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Trainspotting is the first novel by Scottish writer Irvine Welsh. Originally a collection of loosely related short stories, it revolves around a group of heroin addicts in Leith and Edinburgh, and is set in the mid to late 1980s.
It charts the first phase of the HIV epidemic as well as exploring the broader social conditions of Margaret Thatcher's Britain. This picaresque novel operates in the literary traditions established by William Burroughs, Louis-Ferdinand Céline, Hugh MacDiarmid, and Hubert Selby, among others. Its tone ranges from cynical black comedy to visceral horror to genuine empathy for its characters. Trainspotting was adapted, by Harry Gibson, into a play.
The novel quickly found success with middlebrow and mass audiences alike. It was longlisted for the 1993 Booker Prize (and was apparently rejected for the shortlist after offending the ‘feminist sensibilities’ of two of the judges (Purlock, 1996)) and received even wider attention once the film of the same name appeared in 1996, starring Ewan McGregor and Robert Carlyle. A sequel to this novel, called Porno, was published in 2002.
Non-native English speakers might find the language in this book rather challenging as it is partly written in a phonetic rendering of urban Scots.
Main characters
- Mark "Rent Boy" Renton — the main character and antihero of the novel, Renton is the voice of (relative) sanity among his group of friends, many of whom he can't stand. He narrates his daily life — from supporting his addiction with petty theft to interacting with the "normal world" — with a cynical, black-humoured eye.
- Simon "Sick Boy" Williamson — A slick, amoral and seductive con artist, and Renton's oldest friend. He is always on the lookout for the "perfect score," despite being perfectly inept at serious crime.
- Danny "Spud" Murphy — Naive and childlike, Spud is both the whipping boy and only real source of comfort among his circle of friends; they feel genuinely protective of him, even as they repeatedly mock and take advantage of him.
- Francis "Franco" Begbie — A violent sociopath, Begbie terrorizes his "friends" into going along with whatever he says, assaulting and brutalizing anyone who angers him. He is the only one in the group who does not use heroin, considering addicts to be the lowest form of life.
- Davie — The "everyman" of the novel, Davie seems to be the most "normal" of the characters. Unlike the others, he is a university graduate and holds down a decent job. His life is thrown into chaos, however, when he contracts HIV and his experiences form the basis of the story in the chapter; 'bad blood'.
- Tommy — A childhood friend of Renton's, Tommy does not use heroin and seems completely content to drink, use speed, play football, and listen to Iggy Pop. When his girlfriend dumps him, he seeks to numb the depression by experimenting with the drug, grudgingly provided by Renton. His resulting addiction weighs on Renton's conscience, and in part provokes him to seriously attempt sobriety.
- Kelly — a young barmaid who has a crush on Renton, but is gunshy about pursuing him because of his drug abuse.
- Dianne — a teenage girl who sleeps with Renton (who was unaware of her age) and blackmails him into seeing her again by threatening to go to the police.
Minor characters
- Matty — A nihilistic, clinically depressed junkie.
- Gav Temperly (aka Temps) - A welfare worker who is friends with Renton and the other characters.
- Rab McLaughlin (aka Second Prize) - Washed-up football star turned hopeless alcoholic.
- Billy Renton - Renton's older brother.
- Lizzy - Tommy's ex-girlfriend.
- Nina - Renton's teenaged cousin. She dresses in black like a goth, much to the dismay of her family.
- Alison - Friend of Renton, Spud, and Sick Boy.
- Lesley - Mother of dead baby Dawn.
- Baby Dawn - Dead daughter of Lesley and Sick Boy.
Plot summary
The novel is split up into seven sections: the first six contain multiple chapters of varying length and differing focus. The novel's origins in short fiction are still visible though no segment or chapter is wholly independent of the others.
Each character narrates differently, in a fashion comparable to stream-of-consciousness or representative of psychological realism. For example, Spud will refer to people internally as 'cats' (Begbie is a jungle cat, while he himself is a house cat), and Sick Boy will occasionally entertain an inner-dialogue between himself and Sean Connery. Chapters narrated by Renton are written phonetically, conveying a thick Scottish accent, while Davie's chapters ("Bad Blood," "Traditional Sunday Breakfast") are narrated in Standard English with dialogue appearing phonetically. Other chapters are written from a 3rd person omniscient stance (in Standard English) to cover the actions and thoughts of different characters simultaneously. For example, "The First Shag in Ages" covers Spud and Renton's outing to a pub where they meet Dianne and her pal, followed by Renton's return to Dianne's and the awkward breakfast that ensues, all the while revealing what each character thinks of the other.
Unlike the movie it inspired, the novel's plot is not linear. Characters are often introduced without backstory and without any initially obvious connection either to the core group of characters or to the junkie lifestyle. Due to these features a plot summary of the entire novel would appear something like this:
Section 1: Kicking
The Skag Boys, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Mother Superior - Narrated by Renton. Mark and Simon (aka Sick Boy) are watching a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie when they decide to go buy heroin from Johnny Swann (aka Mother Superior) since they are both feeling symptoms of withdrawal. They cook up with Raymie (who kisses Sick Boy on the mouth) and Alison (who states that heroin "That beats any meat injection. That beats any fucking cock in the world"). After being informed that he should go see Kelly, who's just had an abortion, Renton instead eagerly returns home to watch the rest of his movie.Junk Dilemmas No. 63 - Narrated by Renton. A short (less than a page) piece comparing his high to an internal sea, while noting: "more short-term sea, more long-term poison".
