Trainspotting is definitely an experience. Like the lives of its cast, it meanders through seemingly random moments in and around Edinburgh, that slowly piece themselves together into a constellation of... something. 

Just about everyone in this books sucks as a person, yet Welsh gradually slips in brief flashes of unexpected good decision-making & empathy that powerfully humanizes many of the lot. The entire thing just feels so 'real' in a sense that isn't often captured -- you can't really expect a lot of these fellas to not be despicable scumbags, but if you were raised in such a bleak, misguided community, would you be any different? They're unapologetic at least.

If you're looking for a strong narrative structure, or some grand sense of redemption and development, you might be left disappointed, but you also might not. Regardless, Trainspotting is definitely a fun experience for sake of the vibrant slice of culture it presents, one that might otherwise seem unexceptional.