Trainspotting

by

Irvine Welsh

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Kicking Quotes

The sweat wis lashing oafay Sick Boy; he wis trembling. Ah wis jist sitting thair, focusing oan the telly, tryin no tae notice the cunt. He wis bringing me doon. Ah tried tae keep ma attention oan the Jean–Claude Van Damme video.

Related Characters: Rent Boy (speaker), Sick Boy, Johnny Swan
Related Symbols: Heroin
Page Number: 1
Explanation and Analysis:

The train was nearly twenty minutes late, an excellent performance by British Rail standards. Stevie wondered whether she’d be on it. Paranoia hit him. Waves of fear shuddered through his body. The stakes were high, the highest ever. He couldn’t see her, couldn’t even picture her in his mind’s eye. Then she was almost upon him, different to how he thought of her, more real, even more beautiful. It was the smile, the look of emotion reciprocated. He ran the short distance to her and held her in his arms. They kissed for a long time. When they stopped, the platform was deserted and the train was well on its way to Dundee.

Related Characters: Tommy, Stevie , Lizzy , Stella
Related Symbols: Trains
Page Number: 50
Explanation and Analysis:

Ah never wanted anything mair in ma life than fir her tae stoap screamin.— The bairn’s away . . . the bairn’s away. . . Dawn. . . oh my god. . . oh fuckin god, wis aboot aw ah could pick ootay the horrible sound. She collapses oantae the threadbare couch.

Related Characters: Rent Boy (speaker), Lesley (speaker), Sick Boy, Dawn
Related Symbols: Heroin
Page Number: 51
Explanation and Analysis:
Relapsing Quotes

Ah sing out, a twisting, pogo–ing mass of rubber. Iggy Pop looks right at me as he sings the line: ‘America takes drugs in psychic defence’; only he changes ‘America’ for ‘Scatlin’, and defines us mair accurately in a single sentence than all the others have ever done.

Related Characters: Tommy (speaker), Lizzy
Related Symbols: Heroin
Page Number: 75
Explanation and Analysis:

Myth: Begbie’s mates like him.

Reality: Begbie’s mates fear him.

Related Characters: Rent Boy (speaker), Begbie
Related Symbols: Heroin
Page Number: 82
Explanation and Analysis:

—It’s also a fuckin good kick.

Tommy looks at us. —Gies a go. Gies a hit.

—Fuck off Tommy.

—Ye sais it’s a good kick. Ah pure wantae try it.

Related Characters: Rent Boy (speaker), Tommy (speaker)
Related Symbols: Heroin
Page Number: 90
Explanation and Analysis:

An unspoken contract was forged between them in a split–second. Jackie’s screams reverberated around the stairwell, as they booted and dragged him from landing to landing. He vainly tried to protect himself and, through his fear and pain, hoped that there would be something left of him to move out of Leith, when the ordeal was over.

Related Characters: Rent Boy, Billy , Granty , Lenny , Jackie , Fiona
Page Number: 104
Explanation and Analysis:
Kicking Again Quotes

Ah chums Dode tae the hoespital. His wounds wir likesay no as bad as they looked. Ah goes intae see um lyin oan a trolley eftir thuv, likes, patched um up.

Related Characters: Spud (speaker), Na Na , Dode
Page Number: 129
Explanation and Analysis:

Perhaps, he allowed himself to speculate, they had some perverse parental feelings for her. He had noted that with older people. They often try to control younger, more popular and vivacious people; usually due to the fact that they are jealous of the qualities the younger people have and they lack.

Related Characters: Rent Boy (speaker), Dianne
Page Number: 145
Explanation and Analysis:

Rents picks up a stane and flings it at the squirrel. Ah feel likes, sick, ma hert misses a beat as it whizzes past the wee gadge. He goes tae pick up another, laughin like a maniac, but ab stoap um.

Related Characters: Spud (speaker), Rent Boy, Begbie, Sick Boy
Page Number: 159
Explanation and Analysis:
Blowing It Quotes

Ah walk tae freedom; perr auld Spud gits taken doon.

A polisman gestures tae him tae move.

—Sorry mate, ah sais, feelin cuntish.

Related Characters: Rent Boy (speaker), Spud
Page Number: 167
Explanation and Analysis:

Ah have an unresolved relationship wi ma deid brother, Davie, as ah huv been unable tae work oot or express ma feelings about his catatonic life and subsequent death.

Related Characters: Rent Boy (speaker), Davie Renton , Dr. Forbes
Related Symbols: Heroin
Page Number: 184
Explanation and Analysis:

Funny thing wis, jist before this, ah remembered boastin thit ah’d niver OD’d in ma puff. Thir’s a first time fir everything. It wis Swanney’s fault. His gear’s normally cut tae fuck, so ye always bung that wee bit mair intae the cooking spoon tae compensate. Then whit does the cunt dae?

