One City

by Alexander McCall Smith, Ian Rankin, Irvine Welsh

Scotland’s capital city enjoys immense international prestige for its cultural and artistic excellence, but it is also a city of stark contrasts. Edinburgh is the inspiration for this humorous and imaginative short story collection from three of its finest contemporary writers.

Alexander McCall Smith, Ian Rankin and Irvine Welsh offer radically different takes on Edinburgh life: a homesick biologist from Delhi comes to a startling conclusion; two Homeless World Cup players become entangled in a magical world of illusion; and tiger-related mayhem breaks out in Murrayfield. J.K. Rowling introduces these intriguing perspectives with a thoughtful account of her move to Edinburgh and her life there.

All proceeds from the book will go to the OneCity Trust, which campaigns for social justice in Edinburgh.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Scotland, Contemporary, Crime

111 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Alexander 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.

Reviews

[Nat K · Rating 3 out of 5]

What do a homesick doctor, a would-be illusionist and a tiger have in common? A clue. Starts with “E” and ends with “H”. Give up? It’s Edinburgh. Scotland the brave’s capital.

I felt like something short and snappy to read, and this novella was the perfect Friday night choice. Three amazing authors, writing three very different stories set in their home city.

The Unfortunate Fate of Kitty Da Silva is the first story, and my favourite of three. It’s by Alexander McCall Smith, and whenever I read a short story by him, I wonder why I don’t read more of his work.

This tells the story of Dr. John, a man in his twenties, in Edinburgh to further his medical studies. Originally from Cochin, India, he’s at a loss for how to settle into his new environment. Speaking the language is easy enough, but do people always say what they mean and mean what they say? Or are they simply making polite conversation?

And even more confusing are the feelings he pretends are not developing for his downstairs neighbour...When does a friend become something more, and when do you admit to yourself that this is happening?

”He had been told that an invitation did not necessarily mean that you were invited. It was just one of the ways in which people were polite. Was this such an invitation, or was he really being invited?”

The second story Showtime is by Ian Rankin, and I can’t pretend to have understood it all. Tricksters or street performers? Illusionists always frustrate me when I watch them on TV, as I don’t know how it’s possible we can have the wool pulled over our eyes so easily. Or is some of it real? Set around the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Tiger is a Big Issue seller who watches a busker do amazing things, and decides he wants to learn this nearly lost art too. I don’t understand the fascination with magic tricks. This story lost me along the way.

” ‘I’m not a crook, son, and I’d rather not see the inside of a jail cell. How about you?’
‘Banged up once or twice,’ Tiger admitted.
‘Fun, was it?’
‘The tea was better than you get at the shelter.’ ”

Murrayfield (You’re Having A Laugh) is story three, and the last one of this tiny collection. Being by Irvine Welsh, you know it’ll be out there, and this one doesn’t disappoint. A tiger on the loose, a postie who thinks he's smoked too much puff on his lunch break, making him think he was imagining seeing a tiger (snacking on a pet dog which used to terrorise him when delivering mail), a zoo that has no idea if one of their tigers has escaped...What could go wrong. Biting farce, as only Welsh can do. The tiger is ironically called Kipling. It turns out he's the "exotic pet" of a drug dealer, who's gone for some well earned r'n'r to Texas. Ah, Irvine, only you could think of this. In his inimitable style, this leaves no holds barred, and I couldn’t help but laugh at some of the simply bizarre synchronicities and crazy one liners that were said. It is heavy with irony. It's quite brilliant. Which makes me think, perhaps the Penrith panther isn’t an urban myth after all?

” - What dae ye mean?
Bloody tiger nonsense. You and thon postie. Youse never liked that dog, Mrs Jardine tearfully accused.”

” - Kipling! Kippers! Ma wee laddie!”

This wee read is like having a few cheese and crackers with a nip of port. It won’t leave you full, but it will make you happy enough.

The proceeds from the sale of this book went directly to the OneCity Trust. A quick click online shows that it’s still running, which is great news, considering this book has a print date of 2005. I know, I know, I get around to most of my books eventually (she says with her fingers crossed behind her back).

The charity was created to provide inclusion and support for those whom society normally excludes. Those living on the fringes for whatever reason. It’s great to see it’s still there, I’d imagine doing great work.

https://onecitytrust.com/

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Storie di inclusione sociale nella Edimburgo di oggi, scritto da tre grandissimi autori cittadini!

