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44 Scotland Street #11
The Bertie Project
Once more, we catch up with the delightful goings-on in the fictitious 44 Scotland Street from Alexander McCall Smith . . .
Bertie's respite from his overbearing mother, Irene, is over. She has returned from the middle-east, only to discover that her son has been exposed to the worst evils of cartoons, movies and Irn Bru, and her wrath falls upon her unfortunate husband, Stuart. Meanwhile, Bruce has fallen in love with someone other than himself; Big Lou wants to adopt her beloved Finlay; Matthew and Elspeth host the Duke of Johannesburg for supper and Bertie decides he wants to move out of Scotland Street altogether and live with his grandmother, Nicola.
Can Irene and Stuart's marriage survive? Will Bruce's newfound love last? And will Bertie really leave Scotland Street? Find out in the next instalment of this charming, beloved series.
NOTE: On page 1 of this book and elsewhere, the Turner Prize has been misprinted as the Turner Prise; no disrespect to the prize was intended. The problem is due to a computer error whereby words ending in -ize e.g. size or seize have been changed to -ise endings. The publishers apologise and hope these errors do not spoil readers' enjoyment.
Bertie's respite from his overbearing mother, Irene, is over. She has returned from the middle-east, only to discover that her son has been exposed to the worst evils of cartoons, movies and Irn Bru, and her wrath falls upon her unfortunate husband, Stuart. Meanwhile, Bruce has fallen in love with someone other than himself; Big Lou wants to adopt her beloved Finlay; Matthew and Elspeth host the Duke of Johannesburg for supper and Bertie decides he wants to move out of Scotland Street altogether and live with his grandmother, Nicola.
Can Irene and Stuart's marriage survive? Will Bruce's newfound love last? And will Bertie really leave Scotland Street? Find out in the next instalment of this charming, beloved series.
NOTE: On page 1 of this book and elsewhere, the Turner Prize has been misprinted as the Turner Prise; no disrespect to the prize was intended. The problem is due to a computer error whereby words ending in -ize e.g. size or seize have been changed to -ise endings. The publishers apologise and hope these errors do not spoil readers' enjoyment.
294 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2016
243 people are currently reading
1839 people want to read
About the author
Alexander McCall Smith
663 books12.7k followersAlexander 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 506 reviews
April 20, 2017
I think I love all of this author's series equally. I guess I just enjoy his writing style, always intelligent, lightly humorous and just full of interest and curiosity in the world.
It is obvious he knows Edinburgh really well and his tongue in cheek observations of its residents and their life styles are delightful. He has made several visits to Australia too and lo and behold, up pop not one but two Australian characters to liven up the action. I listened to this book on audio and was glad the narrator was able to manage a tolerable Aussie accent as well as her beautiful Scottish one.
And then of course there is Bertie. Poor lovable Bertie. I really, really hope the author does have a plan for his eventual salvation. The one considered in this book was of course not the right one since Stuart's continued presence in his life is such a necessary part of keeping Bertie as normal as possible. I cannot imagine a solution but I am sure Alexander McCall Smith will not let us down!
It is obvious he knows Edinburgh really well and his tongue in cheek observations of its residents and their life styles are delightful. He has made several visits to Australia too and lo and behold, up pop not one but two Australian characters to liven up the action. I listened to this book on audio and was glad the narrator was able to manage a tolerable Aussie accent as well as her beautiful Scottish one.
And then of course there is Bertie. Poor lovable Bertie. I really, really hope the author does have a plan for his eventual salvation. The one considered in this book was of course not the right one since Stuart's continued presence in his life is such a necessary part of keeping Bertie as normal as possible. I cannot imagine a solution but I am sure Alexander McCall Smith will not let us down!
February 6, 2017
Charming is the word that comes to mind. I had forgotten that about Alexander McCall Smith's story telling. I have read most books in The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series, but I jumped into the 44 Scotland Street series at #11. I had to work a bit at first to figure who was who, but still I thoroughly enjoyed this book for what it is. Set amongst a group of Scottish neighbours, the book follows the trials and tribulations of a few characters. Their personas and stories are pushed a bit beyond anything realistic, but they are still recognizable which makes for some good humoured satire about modern Scotland mixed in with some real emotions. This one fits my resolution to read more humour this year. It definitely makes me feel like reading the other books in the series. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
November 9, 2016
Another jam packed instalment. Bruce is wildly in love with someone other than himself, Angus gets propelled through a window, Stuart makes a bid for freedom and Irene is still a cow. I really love this series but Irene has to get her comeuppance or I demand my money back.
February 5, 2017
4.5 stars
Bertie is a character that you root for. You want him to succeed, to find some happiness and maybe move to Glasgow, his holy place. Yet you worry that under Irene's relentless thumb that he's going to turn into a mass murderer in his rage. How much can one person endure? Stuart almost finds him limit and his final solution makes you want to weep. Irene is one character that I would just love to slap across the face. How can one person be so self absorbed?
