Trainspotting - Irvine Welsh

[ben.!]

I'm currently reading this book and I'm finding it really interesting. The scottish dialect is what I'm loving about Trainspotting, however I find it a tad hard to understand at times.

What are people's thoughts?

[Veva]

Actually I haven't read Trainspotting but I have seen it and it is a brilliant movie..... try that...

[Carpalim]

I avoided it as being too trendy when it came out (put off by ludicrous hyperbole such as 'the best book ever written by man or woman'). Finally caught up with it, and the first paragraph had me sitting to attention immediately. The second made me ashamed I gave it a miss before. The reviews on the jacket say it all, really: explosively inventive language, the voice of punk grown eloquent etc. Interestingly it's utterly bereft of symbolism and is virtually plotless (just like real life!), relying only on visceral characterisation. But this latter is so disembowelingly compelling it's enough to qualify the book as literature. I've read it a few times now; the language really is just amazing, and the tone grimly hilarious. Spud describing a squirrel: 'magic wee silvery thing, ken?'

[papayahed]

I really wanted to read the book but I couldn't get passed the dialect.

[Kafka's Crow]

I watched the movie back in '96 when it came out. I have read Welsh's Filth and Porno. He becomes repetitive. I am not much into contemporary fiction but read a piece every now and then just to keep myself updated. I found Welsh funny and filthy. These books give a very good picture of the British 'underclasses' which are usually not depicted in the media.

[kratsayra]

I enjoyed it a lot. I always meant to read more of his books, but I never got around to it.

[Richier]

I think the scots dialect in most of Irvine Welsh books make them pretty unique, although quite inaccessible to people outside the UK (apart from Mel Gibson, who learned fluent scottish for his Pom-bashing fiction-film ).
You should all think yourselves lucky the characters are from Edinburgh not Aberdeen or even scots may have trouble reading it.

For training material, look up "Oor Wullie" and "The broons".
The Welsh book I have just picked up, called "if you liked school, you'll love work" has American and English characters, so it's more readable -but therefore a bit rubbish.

Happy hogmanay to Mssrs Welsh, Connery and Murray. Happy new year to everyone else

[Terror Firmer]

Yes lack of use of quotations and every line requires a re-read or two to fully grasp what the character said which usually accompanied by vulgar expletives. Excellent book about the underclass and drug culture in Edinburgh Scotland. Highly recommend it but too bad Welsh's work overall is pretty derivative of itself.

[Peggy-O]

I love Trainspotting, I've read it many times. I love the phonetics and after reading it I find myself thinking in a Scottish accent. >.< But, as Kafka's Crow said he gets very repetitive. I'd say that Trainspotting is easily his best novel (from what I've read). His writing's always the same, his themes are generally the same and he uses the same characters. He also gets predictable. But, Trainspotting is super.

[Hank Stamper]

marabou stork nightmares is a good read...

never bothered with trainspotting (but have obviously seen the film).. have read porno, the follow up, which i thought was utter guff...

[dingyjoe]

book was a beaut.
still prefered the film.

[dingyjoe]

book was a beaut.
still prefered the film.

[Richier]

marabou stork nightmares is a good read...

never bothered with trainspotting (but have obviously seen the film).. have read porno, the follow up, which i thought was utter guff...

I agree, Marabou Stork Nightmares was good and Porno was rubbish. Don't be put off by Porno, Trainspotting (book) was much better.

[Zee.]

I dunno, Trainspotting didn't do it for me.

[Richier]

What didn't you like about it? it wasn't a rollercoaster plot, but I loved the way the characters think on different levels, and the fantastic language.