Trainspotting (novel) 233084 224043438 2008-07-07T01:45:26Z SieBot 4005189 robot Adding: [[fr:Trainspotting]] {{infobox Book | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books --> | name = Trainspotting | orig title = | translator = | image = [[Image:TrainspottingBookcoverearly.jpg|200px]]<!--prefer 1st edition--> | image_caption = | author = [[Irvine Welsh]] | cover_artist = | country = [[Scotland]] | language = [[English language|English]], [[Scots language#Dialects|Urban Scots]] | series = | genre = [[Novel]] | publisher = [[Secker & Warburg]] | release_date = 1993 | media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]] and [[paperback]]) | pages = 344 pp | isbn = ISBN 0-7493-9606-7 | preceded_by = | followed_by = }} '''''Trainspotting''''' is the first novel by [[Scotland|Scottish]] writer [[Irvine Welsh]]. It is written in the form of short chapters narrated in the first person by various residents of [[Leith]], [[Edinburgh]] who either use [[heroin]], are friends of the core group of heroin users, or engage in destructive activities that are implicitly portrayed as [[addiction]]s that serve the same function as heroin addiction. The novel is set in the mid to late 1980s. Welsh wrote a sequel, ''[[Porno (novel)|Porno]]'', in 2002. == Characters == *'''Mark "Rent Boy"/"Rents" Renton''' &mdash; 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 &mdash; from supporting his heroin addiction with petty theft to interacting with the "normal world" &mdash; with a cynical, black-humoured eye. He is capable of fitting in well enough to common society, is relatively good-looking and of above-average intelligence, but is socially inept, quiet and uses heroin as a means to withdraw. *'''Simon "Sick Boy" Williamson''' &mdash; A slick, amoral [[con artist]], and Renton's oldest friend. He is always on the lookout for the "perfect scam", despite being perfectly inept at serious crime. Essentially, a combination [[Byronic hero]] and [[villain]], he enjoys flaunting his ability to use heroin semi-casually, then stop at [[will (philosophy)|will]], without developing an addiction. He has the apt ability to pick up women with ease and flaunts this quality in front of his friends, often gloating over his many hook ups. He actually becomes a pimp at one point in the book. When thinking to himself, he often imagines he is speaking with [[Sean Connery]]. *'''Daniel "Spud" Murphy''' &mdash; 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. Although very light-fingered, Spud is the only genuinely kind-hearted character in the novel. He has a soft spot for animals. He uses heroin because it feels good; he would not be able to achieve anything but a low position in society even if sober and his sense of decency contrasts sharply with the personalities of his friends, whose heroin use is sometimes the least objectionable of their acts. *'''Francis "Franco" Begbie''' &mdash; A violent [[antisocial personality disorder|sociopath]], Begbie terrorizes his "friends" into going along with whatever he says, [[assault]]ing and brutalizing anyone who angers him. This violence is reflected in the manner in which he speaks. He is the only one in the group who does not use heroin and, although he considers junkies to be the lowest form of life, he is himself thoroughly addicted to alcohol, [[amphetamine]], and violence. *'''Davie Mitchell''' &mdash; 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]]; his experiences with the disease form the basis of the story in the chapter "Bad Blood". *'''Tommy Laurence''' &mdash; A childhood friend of Renton's, Tommy does not use heroin and seems completely content to drink, use speed, play [[soccer|football]], and listen to [[Iggy Pop]]. When his girlfriend dumps him, he seeks to numb the [[depression (mood)|depression]] by experimenting with heroin, grudgingly provided by Renton. His resulting addiction weighs on Renton's [[conscience]], and in part provokes him to seriously attempt [[sobriety]]. Tommy contracts [[HIV]] at the end of the novel. ===Minor characters=== *Matthew "Matty" Connell &mdash; A [[nihilism|nihilistic]], [[clinical depression|clinically depressed]] junkie. *Gav Temperly (aka Temps) - A [[Welfare (financial aid)|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_subculture|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. *Johnny "Swanny"/"White Swan"/"[[Happiness Is a Warm Gun|Mother Superior]]" Swan - Heroin dealer. Used to be a good friend of Mark Renton. *Stevie - Another "normal" part of the social circle, he starts a long term relationship with Stella, who lives in [[London]]. *Dianne - A teenage girl who is