Greyhound for Breakfast

by James Kelman

A collection of short stories revealing the toughness and the ironies of life among the inner cities and tenement blocks of Glasgow, Manchester, and London

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Scotland, 20th Century

229 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

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

[Korcan Derinsu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kahvaltıda Tazı, birbirinden bağımsız ama aynı dünyanın havasını taşıyan çok sert, çok gündelik, çok Glasgow öykülerden oluşuyor. Yazarla ilk tanışmam olduğu için tarzına dair de bir fikrim yoktu doğrusu. Kitabın başında çevirmen Filiz Karaküçük’ün sunuş yazısı oldukça yardımcı oldu. Yazıda Kelman’ın karakterlerde “bilincin” izini süren bir yazar olduğu söyleniyordu. İlk okuduğumda bunu tam anlayamamıştım ama öyküleri okuyunca ne denmek istediğini anlamış oldum. Bu kitaptaki öyküler öyle büyük çatışmaları, büyük sürprizleri barındırmıyor. Hemen hepsi karakterin iç dünyasının dış dünyayla kurduğu temasa dair. Her şey fazlasıyla gerçek ve genelde küçük bir ana odaklılar (bir bar kavgası, sokakta geçen bir konuşma, yanlış anlaşılma, bekleyen bir telefon, boşa giden bir gün vs.). Yazarın işçi sınıfını, topluma sinmiş öfkeyi ve gündelik hayatın nasıl da birçok şiddet unsuru barındırdığını gösterme şekli de oldukça kendine has. Zaten en çok da bu biricik halini sevdim çünkü normalde bu kadar gerçekçi öyküleri çok sevmiyorum. Hatta itiraf edeyim buradaki birçok öyküyü de çok fazla bir şey hissedemeden okudum ancak kitabı bitirince de aklımdaki resim daha bir tamamlanmış oldu sanki. Yine de başka bir Kelman kitabı için can attığımı söyleyemem. Tabii bunda bendeki kopyada bir 30 sayfanın eksik olmasının da payı var. Böyle bir şeyle karşılaşınca hemen tadım kaçıyor. Okur şımarıklığı da diyebilirsiniz ama ne demek istediğimin anlaşıldığını düşünüyorum. Okuyamadığım ve sunuş yazısında bahsedilen öyküyü de (Kırmızı Kakadular) üşenmeyip anadilinden okuyacağım bir vakit. Favorilerim “İhtiyar Francis”, “Köpekli Adam”, “Elli Peni”, “ruha dair”, “Doktorun odasında” ve “Kahvaltıda Tazı”.

[Sean Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply put, James Kelman's Greyhound for Breakfast is a masterful short story collection. So powerful and emotional, the work of an artist revealing modern life in all its fragility and absurdity. The stories vary, from working class men on the dole to philosophical investigations, to profound existential realisations and even the simple Glaswegian slice-of-life tale of a young paperboy.

All, however, reveal an obsessional use of language, whether the eloquence of the narrator in The Red Cuckatoos or A History or the understated brilliance of Home for a Couple of Days and The weans and that. Kelman's obsessive use of language can draw positive comparisons to that of Beckett or Kafka, both themselves short story masters. Kelman's masterful use of stream of consciousness interior monologue, both in first and third person, permeate throughout the collection.

"Something had happened and my life had altered in a way that might never have appeared significant to an onlooker, but as far as I was concerned, having to live this life, I knew it could never hope to be the same again, and I started to smile."

And like Beckett and some of Kafka's short fiction, there's no distinguishable beginning, middle and end in these Kelman short stories. Most are not even stories in a conventional sense. They are fragments or excerpts from the lives of these characters. None seem molded with a backstory, pre-set in the God narrative. They are there, dealing with reality or reacting to their actions and consequences, and life goes on. There's the absolute beauty of Kelman's short fiction.

[Innogen Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cornerstone of working class Scottish literature, and for that I love it. There are some great short stories in this collection, a really true reflection of everyday life at times. At others, however, the stories Kelman injects into this collection are a bit weak, and aimless (not in his usual stream of consciousness way). It’s hard to understand some of those specific stories upon the first read; perhaps I’ll have a totally different opinion if I ever re-read this collection again.

A really visceral read at times though, my favourite short is the first story - and the titular Greyhound for Breakfast is an enjoyable read also. I think I prefer ‘Not Not While the Giro’ though. This collection was definitely less engaging and thought provoking.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

James Kelman writes from inside people's heads - he can talk about what's going inside there just as much as the character can themselves and no more. You can see where people can't allow themselves to think things, where they themselves don't know what is happening. It's crafted writing; 'It's an exploratory nature – it's deep water, and it's difficult to discuss it within an interview format.' (Kelman in guardian interview). It's like Beckett in that you feel what is happening rather than clearly understanding it and they both use language like as if it was a solid thing to be carved up, shoved around and played with.

