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Three Craws
A thwarted artist returns home to rural Scotland in this bittersweet slacker debut by an acclaimed, internationally-renowned singer-songwriter.
Johnny's return from London to stay with best friend Stevie is the final admission that his dreams of being a great artist are dead. In Victoria Bus Station he meets Mikey, a low-level dealer, who is from the same area. As Johnny tries to get his life back on track, living in a tiny cottage with Stevie, Mikey won't leave them alone, a constant presence destabilising everything around him.
As Johnny tries to hang on to the only job he can get, Mikey's actions threaten his livelihood and Stevie's sanity. In a blackly comic climax, events take a sinister turn. Can Johnny and Stevie survive the consequences or will they be dragged down by their unwanted 'friend'?
Three Craws is a beautifully evoked portrait of contemporary rural life for those dealt a meagre hand.
Johnny's return from London to stay with best friend Stevie is the final admission that his dreams of being a great artist are dead. In Victoria Bus Station he meets Mikey, a low-level dealer, who is from the same area. As Johnny tries to get his life back on track, living in a tiny cottage with Stevie, Mikey won't leave them alone, a constant presence destabilising everything around him.
As Johnny tries to hang on to the only job he can get, Mikey's actions threaten his livelihood and Stevie's sanity. In a blackly comic climax, events take a sinister turn. Can Johnny and Stevie survive the consequences or will they be dragged down by their unwanted 'friend'?
Three Craws is a beautifully evoked portrait of contemporary rural life for those dealt a meagre hand.
- GenresFiction
272 pages, Paperback
First published March 16, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 11, 2016
Oh, what a lovely book. I picked this new release up in Scotland - it's written by a Scottish musician and was released through a local press. Darkly comic, coarse, and witty, the story is told by John, a young Scot who feels listless after attending art school in London; he returns to the Scottish countryside just outside St Andrews to stay with his old pal Stevie who works on a local farm. It's primarily a story about the lads' friendship - getting over the initial awkwardness, learning to be pals again after years apart- but also about belonging somewhere, or trying to belong somewhere, and trying not to disappoint people, or places.
The writing is a joy to read. As well as the black humour, the style is eclectic - italicised sections, dialogue without any directional markers (sometimes it's hard to tell who's speaking), a lot of first person free indirect discourse, a lot of Scottish slang. (All of this is actually not that unconventional for Scottish writers - think Irvine Welsh and Janice Galloway, for starters). There's a fair bit of the absurd and grotesque going on (including a hilarious, semi slapstick scene where John attempts to feed tripe to a bunch of dogs at a boarding kennel) which all leads to a surprisingly dark and serious climax. John as a character narrator is highly lovable, frustrating, and convincing - his voice was so well crafted, so believable, a delight to read. Stevie and Mikey, the other two main characters, are also very well drawn. Interestingly, Mikey gets his own little sections of first-person monologue dispersed throughout the text as well.
Also: it's never explicitly mentioned in the text but there are some serious homoerotic undertones operating in the way John relates to Stevie. Stevie himself verges on the homophobic, and you get the impression that the 'awkwardness' the guys need to get over is from Stevie fearing John's affections? Again, never actually mentioned, but that was my impression. And Yorkston handled it so well and sensitively, it was quite moving to see John worry so much about what Stevie would think of him, whether they could be friends again, etc, and also so touching how much Stevie clearly loved having John back in his life.
My only (very minor) quibble is that the pacing dragged a little through the middle section, and I wasn't sure how a few of the scenes, funny as they were, fed into the broader scope of the story. Yorkston's style is highly descriptive with close attention paid to the details the protagonist notices in the world around him which mostly is great, but occasionally seemed a little overwrought or tangential. I think this is why the story felt a bit slow in the middle. It was still nice to read, though.
But all that aside, I really enjoyed this book, it's definitely a novel I will re-read, and I will definitely keep an eye out for new work from Yorkston.
