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The Penguin Book of Scottish Short Stories
In the twenty stories collected here we are given a multifaceted view of Scotland, the Scos and the Scottish short story. The stories range from Roman Britain, through the trials of those at home during the Second World War, to a country and people determined to assert their independence.
247 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
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About the author
J.F. Hendry
13 books3 followersJ.F. Hendry was a Scottish writer. He is best known for his novel about growing up in the West of Scotland, Fernie Brae (1947), and as the pioneering editor, along with Henry Treece, of the three anthologies, The New Apocalypse, White Horsemen and Crown and Sickle, and as the author of two volumes of verse, The Bombed Happiness and Orchestral Mountain, and of the epic poem Marimarusa.
He was educated at Whitehill School in Dennistoun and was a student of Modern Languages at the University of Glasgow although he did not graduate. He served in the Intelligence Corps during the Second World War and when the war was over he left Scotland to travel through Europe, Africa and North America as a translator with the United Nations. He was for many years Director of the School of Translators and Interpreters at Laurentian University, Ontario, Canada. He died in Toronto in 1986.
He was educated at Whitehill School in Dennistoun and was a student of Modern Languages at the University of Glasgow although he did not graduate. He served in the Intelligence Corps during the Second World War and when the war was over he left Scotland to travel through Europe, Africa and North America as a translator with the United Nations. He was for many years Director of the School of Translators and Interpreters at Laurentian University, Ontario, Canada. He died in Toronto in 1986.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 31, 2017
A few good stories amoungst this but not nearly enough to salvage it for me.
November 30, 2024
Von Geschichten schottischer Autoren erwartet man hauptsächlich Kilts, Clans, nebliges Hochland, Sagen von Seefahrern und viel Whisky. Als diese Sammlung 1970 verlegt wurde war diese Erwartungshaltung wahrscheinlich noch viel höher denn wie sonst könnte man erklären, dass man in diesem Buch hauptsächlich bekannte Autoren wie George Mackay Brown, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Robin Jenkins oder Neil M. Gunn findet?
Die Geschichten dieser Autoren erfüllen durchaus die Erwartungen. So erzählt George Mackay Brown eine Sage von den Orkneyinseln, Ian Finlay Hamilton erzählt von einem armen Künstler in der großen Stadt und Neil Gunn eine Begebenheit der "travelling people" die sich wie viele seiner Kurzgeschichten in einem seiner Romane wiederfindet.
Einzig Robin Jenkins Geschichte Christian Justice sticht aus der Gruppe der "alten Autoren" heraus. Er beschreibt die Geschichte eines indischen Ehepaars das aufgrund einer Kleinigkeit einer Kollegin das Leben zur Hölle macht. Ihr Verhalten rechtfertigen die beiden mit ihrem tiefen Glauben den sie fanatisch ausleben. Dieses Motiv erinnert mich an John Buchans Witchwood. Leider findet sich von diesem Autor keine Geschichte in der Sammlung.
In der Sammlung finden sich auch eine Reihe "jüngerer" Autoren (das waren sie zumindest damals in den siebziger Jahren). Der Stil dieser Autoren unterscheidet sich durch eine gewisse Leichtigkeit von den oben genannten Werken. Auch die Geschichten die erzählt werden sind anders schon allein weil sie nicht zwangsläufig in Schottland spielen. Besonders gefallen hat mir aus dieser Gruppe Naomi Mitchisons Mithras, my saviour. Die Geschichte spielt zwar in Schottland, aber zur Zeit der Römer und wirft ein ganz anderes Licht auf die bemalten Barbaren als die die Römer die Einheimischen ansahen.
Ich fand diese Zusammenstellung sehr interessant auch wenn mir nicht alle Geschichten gefallen haben. Beim Lesen kam bei mir der Gedanke auf wie eine solche Sammlung heute aussehen würde und welche Autoren darin vertreten wären. Wie wäre es mit Iain Banks, Andrew Greig, John Mackay oder Christopher Brookmyre? Und was würden die "alten Autoren" dazu sagen?
Die Geschichten dieser Autoren erfüllen durchaus die Erwartungen. So erzählt George Mackay Brown eine Sage von den Orkneyinseln, Ian Finlay Hamilton erzählt von einem armen Künstler in der großen Stadt und Neil Gunn eine Begebenheit der "travelling people" die sich wie viele seiner Kurzgeschichten in einem seiner Romane wiederfindet.