The First Day of the Edinburgh Festival - Narrated by Renton. Mark initially makes an attempt to come off heroin by acquiring a bare room and all the things he'll require when coming down. When withdrawal begins to set in he resolves to get another hit to ease the decline. He acquires opium suppositories from Mikey Forrester which he must then recover from a filthy toilet after releasing them by accident (a notable scene recreated for the film).
In Overdrive - Narrated by Sick Boy. Simon attempts to pick up girls while being annoyed by Mark, who wants to watch videos. Simon loses Renton and launches into an internal self-glorifying yet nihilistic, universally indicting diatribe.
Growing Up in Public - 3rd person narration following Nina, Mark's cousin. Nina is with her family after her uncle Andy's recent death. She initially feigns indifference but then breaks down without even realizing it.
Victory on New Year's Day - 3rd person narration following Stevie. At a party consisting of almost all the key characters in the novel, Stevie can't stop thinking about his girlfriend with whom he has been on the outs. They optimistically reunite at the train station following a couple phone calls.
It Goes without Saying - Narrated by Renton. Lesley's baby, Dawn, has died. Simon cries, as Dawn was his daughter, while Mark cooks Lesley a hit.
Junk Dilemmas No. 64 - Narrated by Renton. Mark's mother is knocking on his door while crying. He ignores her pleas and cooks up a shot.
Her Man - Narrated by Rab "Second Prize" McLaughlin. Second Prize and Tommy are in the pub and Tommy confronts a man who is openly hitting his girlfriend. They are surprised to find the woman support her abusive boyfriend instead of her would-be liberators by digging her nails into Tommy's face, inciting a brawl.
Speedy Recruitment - Varied narration. (3rd person while together in the pub, 1st person for each interview.) Spud and Renton both have a job interview for the same job, but neither of them want to get the job as they would prefer to be unemployed. Renton pretends to be an upper-class heroin addict, while Spud takes amphetamines and is incoherent.
Section 2: Relapsing
Scotland Takes Drugs in Psychic Defence - Narrated by Tommy. He goes to an Iggy Pop gig on the same day as his girlfriend's birthday. He spends the entire chapter constantly using speed and alcohol. The chapter's title refers to an Iggy Pop lyric which Tommy vehemently affirms.The Glass - Narrated by Renton. Focuses on his "friendship" with Begbie. Renton and Begbie and their girlfriends meet up for a drink before going to a party, but it ends when Begbie throws a glass off a balcony and gets into a vicious fight. Renton concludes his thoughts on Begbie saying "He really is a cunt ay the first order. Nae doubt about that. The problem is, he's a mate n aw. What kin ye dae?".
A Disappointment - Narrated by Begbie. Continues the theme of the last chapter. Begbie recalls an ordinary story of being in the pub and staring at a man who he wanted to have a fight with.
Cock Problems - Narrated by Renton. Tommy comes round to Renton's flat (shortly after Renton injected a shot into his penis, hence the title) after being dumped by his girlfriend, he asks Renton to give him some heroin, which he reluctantly does. This sets off Tommy's gradual decline into addiction.
Traditional Sunday Breakfast - Narrated by Davie. Davie has woken up at the house of his girlfriend's mother in a puddle of urine, vomit and feces after a night of drinking. Embarrassed, he attempts to make off with the sheets and wash them himself. However, Gail's mother starts tugging at the sheets, he resists, and the contents fly all over the family, their kitchen, and their breakfast. (In the film, this unfortunate event is attributed to Spud.)
Junk Dilemmas No. 65 - Narrated by Renton. Mark has cooked up with Spud and stresses how cold he is.
Grieving and Morning in Port Sunshine - 3rd person narration. Renton's brother Billy and his friends Lenny, Naz Peasbo and Jackie are waiting for their friend Granty to arrive for a game of cards, as he is holding the money pot. They later find out that Granty is dead and his girlfriend has disappeared with the money.
Section 3: Kicking Again
Inter Shitty - Narrated by Begbie. Begbie and Renton have pulled an unknown criminal act and have decided to lay low in London. The chapter covers their train journey.Na Na and Other Nazis - Narrated by Spud, who has managed to kick heroin. He goes to the pub with his mixed-race uncle Dode, who is assaulted and stabbed by some white supremacists.
The First Shag in Ages - 3rd person narration. Renton has kicked heroin and is restless. He ends up picking up a girl at a nightclub, Diane, who unknown to him is only 14.
Strolling Through the Meadows - Narrated by Spud. Spud, Renton and Sick Boy take some Ecstasy and stroll to the Meadows where Sick Boy and Renton jump on some squirrels.
