Dream Angus: The Celtic God of Dreams

by Alexander McCall Smith

“Elegant . . . Spare, polished . . . Smith fluidly weaves in contemporary vignettes.” —Publishers Weekly
The latest addition to the Myths series from Canongate, now available in paperback, is a beguiling tale from the beloved author of the best-selling No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. Angus is one of the earliest Celtic deities and one of the most cherished to this day. Like an even more handsome combination of Apollo and Eros, he is the god of love, youth, and beauty. Just the sight of him has made people fall in love, and he has the power to reveal a person’s true love in a dream, if asked politely. Alexander McCall Smith has turned his renowned storytelling talents to crafting irresistible stories from this ancient myth. Five exquisite contemporary fables of love lost and found unfold alongside Angus’s search for the beautiful Caer, the swan maiden he met in his dreams. McCall Smith unites reality and dreams, today and the ancient past, mesmerizingly, leaving the reader to wonder: what is life but the pursuit of dreams?

Genres: Fiction, Mythology, Fantasy, Short Stories, Scotland, Literary Fiction, Folklore

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Alexander McCall Smith is the author of the international phenomenon The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, the Isabel Dalhousie Series, the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series, and the 44 Scotland Street series. He is professor emeritus of medical law at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and has served on many national and international bodies concerned with bioethics. He was born in what is now known as Zimbabwe and he was a law professor at the University of Botswana. He lives in Scotland. Visit him online at www.alexandermccallsmith.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter.

Reviews

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of the myth series (contemporary retellings of myths), this one tells the story of Aengus , the Irish god of dreams, love and youth. Alexander McCall Smith intersperses his versions of the original tales with stories set in modern times with similar themes. It started quite blandly I thought, but then I really got into and quite enjoyed it particularly the latter stories “is there a place for pigs there?” And “I dream of you”. Angus falls in love with a girl in his dreams, she’s a swan alternate years, this merges into a story of a young woman who’s left her husband and his now seeing a therapist to analyse her dreams.
An easy , enjoyable light read.

[Roy Elmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Canongate Myth series, but finding one that was written by the gent behind the Number One Ladies Detective Agency had me doubting the quality a little, and the curation of the series as a whole. Margaret Atwood, yes, Jeanette Winterton, definitely, A.S. Byatt, sure. This guy? Hmm.

I was wrong. There's a little bit of magic in these pages. So much so that I read the just shy of 200 pages in a couple of hours this evening. I never do that. Ever. Alexander McCall Smith has hit an almost perfect balance between myth and story craft. He writes of Celtic gods and folk tales with a curious mix of Tolkienesque grandeur and child-like cadence that felt a bit like a fireside story. Something you might read to a child in winter time, with a mug of tea in your hand and a cable knit sweater on.

There are sections of rewritten myth and there are modern short stories that feel like reflections on the timelessness of mythic issues of love and of loss. The Celtic myth sections that talk of ancient gods and river spirits are genuinely wonderful, and the short story interludes are engrossing, if not quite worth the price of admission by themselves. A chapter that appeared to mix Flowers for Algernon with Animal Farm had me particularly stumped until the last couple of pages, where I picked up on the fact that it was about unexpected love, not a sci-fi rendition of Babe: Pig in the City.

Overall, this is a four from me. I loved the myth, I loved a particular quote in the introduction of all things (words have power, after all): "myth is a cloud based upon a shadow based the movement of the breeze." There's something deeply profound about that, it worked for me.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this interpretation of a classic Celtic myth, rewritten by Alexander McCall Smith of mystery novel fame, we discover the life and times of Angus, God of Dreams. A clever, lovely young God with a penchant for birds and pigs, Angus is a bringer of happiness. In McCall's version, Angus's ancient myth is presented alongside contemporary fictional tales of his influence on several individuals. The stories are touching in and of themselves, but the way in which they are interwoven with the very traditional life story of Angus creates a dynamic that is unmatched by modern retellings of many historic myths. Whether you are a purveyor of Celtic myth or a first time reader, Dream Angus is fable worth falling into.

[Orbi Alter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zbog ove knjige mi je žao da je Canongate uspio objaviti tako malo naslova, jer bi se sigurno u tom nizu naslo jos nekoliko ovako predivnih iskustava.
Svaka od priča ima neki prigušeni mračni ton zbog kojeg je sve tako uvjerljivo sanjarsko i izrazito moćno, na toliko puno razina. I svaka gađa vrlo precizno u bit.
Izdvajam Postoji li negdje mjesto za svinje? I Sanjam o tebi. Definitivno dostojno samog Angusa. Uljepšao mi je... sve.