Just ask Bruce who finally find someone to love besides himself and pays quite the price. The Australian he falls in love with is into extreme sports and finally steps into helping Elspeth and Matthew with the triplets. The horror of three 2-year-olds going in different directions was enough to require me to take a nap. The lives at 44 Scotland Street just bubble along.
This is a much more philosophical novel than usual. As he explores the left's political correctness, he brings me to laughter. Bertie goes to school with Tofu, Hiawatha, and Larch. I had to wonder what the parents were thinking which I often do when I read the names of celebrity children like Story, Moon Unit, and Apple. Really? His portrayal of Irene makes you understand why people voted for Trump. It's just a reaction to the left's extremism. Ah, I digress.
This is a delightful addition to the series that gives you a hero to cheer. Run, Bertie, run.
Bertie is a character that you root for. You want him to succeed, to find some happiness and maybe move to Glasgow, his holy place. Yet you worry that under Irene's relentless thumb that he's going to turn into a mass murderer in his rage. How much can one person endure? Stuart almost finds him limit and his final solution makes you want to weep. Irene is one character that I would just love to slap across the face. How can one person be so self absorbed?
Just ask Bruce who finally find someone to love besides himself and pays quite the price. The Australian he falls in love with is into extreme sports and finally steps into helping Elspeth and Matthew with the triplets. The horror of three 2-year-olds going in different directions was enough to require me to take a nap. The lives at 44 Scotland Street just bubble along.
This is a much more philosophical novel than usual. As he explores the left's political correctness, he brings me to laughter. Bertie goes to school with Tofu, Hiawatha, and Larch. I had to wonder what the parents were thinking which I often do when I read the names of celebrity children like Story, Moon Unit, and Apple. Really? His portrayal of Irene makes you understand why people voted for Trump. It's just a reaction to the left's extremism. Ah, I digress.
This is a delightful addition to the series that gives you a hero to cheer. Run, Bertie, run.
April 3, 2017
I love Bertie and I love the setting. In this volume McCall Smith describes Edinburgh in such detail, it was a vicarious revisit for me. It's a city I really love except in July and August when it is overwhelmed with tourists. Nonetheless, it is a city chock full of history and interesting people.
McCall Smith ends every Bertie book with the reader questioning "what's next"? I can only say his mother Irene continues to be extremely unlikeable and even her family is questioning what life would be like without her. Stuart finally figures out she is kind of a Stalinist in her pronouncements about everything and everybody. There is a young woman studying for a PhD in 20th century Scottish poetry. Being a lover of poetry I vowed to read a lot more Scottish poetry. For me, this was the best Bertie yet! I needed something light, and this delivered.
McCall Smith ends every Bertie book with the reader questioning "what's next"? I can only say his mother Irene continues to be extremely unlikeable and even her family is questioning what life would be like without her. Stuart finally figures out she is kind of a Stalinist in her pronouncements about everything and everybody. There is a young woman studying for a PhD in 20th century Scottish poetry. Being a lover of poetry I vowed to read a lot more Scottish poetry. For me, this was the best Bertie yet! I needed something light, and this delivered.
October 29, 2016
“The problem, he though, was that so much humour involved human misfortune of one sort or another, and now that same human misfortune was out of bounds – interdicted by self-appointed guardians of sensitivity. There was somebody to be offended by everything, he thought, which left little room for laughter”
The Bertie Project is the eleventh book in the popular 44 Scotland Street serial novel by Scottish author, Alexander McCall Smith, and in it, the lives of the residents of 44 Scotland Street and those of their friends are, once again, updated for the continuing enjoyment of series fans. So we learn that: Big Lou battles red tape to adopt her foster-son; Irene finds fault in everything Nicola does, while Nicola receives an important letter from her Portuguese husband; a viral illness brings Elspeth and Matthew’s Danish au pair troubles to a head.
In as much as a narcissist actually can fall in love with someone other than himself, Bruce, it seems, has done so. Australian physical trainer, ex Qantas stewardess and devotee of extreme sports Clare Hodding has won his heart. And proceeds to turn him into a hipster and involve him in extreme sports.
An unexpected event changes Angus Lordie’s long-held view on conceptual art and even the Turner Prize. The Chairman and Secretary of the Association of Scottish Nudists discuss the woes they attribute to the splinter group, Nudism Scotland. And when Bertie mentions to his grandmother that he has seen Stuart lunching with an attractive stranger, Nicola wonders if her thoroughly oppressed son will be allowed some happiness.
The star of the show, as always, is poor, beleaguered Bertie: “He did not enjoy his Italian conversazione sessions, but he was too polite to say so. Nor did he enjoy, for that matter, his yoga classes and his psychotherapy, but he had long since come to understand that these were features of the firmament under which he lived, and there was no point in arguing against your personal planets: these were as fixed in the heavens as Edinburgh Castle was on earth”
He may only be seven years old, but his observations are always insightful: “That, it seemed to him, was a persistent problem faced by adults: they simply did not have enough to do. And because there were so many of them, and so few real things to do, they had to invent roles for themselves, and then spend a great deal of time arguing with one another about who should occupy these roles and then, when they were in them, what they should do with them"
Opinions on male inhibition about commenting on the looks of other males, importance of rituals, social reassurance, and rhododendrons are shared, and para mountain biking, a love poem, gout, and defenestration feature in this instalment. There are laugh-out-loud moments, but also some to choke up the most cynical reader. Brilliant as always!