one of Renton's few sexual conquests. Renton accompanies Dianne to her flat, where he discovers that she is clearly the more experienced partner. Renton wakes up the next morning and groggily meets who he believes are Dianne's flat-mates; they are in fact her parents, as she is only 14 years old. *Alan Venters - An HIV-positive [[rape|rapist]] whom Davie hates to the point of obsession (for reasons gradually revealed in "Bad Blood".) ==Structure== 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 writing|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, which conveys the character's accent and use of [[Scottish English]], while Davie's chapters ("Bad Blood", "Traditional Sunday Breakfast") are narrated in [[Standard English]] with dialogue appearing phonetically. Other chapters are written from a third-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. ==Plot summary== ===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 Swan (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 "beats any meat injection in the whole fucking 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]], which he must then recover from a 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. Sick Boy loses Renton and launches into an internal self-glorifying, nihilistic diatribe. '''Growing Up in Public''' - Third 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''' - Third 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 who he has fallen out with. 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. He feels guilty about letting her down, but continues to use drugs anyway. '''Her Man''' - Narrated by Rab "Second Prize" McLaughlin. Second Prize and Tommy are in the [[pub]] and Tommy confronts a man who is openly punching his own girlfriend. They are surprised to find the woman supports her [[domestic violence|abusive]] boyfriend instead of her would-be liberators by digging her nails into Tommy's face, inciting a brawl. '''Speedy Recruitment''' - Varied narration. (third person while together in the pub, first person for each interview.) Spud and Renton both have a [[job interview]] for the same job, but neither of them wants the job as they would prefer to be [[unemployed]]. Renton pretends to be an upper-class heroin addict, while Spud takes [[speed|Amphetamine]] 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 using speed and alcohol. The chapter's title refers to an Iggy Pop [[lyrics|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 whom he wanted to fight. '''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 Mourning in Port Sunshine''' - third 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 crime and have decided to lay low in [[London]]. The chapter covers their train journey. '''Na Na and Other [[Nazi]]s''' - Narrated by Spud, who has managed to kick heroin. He visits his grandmother, his mixed-race uncle Dode staying with her. He recounts the trouble that Dode has had with racism growing up, particularly an event when he and Spud went to a pub, and were soon assaulted by white supremacist skinheads recounting such slogans as "ain't no black in the Union Jack". '''The First Shag in Ages''' - Third person narration. Renton has kicked heroin and is restless. He ends up picking up a girl at a nightclub, Dianne, and sleeping with her, unaware that she is only fourteen. He is later forced to repeatedly lie to her parents at breakfast the following morning. '''Strolling Through the Meadows''' - Narrated by Spud. Spud, Renton and Sick Boy take some [[Ecstasy (drug)|Ecstasy]] and stroll to [[the Meadows]] where Sick Boy and Renton are talked out of attacking a squirrel and instead launch abuse at a pair of elderly women. ===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''' - An extremely short passage, assumably narrated by Renton. Renton reflects that his heroin hit has removed his ability to move. '''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 whom have unrelenting approaches to [[clinical psychology]] taken from various 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 his hallucinations of dead baby Dawn, the television programme he is watching, and the lecture provided by his father interlink. He is later visited by Sick Boy and 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]] with the [[British Army]]. Renton, obviously under the influence of drugs, attends the funeral; there, he almost starts a fight with some of his father's [[Unionism in Scotland|unionist]] relatives, and ends up having sex with Billy's [[pregnant]] girlfriend in the toilets. Demonstrating some topicality, Renton discusses the hypocrisy of [[Unionists|Unionism]], and the British in Northern Ireland (commencing with an internal rant against his father's family, who are largely bigoted [[Orange Institution|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 [[pornography|porno]] theatre, he meets an [[Italian people|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 a late night party instead. '''Bad Blood''' - Narrated by Davie. Davie, now HIV-positive, takes a particularly horrible revenge upon a man he suspects has raped his girlfriend, by convincing the man that he has raped and violently murdered his son. '''There is a Light That Never Goes Out''' - Third person narration. After a marathon [[drunkenness|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]], in whose lyrics Spud finds solace 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''' - Third person narration. 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, exhibiting Begbie's paranoia. '''A Present''' - Narrated by Renton. Gav tells Renton the story of how Matty died. '''Memories of Matty''' - Third 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 alcoholic 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''' - Third person narration. Johnny Swann is reduced to begging, pretending to be a soldier who lost his leg in the [[Falklands War]]. Swan is quite optimistic and exclaims that he is making more money begging rather than dealing heroin. ===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]]. As the movie and sequel, ''Porno'', both imply, Spud is compensated. == 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 fiancee in the bathroom after his brother's funeral. Welsh explores in depth the absence of a true Scottish [[national identity]]. Renton displays a great self-loathing of his country, which he views as a nation [[colonisation|colonised]] by the [[England|English]]. Welsh suggests that the idealised image of 'Scotland the Brave' is a false heritage, a sentimentalised vision of Scotland perpetuated by events such as the Edinburgh festival. Welsh also attacks [[Unionism in Scotland|Unionism]] through Renton's description of his father's [[Protestant]]loyalist family. 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 refers to bands that influenced Welsh's writing, including [[David Bowie]], [[Joy Division]], [[the Pogues]], [[Lou Reed]], [[The Velvet Underground]], [[Frank Zappa]], [[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 [[The Stooges]], and also from the character's amorality and sexual perversions. Mother Superior's nickname is a reference to [[Happiness Is A Warm Gun]], a song which has been taken to be influenced by John Lennon's heroin addiction. == The meaning of the title == The title is a reference to an episode where Begbie and Renton meet "an auld drunkard" in the disused [[Leith Central railway station]], which they are visiting to use as a toilet. He asks them (in a weak attempt at a joke) if they are "[[railfan|trainspottin]]". As they walk away, Renton realises the drunk is Begbie's father. ==Stage adaptation== Soon after publication, the book was adapted for the stage. The stage version inspired the subsequent film, and regularly toured the UK in the mid 1990s. This adaptation starred [[Ewan Bremner and later Tam Dean Burn]] as Renton. ==Film adaptation== :''Main article: [[Trainspotting (film)]]'' The film was directed by [[Danny Boyle]], with an adapted screenplay written by [[John Hodge (screenwriter)|John Hodge]]. It starred [[Ewan McGregor]], [[Robert Carlyle]], [[Jonny Lee Miller]] and [[Ewen Bremner]]. Irvine Welsh made a cameo appearance as the drug dealer Mikey Forrester. == Awards == The novel was an immediate success. 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<ref>[http://www.irvinewelsh.net/biography.aspx Irvine Welsh - Biography]</ref>). ==Editions== * ISBN 0-393-31480-4 ([[paperback]], (1996) * ISBN 0-393-05724-0 ([[hardcover]]) * ISBN 0-7493-2173-3 (paperback) * ISBN 0-7493-9606-7 (paperback) (1994) ==References== <!-- ---------------------------------------------------------- See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for a discussion of different citation methods and how to generate footnotes using the <ref>, </ref> and <reference /> tags ----------------------------------------------------------- --> <div class="references-small"> <references /> {{Irvine Welsh}} [[Category:1993 novels]] [[Category:Novels by Irvine Welsh]] [[Category:Debut novels]] [[cs:Trainspotting (kniha)]] [[de:Trainspotting (Roman)]] [[es:Trainspotting (novela)]] [[fr:Trainspotting]] [[it:Trainspotting (romanzo)]] [[he:טריינספוטינג (ספר)]] [[pt:Trainspotting (livro)]]