[Rimantė :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

a p ž v a l g a
Alexander McCall "Sapnų Angusas. Keltų sapnų dievas".
Išleido: Alma littera, Mitai, 2007

Ar tikite, kad knygos pačios pasirenka skaitytoją? Atėjus laikui, pačios lyg atsitiktinai atsiranda rankose? Aš tikiu. Knyga apie sapnų, aistros ir jaunystės dievą Angusą į rankas pakliuvo visiškai atsitiktinai klajojant po Kauno apskrities biblioteką ir bandant išsirinkti vieną knygą.

Laikausi griežtos taisyklės iš vienos bibliotekos imti tik vieną knygą, kad perskaityti ir atiduot, tada imti naują, nesandėliuoti krūvos namie ir po to mokėti delspinigius (nekoks įprotis).

Aleksander McCall knygos negalėjau taip imti ir palikti - pasiėmiau ir šiuo sprendimu itin džiaugiuosi. Knygoje yra pateikiama Anguso, keltų mitologinio herojaus, mito interpretacija. Pasakojama net tik paties Anguso istorija, bet dar 5 žmonių istorijos, kuriose sapnų dievas šmestelį arba jose yra užsimenama apie sapnus, jų svarbą ir reikšmes.

Šios atskiros istorijos buvo tokios įvairios ir paliečia skaudžias gyvenimiškas (skyrybos, problemos šeimoje) ir aktualias (bandymai su gyvūnais, labdaros organizacijų veikla, emigracija) temas. Mane ypač sukrėtė ir beveik pravirkdė "Ar ten yra vietos kiaulėms", o pakerėjo Anguso meilės istorija "Aš tave sapnuoju".

Taigi, vertinu kuo aukščiausiai ir paieškosiu kitų "Mitas" serijos knygų, kuriose pateikiamos klasikinių mitų interpretacijos, parašytos tarptautinį pripažinimą jau pelniusių autorių. Mane sudomino ir vis stebima Alma littera leidžiamos knygos. Einu googlint kitų serijos "Mitas" knygų.

5/5

[Zuzana Be · Rating 2 out of 5]

Zatiaľ pre mňa najslabšia kniha kniha z edície Mýty, sorry.
Malo to byť o keltskom bohovi Angusovi, takom romantickom Sandmanovi. Angusov príbeh sa strieda s akože súčasnými partnerskými príbehami, v ktorých boli spoločné sny a láska (čiže Angus). Ale okrem Angusa ich nič nespájalo a vždy mi chvíľu trvalo, kým som pochopila o kom je reč; či sa bavíme o tom páre predtým alebo to už je nový..
Ani Angusov príbeh ma nejak nezaujal; na jednej strane sa bohyňa Boann tešila, keď ju iný boh znásilnil, lebo aj tak bola doňho zaľúbená, o stranu ďalej už bola nahnevaná že ako mohol. wut?
Keltskej mytológii sa nebránim, ale asi nabudúce pozriem nejaké "oficiálne" mýty, nie prerozprávané.

[Han_na · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moderni mukaelma kelttien myytistä.
Seassa sirpaleita eri ihmisten elämästä, joita unet (joita jumala Angus hallitsee) tai miesten herkkyys jotenkin muuttavat.
Tykkäsin tunnelmasta, mutta hetki meni tajuta, etteivät sirpaleet liittyneet mitenkään toisiinsa ja vain Angusin tarina oli eheä kokonaisuus.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what I just read but I think I liked it.

[Ruth P · Rating 2 out of 5]

AMS is a prolific writer...but I hadn’t read anything by him before as the books had never appealed...I have not changed my mind after reading this.
A short ( thankfully) book about a Scottish mythological creature interspersed with modern day tales..all a bit pointless and sorry to say,boring.

[Sophia Becker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting, never read anything like it before

[Richard Derus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5* of five

A very interesting idea for a series, this. Retell the classic myths of the world from a new perspective, only a serious point is to be made: Myths are the stories of our collective unconscious, and can always bear updating.