Readers who purchased a hardcover might be just a little annoyed that in each instance where a word contains “ize”, someone’s overzealous use of “find and replace” has resulted it being substituted with “ise”, so we have sises, seised, denisen, Turner Prise etc. The publishers’ Oops on the last page might have been better placed before the first: the typos do distract a little from the story.
The Bertie Project is the eleventh book in the popular 44 Scotland Street serial novel by Scottish author, Alexander McCall Smith, and in it, the lives of the residents of 44 Scotland Street and those of their friends are, once again, updated for the continuing enjoyment of series fans. So we learn that: Big Lou battles red tape to adopt her foster-son; Irene finds fault in everything Nicola does, while Nicola receives an important letter from her Portuguese husband; a viral illness brings Elspeth and Matthew’s Danish au pair troubles to a head.
In as much as a narcissist actually can fall in love with someone other than himself, Bruce, it seems, has done so. Australian physical trainer, ex Qantas stewardess and devotee of extreme sports Clare Hodding has won his heart. And proceeds to turn him into a hipster and involve him in extreme sports.
An unexpected event changes Angus Lordie’s long-held view on conceptual art and even the Turner Prize. The Chairman and Secretary of the Association of Scottish Nudists discuss the woes they attribute to the splinter group, Nudism Scotland. And when Bertie mentions to his grandmother that he has seen Stuart lunching with an attractive stranger, Nicola wonders if her thoroughly oppressed son will be allowed some happiness.
The star of the show, as always, is poor, beleaguered Bertie: “He did not enjoy his Italian conversazione sessions, but he was too polite to say so. Nor did he enjoy, for that matter, his yoga classes and his psychotherapy, but he had long since come to understand that these were features of the firmament under which he lived, and there was no point in arguing against your personal planets: these were as fixed in the heavens as Edinburgh Castle was on earth”
He may only be seven years old, but his observations are always insightful: “That, it seemed to him, was a persistent problem faced by adults: they simply did not have enough to do. And because there were so many of them, and so few real things to do, they had to invent roles for themselves, and then spend a great deal of time arguing with one another about who should occupy these roles and then, when they were in them, what they should do with them"
Opinions on male inhibition about commenting on the looks of other males, importance of rituals, social reassurance, and rhododendrons are shared, and para mountain biking, a love poem, gout, and defenestration feature in this instalment. There are laugh-out-loud moments, but also some to choke up the most cynical reader. Brilliant as always!
Readers who purchased a hardcover might be just a little annoyed that in each instance where a word contains “ize”, someone’s overzealous use of “find and replace” has resulted it being substituted with “ise”, so we have sises, seised, denisen, Turner Prise etc. The publishers’ Oops on the last page might have been better placed before the first: the typos do distract a little from the story.
February 20, 2017
One of my favorite authors has decided to use one of my favorite words—defenestration—and not just once but multiple times. Not only that but he has titled one of the chapters, "the defenestration of Scotland."
AMS is awesome.
AMS is awesome.
May 25, 2017
I have read all 11 books in this series and have always found them relaxing and enjoyable. This one made me upset. Bertie's horrible deranged mother has stifled his childhood, forbidding anything that brings joy to a little boy. Instead of TV, treats, pizza, ice cream and a Swiss Army Knife, he is forced to have regular visits with a psychiatrist, Italian lessons, yoga, music lessons, etc. It is remarkable that Bertie seems so lovable under such a tyrannical mother. She also has destroyed her husband's chance for happiness. It is time to kill her off as a character, as there is no pleasure in reading about her thoughts, orders and actions anymore.
The book does contain witty comments and humor when Bertie's dreadful mother, Irene, is not around. There are also philosophical thoughts and conversations to ponder. Many of them very contemporary in our present world affairs: the difference between truth and an outright lie, people insisting their on their wrong beliefs when the true facts are obvious, political correctness, and the value of rituals in religion.
There are also a couple of chapters on the politics and problems of a nudist organization. As none of the characters are involved this seems out of place. I would rather read about Bertie escaping his home in Edinburgh and fleeing to Glasgow, the city of his dreams. Needs to bring his father with him!
The book does contain witty comments and humor when Bertie's dreadful mother, Irene, is not around. There are also philosophical thoughts and conversations to ponder. Many of them very contemporary in our present world affairs: the difference between truth and an outright lie, people insisting their on their wrong beliefs when the true facts are obvious, political correctness, and the value of rituals in religion.