[Dhara · Rating 3 out of 5]

lovely book of short stories

[Klela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il primo racconto di Alexander McCall Smith davvero molto delicato e quasi commovente. Mi è piaciuto il protagonista che faceva paragoni con l'India pur riconoscendo di dover fare qualcosa per integrarsi nel nuovo contesto.
Il secondo di Ian Rankin...non l'ho capito mica troppo e non mi ha tanto entusiasmato.
Il terzo di Irvine Welsh...stravagante. Non ho mai letto nulla di questo autore e non penso di poterlo capire solo da questo breve (brevissimo) racconto, ma mi sembra un tipo di scrittura particolare che potrebbe piacermi...grazie a questo racconto i suoi libri sono saliti più su nella lista dei TBR. Mi piacerebbe però leggerlo in lingua originale anche se immagino sia infarcito di slang.
Mi ha incuriosito il fatto che in tutti e tre le storie ci fosse, con più o meno importanza, una tigre...pensavo avesse a che fare in un qualche modo con Edimburgo o con l'associazione che il libro va a finanziare ma non ho trovato nessuna informazione in Internet.
Mi sarebbero piaciuti più racconti ma soprattutto maggiori riferimenti ad Edimburgo e alla vita scozzese...solo la prima storia mi ha soddisfatto in questo senso.

[JennanneJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've had this book on my wishlist for so long - probably since it came out! I finally bought a copy and...meh.

I lived in Edinburgh for a while, hence my interest. And, while it was fun to recognize some of the areas mentioned in these three short stories, I didn't love them. Short stories are hard. By the time you get invested in the characters, the story has ended! Not a bad collection of short stories- I finished them all. The cross-cultural romance, the magician, the tiger! (Yes, a tiger in Edinburgh...I don't know what that was about.)

[Tumelo Moleleki · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the first story to be somewhat condescending to the people of the race the protag belongs
The second story was a lot nicer to read and interesting enough to keep me engaged
I stopped reading the last story due to strong language, so it was trash!
Since I read 2 out of 3, I am rating and reviewing it

[Bethnoir · Rating 3 out of 5]

I ran out of reading material when on holiday in Edinburgh and found this in a local charity shop. It was fun to read stories based in the city whilst exploring it. Each was interesting in its own way and for a good cause.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I particularly liked the first story, but was disappointed with the other two.

[Dew · Rating 1 out of 5]

Enfin!!! j'ai terminé ce livre. Je ne suis pas un grand fan de romans courts parce que j'ai l'impression que beaucoup de choses sont manquées, et ce livre ne fait pas exception.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

worth a read - three views of Edinburgh today

[Suzanne Fournier · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 short stories by Edinburgh authors in support of OneCity Trust set in Edinburgh.

I wanted to read this because of McCall Smith's part in it but I think I enjoyed Ian Rankin's more.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

What's with the Tiger's?

[Filip Olšovský · Rating 3 out of 5]

Halfway there. You can tell these are experienced writers able to build characters and make you curious about a storyline... only to finish it sooner than they normally would.

[Silvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ero già convinta a “Edimburgo”, ma la mia storia preferita è stata senza dubbio la prima. La seconda mmmh. La terza no.

[Alex Ankarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

lovely, fantastic and amazing! wow, so good!!!!

[Cosmin Mihail · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pish posh book, lazy writing, the last story is a complete hogwash.

P.S. I did like Rankin's but just because he is Rankin.
P.P.S. The best part about this book? J.K. Rowling's introduction.

[Yura Shinkevich · Rating 2 out of 5]

Слабенький сборник, прочитал в основном из-за Ирвина.
Первая история из разряда что я вообще прочитал и зачем
Вторая история из разряда интересно, хочу изучить автора поподробнее в будущем
Третья же самого Ирвина как по мне слишком скучная для его стиля.

4,5/10

[Armando Turbiglio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sono sincero, ho comprato il libro principalmente per l’introduzione di J.K. Rowling e perché i racconti sono ambientati a Edimburgo. Fortunatamente sono riuscito a trovarlo, nonostante in Italia risulti fuori catalogo, e devo dire che ne è valsa davvero la pena: sono racconti veramente, veramente belli!