It works out well in Dream Angus in large part because McCall Smith is Dream Angus's little brother. He creates magical invisible kingdoms of thought and convinces the millions that they're real and they're worth visiting time after time after time (Isabel Dalhousie novels, No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency).

The Irish myth of Dream Angus, the god of love, dreams, and youth, is "...a cloud based upon a shadow based upon the movement of the breeze" (p xiv, hardcover edition). (Quite a trinity to get stuck with! Obstreperous, illogical, wilful things to be god of, all three.) McCall Smith gently deflects the breeze in his desired directions, and weaves the mythic base into more modern stories of Angus's doin's in this world. I don't think he did a brilliant job of this, but it's a tough technical challenge to tackle. I rated the book down a whole star for its heterosexism. It's explicit, and it rankled me.

But the lushness of Angus and of his beautiful self-aware selflessness in doing all the things he does for humanity...! Curmudges there a crusty old crab so dead to wonder and passion and love as to find this slightly arch, somewhat precious conceit anything other than glisteningly gorgeous?

Gods, I hope not. And I hope not to meet him/er, either. Go on, suspend disbelief and read this book. Soon. You'll be glad you took this vacation in the land of Celtic myth.

[Jaemi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't actually know anything about the myth of Angus, had never heard of The Dagda, so I had nothing to draw on in terms of comparing this telling to the myth itself. Therefore I can't say how it compares, or even if I was missing anything by having no prior knowledge.

One of the titles in Canongate's The Myths series, Dream Angus centers around Angus, a God of Love and Dreams. Born to Boann, after she was tricked by Dagda, Angus is quickly stolen from his mother and handed off to one of his kin. All who encounter him are the better for it.

Upon eventually learning of his true parentage, Angus, with the help of the man who raised him, takes Dagda's kingdom from him, much to the liking of his subjects.

Interweaved among his own tales are other stories. An unknown newly-wed couple. A pair of brothers who are to be separated. A pig-keeper. Sometimes the connection was easy to see, other times not, but somehow it all fit.

This is a book very different from my usual fair, which I find makes it hard for me to write about well. The writing was good, and the tales were definitely interesting. Inspired me to at least take a peak at the other Myths books to see if I might like to read them as well.

If you're into myths yourself, obviously this ought to be up your alley. If you're looking to stray from your normal fare, I'd also say it's worth a look. It should get your brain working, if nothing else.

[Haley The Caffeinated Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

❤️❤️❤️

https://thecaffeinatedreader.com/2019...

I hadn't read any works by Alexander McCall Smith before this if I'm going to be entirely honest, I'd heard about his books, was interested but hadn't gotten around to it until now.

Thank you to Canongate Books for sending me a copy of this, I was so excited as I love takes on mythology.

Dream Angus gives us an interwoven work of short stories that spans the ages to give us a more modern day retelling of the Celtic God of Dreams, Angus.

One thing that impressed me from the start is rarely do a read an introduction unless it's an academic work, if it catches my eye I will and McCall Smith's intro was actually very enjoyable to read. It's hard to know how to introduce your own work when you're tackling legends and myths and we all know many authors do it well, but it's still always nice to know that even the prolific authors understand the delicate work they're doing.

Rather than trying to give an epic tale, threaded through various times and places are the stories of the small and wondrous gifts bestowed on people by the dreams and powers of Angus, there is love, there is peace, and of course most importantly there are the dreams.

This is a rather languid and flowery work, it's not meant for those looking for a clear cut collection of short stories and/or a Michael Bay version of mythology.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think what I liked best about this book is the introduction. I knew nothing about Angus, so was happy to get background information. And I loved these lines by Smith in his introduction (and felt that they could speak to those readers of Atwood's The Penelopiad who seem so furious with her for her retelling):

Purists may object to this, but myths live, and are there to be played with. At the same time, it is important to remind readers ... that if they want the medieval versions, unsullied by 21st interpolation, they still exist, and are accessible. We must bear in mind, however, that those earlier texts are themselves reworked versions of things passed from mouth to mouth, embroidered and mixed up in the process. Myth is a cloud based on a shadow based upon the movement of the breeze.

Now as to Smith's story, or rather stories: They were okay, but nothing as thought-provoking as the others in this series that I've read. I appreciated the ideas behind the stories, but didn't feel like I was reading anything spectacular.

A pleasant, simple, quick read.