The writing is a joy to read. As well as the black humour, the style is eclectic - italicised sections, dialogue without any directional markers (sometimes it's hard to tell who's speaking), a lot of first person free indirect discourse, a lot of Scottish slang. (All of this is actually not that unconventional for Scottish writers - think Irvine Welsh and Janice Galloway, for starters). There's a fair bit of the absurd and grotesque going on (including a hilarious, semi slapstick scene where John attempts to feed tripe to a bunch of dogs at a boarding kennel) which all leads to a surprisingly dark and serious climax. John as a character narrator is highly lovable, frustrating, and convincing - his voice was so well crafted, so believable, a delight to read. Stevie and Mikey, the other two main characters, are also very well drawn. Interestingly, Mikey gets his own little sections of first-person monologue dispersed throughout the text as well.
Also: it's never explicitly mentioned in the text but there are some serious homoerotic undertones operating in the way John relates to Stevie. Stevie himself verges on the homophobic, and you get the impression that the 'awkwardness' the guys need to get over is from Stevie fearing John's affections? Again, never actually mentioned, but that was my impression. And Yorkston handled it so well and sensitively, it was quite moving to see John worry so much about what Stevie would think of him, whether they could be friends again, etc, and also so touching how much Stevie clearly loved having John back in his life.
My only (very minor) quibble is that the pacing dragged a little through the middle section, and I wasn't sure how a few of the scenes, funny as they were, fed into the broader scope of the story. Yorkston's style is highly descriptive with close attention paid to the details the protagonist notices in the world around him which mostly is great, but occasionally seemed a little overwrought or tangential. I think this is why the story felt a bit slow in the middle. It was still nice to read, though.
But all that aside, I really enjoyed this book, it's definitely a novel I will re-read, and I will definitely keep an eye out for new work from Yorkston.
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February 10, 2020Three Craws is a very well written debut by Scottish singer James Yorkston. It follows Johnny, recently left art school and going nowhere, as he travels back from London to his native Fife. Doomed to return, just like his pal Stevie who has inherited a cottage for them both to live in (as long as Johnny pays his way mucking out filthy kennels). But Johnny has an unwanted pal in the form of Mikey, a hopeless bam he meets on the bus, and this third craw will upset their lives forever.
Yorkston's dry wit it present all through the book with his own voice recognisable as Johnny's narrative throughout. However, he really excels in giving a roundness to the characters of Stevie, Mikey and pompous Mrs Bradley, the kennel owner.
At just over 200 pages it's a little short. The ending springs on you just as you're getting to really enjoy spending time with these characters both in the present (circa late 90s) and immersive childhood flashbacks. However, it quickly builds to a satisfying climax and a poignant, symbolic and intentionally non-linear epilogue.
He's an impressive lad, Jamesie. A great singer, a great writer and now a great author.
Yorkston's dry wit it present all through the book with his own voice recognisable as Johnny's narrative throughout. However, he really excels in giving a roundness to the characters of Stevie, Mikey and pompous Mrs Bradley, the kennel owner.
At just over 200 pages it's a little short. The ending springs on you just as you're getting to really enjoy spending time with these characters both in the present (circa late 90s) and immersive childhood flashbacks. However, it quickly builds to a satisfying climax and a poignant, symbolic and intentionally non-linear epilogue.
He's an impressive lad, Jamesie. A great singer, a great writer and now a great author.
May 3, 2016
This story is about how chance rules our lives. Stevie inherits a cottage in Fife from his uncle and aunt, when they die in quick succession. Stevie decides to invite his old friend John, who lives in London, to visit him and John decides to take the bus to St. Andrews. By chance, Mikey gets on the same bus, is going to the same place, and sits next to John.. Mikey latches on to John in one of those public transport encounters that we all dread, one of those unwanted encounters that are not at all brief, one of those "please do not talk to me" moments that inevitably end with the unwanted: you are talked to. And in a bus, unlike a train, there is nowhere you can move to in order to escape.
This is what John has to deal with, as Mikey clings to him like a leech. And it gets worse. When they arrive in St. Andrews, John cannot shake Mikey off. Mikey behaves as if they are lifelong friends. Mikey does not wash. Mikey takes drugs. Mikey gets thrown out by his family, and has nowhere to live. Mikey expects John to look after him. And now, I hope, I have given away enough of the plot to pique your interest.