Einzig Robin Jenkins Geschichte Christian Justice sticht aus der Gruppe der "alten Autoren" heraus. Er beschreibt die Geschichte eines indischen Ehepaars das aufgrund einer Kleinigkeit einer Kollegin das Leben zur Hölle macht. Ihr Verhalten rechtfertigen die beiden mit ihrem tiefen Glauben den sie fanatisch ausleben. Dieses Motiv erinnert mich an John Buchans Witchwood. Leider findet sich von diesem Autor keine Geschichte in der Sammlung.
In der Sammlung finden sich auch eine Reihe "jüngerer" Autoren (das waren sie zumindest damals in den siebziger Jahren). Der Stil dieser Autoren unterscheidet sich durch eine gewisse Leichtigkeit von den oben genannten Werken. Auch die Geschichten die erzählt werden sind anders schon allein weil sie nicht zwangsläufig in Schottland spielen. Besonders gefallen hat mir aus dieser Gruppe Naomi Mitchisons Mithras, my saviour. Die Geschichte spielt zwar in Schottland, aber zur Zeit der Römer und wirft ein ganz anderes Licht auf die bemalten Barbaren als die die Römer die Einheimischen ansahen.
Ich fand diese Zusammenstellung sehr interessant auch wenn mir nicht alle Geschichten gefallen haben. Beim Lesen kam bei mir der Gedanke auf wie eine solche Sammlung heute aussehen würde und welche Autoren darin vertreten wären. Wie wäre es mit Iain Banks, Andrew Greig, John Mackay oder Christopher Brookmyre? Und was würden die "alten Autoren" dazu sagen?
January 15, 2024
this book was really good most of the time and like super boring some of the time. but mostly really good? i think the scottish are good at dark humor in the sense that it’s really not that dark and that’s why they love it so much. it’s dark in the way i think winter days are dark, meaning the light is just short. it’s true that edinburgh is too cold to create a good artist, but that’s just my own resentment at reading this in very cold edinburgh. i think a lot of these stories have trouble sticking the landing, but i don’t think that’s a strictly scottish problem. i think the scottish are some of the best at writing about war and having care for people we don’t understand in our circles. so that’s moving. good collection. worth it for sure. except when it’s not. but good ratio.
May 30, 2019
It‘s a great summary of short stories that either play on Scottish soil, are affiliated to Scottish authors or are in any other way connect to culture, nature and thought of this beautiful country. All stories in this anthology open up new worlds and perspectives, display various fictional characters, and provide the reader with thoughtful insights about the Scottish life in different times and places. This collection is not only a helpful companion for English literature students, but for everyone connected to this particular tribe of people to be loved.
August 9, 2017
I felt I'm reading into a totally different generation that lived long ago.
It's a good feeling to be able to transport back in time through reading.
It's a good feeling to be able to transport back in time through reading.
December 29, 2019
A very fine collection of short stories! Great if you want to discover some new authors and get an idea of what their work is all about :)
February 25, 2023
Quaint wee book. My favorite stories were those of A Wee Nip and The Caves of Altamira.
August 5, 2022
Looking forward to a two-week stay in Edinburgh, I was very keen to read something Scottish and felt that a collection of short stories would be a good choice. This particular one had had two editions which I took as a good sign. I was also attracted by the editor’s pronouncement that “ ….if a writer is Scots, something of the Scottish spirit must inevitably emerge from his work”. This got me wondering what the Scottish spirit might be. I am afraid, I was none the wiser when I finished the collection. Unless, by spirit we are to understand the liquid kind, of which some of the stories have plenty. Drinking culture is said to be strongly Scottish and that came across very clearly in “ A wee nip”, for example. Scots men seem led by their women and some of them are forces to be reckoned with, having plenty of “Smeddum”, like Mistress Menzies and just one of her numerous daughters.
Reading the stories proved a challenge of endurance. Often I was not sure why I carried on reading other than for the fact that I had started the book and felt duty bound to finish it.
Although at times I felt irritated that quite a few stories had no other relationship to Scotland than that the writer is Scots, I was compensated by some really excellent ones. Amongst them, Mirahuano was heart-breakingly sad as was The Caves of Altamira story set in the London Blitz. But what the title was about remained a mystery to me. London being bombed features again in the surrealistic The House of the Famous Poet.