[Saturn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mi sento di dover essere un po' severa con questo libro. Parte da presupposti molto interessanti, il racconto del mito del dio irlandese Angus, che prima di questa lettura non avevo mai sentito nominare. Ha un inizio promettente nel narrare il concepimento e l'infanzia del dio, però andando avanti si perde un po' per strada... Al racconto mitico si alternano storie originali ambientate nel '900 che fanno dei parallelismi tra la vita di Angus e quella del nostro quotidiano. Sono proprio queste storie a lasciare il tempo che trovano e ad avere l'unico effetto di spezzare il ritmo della ben più interessante narrazione mitologica. Ci sono tante belle idee che secondo me non sono state realizzate nel migliore dei modi.
Piccola nota di merito all'edizione Rizzoli che esteticamente è molto ben curata.

[T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like poetry. I loved this book and how it interspersed the retelling of Dream Angus with modern stories, which were parallels or companions to the myths. I loved the emotional resonance that carries over from the myths into the modern stories, and their psychological realism, even though they, too, didn't seem quite real, as if they also belonged to the realm of the mystical, seeming altogether larger than life. What a gorgeous, wonderful experience.

I read this on the heels of reading Gilgamesh, and I most likely will continue to read modern adaptations of the myths. I'm enjoying them so much.

My favorites stories within this book were: My Brother. Is there a place for pigs there? And, I Dream of You. Each one gripped me with its emotional weight, and in some really surprising ways.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, the writing, by the prodigious author Alexander McCall Smith, was visually lovely- I would give the prose a 4.0, but the plots and the characters overall felt flat and uninteresting, and I would give these factors a rating of 2.0. Dream Angus is a collection of Irish mythology tales, told in folksy impish tones, and are intermixed with modern day short stories that contain the shared subtext of dreams. If I were to compare these retold Celtic myths to other traditions, I would rank them as notably less epic than Greek or Hindi myths, however that would be unfair to base this opinion on a narrow slice of the Celtic mythology from only one author.
The 2 aspects of the collection that I most enjoyed was 1) The introduction, which celebrates the genre of myths and their mutable qualities. “ myth is a cloud based upon a shadow based upon the movements of the breeze.”…….“ they are stories of a time beyond concrete memory.”
2) I enjoyed the dawdling passages where Angus wonders about the mysteries of life, such as what could birds dream about when they sleep, if they dream at all?
Amongst the stories written as modern day tales, my hands down favorite was “is there a place for pigs there?” which gives the reader a lot to think about on the topic of animal cruelty. That was a weighty parable indeed, and probably the only story which induced a real emotional response in me.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dream to read.

Celtic mythology has always been an underserved area of fictional retelling, at least when considering current Greek and Roman trends.

Smith, within this tale, beautifully presents the Celtic myth of Angus, god of Love and Dreams, through contrasting mythical tales and more human interactions.

If you love books that present an opportunity for intertextuality, or simply wish to read a rather nice Celtic myth retelling, this is most certainly for you.

[Helena · Rating 2 out of 5]

En tiedä, olisiko tämä avautunut lukijalle paremmin, jos olisi tuntenut kelttiläistä mytologiaa entuudestaan. Angus ja Dagda eivät olleet minulle ennestään lainkaan tuttuja jumalhahmoja ja jokseenkin vieraaksi jäivät näidenkin tarinoiden jälkeen. Jotain kiehtovaa ja unenomaista kirjassa oli, mutta McCall Smithin muusta tuotannosta tykänneelle pienehkö pettymys.

[Dominika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I po co ten Freud na samym końcu...

[Rose Kor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pleasant read

This book is a quiet pleasant read for a relaxing afternoon or evening. Read, dream and smile with this book. Great summer read for me.

[Niamh :) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought it was so bad in my opinion, I'm not sure if its because I don't usually read this sort of thing or if it was genuinely bad. If you're into mythology and things I think it would be a good read, however it is a tad confusing.

[Sevi · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Will I see the birds about his head,
The birds that are his kisses?
Will I believe that each of us,
Even he who thinks himself unloved,
May be transformed, made different
By one who finds him marvellous? Will I think that?"

[serpentkills · Rating 4 out of 5]

...you may sleep now,
For Dream Angus leaps light across the heather,
And the name upon his lips is your name,
And the gifts that he bears are gifts for you...
-- Page 173, Dream Angus by Alexander McCall Smith

I found this book completely by random in the bargain section of the local Barnes & Noble. I wasn't even really looking in the bargain section, but this book caught my eye for some reason as we were walking by. I found myself picking it up to see what it was. And then I found myself buying it because it sounded interesting and for five bucks, why not?