There are also a couple of chapters on the politics and problems of a nudist organization. As none of the characters are involved this seems out of place. I would rather read about Bertie escaping his home in Edinburgh and fleeing to Glasgow, the city of his dreams. Needs to bring his father with him!
March 4, 2022
Another addition to this excellent series. The social commentary and humour are done very well, with a light touch, and the characters are so relatable (even the awful virago Irene!)
Highly recommended, but you must read this series in order - this is about 8 or 9 in the series (44 Scotland St)
Highly recommended, but you must read this series in order - this is about 8 or 9 in the series (44 Scotland St)
May 10, 2017
Bertie's back! The eleventh in the "44 Scotland Street" series and the third with Bertie's name in the title, is "The Bertie Project", by the wonderfully prodigious, Alexander McCall Smith.
I don't quite know for whom I'm writing this review...if you are already a Bertie fan, you won't need me to tell you that you should buy this latest installment in the series. If you are here to see what all the fuss is about, then allow me to entice you to take up this series and become enchanted with the denizens of Scotland Street in Edinburgh. And moreover, fall in love with the gentle kindness of Alexander McCall Smith's writing.
And speaking of Smith's inimitable writing, what thrills me so about his style is that he can touch gently on timely topics and get his point across without the reader ever feeling the "pinch". Topics such as:
- political correctness
- identity politics
- climate change
- fortress mentalities
- manufactured outrage
- cultural taboos
- leadership vacuums
- sanitized humor
- "acceptable" circuses (is this really a thing?!)
Bertie is a precocious seven-year-old. He has a one-year-old brother, Ulysses, whom he suspects might be a psychopath. Bertie is double-cursed; his father, Stuart, is a total weakling and his mother, Irene, is utterly horrible. Aptly descried by her own mother-in-law as a "dreadful virago". Irene has just returned home after many months in a harem in the Middle East (you've got to read the previous book to find out about THAT strange adventure!) The boys and their dad have been quite happy with her away, leading a somewhat normal life. Now she is hell-bent on undoing all of that. (For a writer who is normally very compassionate and forgiving of his characters, Smith does have the reader rooting for a divorce!)
All our favorites are accounted for, especially Bertie's friends/enemies, Tofu, Olive, Pansy, Hiawatha and Larch. There are a few new characters too - for instance, Narcissist Bruce has fallen in love with a nose-licking Australian woman who is a hoot! Elspeth and Matthew's triplets, Rognvald, Tobermory, and Fergus, are almost walking! And something shocking (for Smith) happens with their two Danish au pairs.
Added bonus; no one will put this book down not knowing the definition of "defenestration"!
I don't quite know for whom I'm writing this review...if you are already a Bertie fan, you won't need me to tell you that you should buy this latest installment in the series. If you are here to see what all the fuss is about, then allow me to entice you to take up this series and become enchanted with the denizens of Scotland Street in Edinburgh. And moreover, fall in love with the gentle kindness of Alexander McCall Smith's writing.
And speaking of Smith's inimitable writing, what thrills me so about his style is that he can touch gently on timely topics and get his point across without the reader ever feeling the "pinch". Topics such as:
- political correctness
- identity politics
- climate change
- fortress mentalities
- manufactured outrage
- cultural taboos
- leadership vacuums
- sanitized humor
- "acceptable" circuses (is this really a thing?!)
Bertie is a precocious seven-year-old. He has a one-year-old brother, Ulysses, whom he suspects might be a psychopath. Bertie is double-cursed; his father, Stuart, is a total weakling and his mother, Irene, is utterly horrible. Aptly descried by her own mother-in-law as a "dreadful virago". Irene has just returned home after many months in a harem in the Middle East (you've got to read the previous book to find out about THAT strange adventure!) The boys and their dad have been quite happy with her away, leading a somewhat normal life. Now she is hell-bent on undoing all of that. (For a writer who is normally very compassionate and forgiving of his characters, Smith does have the reader rooting for a divorce!)
All our favorites are accounted for, especially Bertie's friends/enemies, Tofu, Olive, Pansy, Hiawatha and Larch. There are a few new characters too - for instance, Narcissist Bruce has fallen in love with a nose-licking Australian woman who is a hoot! Elspeth and Matthew's triplets, Rognvald, Tobermory, and Fergus, are almost walking! And something shocking (for Smith) happens with their two Danish au pairs.
Added bonus; no one will put this book down not knowing the definition of "defenestration"!
September 22, 2018
4.5 stars. Another wonderful installment in the 44 Scotland Street series! Having reread the first several books in this series, continued on, and now having finished the next to the last in the series, I've become so attached to these characters! I don't want the series to ever end.