Some stories left me completely cold, like Vocation. And what was the Potato Planters and the Old Joiner’s Funeral about? What was the point about Mithras, My Saviour set in Londinium?
I felt quite engaged with Anna, the Russian (?) student of English facing a choice which is then taken away by a trivial event. Christian Justice was comically sad.
Some evoked Edinburgh and Edinburgh society vividly and these were the ones I liked best. I liked recognising the streets and squares where the the story was happening. I felt a bit part of the story myself having walked around the same places. One Edinburgh-based story, Sealskin trousers, takes a quite unexpected turn which feels scary but has a tenderness to it.
The introduction gives some information about some of the writers, although not quite enough, especially if the reader is a newcomer to Scottish writing.
I do not totally regret reading these short stories, as a backdrop to my Edinburgh stay this time around. Next time, I hope to discover some more ”Scottish” writing, although I do not think I will take up Walter Scott, like my husband does!
Reading the stories proved a challenge of endurance. Often I was not sure why I carried on reading other than for the fact that I had started the book and felt duty bound to finish it.
Although at times I felt irritated that quite a few stories had no other relationship to Scotland than that the writer is Scots, I was compensated by some really excellent ones. Amongst them, Mirahuano was heart-breakingly sad as was The Caves of Altamira story set in the London Blitz. But what the title was about remained a mystery to me. London being bombed features again in the surrealistic The House of the Famous Poet.
Some stories left me completely cold, like Vocation. And what was the Potato Planters and the Old Joiner’s Funeral about? What was the point about Mithras, My Saviour set in Londinium?
I felt quite engaged with Anna, the Russian (?) student of English facing a choice which is then taken away by a trivial event. Christian Justice was comically sad.
Some evoked Edinburgh and Edinburgh society vividly and these were the ones I liked best. I liked recognising the streets and squares where the the story was happening. I felt a bit part of the story myself having walked around the same places. One Edinburgh-based story, Sealskin trousers, takes a quite unexpected turn which feels scary but has a tenderness to it.
The introduction gives some information about some of the writers, although not quite enough, especially if the reader is a newcomer to Scottish writing.
I do not totally regret reading these short stories, as a backdrop to my Edinburgh stay this time around. Next time, I hope to discover some more ”Scottish” writing, although I do not think I will take up Walter Scott, like my husband does!
August 15, 2014
When I bought this book I assumed that at least some of the stories in it would be relatively recent, but that turned out not to be the case. The first edition of the collection was published in 1970 so obviously nothing is later than that.
Another cause for disappointment was that hardly any of the stories are written in Scots dialect of any kind, and that some aren't even set in Scotland. A better title might therefore have been "The Penguin Book of Short Stories by Scottish Writers".
As I'm a huge fan of Lewis Grassic Gibbon it was great to read "Smeddum" again and I also enjoyed "Elephants, bairns and old men" by Fred Urqhuart - but other than that the rest of the stories left me cold.
A disappointment.
Another cause for disappointment was that hardly any of the stories are written in Scots dialect of any kind, and that some aren't even set in Scotland. A better title might therefore have been "The Penguin Book of Short Stories by Scottish Writers".
As I'm a huge fan of Lewis Grassic Gibbon it was great to read "Smeddum" again and I also enjoyed "Elephants, bairns and old men" by Fred Urqhuart - but other than that the rest of the stories left me cold.
A disappointment.
January 27, 2015
Apart from a few gems this is like Welsh version. I just have the Irish one to read and quite frankly not looking forward to it. Each of these books has good production values and some cracking authors but fail to inspire me to read more of any of the authors. Those I have read before quite often these are the weakest of their works.
November 1, 2015
Bit of a mixed bag as with any short story collection, however the hits do outweigh the misses, with particular highlights being the editor's own contribution "The Caves of Altamira", Neil McCallum's "A House in Sicily" and, perhaps unsurprisingly, Muriel Spark's piece "The House of the Famous Poet"
April 16, 2025
i read ‘Vocation’ by Dorothy K. Haynes, analysed it for college. Its crazy how much work is put into so little pages, it makes me wanna dig deeper into scottish horror short stories tbh.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews