TrainspottingTrainspotting
Score Modern
What it's about
Irvine Welsh's first novel is a set of linked stories about a group of friends in Edinburgh, their heroin addiction, petty crime and desperation, told in Scottish dialect.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the BBC's Big Read. It's a raw, funny and devastating cult classic.
You'll love it if you liked
Fight Club
A Clockwork Orange
On the RoadGood to know
It's written largely in Scots dialect, which takes some getting used to. It's graphic about drugs and violence.
By the numbers
- Readers66 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller44 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #139 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #652 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1234 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
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Quick answers
Is Trainspotting worth reading?
Yes. It's on the BBC's Big Read. It ranks #1,234 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 70.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Trainspotting about?
Irvine Welsh's first novel is a set of linked stories about a group of friends in Edinburgh, their heroin addiction, petty crime and desperation, told in Scottish dialect.
How long does it take to read Trainspotting?
About 11 hours (431 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Trainspotting?
If you liked it, try Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk, A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess or On the Road by Jack Kerouac.