[Gill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This slim volume was produced to aid the trust set up to try to give people with unequal access to Edinburgh's facilities social justice. Three of Edinburgh's famous contemporary writers pledged the proceeds of the book to the fund.
The stories deal with characters who for various reasons are not "equal" in their Edinburgh lives.
The AMS story is first and was the one I enjoyed most. It concerns an Indian who has moved to Edinbugh from India as a doctor, an achiver, but never-the-less feels wary of taking what he is told at face value, and erects a barrier to becoming better acquainted with people.
The Ian Rankin story is the longest, but felt 'thinner' than the AMS one to me. Its central character is an out of work man who sells the Big Issue and his meeting with his Russian counterpart. It is skillfully crafted.
The third, by Irvin Welsh ostensibly about a tiger on the loose, features council-house deprived people and a man with money but no moral values. It did not engage me at all, and seemed beyond the realms of reality, whereas the other two had the sound of sense and possibility.
It was a quick read, the stories support a good cause, but I found them a bit unsatisfying, as I prefer the development of character that only really normally flourishes in a novel.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of three short stories by authors from Edinburgh, with an introduction by J.K. Rowling, who has lived in Edinburgh almost her entire adult life. The book was written as a fundraiser for the One City Trust, which works to alleviate the problems of "social exclusion" in Edinburgh. I thought the collection was quite good. All three stories have something to do with tigers in one way or another. The first story has a twist related to a tiger; the second has a character named "Tiger"; and the third involves a tiger on the loose in Edinburgh. I've read books by all three of these authors and I enjoy them all. I saw Alexander McCall Smith's books on a table labeled "easy lit" recently and I suppose you could categorize his stories this way. I find his writing very enjoyable and usually a very fast read, which I suppose you could say qualifies it as "easy" although I also find it intelligent and quite witty. The books I've read of his are from the 44 Scotland Street series so I don't know about the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. I enjoy Ian Rankin's style, too, and I found his story quite clever. Irvine Welsh's story is rather graphic and gory but funny at the same time.

[Roberta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tre artisti locali regalano 3 racconti per la città di Edimburgo, per aiutare l'associazione che si occupa di livellare le disparità sociali della capitale scozzese. Ho vissuto in Scozia, so che queste cose funzionano, il che rende la raccolta ancora più interessante.
Per gli italiani si tratta di storie dal sapore vagamente esotico, per gli scozzesi di uno spaccato di casa, con tutto il multiculturalismo che lo contraddistingue.

Alexander McCall Smith: un ricercatore indiano appena arrivato ad Edimburgo rimane perplesso di fronte alle abitudini occidentali e all'interesse che gli dimostra la sua vicina di casa, finché si rende conto di ricambiarlo.
Ian Rankin: giriamo tutta la città insieme a Tigre, uno spiantato senzatetto che diventa prestigiatore con l'aiuto di un vecchio mago.
Irvine Welsh: il piccolo spacciatore fa carriera, si compra la villetta in una bella zona residenziale e si mette una tigre in giardino. Che scappa.

Penso proprio che acquisterò l'edizione scozzese per contribuire alla fondazione.

[Emanuele De Vito · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rowling's excellent introduction set the tone of the following pages, in which Edinburgh (couldn't it be any big city in the globe?) is seen as the city of paradoxes: the rough life in a council scheme is only a 10 minute bus ride away from a world of cashmere, pipers, souvenir shops and starred Michelin restaurants.

Of three stories, I feel only McCall Smith's is distinctly Scottish. In his story, the life of middle class Edinburgh is seen through the eyes of am University researcher recently emigrated from the Indian subcontinent. Scotland is thus defined through the differences with South India. Everything that seems natural to Scots is questioned by the reflections of an outsider: the outward politeness of the middle classes, the drinking habits, the anti-Muslim racism. The main storyline is the (possibly romantic) friendship between the protagonist and his female neighbour.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Thoughts;

The Unfortunate Fate Of Kitty da Silva by Alexander McCall Smith;

4/5
I enjoyed this story so much. At first it took me a a while to get into it, and I didn't think I would enjoy it at all, but once I read the ending I was really impressed. I liked it a lot.

