Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
At first it was really hard to get through, given that it’s basically written the way Scottish people talk - accents, slang and all. And who can ever understand them? Luckily there’s a glossary in the back (which I didn’t even realize until halfway through) which helps a bit.

It’s definitely a lot different from the movie, which I’ve seen about a gazillion times. But I can see how John Hodge collected bits and pieces to put it together in a cohesive way, and it works. You have to look at movies and books in a different light anyway, I always think. The book is almost like a collection of stories and anecdotes about a group of Scottish junkies and drunks. It has less of that “lesson about the dangers of heroin” than the movie - in fact none of it. Still, you don’t exactly want to go out and try it. I wouldn’t say this is the best book I’ve ever read (I know it’s a cult classic and all) but it was entertaining. And now I always want to say “git tae fuck” to people who aggravate me on the subway.

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