Section 4: Blowing It
Courting Disaster - Narrated by Renton. Renton and Spud are in court for stealing books. Renton gets a suspended sentence due to his attempts at rehabilitation, while Spud is given a short prison sentence. Renton becomes increasingly despairing at the "celebrations" and the people around him.Junk Dilemmas No. 66
Deid Dugs - Narrated by Sick Boy. Using an air-rifle, Sick Boy shoots a bull terrier, which then attacks its skinhead owner, giving Sick Boy the excuse he wants to kill the dog. He delights when a police officer arrives and informs Sick Boy that he will be recommended for a commendation.
Searching for the Inner Man - Narrated by Renton. An important chapter in which Renton reflects on why he used heroin after seeing several psychiatrists, all of which take comically unrelenting approaches to clinical psychology taken from various (in)famous 20th-century psychologists. Renton's cynicism has stopped him from forming meaningful relationships with anyone, and he is unable to get any enjoyment out of anything.
House Arrest - Narrated by Renton. Renton relapses and has to suffer heroin withdrawal at his parents' house, where he hallucinates the image of dead baby Dawn & of the television programme he is watching and the lecture provided by his father interlink. He is later visited by Sick Boy and, embarassingly, he goes out to a pub with his parents, who behave unnervingly enthusiastically.
Bang to Rites - Narrated by Renton. Renton's brother Billy dies in Northern Ireland. Renton, obviously under the influence of drugs, attends the funeral where he almost starts a fight with some of his relatives, and ends up having sex with Billy's pregnant girlfriend in the toilets. Demonstrating some topicality, Renton discusses the hypocrisy of both Loyalists and Republicans in the North (commencing with an internal rant against his father's family, who are largely bigoted Orangemen).
Junk Dilemmas No. 67
Section 5: Exile
London Crawling - Narrated by Renton. Renton finds himself stranded in London with no place to sleep. While trying to fall asleep in an all-night porno theatre, he meets an Italian man who offers him a place to sleep. When the man makes a pass at him, Renton at first reacts violently, but takes pity on the man and takes him to breakfast instead.Bad Blood - Narrated by Davie. Davie, now HIV-positive, takes a particularly horribly revenge upon a man who he suspects to have raped his girlfriend, by convincing the man that he has raped and violently murdered his son.
There is a Light That Never Goes Out - 3rd person narration. After a marathon drinking and partying session, Renton, Spud, Begbie, Gav, Alison and others venture out for another drink and then something to eat. Spud and others reflect upon their sex lives. The chapter is named after a song by The Smiths of which the lyrics Spud finds solace in after his failed attempt at making a pass at a woman.
Feeling Free - Narrated by Kelly. Kelly and Alison create a scene in front of a construction site by getting into an argument with some construction workers.
The Elusive Mr Hunt - Sick Boy prank calls Kelly's place of work causing her a great deal of embarrassment.
Section 6: Home
Easy Money for the Professionals - Narrated by Spud. Spud, Begbie and a teenager have engaged in a criminal job. Shows Begbie's paranoia.A Present - Narrated by Renton. Gav tells Renton the story of how Matty died.
Memories of Matty - 3rd person narration. The group attend the funeral of Matty, where the characters reflect on Matty and his downfall.
Straight Dilemmas No. 1
Eating Out - Narrated by Kelly. Kelly is working as a waitress in an Edinburgh restaurant and gets some revenge on some unpleasant customers.
Trainspotting at Leith Central Station - Narrated by Renton. Renton returns to Leith for Christmas. He meets Begbie, who beats up an innocent man after having seen his decrepit father.
A Leg-Over Situation - Narrated by Renton. Renton goes to see his old drug dealer Johnny Swann who has had his leg amputated due to heroin use.
Winter in West Granton - Narrated by Renton. Renton goes to visit Tommy, who is dying of AIDS.
A Scottish Soldier - 3rd person narration. Johnny Swann is reduced to begging, pretending to be a soldier who lost his legs in the Falklands War.
Section 7: Exit
Station to Station - Renton, Sick Boy, Begbie, Spud and Second Prize go to London to engage in a low-key heroin deal and see a Pogues gig. The book ends with Renton stealing the cash and going to Amsterdam.Themes
The novel is basically a series of short stories. Each chapter focuses on a given event and does not necessarily contribute to Renton's eventual betrayal. For example, some chapters focus on Renton's sexual morality: in one chapter an old man masturbates onto him while he is sleeping, and in another he has sex with his dead brother's pregnant girlfriend in the bathroom during his brother's funeral.
However, drug abuse (both heroin and alcohol) is certainly the main issue dealt with. The novel explores what causes drug abuse and what sustains it in its many forms. Many chapters focus on Renton's continual attempts to kick the habit and their accompanying relapses. The novel ends rather ambiguously with Renton betraying his friends and heading for Amsterdam with money they had all acquired from a drug deal.
The novel heavily references bands that influenced Welsh's writing, including David Bowie, Joy Division, the Pogues, The Smiths and especially Iggy Pop, whom all the characters idolize. Sick Boy's nickname comes from the lyrics of the song Death Trip by Iggy Pop's band, the Stooges, despite initial claims (which seem somewhat inaccurate later on in the novel) that he is so-called because of his unpleasant reaction to withdrawal).
ISBN numbers
"Trainspotting (novel)"