Showtime by Ian Rankin

2/5
I really didn't enjoy this story at all, I found it boring and hard to get through, probably because the subject wasn't of interest to me. I just found I could really get into it.

Murrayfield (you're having a laugh)

3/5
I enjoyed this one more than the second story in the book, however not as much as the first. I found it a little rushed and I didn't like how the dialogue was laid out.

Overall thoughts on the collection;
I would recommend The first story but not the second two.

[Eliatan · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Alexander McCall Smith's novels set in Edinburgh I began to fall a little in love with the city and it's literary inhabitants. Plus being such a fan of McCall Smith's writing made me want to read this book in the first place.

I'm very glad I did, not only for the charming contribution from my favorite author, but also the excellent short stories by Ian Rankin and Irvine Welsh, both who portrayed a very different Edinborough. And yet, there was a similarity of character in all the novels, of good honest Scottish folk living their ordinary lives. With marauding tigers! (I do wonder how that story theme was agreed on for a book about a realativly tiger free city like Edinborough?)

Reading these portrayals only makes me more determined to visit this beautiful city one day. In the meantime I'll continue to enjoy it vicariously through fiction.

[Glen U · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short book is a fund raising effort for OneCity Trust, which campaigns for social justice in Edinburgh, Scotland. Written by three contemporary writers who all reside in the city, it focuses on Edinburgh life. Alexander McCall Smith and Ian Rankin are two of the writers with whom I have some knowledge of. The third writer, Irvine Welsh, I am unfamiliar with. McCall Smith writes a piece that is very reminiscent of his "44 Scotland Street" series. As usual, his writing is solid and the story is enjoyable. Ian Rankin departs from his crime stories and gives us a semi-dark, semi-whimsical piece, but again up to par with his usual superb writing.
I not really sure what genre Irvine Welsh fits in but his piece is strange but interesting, in the style of a Christopher Moore. A quick read but not a must read.

[Seonaid · Rating 4 out of 5]

'One City' is a slim volume of three short stories set in Edinburgh, showing the city from three different perspectives. I enjoyed all of them, but my particular favourite would have to be 'The Unfortunate Case of Kitty de Silva' by AMS, about an immigrant Indian doctor and how he negotiates his move to a new and unfamiliar culture. 'Murrayfield (You Having a Laugh)' by Irvine Welsh is surreal, irrepressible and laugh out loud funny, and 'Showtime' is pure magic with a superb twist at the end ;)

Recommended. I can see that I'm soon going to have to change my stance of 'I don't really like short stories.'

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three short stories written on behalf of the OneCity Trust.

Each story is fun in its own way. And each one involves a "tiger" in some way (I can only assume that this was the theme given to, or decided on by, the authors, otherwise it's too much of a coincidence).

I probably enjoyed the sweet Alexander McCall Smith story the most. The Rankin story was great, but perhaps a bit too much of a mystery (what actually happened at the end?!). I'm not a big fan of Welsh, but his story was enjoyable, if you don't visualise too much.

[Sadie-Jane Huff · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting project this. I quite like the idea.

Alexander mccall smith's story I enjoyed. no surprise there since I am a massive fan.

Ian rankin... first time I'm reading something by him. He is an excellent writer as it's fluid but the story... meh.. I don't know why but just didn't get into it.

Irvine Welsh. .. what else do you expect but a slightly bizarro story.

All tiger themed related.

fun quick read for a good cause.

[Brandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I expected - I thought there would be more of a "love letter to Edinburgh" feel with these three stories, but instead the city itself is not really that integral of a backdrop. That being said, I enjoyed the Alexander McCall Smith story - gentle in pace and sweet (as to be expected). I liked the Ian Rankin story the best (I love anything about magicians). And having never read Irvin Welsh before, the third story was a jolt in tone (but still weirdly amusing).

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

TITLE/AUTHOR: ONE CITY by Alexander McCall Smith,
Ian Rankin & Irvine Welsh
RATING: 4.5/B+
GENRE/PUB DATE/# OF PGS: Fiction/2005, 109 pgs
TIME/PLACE Present, Edinburgh, Scotland
COMMENTS: All proceeds go to One City Trust -- working
on behalf of social justice in Endinburgh. 3 diverse stories, enjoyed the AM Smith story the best.