And it's funny!

The stories are wee snapshots of life, and quite frequently snapshots that most people wouldn't take in the first place or would throw away because readers and writers 'don't want to see these people in literature. These areas of human experience [I write about] should not appear in public; we don't want to know. We know that people are in the street, that they have no money and are maybe begging, but we don't want to see them in literature. They should be swept under the carpet."

It's not often that you have normal people in literature really. The majority of people. Worries about money, kids, violence, feeling daft. Feelings of lust, embarrassment, snobbery, jubilation; it's all just normal stuff really but it's stuff that I've certainly never experienced in literature in a way like this and I enjoyed it. Moments of minor resentment like 'Samaritans'. Wee dreamscapes like 'Incident on a windswept beach'. And nice to read language being used in a Scottish way as well! It is nice. Not bitter or patriotic or anything. It just makes you feel more at home and a bit privileged to be on the comfortable inside of something.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kelman writes with a very clear vision that I could see, smell, and feel in my mind. The Scottish slang, however, was alienating for me as a native New Yorker (as I'm sure a book written by a Brooklynite would be alientating to a Glaswegian reader). Overall the stories reminded me of Glasgow and spoke of working-class Scotland to the core, it just wasn't my scene.

[Alex Leggatt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just wasn't really a fan of this one, none of the stories really seemed to affect me all that much. Chose to read it for my post-war fiction exam; wouldn't read it out of choice in hindsight. Bit of a disappointment after the fun time I had reading How Late...

[Cameron Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

great stuff! Kelman does an excellent job of doing what Tom Leonard called for in writing “what normal people actually do between the hours of waking up and going to bed” (or something along those lines)

[Eoghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a mixed bag, some great short stories, some not so great. Enjoyable overall.

[Russell George · Rating 2 out of 5]

James Kelman is a like a less salacious Irvine Welsh. Often writing in Glaswegian dialect, his world is one of smoky betting shops, serial boozers and bad diets. But whereas his Booker prize winning ‘How Late it Was, How Late’ was enthralling and passionately written – it’s the stream-of-consciousness of a man who goes blind after being beaten up by the police, and his first day coming to terms with his new condition – somehow this collection didn’t do it for me. The title piece is really good, but most of the rest felt like sketchy ideas that hadn’t been fully developed. Some were interesting, but others were so short they were baffling. Kelman’s gift for characterisation should be suited to short stories, and if the pieces had been loosely linked he could have created a more cohesive whole. As it was, this collection has neither sense of place or purpose, and was a real disappointment.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

James Kelman is an angry man. You’d expect that to be a natural trait of a Glaswegian, but he’s taken 47 accounts of living on the line and has gathered them into one compilation. His characters are the lowest of the low; whether it’s a tramp begging for some change, a worker living in the stockroom or a man simply trying to balance the books till the next giro, there’s always an action that makes you want to feel apathetic towards them. Some accounts are simply a stream of conscious; most are colloquial, but all are first person perspectives. Expect smoking, vulgar language and lots of missing storylines and human depravity. But the clear point is that the situation of his characters all seem to be blamed on society’s actions which quite often portrays them as very angry indeed. If you’re looking for life-long inspiration then this is not for you; but if you’re looking for betrayal and human selfishness in a dog-eat-dog world then these short stories will do you just fine.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favourite Kelman book, not for the stories but for the fantastic week I had reading it. After a tedious summer working in Toronto, I got a cheap flight to France and stayed in Rennes in Brittany. On my first day I found a copy of this in a second-hand bookshop and sat reading it during a few idle days with a glass of cold beer in my other hand. After a week I felt nourished and refreshed. I've just checked and I see it still has the 50 franc sticker on it. I always wanted to write to the author and say "thanks" but never did.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kelman has an art for writing depressing books about the plight of the Scottish working class citizen and this is no dissapointment to his name. This is actually a collection of short stories. This book will drag you down into the dregs with the various main characters, but it is an honest presentation of the average Scotsmen presnted by a Scotsmen. Do not approach any peice of work by Kelman in search for a happy ending or light at the end of the tunnel. Instead, look and receive reality presented in raw and unsavory language, as it usually displays itself in life.

[Catriona · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short stories, some so short they're only 1 paragraph long, and some decidedly odd. I won't claim to have understood everything in this book, but when Kelman writes about people living ordinary lives in ordinary places he is unbeatable.

[Machim]

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[Bart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Preferred Edward St. Aubyn's satirical Wot you starin at? to the genuine article.