James Yorkston wrote "Three Craws". He is a folk-singer and songwriter of considerable talent, from the part of Scotland that is a central character in this book. Yorkston has an astonishing ear for the use of words. He gets conversation exactly right. He picks his words carefully. He uses words as melody. Hardly surprising for a songwriter. It has to be said that some people will find some of the words offensive, as does John's mother. Her objection is not the usual one. She thinks that John should not use local dialect sentence constructs, as she struggled to send him to Art College in London. He should not speak like that.
John, of course, has not surrendered his heritage. If he had, he would not have come back to Fife when Stevie invited him. Those words and phrases pepper the sentences in this book. They give it a lilt and cadence. They form the poetry at the base of the storytelling in "Three Craws". The very title gives you an indication of the way in which the book is written. It is craws, not crows, not corbies. It is Scots, of the east coast, not the Borders. But still, very distinctively, Scots. And it is beautiful.
There will, of course, be many people who are put off by this. It may not go down well in Literary London or Literary New York. But what does that matter? Only foolish readers will not widen their cultural horizons by refusing to read books in language that they do not fully understand, and which they may find somewhat difficult.
Yorkston tells a story that is gripping, that transfixes the reader. The language is beautiful, the story is compelling. What more can a reader want?
This is what John has to deal with, as Mikey clings to him like a leech. And it gets worse. When they arrive in St. Andrews, John cannot shake Mikey off. Mikey behaves as if they are lifelong friends. Mikey does not wash. Mikey takes drugs. Mikey gets thrown out by his family, and has nowhere to live. Mikey expects John to look after him. And now, I hope, I have given away enough of the plot to pique your interest.
James Yorkston wrote "Three Craws". He is a folk-singer and songwriter of considerable talent, from the part of Scotland that is a central character in this book. Yorkston has an astonishing ear for the use of words. He gets conversation exactly right. He picks his words carefully. He uses words as melody. Hardly surprising for a songwriter. It has to be said that some people will find some of the words offensive, as does John's mother. Her objection is not the usual one. She thinks that John should not use local dialect sentence constructs, as she struggled to send him to Art College in London. He should not speak like that.
John, of course, has not surrendered his heritage. If he had, he would not have come back to Fife when Stevie invited him. Those words and phrases pepper the sentences in this book. They give it a lilt and cadence. They form the poetry at the base of the storytelling in "Three Craws". The very title gives you an indication of the way in which the book is written. It is craws, not crows, not corbies. It is Scots, of the east coast, not the Borders. But still, very distinctively, Scots. And it is beautiful.
There will, of course, be many people who are put off by this. It may not go down well in Literary London or Literary New York. But what does that matter? Only foolish readers will not widen their cultural horizons by refusing to read books in language that they do not fully understand, and which they may find somewhat difficult.
Yorkston tells a story that is gripping, that transfixes the reader. The language is beautiful, the story is compelling. What more can a reader want?
December 22, 2017
3.5 stars. Different than anything else I've read. I liked the snippets written out in thick Scottish brogue, but was very glad they were only snippets.
June 23, 2021
Ending left me a bit AAARGH!!!! but really enjoyed reading this book. Beautifully and wittily written I do believe. Love you James Yorkston.
June 13, 2016
‘Three Craws‘ is the debut novel by Scottish singer-songwriter James Yorkston. Published by the truly magnificent Freight Books, this is a novel that follows Johnny, a failed artist, as he returns to St Andrews to visit his childhood friend Stevie.
I read somewhere that ‘Three Craws’ wasn’t written for the literary elite that resides in London, and I absolutely agree. And that is BRILLIANT. I do enjoy literary fiction, don’t get me wrong, but this book cuts and reveals what life is really like in a small, cold Scottish town. The farm doesn’t hide secrets (except when it does), and it isn’t the story of how Johnny comes to appreciate the beautiful life he left behind when he moved to London (except when it kind-of is). Basically – the shit smells like shit (and there’s a lot of it in this book), and I love it.
The characters aren’t just characters – I’ve met these people. Between them, the three main characters make up most of the personalities of my Scottish relatives. Practical, a bit bonkers, and fond of a tipple (or two). They appeared so vividly in my mind, which is something that doesn’t often happen. I could imagine them so easily bombing about St Andrews, and it really endeared them to me. Down on their luck, but just carrying on, drinking good whiskey whilst they have it.
