Listen to the Voice

Canongate Classics #49

by Iain Crichton Smith, Douglas Gifford (Introduction)

These eighteen short stories by the Scottish poet and author of Consider the Lilies “focus on the ambiguities of the inner voice . . . with moments of searing emotion” (Independent on Sunday, UK). This collection of the best of Iain Crichton Smith’s short fiction beckons us to listen, not only to the voice of this impeccable author, but to the many voices, both public and private, that he conjures in his characters. Ranging from inner promptings towards self-discovery to the unconscious comedy of everyday speech and even the rantings of near madness, these stories display the peaks of Smith’s wry, surrealistic humor, and his confessional mode in examining the past. The longer stories, illustrative of Smith’s novels, are represented by ‘Murdo’ and the seminal ‘The Black and the Red’. There are also outstanding short pieces such as ‘Listen to the Voice’ and the poignant vignette, ‘The Dying’. This edition of Listen to the Voice includes an introduction by Douglas Gifford.“He has a dry pungent humor, a gift for comic invention and a welcome ability to laugh at himself and his background while making a serious point and taking us to conclusions that are anything but obvious.” —The Scotsman, UK

Genres: Short Stories

403 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Iain Crichton Smith (Gaelic: Iain Mac a' Ghobhainn ) was a Scottish man of letters, writing in both English and Gaelic, and a prolific author in both languages. He is known for poetry, short stories and novels.

He was born in Glasgow, but moved to the isle of Lewis at the age of two, where he and his two brothers were brought up by their widowed mother in the small crofting town of Bayble, which also produced Derick S. Thomson. Educated at the University of Aberdeen, Crichton Smith took a degree in English, and after serving in the National Service Army Education Corps, went on to become a teacher.

He taught in Clydebank, Dumbarton and Oban from 1952, retiring to become a full-time writer in 1977, although he already had many novels and poems published. He was awarded an OBE in 1980.

Reviews

[Duntay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was initially put off Iain Crichton Smith by my husband's dire warnings about Remember the Lilies but was glad I read this in the end