Related Characters: Rent Boy (speaker), Johnny Swan , Alison
Related Symbols: Heroin
Page Number: 188
Explanation and Analysis:

He wis ma felly. Ye eywis think it’ll be different, thit ye kin change. Thum, thit ye kin make a difference.

Related Characters: Rent Boy (speaker), Sharon (speaker), Begbie, Tommy, Second Prize , Billy
Page Number: 221
Explanation and Analysis:
Exile Quotes

The pub sign is a new one, but its message is old. The Britannia. Rule Britannia. Ah’ve never felt British, because ah’m not. It’s ugly and artificial. Ah’ve never really felt Scottish either, though. Scotland the brave, ma arse; Scotland the shitein cunt.

Related Characters: Rent Boy (speaker), Billy
Page Number: 228
Explanation and Analysis:

Anywey, ah widnae mind gaun aw the wey wi a gadge, if it felt right. Jist fir the experience. Problem is, ah only really fancy birds. Guys jist dinnae look sexy. It’s aw ahoot aesthetics, fuck all tae dae wi morality.

Related Characters: Rent Boy (speaker), Gi
Page Number: 234
Explanation and Analysis:

“I always find the term ‘opportunistic infection’ amusing. In our culture, it seems to invoke some admirable quality. I think of the ‘opportunism’ of the entrepreneur who spots a gap in the market, or that of the striker in the penalty box. Tricky buggers, those opportunistic infections.”

Related Characters: Davie Mitchell (speaker), Rent Boy, Tommy, Venters
Related Symbols: Heroin
Page Number: 239
Explanation and Analysis:

The guys are looking embarrassed, really shit up by the crowd that’s developed. It’s sortay like, feeding off itself.

Related Characters: Kelly (speaker), Rent Boy, Begbie, Alison
Page Number: 275
Explanation and Analysis:
Home Quotes

It aw started tae go wrong fir the perr bastard whin we came back up here. It nivir stoaped gaun wrong eftir that. Perr Matty.

Related Characters: Rent Boy (speaker), Matty
Page Number: 288
Explanation and Analysis:

—Ah well, ah’ll leave yis tae it. Keep up the trainspottin mind! He staggered oaf, his rasping, drunkard’s cackles filling the desolate barn. Ah noticed that Begbie seemed strangely subdued and uncomfortable. He wis turned away fae us.

It wis only then ah realised thit the auld wino wis Begbie’s faither.

Related Characters: Rent Boy (speaker), Begbie
Related Symbols: Trains
Page Number: 309
Explanation and Analysis:

—It’s the fuckin best. You ken the Mother Superior, Rents. Ah believe in the free market whin it comes tae drugs. Ah’ve goat tae gic the NHS its due though. Since ah hud this pin oaf n went oan the maintenance therapy ah’ve started tae believe thit the state kin compete wi private enterprise in oor industry, n produce a satisfyin product at low cost tae the consumer.

Related Characters: Johnny Swan (speaker), Rent Boy
Related Symbols: Heroin
Page Number: 310
Explanation and Analysis:

Tommy looks well. It’s terrifying. He’s gaunny die. Sometime between the next few weeks and next fifteen years, Tommy will be no more. The chances are that ah’ll be exactly the same. The difference is, we ken this wi Tommy.

Related Characters: Rent Boy (speaker), Tommy
Related Symbols: Heroin
Page Number: 314
Explanation and Analysis:
Exit Quotes

No. He had to stay in control, There was too much at stake. There was everything at stake. There is nobody looking at Begbie though. Those who are not oblivious to him, can feel the vibes he is giving out. They employ that special talent people have: Pretending nutters are invisible. Even his companions won’t meet his gaze.

Related Characters: Rent Boy, Begbie
Related Symbols: Heroin
Page Number: 326
Explanation and Analysis:

Ironically, it was Begbie who was the key. Ripping off your mates was the highest offence in his book, and he would demand the severest penalty. Renton had used Begbie, used him to burn his boats completely and utterly. It was Begbie who ensured he could never return.

Related Characters: Rent Boy, Begbie
Related Symbols: Heroin, Trains
Page Number: 343
Explanation and Analysis:

Now, free from them all, for good, he could be what he wanted to be. He’d stand or fall alone. This thought both terrified and excited him as he contemplated life in Amsterdam.

Related Characters: Rent Boy, Spud
Related Symbols: Heroin
Page Number: 344
Explanation and Analysis:
No matches.