Please, someone tell me that the next book isn't the end of this series. I would be crushed. Yes, there are always rereads and I know he has written a ton of books I've still not read, but these people are almost part of my life now, having spent weeks reading all about them. I just go from one to the next, and I don't want the road to ever end. Mostly, I've been listening on audiobook, and this series has become a part of me now. I just love these people. I can't begin to describe it. Don't let it end, AMS! Please, keep writing this series. 💙💙💙
Please, someone tell me that the next book isn't the end of this series. I would be crushed. Yes, there are always rereads and I know he has written a ton of books I've still not read, but these people are almost part of my life now, having spent weeks reading all about them. I just go from one to the next, and I don't want the road to ever end. Mostly, I've been listening on audiobook, and this series has become a part of me now. I just love these people. I can't begin to describe it. Don't let it end, AMS! Please, keep writing this series. 💙💙💙
August 1, 2017
The 44 Scotland Street series is Alexander McCall-Smith’s chance to write about anything just for the fun of it. And that’s why I read them – to see how he’s plumbed his fertile imagination for new laugh-out-loud, implausible situations and observations. He is constrained only by the format imposed on the serialized publication of chapters. Hence each chapter is of a certain length, and each must end just slightly unresolved. Amid important rituals, his cast of characters from modern day Edinburgh weave in and out of the stories, delighting or infuriating us.
Any topic can be the source of humor. A few of the giggles in The Bertie Project:
• The Acceptable Circus, politically correct to a fault, has a vegetarian lion and a low wire act performed six inches above the ground.
• The second-grade class at the earnestly progressive Steiner School performs “Macbeth.”
• Modern monks eschew the making of bread or beer as income for the monastery. Instead they have become investors.
• Children at the up-market Watson’s School have a problem; they keep climbing into the wrong cars at the end of the school day, since their parents all drive Range Rovers.
• Scottish nudists are beset with profoundly serious organizational silliness: the Association of Scottish Nudists is in a struggle with Nudism Scotland, mostly as an Edinburgh-Glasgow leadership rivalry.
So McCall-Smith finds delightful ways to stick pins in modern life, but I confess to some weariness in his ongoing sideswipes at the Turner Prize, conceptual art, and wind turbines, somewhat tediously featured in every book. (Earlier books had some funny episodes about contemporary art; but enough already…)
As for the characters, they continue their romp through life’s events, large and small. Seven-year-old Bertie is still the star. Big Lou battles red tape to adopt her foster child. Irene finds fault in everything her mother-in-law, Nicola, does. The detested narcissist Bruce gets his comeuppance from a dominatrix Australian. The lovably eccentric Angus Lordie continues to write sentimental poetry.
Yet even amidst the wonderful laughs – including even a reflection on defenestration (!) – this eleventh book seems more melancholy to me. The obsession with Scotland grows more heavy handed and wistful. Then the beleaguered Stuart meets an attractive woman and seems headed finally for happiness, until his termagant wife Irene makes clear that she will remove the beloved Bertie from his life should he dare to leave. It’s a truly poignant episode, without the usual mitigating laughs.
I’ll be back, as long as McCall-Smith finds new ways to draw the battle between Bertie and Irene. What would life be if I could not root for Bertie?
Any topic can be the source of humor. A few of the giggles in The Bertie Project:
• The Acceptable Circus, politically correct to a fault, has a vegetarian lion and a low wire act performed six inches above the ground.
• The second-grade class at the earnestly progressive Steiner School performs “Macbeth.”
• Modern monks eschew the making of bread or beer as income for the monastery. Instead they have become investors.
• Children at the up-market Watson’s School have a problem; they keep climbing into the wrong cars at the end of the school day, since their parents all drive Range Rovers.
• Scottish nudists are beset with profoundly serious organizational silliness: the Association of Scottish Nudists is in a struggle with Nudism Scotland, mostly as an Edinburgh-Glasgow leadership rivalry.
So McCall-Smith finds delightful ways to stick pins in modern life, but I confess to some weariness in his ongoing sideswipes at the Turner Prize, conceptual art, and wind turbines, somewhat tediously featured in every book. (Earlier books had some funny episodes about contemporary art; but enough already…)
As for the characters, they continue their romp through life’s events, large and small. Seven-year-old Bertie is still the star. Big Lou battles red tape to adopt her foster child. Irene finds fault in everything her mother-in-law, Nicola, does. The detested narcissist Bruce gets his comeuppance from a dominatrix Australian. The lovably eccentric Angus Lordie continues to write sentimental poetry.
Yet even amidst the wonderful laughs – including even a reflection on defenestration (!) – this eleventh book seems more melancholy to me. The obsession with Scotland grows more heavy handed and wistful. Then the beleaguered Stuart meets an attractive woman and seems headed finally for happiness, until his termagant wife Irene makes clear that she will remove the beloved Bertie from his life should he dare to leave. It’s a truly poignant episode, without the usual mitigating laughs.
I’ll be back, as long as McCall-Smith finds new ways to draw the battle between Bertie and Irene. What would life be if I could not root for Bertie?
March 10, 2017
Will We Need Be Quit of Irene?
The next time a 'Bertie' book is released I'm flipping to the end to see if Irene gets her comeuppance. The joke of Lucy, a football & Charlie Brown just isn't funny anymore. If it ever was. I no longer care for those who tolerate her.
Apparently, there is no justice in Scotland. Except for those named Bruce.
