Espresso Tales: 44 Scotland Street vol 2
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Review
'It is hard to think of a contemporary writer more genuinely engaging...(his) novels are also extremely funny: I find it impossible to think about them without smiling' Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday 'A treasure of a writer whose books deserve immediate devouring' Marcel Berlins, Guardian
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
The second in the series of Alexander McCall Smith's daily novel about the residents of 44 Scotland Street
--This text refers to the
Perfect Paperback
edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
54 of 56 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The second installment of the to-ings & fro-ings of 44 Scotland Street is even better than the first. With gentle humour, Alexander McCall Smith details the genteel lives of the occupants of that address, and the concerns and issues of their middle class lives (should boys have pink bedrooms to dispel gender stereotypes?). The style of writing is deceptively light, as he does indulge in some big philosophical questions through his characters and it includes discussions on the Iraq war.
The best bit of the book is in the preface - where he notes that he has decided to write a third volume!
Finally - if you are enjoying this series of books you might also enjoy the E.F.Benson 'Lucia' series of books which are equally as humorous and engaging, and have a similar charm.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you don't find this book laugh-out-loud funny, then you will have altogether missed the point! Every bit as delightful as 44 Scotland Street, the parody of Edinburgh characters continues in the author's usual witty fashion, with scenes of the ridiculous (but often not altogether impossible) and individual personality traits highlighted to the greatest degree. It's a superb comment upon the ridiculous... In fact, do we even realise how ridiculous our society can potentially be!?
Get back in touch with old friends from 44 Scotland Street. There's Pat, the young 20-something soon-to-be student... should she go to the nudist party at Moray Place? She's still working in the Art Gallery for Matthew & it's now turning a profit... can Matthew find some confidence? The erstwhile narcissistic Bruce had decided upon the wine trade as his latest venture, having recently been fired from his career as a chartered surveyor... of course, it doesn't bother him in the slightest that he knows nothing at all about wine! Pat's neighbour and friend Domenica is still there with her insightful comments upon humankind. So too, Angus & his faithful friend, Cyril. But more to the point, this book focuses most of all upon little Bertie (now 6) and his insufferably pushy mother, Irene. Can Stuart stand up to Irene and let Bertie be a little boy? Bertie is finding his way, having just started school, he is now tentatively trying to make friends & "fit in". But this is difficult for Bertie with his pink dungarees, his pink bedroom, his yoga classes, and Italian lessons, the sessions with the psychotherapist & his Grade 7 saxophone. Bertie wants to love mummy all the time... but is finding it very difficult...
Just as its predecessor the book is written with short pithy chapters (over 100 of them), each presenting a mini-story & social commentary of their own. Some reviewers have found the political chapters boring, but that IS totally the point - read them & you'll see why & don't worry, they're short! I loved every bit of this book & everyone with a good sense of humour should find something to enjoy.
Get back in touch with old friends from 44 Scotland Street. There's Pat, the young 20-something soon-to-be student... should she go to the nudist party at Moray Place? She's still working in the Art Gallery for Matthew & it's now turning a profit... can Matthew find some confidence? The erstwhile narcissistic Bruce had decided upon the wine trade as his latest venture, having recently been fired from his career as a chartered surveyor... of course, it doesn't bother him in the slightest that he knows nothing at all about wine! Pat's neighbour and friend Domenica is still there with her insightful comments upon humankind. So too, Angus & his faithful friend, Cyril. But more to the point, this book focuses most of all upon little Bertie (now 6) and his insufferably pushy mother, Irene. Can Stuart stand up to Irene and let Bertie be a little boy? Bertie is finding his way, having just started school, he is now tentatively trying to make friends & "fit in". But this is difficult for Bertie with his pink dungarees, his pink bedroom, his yoga classes, and Italian lessons, the sessions with the psychotherapist & his Grade 7 saxophone. Bertie wants to love mummy all the time... but is finding it very difficult...
Just as its predecessor the book is written with short pithy chapters (over 100 of them), each presenting a mini-story & social commentary of their own. Some reviewers have found the political chapters boring, but that IS totally the point - read them & you'll see why & don't worry, they're short! I loved every bit of this book & everyone with a good sense of humour should find something to enjoy.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Well, it looks as though the commute is doing its job because suddenly I am falling behind in my blogging, as opposed to my reading. I've finished two books in the past week and, thus far, haven't found time to write about them. Therefore there might be a kind of double feature thing going on here.. that is, if I don't fall asleep first (hey, I have to get up early!).
