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Pack Men [Paperback]

Alan Bissett
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
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Book Description

7 Sep 2011
'That's why aw this-' Cage lifts his lager can, sweeps it round 180 degrees. '-means so much tay a man.'
The crowd stamps and claps, a hundred and fifty thousand voices blending into one.

In 2008 Glasgow Rangers FC reached a major European final. It was held in Manchester, a short hop from Scotland into England. Cue a colossal invasion: the largest movement of Scots over the border in history and the first time in hundreds of years that an English city was taken over. Chaos reigned.
Pack Men is the fictional story of three pals and one child trapped inside this powderkeg. In a city rocking with beer, brotherhood and sectarianism, the boys struggle to hold onto their friendship, as they turn on each other and the police turn on them. And somehow one of them has to disclose a secret which he knows the others won't want to hear...

With this novel, one of Scotland's leading young writers has created a scuffed comedy about male un-bonding and Britain unravelling.

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Pack Men + Death of a Ladies' Man + Boyracers
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Product details

  • Paperback: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Hachette Scotland (7 Sep 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0755319435
  • ISBN-13: 978-0755319435
  • Product Dimensions: 15.6 x 23.1 x 2.9 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 379,383 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Review

'Bissett's ear for cut and thrust, for chiv-sharp wit and tinder-dry insult is incisive, pitch perfect, informed...the writing is subtle, well-paced, authentic and compelling...from the start the story transports you aboard its wheeled madhouse in the company of a colourful band of yahoos that Geoffrey Chaucer would be pleased to have invented' (Scotsman)

"A unique and special novel. I honestly haven't read anything as impressive as this


from a Scottish writer in yonks"

(Irvine Welsh)

'Bissett writes subtly, intelligently yet also passionately about men...an outstanding novel' (Scotland on Sunday)

'The largest Scottish army ever to invade England was not led by William Wallace: it was the 150,000 Rangers fans who descended on Manchester for the 2008 UEFA cup final at Old Trafford. Bissett was there, and his novel vividly recalls the so-called Battle of Piccadilly...He casts an unsparing eye over the sectarian pollution of Scottish society'






(Guardian)

'Told with narrative flair and demotic brilliance, this is a hugely funny, ruthlessly honest and desperately necessary book' (Sarah Hall, Booker shortlisted author of The Electric Michelangelo)

'If Scotland's father of working class consciousness James Kelman had a literary son it might be Alan Bissett...funny, irreverent and moving, let's hope [Pack Men] gets the readership and recognition it deserves' (Gutter)

'Pack Men is a wry, entertaining and mature work...Bissett succeeds in making us root for the most unlikely of antiheroes, even as he implodes' (Scottish Review of Books)

'Pack Men should be required reading for both sets of supporters...Along with the sectarian backdrop, Bissett tackles questions of personal identity, male bonding, sexuality and above all class in a narrative that sneaks much of that subject matter under the surface of a blistering, adrenaline-fuelled romp' (The List)

About the Author

Alan Bissett is a novelist, playwright and performer who lives in Glasgow. His previous novel Death of a Ladies' Man was shortlisted for a Scottish Arts Council Fiction of the Year prize. His play Turbo Folk was shortlisted for Best New Play at the Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland. In 2010 he wrote and performed his 'one-woman show', The Moira Monologues around Scotland to great acclaim and it is now in development with the BBC. The short film which he wrote and narrated, 'The Shutdown', has won awards at several major international film festivals.




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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Top read!! 14 Oct 2011
By Cuillin
Format:Paperback
I normally take up to 2 weeks to read a book cover to cover. On this occasion I read Pack Men in three days. It grabbed me from the start though I was keen to get a copy as I had been one of the thousands that descended on Manchester that day. The characters came to life for me very quickly & I was able to recognise their traits in many of my own friends. After reading it, I gave the book to my mate who had travelled to Manchester with me but he didn't like it as much. As a result of enjoying the book so much I'll probably look to read more of Alan Bissett's work.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A cracking read 3 Sep 2011
Format:Paperback
Having read Alan Bissett's previous books I thought the subject matter of this book might be problematic for me as a season ticker holder at Celtic park. Delighted to say I was wrong - couldn't put the book down as was mesmerized by the tale of Alvin and his Falkirk mates en route to Glasgow Rangers' unsuccessful EUEFA cup final bid in Manchester. Alan captures perfectly the very essence of pack mentality and sensitively tackles the thorny issue of sectarianism in today's Scotland. The character development is fascinating with the plot flitting effortlessly between testosterone fueled bravado and soul crushing angst. A must read for all, not just fans of football - an intelligent, witty read.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Pack Men 11 Nov 2011
Format:Paperback
In Pack Men We are reintroduced to Alvin, a charcter from one of Bissett's previous novels, Boyracers. The book opens with Alvin on board a Rangers supporters bus en route to Manchester for the UEFA Cup final. What follows is a story of a man unsure of who he is, wrestling with issues of class, sexuality and sectarianism. The football, or rather the build up to the game, merely acts as the backdrop to Alvin's unfolding story.

Alvin has now graduated from university and is living in Edinburgh and the UEFA cup final is a convenient excuse for him to get together with old pals, Frankie and Dolby. Brian has emigrated and is cleverly replaced by Dolby's young son, Jack, ensuring the pack of 4 remains. Other members of the supporters bus also feature heavily in the story including the man mountain of testosterone Cage and the engaging Chrissie.

As we progress through the book it's clear each character has their own story to tell yet Bissett expertly entwines the characters stories around each other. This allows the book to unfold naturally, with each character given their place in the spotlight at the appropriate time.

From the 1st page of the book the issue of Sectarianism, quite literally, shouts out at us. Throughout the book the issue is debated, discussed and in some cases disregarded by each of the characters. Bissett's fresh approach to discussing this ever thorny subject, prevalent across Glasgow and other areas of Central Scotland, is to be commended. He opens up the debate in a much more honest, open way than others before him have. He is also quick to challenge our preconceptions of some of the supporters we encounter, dispelling the myth that all football supporters are knuckle dragging neanderthals.

It is however Alvin, struggling to come to terms with his own identity, who is the star of the book. As his story unfolds, with clever flashbacks to his student days interspersing the ever more chaotic scenes from Manchester, it becomes clear he has a secret he wishes to share.

This book is much more than a novel about a fan's trip to see his team play football. It will make you laugh, make you think and when you reach the last page you will hope it's not the last time you encounter Alvin and the boys from Falkirk.
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