This book is lovely. It's a light read at only 173 pages and it's quite well-written. The style of it is similar to that traditional kind of myth-telling voice with lots of long sentences and vague, but enchanting descriptions. That style can very easily get on my nerves and often deters me from reading books that are straight-up, pure folklore, but it works for me here.

As the blurb o' the flap indicates, this isn't a simple retelling of the mythical life of Angus, though part of it is that. Kind of interwoven into his story are the stories of people all over the world and in Scotland who live in non-specific, but more modern time periods. Their stories are of varying lengths and complexity, but most of them involve something about dreams. These stories are the story of a honeymooning couple, a story about two young brothers, a story about a boy who learns who his real father is, a story of a man who tends to the animals at a research center, and the story of a woman who leaves her cheating husband. The only one of these that I didn't really care for is the story about the boy learning about his real father and my quibble with it is that there is nothing about dreams in it.

My favorite of these stories is the one about the animal keeper at the research center in the chapter called "Is there a place for pigs there?" It's a sad, hopeful story and I think I loved it most for the whimsical descriptions of the pigs, which I have to share here as representative of why I really loved the writing.

Pig Nineteen looked out at a world which she divided into edible and non-edible. The non-edible was of no interest to her, but she engaged with the edible passionately, sniffing it out with her moist, mucus-encrusted nose, scrabbling for it with her cloven feet, and gobbling it down with a grunting that could have been triumph, contentment or sorrow at the realisation that food was finite.
--Page 103, Dream Angus by Alexander McCall Smith

The little modern stories, instead of seeming out of place with the main story of Angus's life, actually complement it really well. The transition from the myth of Angus into the story of these modern people is never jarring and I think I wouldn't have liked this book nearly so much if it had just been the story of Angus's life or if it had just been those five stories of the modern world. They go together and make this what it is.

I've never read anything by Alexander McCall Smith, but if the rest of his stuff is as good as this, he might be well worth seeking out. I really enjoyed this and would highly recommend it to anybody who enjoys a touch of myth to their fiction. I'm glad I bought it as well as I think it'll be one of those I'll go back to and read again.

And now I'll leave you with one of my absolute favorite bits from Dream Angus because even though it's a sad part of a bittersweet story, it made me smile to think that pigs are so innocent and thoughtful.

Pig Twenty sat down and looked at the sky, as if puzzled, floored, by its sheer immensity. He might have thought, if he thought at all: is there a place for pigs there? Is that for pigs?
--Page 125-6, Dream Angus by Alexander McCall Smith

[Rainb0warri0r · Rating 3 out of 5]

Conosco poco la mitologia celtica/irlandese e non avevo mai sentito parlare di Angus, dio dei Sogni, dell'Amore e dell'eterna Giovinezza. Questa mia lacuna avrebbe potuto incentivare un giudizio più largamente positivo per questo libro, che racconta la storia della divinità. Tuttavia, il piacere di scoprire un nuovo mito - e non saprei dire quanto ci sia di rielaborato, da parte dell'autore - è stato macchiato da una scrittura un po' troppo infantile - tale parrebbe essere il target del libro - e soprattutto dalla particolare scelta narrativa di alternare il mito a dei racconti originali.
Leggere con toni giulivi di pascoli, animali magici e dèi brontoloni mi ha un po' ricordato i vecchi di libri di mitologia che leggevo da bambino, ma anche le versioni greche di Apollodoro, proprio quelle elementari con cui mi esercitavo i primissimi giorni di liceo leggendo di Zeus e delle sue fantasiose tecniche di conquista amorosa.
All'opposto, i racconti che interrompono la narrazione mitica, storie contemporanee di solitudini, amori, bisogni e mancanze: tutti, in modo diverso, mostrano l'irrompere provvidenziale del Sogno come possibilità di salvezza. Il legame tra le due diverse parti del libro è però molto labile, così come mal si raccordano i racconti tra di loro, per quanto siano tutti validi e interessanti.
La sensazione finale è di un libro un po' strano e inconcludente, un esperimento mal riuscito, un libro indeciso, sospeso tra infanzia e maturità. Il tentativo, forse, di elaborare un messaggio universale; difficile, però, accontentare tutti.

