comment on style

Old Filth is broken into two books, with the first book being much longer than the second. Each book is broken into chapters of varying lengths. These chapters are sometimes named after their location, and so their names repeat (for example, there are four chapters entitled “The Donheads”). At other times, chapters are titled after particular mental states, such as “The Ferment” or “The Time of Frenzy.” The narrative follows two periods of Filth’s life, the first of Eddie’s childhood and the second from around the time of Betty’s death to Filth’s own death a few years later. For the most part, chapters cover either a time period from Eddie's childhood or from his older years. Only two chapters, “The Ferment” and “The Donheads” (IV), switch time periods within the chapter.