A review by moshikami
Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh

4.0

I read this after seeing the movie, one of my favourites, and really enjoyed it. I think the most educationally important aspect of this book is the setting: Leith in the 1980's. A port town with many impoverished denizens who turned to heroin and other drugs. This book does a wonderful job in creating lifelike characters who would have existed in that time and place, most likely drawn from Irvine Welsh's personal experience.

I had a chance to visit Leith, and some of the locations mentioned in the book, and it really made the reading experience much more meaningful to see, and feel, those places in person. The movie is a fantastic adaptation of the novel, but it somewhat replaces the authenticity of the book with its stylized cinematography. I would highly recommend the book, if you enjoyed the film and want to explore it at a deeper level.