An Old Pub Near the Angel

by James Kelman

This is James Kelman's first collection of short stories - as fresh and sharp as when they first appeared from US publisher "Puckerbrush Press". Set among the tenements and bedsits of Glasgow, they shine a light on the exploits of young and old. James Kelman had been writing since about 1967 and by 1971 had enough stories for a book. In 1973, "An Old Pub Near The Angel" was published and the rest is history. The US edition has never been out of print.

Genres: Short Stories, Scotland, Fiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Kelman says:

My own background is as normal or abnormal as anyone else's. Born and bred in Govan and Drumchapel, inner city tenement to the housing scheme homeland on the outer reaches of the city. Four brothers, my mother a full time parent, my father in the picture framemaking and gilding trade, trying to operate a one man business and I left school at 15 etc. etc. (...) For one reason or another, by the age of 21/22 I decided to write stories. The stories I wanted to write would derive from my own background, my own socio-cultural experience. I wanted to write as one of my own people, I wanted to write and remain a member of my own community.

During the 1970s he published a first collection of short stories. He became involved in Philip Hobsbaum's creative writing group in Glasgow along with Tom Leonard, Alasdair Gray and Liz Lochhead, and his short stories began to appear in magazines. These stories introduced a distinctive style, expressing first person internal monologues in a pared-down prose utilising Glaswegian speech patterns, though avoiding for the most part the quasi-phonetic rendition of Tom Leonard. Kelman's developing style has been influential on the succeeding generation of Scottish novelists, including Irvine Welsh, Alan Warner and Janice Galloway. In 1998, Kelman received the Stakis Prize for "Scottish Writer of the Year" for his collection of short stories 'The Good Times.'
http://www.contemporarywriters.com/au...

Reviews

[Sean Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aside from the typically brilliant short stories by James Kelman ('Abject Misery' being one of my favourite short stories ever), An Old Pub Near the Angel features an outstanding 50+ page autobiographical afterword by the author, which gives the reader a fascinating insight into the mind of an artist.

[Simon B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set mostly in Glasgow, these spare, slice-of-life short stories capture something about working class life in the early 1970s. It's characters are poor men, old and young, who are chronically short of money, employment and decent accommodation. They eat badly, drink copiously, bet unwisely and engage in conversation that often goes nowhere. I found it a unique reading experience, made even better by a 50 page autobiographical afterword about the author's path to becoming a writer. Determined to read more James Kelman now.

[Grim-Anal King · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite appealing vignettes until you notice the protagonists all hold the same classist worldview as the author who seemingly can't bear to go more than a couple of pages of his lengthy afterword without compounding this repetition.

[Guy Salvidge · Rating 3 out of 5]

I preferred the afterword to the actual stories.

[Nic · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's some good writing in this collection of short stories. The characters really come alive through their dialogue and interactions with one another. Even in destitute conditions when everything seems to be going wrong, they manage to find a clever turn of phrase, an amusing happenstance, or even simply a personal connection to pick up and move on. Underneath the humor, though, are desperation, frustration, and even at times anger, but these feelings are rarely dwelled upon for long. The stories that really stood out to me include The Cards, Abject Misery, The Last Night, An old pub near the Angel, Circumstances, and Nice to be Nice.

[Ade Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This 2007 new edition of Kelman's first collection of stories is accompanied by a recent interview with him, and a long afterword from the author which describes the publishing context of his first work, and some great autobiographical material. The stories are as good as ever.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apart from possibly Agnes Owen, Kelman's short stories are the best around

[Kenneth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13996741