Skagboys

Title: Skagboys
Author: Irvine Welsh
Published: 2013 by Vintage, originally in 2012.
Genre: Drug drug druggy fiction
Pages: 548


The amazing time-traveling paperback! According to Amazon, this puppy don't come out till April 11th, but here we are. All read. Honestly, I didn't even know Welsh was writing a prequel to Trainspotting until I saw this sitting on the bookshop shelves. Christmas came early this year!

Prequel to Trainspotting? Really?! Fuck the hell yes! It's the early 1980's, and the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Renton, Sick Boy, Spud and Alison are just discovering heroin. Some friends of theirs, like the already psychotic Begbie and sporty Tommy don't care for the drugs, but they have their own worries in a time when unemployment numbers are rising to record heights. With nothing else to do, it's easy to turn to drugs. Or violence. Or both.

I could go on and on about how barry it was to read about some of my favourite characters again, even though the thick Scottish accent gave me trouble in the beginning, but I think I'll just quote one of the comments from Mr. Welsh's Facebook page... "Skagboys is ace as tits" - Barry

Going to have to put Trainspotting and Porno on top of the Want To Read Again -pile. 


   Renton appears tae consider this for a bit. He's daein the junky pose wi his airms wrapped around himself even though it isnae cauld. Skaggy fucker will draw mair polis heat than Nicksy, rattling away like that in public, and in front ay a copper. - Does it? Get easier, I mean, he asks urgently.
   The cop shakes his heid. - Does it fuck; it gets bleedin worse. All that happens is that the expectations you have of life fall. You just get used to all the shit.
   Renton looks as perturbed as ah feel, and we gaze at each other and realise that the cop isnae fucking joking. Ah think about poor Spud. Renton looks starkly at Bacon boy. - What if ye don't get used to it, what it ye can't get used to it?
   The copper looks back up tae the flats, shrugs his shoulders and curls his bottom lip doon. - Well, that window's still gonna be there.