I know I said I would try to wait to read Alexander McCall Smith's Espresso Tales until a trip to Edinburgh was on the horizon. But with a new job and no holiday time in sight, as well as a fairly depleted bank balance, I decided to take the plunge.
To give the author his due, when I saw the novel sitting in WH Smith, I really couldn't resist buying it. I've compared McCall Smith to J.K. Rowling previously, and the way I felt when I saw Espresso Tales can only be related to the way I feel when I catch sight of the new Harry Potter on the shelves--I felt like I was getting my friends back (yup, pretty pathetic).
Anyway, it was great to see what Pat, Bruce and the gang from 44 Scotland Street were up to. As well as the old favourites, McCall Smith introduced some new characters--namely a nudist love interest for Pat, and a Glasgow con artist whom child prodigy Bertie beats at cards.
Although I enjoyed the book and will undoubtedly read the third (and most likely last, according to McCall Smith) installment to The Scotsman serialisation, I felt that the novel was missing something. The plot antics seemed too desperate and exaggerated, and there were some characters (i.e. Ramsey Dunbarton) I could've done without knowing more about.
Nonetheless, there were parts of the book that were absolutely laugh-out-loud funny, and the characterisation was, as always, flawless. Sitting on the Tube in the baking heat, there really is no better place than 44 Scotland Street.
I know I said I would try to wait to read Alexander McCall Smith's Espresso Tales until a trip to Edinburgh was on the horizon. But with a new job and no holiday time in sight, as well as a fairly depleted bank balance, I decided to take the plunge.
To give the author his due, when I saw the novel sitting in WH Smith, I really couldn't resist buying it. I've compared McCall Smith to J.K. Rowling previously, and the way I felt when I saw Espresso Tales can only be related to the way I feel when I catch sight of the new Harry Potter on the shelves--I felt like I was getting my friends back (yup, pretty pathetic).
Anyway, it was great to see what Pat, Bruce and the gang from 44 Scotland Street were up to. As well as the old favourites, McCall Smith introduced some new characters--namely a nudist love interest for Pat, and a Glasgow con artist whom child prodigy Bertie beats at cards.
Although I enjoyed the book and will undoubtedly read the third (and most likely last, according to McCall Smith) installment to The Scotsman serialisation, I felt that the novel was missing something. The plot antics seemed too desperate and exaggerated, and there were some characters (i.e. Ramsey Dunbarton) I could've done without knowing more about.
Nonetheless, there were parts of the book that were absolutely laugh-out-loud funny, and the characterisation was, as always, flawless. Sitting on the Tube in the baking heat, there really is no better place than 44 Scotland Street.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Book review
Espresso Tales 44 Scotland Street was wonderful reading. Very absorbing and it didn`t
matter where i left it i could just pick it up and continue reading.
matter where i left it i could just pick it up and continue reading.
Published 2 months ago by groovy Gran
A perfect pick-me-up
Filled with delightful characters, gentle humour and wonderful little reflections on life, this is a book you'll fly through. Alexander McCall Smith is priceless. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Simon Bendle
Patchy and a bit disappointing
I read this book after reading all the others in the series but was rather disappointed as I found large parts of it very boring, compared to the other books, especially the Ramsey... Read more
Published 2 months ago by sarahphk
As all of them...
I liked this book, too. I read it after I had read later volumes. But by now, I think I have the complete set.
Published 3 months ago by Eva Saibel
Espresso Tales
This is the second in the Scotland St series. Not a novel really but a series of vignettes written originally for the Scotsman newspaper. It is a book of highs and lows. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Moonlit
A great improvement
I enjoyed this book much more than its predecessor, 44 Scotland Street, which I found boring.
The author now concentrates more on the unusual, the eccentric, the... Read more
The author now concentrates more on the unusual, the eccentric, the... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Donald Hughes
Warm and witty
This series of charming and humorous books contain perfect bedtime stories - the episodes are all delicious snack-sized reads, and you know they will satisfy and soothe. Read more
Published 15 months ago by anozama
Espresso Tales- The latest from 44 Scotland Street
This book is a joy to read. The characters were so well written that I felt I'd known their clones at some point in my life. Read more
Published 15 months ago by W. G. Young
A cosy read, but nowhere near as good as the first book...
I loved the first book and laughed out loud several times, but this book was a bit of a let-down for me, I'm afraid. Read more
Published 17 months ago by L. Bretherton
Espresso Tales review
Interesting book well up to the standard of its predecessor (4 Scotland Street). I bought my wife the first book thinking it wouldn't be my cup of tea but read it and enjoyed it... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Jace107
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