I don’t often laugh out loud at books – but the dark, quintessentially Scottish humour of ‘Three Craws’ had me cackling. Every situation is just on that side of not-too-miserable that makes it absolutely hilarious. This isn’t a gritty look at the ironies of life, but just the story of three blokes who are just living their lives. Johnny is the perfect narrator for this, because he can be introspective, but he can also so clearly see the funny side of making terrible soup for his new employer, or riding a falling-apart motorbike down a C Road.
In conclusion? Put the quietly wailing literary fiction down, and for a delightfully mad look at the mundanity of life, pick ‘Three Craws’ up.
I read somewhere that ‘Three Craws’ wasn’t written for the literary elite that resides in London, and I absolutely agree. And that is BRILLIANT. I do enjoy literary fiction, don’t get me wrong, but this book cuts and reveals what life is really like in a small, cold Scottish town. The farm doesn’t hide secrets (except when it does), and it isn’t the story of how Johnny comes to appreciate the beautiful life he left behind when he moved to London (except when it kind-of is). Basically – the shit smells like shit (and there’s a lot of it in this book), and I love it.
The characters aren’t just characters – I’ve met these people. Between them, the three main characters make up most of the personalities of my Scottish relatives. Practical, a bit bonkers, and fond of a tipple (or two). They appeared so vividly in my mind, which is something that doesn’t often happen. I could imagine them so easily bombing about St Andrews, and it really endeared them to me. Down on their luck, but just carrying on, drinking good whiskey whilst they have it.
I don’t often laugh out loud at books – but the dark, quintessentially Scottish humour of ‘Three Craws’ had me cackling. Every situation is just on that side of not-too-miserable that makes it absolutely hilarious. This isn’t a gritty look at the ironies of life, but just the story of three blokes who are just living their lives. Johnny is the perfect narrator for this, because he can be introspective, but he can also so clearly see the funny side of making terrible soup for his new employer, or riding a falling-apart motorbike down a C Road.
In conclusion? Put the quietly wailing literary fiction down, and for a delightfully mad look at the mundanity of life, pick ‘Three Craws’ up.
May 3, 2016
Brilliant humour, great writing. I was worried about the "written as spoken" parts but if you know how Scottish sounds, it is easy to get your head and inner voice around it (and then you read the rest in Scottish accent too.)
I liked the atmosphere. It didn't need an extended description of the landscape to grasp the "bristling" view. The characters are unique and true to themselves and - as I like to believe - written with a lot of love for them and their quirks and habits. It speaks of a good amount of thorough "people watching" and that is something I really appreciate. Every good story lives through its characters alone. They are the pillars and when those pillars have a solid stand, the story will work and catch the reader's attention.
... and then the story got really grim...
I liked the atmosphere. It didn't need an extended description of the landscape to grasp the "bristling" view. The characters are unique and true to themselves and - as I like to believe - written with a lot of love for them and their quirks and habits. It speaks of a good amount of thorough "people watching" and that is something I really appreciate. Every good story lives through its characters alone. They are the pillars and when those pillars have a solid stand, the story will work and catch the reader's attention.
... and then the story got really grim...
December 29, 2016
Have always been grateful that I never had to endure the overnight bus ride between Glasgow and London and the start of this book confirms my worst fears of such a journey. While the book evokes a culture i.e. living in rural/smalltown Scotland on a meagre income is not one I have actually lived, it is one which is none the less familiar to me. James Yorkson evokes the situation with humour and, I believe, some accuracy allowing us to get to know the characters as the story progresses.
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June 5, 2016This dark tragi-comedy is the debut novel from the acclaimed folk artist, his story writing skill an easy equal of his proven songwriting talent. Join Johnny, Stevie and Mikey on an often farcical journey through life in rural Scotland. The written vernacular, in particular, is used to stunning effect.
January 13, 2017
I won this dark atmospheric novel in a Goodreads giveaway last year and have finally got round to reading it. The tale has unique believable characters in Johnny, Stevie and Mike and their voices ring out (in their own dialect) through this sometimes depressing, sometimes hilarious account of their lives in Scotland.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews