Irvine Welsh describes the book as having the "hunger, verve and freshness of a debut novel", and notes that "one of McIlvanney's greatest gifts as a writer has been the unerring humanity he invests in his characters, even at their most desperate".

[1] Stuart Kelly in the Telegraph highlighted the "terrifically comic moments" and "scenes of utter poignancy in the book" and wrote that "Weekend is Chekhovian in its unspoken moments and hard-won affirmations.

"[2] In The Scottish Review of Books it is noted that in "Weekend William McIlvanney offers a masterclass in how to treat our very ancient modern condition: with as much high seriousness and sly wit as it deserves, with compassion for our foolishness and awe at our powers of endurance – simply our getting up every morning to begin again".

[3] Carol Birch in the Independent writes that "A complex, clever book, Weekend showcases McIlvanney's expertise with one-liners.

Easy to admire, though curiously uninvolving, it packs a chilly punch".