The next time a 'Bertie' book is released I'm flipping to the end to see if Irene gets her comeuppance. The joke of Lucy, a football & Charlie Brown just isn't funny anymore. If it ever was. I no longer care for those who tolerate her.
Apparently, there is no justice in Scotland. Except for those named Bruce.
March 4, 2017
I used to find these books charming, but I think I'm over that.
March 1, 2017
I am losing interest in the Scotland Street series. Too many digressions, not enough about the characters. Where was Pat in this novel?
April 7, 2020
"The delightful goings on at 44 Scotland Street" my BUTT. This one was heartbreaking!
January 17, 2025
This series is such a comfort. When I need a virtual hug, I know that spending just a few hours with these characters who have become their own found family will bring me laughs, and comfort no matter what shenanigans they get into. I did miss Pat in this book. It was also surprisingly tender and a bit heartbreaking, it I’m hoping for maybe some joy returning for those characters in the next book.
Note - I always listen to the audiobook and they are perfectly done.
Note - I always listen to the audiobook and they are perfectly done.
March 11, 2017
Given that this book is the last in the series, or so I think, I was disappointed, disgusted and disgruntled that after waiting and hoping for Bertie's father Stuart to stand up to that tyrant Irene and finally demand that poor Bertie must no longer endure everything that he hates (psychotherapy, yoga, etc.) and that from now on he will be granted permission to get a Swiss Army knife and do the things little boys love to do, that once again Stuart capitulates, all his ruminating about how he must stand up to her for Bertie's sake notwithstanding. I was so upset I couldn't sleep upon finishing it! Yes, Stuart did the right thing by ending the affair, but he decides to see things from Irene's point of view and soldier on. What? SHE is not held responsible for HER affair, or for endeavoring to poison the minds of her poor children, of saying 'no' to everything Bertie asks for, for forcing her agenda on him? If he must stay married to her so he can keep his children, fine, but just to roll over once again becomes a selfish act, because he should be thinking first of poor Bertie, not himself. Certainly life doesn't always have a happy ending, but after reading Irene's disgusting behavior for 11 books, McCall Smith's readers deserved to see Bertie achieve some happiness!
Having gotten that out of my system, I do enjoy all of the philosophical chats between Dominica and Angus, and especially love Big Lou. Like another reviewer, I ask: Why was nothing resolved with Pat in this book? She seems to have just faded away. I also enjoyed all the commentary on political correctness gone amok, and the deeply felt love of Scotland by all the characters.
The only way I will give McCall Smith a pass on this one is if he comes out with book 12, and gives us the resolution we need for lovely Bertie! And Ulysses, too, for that matter! Another reviewer said it was time to kill off Irene, and I am not opposed, if that is the only way out! HAH!
Having gotten that out of my system, I do enjoy all of the philosophical chats between Dominica and Angus, and especially love Big Lou. Like another reviewer, I ask: Why was nothing resolved with Pat in this book? She seems to have just faded away. I also enjoyed all the commentary on political correctness gone amok, and the deeply felt love of Scotland by all the characters.
The only way I will give McCall Smith a pass on this one is if he comes out with book 12, and gives us the resolution we need for lovely Bertie! And Ulysses, too, for that matter! Another reviewer said it was time to kill off Irene, and I am not opposed, if that is the only way out! HAH!
December 22, 2016
I think the 44 Scotland St series are the most enjoyable of McCall Smith's books, even including his Botswana series. The author has free rein to go where he please, introduce characters just for the fun of it, forget pretty about plot, and is only constrained by having chapters of a particular length and the need for those chapters to leave us slightly up in the air. Beyond that, there's a 'who cares' attitude in place here, and McCall Smith makes the most of it. Anything is fodder for his story, which at best is like someone chatting away about a bunch of people we know and keeping us up to date on what's happening to them. So we have discussions of all manner of things, from religion to philosophy to male/female attitudes to life and so on; we have characters who have barely changed from the first 44 Scotland St book, and ones who are making a small amount of progress. We have the delicious atmosphere of Edinburgh, so different from the dark city of Ian Rankin's stories. And most of all we have McCall Smith's absurd humour which breaks out a great deal in this book, whether it's in the bronzed Australian woman sweeping everything (including the bedazzling Bruce) in her stride, or the Steiner school and its astonishing set of children, or Bertie's unquenchable optimism and honesty, or the daft names of some characters, or the Scottish Nudists struggling to keep their society afloat, or much more.
Take it as it comes, as you must do with this series: there's no logic or intricate plotting, just a huge delight in life and the people of this world.
Take it as it comes, as you must do with this series: there's no logic or intricate plotting, just a huge delight in life and the people of this world.