[Ancestral Gaidheal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why did I read it? I like the idea of modern takes on older myths and this was available as part of my subscription to an audio book site.

Synopsis: It starts with the old celtic myth of Angust, starting with his parents and his birth, interspersed with Alexander McCall Smith's stories based on the myth.

What did I like? I liked how it weaved back and forth from the time of myth to more modern life stories and how these new stories reflected the life of the Angus of old. Somehow, they enhanced the old tale, but I am not sure how and I feel this is a deeply personal feeling. Dreams feature in every tale and not all of them are happy ones, yet the book doesn't really have the melancholy atmosphere of the celtic storytelling tradition; at least not for me.

I felt the narrator of this book, Michael Page, captured its essence perfectly, being neither intrusive nor losing my attention at any point. A perfectly balanced performance for my commute to and from work.

What didn't I like? Way too short for me. This book was over in two days of commuting and this was disappointing as I wanted more.

Would I recommend it? Heartily to anyone who likes good storytelling and has a fondness for the older myths.

[Lisa Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved Dream Angus by Alexander McCall Smith. It was a quick read which kept me engaged, and Smith weaves words and sentences and stories together so beautifully; it's wonderful.

McCall Smith weaved stories of Angus (god of dreams) together with the modern tales of people who need his assistance. There was the story of the young newlywed wanting to know her husband better; the story of the two brothers; the story of Ginger and her son Mark; the story of the animal keeper at the science center; and the story of the woman who finds peace even after her husband has been unfaithful to her.

The description of the book says, "Weaving together tales of the Celtic eros and his contemporary alter egos, McCall Smith unites dream and reality mesmerizingly, leaving us to wonder: What is life but the pursuit of our dreams?" I thought this was a perfect summation of the book.

The only real "lack" I saw in the book was that I wished that some of the stories had been longer, and that we as readers could have seen more of these characters. But perhaps this is not a "lack" of the book at all, but only a testament to McCall Smith's ability to tell stories and draw the reader in.

[Oliver · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are two main reasons that I didn't particularly like this book:

1) It wasn't what I expected. That's my own fault; I thought it was going to be all about Dream Angus, the god. I thought it was going to follow his life with himself as the main character, like how a book about Coyote would include many stories of his mischief. Or an epic, like how a book about Achilles would follow his life from birth to death. The beginning of the book had a couple stories about Dream Angus, but the rest were about other characters whose lives were influenced by dreams/love.

2) There was a stylistic choice I didn't like. Few, if any, of the stories had satisfying resolutions. I understand why this choice was made--dreams don't have satisfying resolutions, either. Instead, they end right after a climax of sorts. You can thus tell sort of where the denouement would lead, but there's still a little possibility. Some may like this. I felt like a couple pages were missing.

I gave it 2 stars because it was "okay". I learned about Dream Angus. The writer was skilled. But I mostly came out of it feeling glad it was a short book, so I hadn't wasted more time on it.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can do no wrong when it comes to picking books these days. My latest serendipitous choice: Dream Angus by Alexander McCall Smith. It's very different from the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. Much as I liked those, I was getting a bit tired of them. I read the first of the Sunday Philosophy Club series set in Edinburgh, and it was ok, but it didn't seem to break any new ground. This though, this is really good. It's a retelling of the Scots/Irish legend of Angus, a mythical figure who brings you dreams while you sleep. McCall Smith blends the ancient story with several contemporary short stories and it totally works. In one chapter the ancient Angus discovers that his father is not his father. Then in the next a boy in the present day discovers the same thing, though the ending is completely different. It's the kind of book where you never know what he's going to come up with next. The last one is about pigs being bred for human tissue, yet it's a very sweet romantic story.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Born of the water spirit Boann and the powerful god Dagda of Irish-Scottish mythology, Dream Angus, Eros, the god of dreams, love, youth, and beauty figures in these ten stories. The modern setting in "Is there a place to go", set at a research centre which uses genetic engineering to make replacement tissue for humans, raises an ethical issue in the treatment of animals. In "My brother", a younger sibling realizes his older brother's companionship must eventually bow to change. In "Another boy finds out that his father is not his father", the classmate of a schoolboy mentions the lack of resemblance to his parents, raising his consciousness to discover the truth about his origins. "I dream of you" mixes the love life of the mythological Angus with a contemporary story about a wife whose therapist encourages lucid dreaming to release her feelings and to dream proactively.