44 Scotland Street

It has been a long time since a book totally delighted me - and this book definitely did! I cannot recommend it highly enough. I thought it was hilarious! I laughed out loud so many times when reading this book.
The character development is brilliant - I read it in a day, page turning to see what happened next. So many funny 'cringe' moments - Bruce and his pants was a particular favourite. I've now ordered the next in the series and can't wait to read it!

A great cast of characters (4/4 people found this helpful)

44 Scotland Street introduces us to a cast of great characters all living in a house that has been turned into several flats. It takes a witty, sometimes wry look at Edinburgh life. We meet the fairly horrid Bruce, Pat, his flatmate, and the unforgettable Bertie - a child prodigy, and his truly dreadful parents. Young Pat (2 gap years)takes a job in a gallery and there is a lot of fun and misunderstanding over a certain painting. Good fun, a real feel good read.

A pleasant surprise (11/11 people found this helpful)

When this book came into my hands, I have to admit I didn't think I was going to like it. Given that my only knowledge of the author had to do with a series of novels revolving around an African detective agency for women (or thereabouts)- I guess I was expecting a flight of fancy through Edinburgh, with no real meat to it.

I couln't have been more wrong. This book is a wittily observed journey through the lives and thoughts of five or six of the best realised characters I've come across in modern fiction.

The narcissistic Bruce, fantastically pretentious Irene and perpetually befuddled Matthew are among my favourites, but I think there's definitely someone for everyone in this book.

I can foresee a potential negative for some people coming to this book expecting a great saga. Because of the way in which it was written (Smith submitted a chapter a day to The Scotsman newspaper for 110 days), the story flits around and just as a particular line gets some legs, you find yourself focused on something totally different.

For those who like books with a long, developed plot line and deeply winding subplots, this book may feel like dealing with a hyperactive child. However, if you like dry, well realised humour with a good pace and excellent characters, then this will make a great read.

I'm certainly interested enough to hunt down the two sequels. Well done, Mr Smith, you've converted another fan.

Witty. Funny. A delightful parody of Edinburgh society (6/6 people found this helpful)

I loved this book. It was a real delight to read. A treasure trove of wonderfully exaggerated characters, each highlighting a different aspect of the bourgeois Edinburgh society that Alexander McCall Smith is portraying in this novel. The plots are funny, and although not entirely believable... if you stretch your imagination just a little bit, you're almost there!

The main character is Pat. Pat is 20 and taking a second year out before going to uni. She's just found herself a room to rent at 44 Scotland Street and walked into job in an art gallery (a struggling art gallery!)...

Meet Bruce, the self-absorbed narcissistic but also very fit flatmate. Meet Matthew, the new boss who knows nothing at all about art and even less about running a successful business. Meed Domenica, the welcoming, supportive and fascinating neighbour. Then, of course there's snooty neighbour Irene and her sax playing, french-speaking 5 year old son... Of course many more such characters are just waiting to make your acquaintance in this fabulously witty novel.

There are mini plot lines and cliffhangers throughout to keep your attention going and the pages turning. The novel itself is a breakdown of neat little 2 or 2.5 page segments, amounting to an amazing 110 chapters. Usually, this kind of breakdown is an annoyance and can feel very stilted, but Alexander McCall Smith makes this work so well and ties in all the threads so that you barely notice. The book originally began as daily instalments in "The Scotsman" paper, hence so many chapters but it works so well if you read it all in one go. The only very slight irritation for me is that Pat comes across as just a bit too sensible and sophisticated for her 20 years... but then again, I guess none of the characters in the book are entirely believable......

Enjoyable Middle Class Nonsense (0/5 people found this helpful)

Enjoyable middle class nonsense from the master of same. Given that McCall Smith can write such light-hearted fun as this, its sequel, the Sunday Philosphy Club and those wonderful German Professors, it's hard to imagine why he keeps returning to those turgid Ladies Detective Agency tales.

Alexander McCall Smith

Reader Reviews:

I absolutely loved it! (0/0 people found this helpful)

A great cast of characters (4/4 people found this helpful)

A pleasant surprise (11/11 people found this helpful)

Witty. Funny. A delightful parody of Edinburgh society (6/6 people found this helpful)

Enjoyable Middle Class Nonsense (0/5 people found this helpful)

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