May 3, 2020
Still listening, still enjoying. I love hearing about Bertie, of course, but Irene becomes more loathsome all the time, and when it's impossible to imagine how much worse she could be, then she does it. I sometimes almost feel compassion for her, and then she goes and acts like a tyrant to poor Stuart, (who is a grown man, but now that she's holding his love for Bertie over his head, I'm done feeling anything for her) and, of course, Bertie. Angus's defenestration was hilarious (after being reassured of a positive outcome), and probably my favorite part, especially with the history of defenestrations thrown in. I do NOT appreciate the Scottish Nudists. I grow very weary of them. I love all the other characters - except Irene - I don't love Bruce, but he's very interesting nevertheless. Sometimes Smith reminds me of James Thurber - there are a lot of bossy women/girls (Irene - Ugh! Olive - Ugh! Claire is a bit bossy), and I worry about him.
April 13, 2017
I loved this installment. It made me laugh out loud. With a couple of caveats.
I wish:
There had been less about defenestration and more about the characters.
Big Lou had more page time! I'd love something good to happen to her.
AMC would eliminate the Nudist stuff. It's boring and unimportant and takes away from Bertie's story! I completely skipped the chapter with no ill effects.
But I love Nicola, was happy to hear from Tofu and Olive and was glad that there wasn't much about Angus and Domenica. I miss Pat and her roommates though.
Stuart is getting there. I sense freedom. If I was his lawyer I'd have told him he had a case.
I wish:
There had been less about defenestration and more about the characters.
Big Lou had more page time! I'd love something good to happen to her.
AMC would eliminate the Nudist stuff. It's boring and unimportant and takes away from Bertie's story! I completely skipped the chapter with no ill effects.
But I love Nicola, was happy to hear from Tofu and Olive and was glad that there wasn't much about Angus and Domenica. I miss Pat and her roommates though.
Stuart is getting there. I sense freedom. If I was his lawyer I'd have told him he had a case.
April 19, 2017
Poor Bertie. He deserves so much better. He was my favorite character. Actually, he's the only character that I liked. His parents are awful people. The other characters were marginally better.
The story itself was okay, and it was humorous in parts. I hated the ending, though. I really wanted a different outcome, especially for Stuart and Irene.
The setting was the best thing about this story. Scotland is somewhere I have always wanted to visit.
The story itself was okay, and it was humorous in parts. I hated the ending, though. I really wanted a different outcome, especially for Stuart and Irene.
The setting was the best thing about this story. Scotland is somewhere I have always wanted to visit.
September 5, 2016
Another lovely instalment in the Scotland street saga. Perhaps not as brilliant as the others, but still enjoyable.
March 10, 2017
2.5 stars. I think this series needs to be laid to rest now. It's really running out of dramatic steam.
August 3, 2023
The Scotland Street series is my go-to for comfort reading - light in style but full of warmth and perceptive insights into human nature - and Bertie Pollock has to be one of my favourite literary characters. In this episode, Bertie’s overpowering mother Irene has returned and is pursuing her ‘project’ of moulding her son in accordance with her theories, his father Stuart has met an attractive woman who may offer escape, Bruce the narcissist has fallen in love with an athletic Australian, and the Association of Scottish Nudists face a logistical problem.
This novel mixes the comic and the poignant so skilfully, and the resolution of the main plot strand is perfect in avoiding the predictable but still being totally convincing. The Edinburgh setting is wonderful, and the characters have become such favourites that I missed the ones that didn’t feature this time (like Pat) or only had a brief appearance. This series with its kindness and tolerance is the perfect antidote to the confrontational and aggressive voices that seem at times to dominate our age.
This novel mixes the comic and the poignant so skilfully, and the resolution of the main plot strand is perfect in avoiding the predictable but still being totally convincing. The Edinburgh setting is wonderful, and the characters have become such favourites that I missed the ones that didn’t feature this time (like Pat) or only had a brief appearance. This series with its kindness and tolerance is the perfect antidote to the confrontational and aggressive voices that seem at times to dominate our age.
July 17, 2024
I'm always glad to catch up with the residents of "44 Scotland Street," especially with Bertie! Poor kid! He's so cute and thoughtful. Good thing he has a good dad and grandmother, because his mother is awful!! I hope she will eventually get her comeuppance, but we'll see....
I guess I'll just have to keep reading -- I'm only 6 books behind in the series now!! ;)
I guess I'll just have to keep reading -- I'm only 6 books behind in the series now!! ;)
March 4, 2021
I really wish that when confronted, Stuart would have told Irene that he was getting a paternity test for Ulysses. I'm just saying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2017
I picked this book up in audio format, because I was in the mood for something domestic and comforting, and I remembered the Scotland Street books were ones I had enjoyed as a teenager for that very reason. Alexander McCall Smith is an excellent comic writer. He is adept at dialogue, and he captures those little scenes of quiet absurdity that happen between people.
However (and the irony of this criticism is not lost on me, given that I am exactly the type of person Smith seems to critique in the novel) I did find that the author's relentless small-c conservativism grated sufficiently to mar my enjoyment. Some of the subjects that repeatedly occur in this book: the oppression of men by women ("poor men!"), the diminishment of grammar by "illiterate fifteen year olds" and the literal equation of political correctness to fascism. I think these must be the musings of the author, rather than clever characterisations on his part, because every one of the sympathetic characters, regardless of their backgrounds or motivations, seem to hold them. Meanwhile, characters who hold opposing views are the villains of the piece.
As a feminist, leftist and grammar descriptivist, I can recognise that this isn't a book targeted to me. Which - fine. But even so, the tone of the piece overall was wearing - a kind of late-middle-aged equivalent of "does it offend you, yeah?!" Well, it didn't offend me. But it did tire me, and indeed bore me.
I love Bertie as a character, and I actually find the character of his mother hilarious. But where in the past I read her simply as a caricature of a certain 'type', she now seems to have expanded to represent all the worst faults of an ideology as Smith sees it. For me, the vivid scenes of this novel were not worth its patronising tone.
However (and the irony of this criticism is not lost on me, given that I am exactly the type of person Smith seems to critique in the novel) I did find that the author's relentless small-c conservativism grated sufficiently to mar my enjoyment. Some of the subjects that repeatedly occur in this book: the oppression of men by women ("poor men!"), the diminishment of grammar by "illiterate fifteen year olds" and the literal equation of political correctness to fascism. I think these must be the musings of the author, rather than clever characterisations on his part, because every one of the sympathetic characters, regardless of their backgrounds or motivations, seem to hold them. Meanwhile, characters who hold opposing views are the villains of the piece.
As a feminist, leftist and grammar descriptivist, I can recognise that this isn't a book targeted to me. Which - fine. But even so, the tone of the piece overall was wearing - a kind of late-middle-aged equivalent of "does it offend you, yeah?!" Well, it didn't offend me. But it did tire me, and indeed bore me.
I love Bertie as a character, and I actually find the character of his mother hilarious. But where in the past I read her simply as a caricature of a certain 'type', she now seems to have expanded to represent all the worst faults of an ideology as Smith sees it. For me, the vivid scenes of this novel were not worth its patronising tone.
February 2, 2017
Fiction - #44 Scotland Street series
BRAVO!! I am thrilled with this #11 book, featuring dear, sweet, innocent Bertie Pollock (age 7); his domineering, pushy mother Irene; Stuart, who is desperately unhappy in his marriage to Irene, but lacks the backbone to stand up to her; and Ulysses, the family's baby. Nicola, Stuart's mother, provides a weekly Saturday morning respite for Bertie to visit his friends, or suggest what he would like to do.
AMC has returned to his sparkling, LOL writing about the various residents, their lives, and inter-relationships. I was relieved and happy that in this book AMC has left out the vast majority of discussions of philosophy, abstract art, light, etc. that made book #10 a big disappointment. Domenica is the main culprit here.
The pace is fast-moving, with lots of twists and surprises in so many of the characters' lives, much of it LOL funny. Even the minor characters and/or groups are entertaining. Almost every sentence is delightful, or in some cases, makes the reader think OH NO, this is going to head in the direction of "it's sure going to hit the fan"! AMC even squeezes in one sentence of Cyril (the dog)/Matthew's ankles, reminding the reader of yet another quirky thread in this amazing series.
Little Olive's friend Patsy seems to have embraced the attempt to torment poor Bertie at school, although the teacher is alert to call them off. Tofu, Larch and Hiawatha (schoolmates) add to the fun.
I can't wait for #12!
BRAVO!! I am thrilled with this #11 book, featuring dear, sweet, innocent Bertie Pollock (age 7); his domineering, pushy mother Irene; Stuart, who is desperately unhappy in his marriage to Irene, but lacks the backbone to stand up to her; and Ulysses, the family's baby. Nicola, Stuart's mother, provides a weekly Saturday morning respite for Bertie to visit his friends, or suggest what he would like to do.
AMC has returned to his sparkling, LOL writing about the various residents, their lives, and inter-relationships. I was relieved and happy that in this book AMC has left out the vast majority of discussions of philosophy, abstract art, light, etc. that made book #10 a big disappointment. Domenica is the main culprit here.
The pace is fast-moving, with lots of twists and surprises in so many of the characters' lives, much of it LOL funny. Even the minor characters and/or groups are entertaining. Almost every sentence is delightful, or in some cases, makes the reader think OH NO, this is going to head in the direction of "it's sure going to hit the fan"! AMC even squeezes in one sentence of Cyril (the dog)/Matthew's ankles, reminding the reader of yet another quirky thread in this amazing series.
Little Olive's friend Patsy seems to have embraced the attempt to torment poor Bertie at school, although the teacher is alert to call them off. Tofu, Larch and Hiawatha (schoolmates) add to the fun.
I can't wait for #12!
February 8, 2017
I fell in love with Alexander McCall Smith's work through his No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and ever since then I have tried to read everything I can by him. He writes books that are full of stories that are just a pure joy to read and I am so glad I got to read a review of his latest! It lives up to his standards and my expectations. If you love a good, cozy, heartfelt and funny read than this is a good choice.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy.
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