A Song of Sixpence

Laurence Carroll #1

by A.J. Cronin

In the heat of late afternoon, a young boy waits at the station for his father. A plume of steam, white against the purple-heathered hills, marks the train. Beyond, blooming along the shoreline, the flowers of high summer, as a tall-funnelled paddle steamer beats and froths down the wide Clyde estuary . . .

A narrative in the great Cronin tradition, this is the stirring chronicle of Laurence Carroll as he grows from childhood to adult years in Scotland. The tale of his struggles--early illness, a widowed mother, poverty, the uncles who try to help him, and the women who have such an unhappy effect upon him--is told with warm humour and with that intense and sympathetic realism for which A. J. Cronin is known.

In the magnificent narrative tradition of The Citadel, The Stars Look Down and Cronin's other classic novels, A Song of Sixpence is a great book by a much-loved author.

Genres: Fiction, Classics, Scotland, British Literature, Adult Fiction, Historical Fiction, Novels

255 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Archibald Joseph Cronin was a Scottish novelist, dramatist, and non-fiction writer who was one of the most renowned storytellers of the twentieth century. His best-known works are The Citadel and The Keys of the Kingdom, both of which were made into Oscar-nominated films. He also created the Dr. Finlay character, the hero of a series of stories that served as the basis for the long-running BBC television and radio series entitled Dr. Finlay's Casebook.
-Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.J._Cronin

Reviews

[Chrissie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been dithering back and forth between four or five stars for this book. I am trying like mad to figure out why I so like A.J. Cronin’s books! I know I enjoy every minute spent reading them. They are books of historical fiction. Cronin was not only an author but also a doctor. This book draws on his own personal experiences. What he writes of rings true. He writes here of a Scottish boy’s youth growing up in the early 1900s. The boy’s name is Laurence. His father was from Ireland and Catholic. The father dies when Laurence is young. He and his mother have a rough time. Family members let them down. Despite the hardships of life, the two manage, they get by. Given what happens to them, getting by is enough. The story is realistic.

The book doesn’t glorify either mother or son. The struggles they go through feel very real. Life is tough and mistakes are made, by both. Observing the challenges life throws in their path one comes to respect, admire and like the two. Neither are drawn as heroes, just struggling human beings. In that the two get by, there is hope. Despite all that happens, and lots does happen, the book is not depressing. The plot keeps the reader’s attention glued. Sometimes you get a hunch of what might happen but are then surprised at what does unfold. Not everything goes wrong, good things happen in ways you don’t expect.

It is common nowadays to draw women as being strong, smart and talented. I would not classify this novel as being feministic, and yet Laurence’s mother has such attributes. The difference is that she doesn’t demand recognition--she just quietly goes her own way. I like this.

We watch Laurie as he matures. From the assorted people along his life path, he learns different things—such as manners and good social behavior, the importance of exercise, an appreciation of nature and the joy of learning. We observe different characters who go different ways. By the end of the novel, Laurence is no longer tied to his mother’s apron strings; he has become an adult. You come to understand why he is as he is.

There is nothing in the story I would want to change.

The original English version of Cronin’s book was not available to me in audio format, which I need because of poor vision. A Swedish translation by Gustav Sandgren was available, so I chose that. The Swedish audiobook is read by Evert Elman. He reads clearly. He has a strong voice. He doesn’t dramatize. He lets the author’s words speak for themselves, which is just what I like! We have here a straightforward narration that is simple to follow. The narration I have given four stars.

A.J. Cronin was popular in times past. Today, he’s less well known. This is a shame. I discovered him a couple of years ago, and he has now become one of my favorite authors.

*******************

*The Stars Look Down 5 stars
*The Citadel 4 stars
*The Judas Tree 4 stars

*The Green Years 5 stars
*Shannon's Way 3 stars

Laurence Carroll Duology
1.A Song of Sixpence 5 stars
2.A Pocketful of Rye 3 stars

*The Spanish Gardener TBR

*The Keys of the Kingdom TBR

[Dorcas · Rating 4 out of 5]

From page one I was immersed. You have to love A J Cronin.

A Song of Sixpence is a slice-of-life coming off age tale set in Scotland, focusing on the only child of a devoted husband and wife who are town outcasts by reason of faith.

When that happy family is eternally sundered, the boy and his mother must make their way alone as best they can.

The hero of the story is your typical boy, insecure, conceited, gullible, and warm hearted. Until the very end the reader is unsure whether he will make his way successful or end up an utter failure.

I am invested enough to find out.

To be continued in "A Pocketful of Rye"...

[Адриана К. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Чудесен разказвач е Кронин!

Миговете в неговата компания винаги са удоволствие, а историите и героите, които създава с думи, оживяват в съзнанието. В тази негова книга шотландският автор среща читателя с Лорънс – едно плахо момче, белязано неизличимо от самотното си детство, от ранната загуба на баща си и трудностите след нея, с които той и майка му трябва да се борят. Интересно е да се проследи процесът на възпитанието му, в което имат участие прекалено много жени със своите слабости и нездрави възгледи за живота. Неувереността и сляпата наивност го сблъскват с разочарования и предателства, тласкайки го близо до предела на душевното равновесие.

Въпреки всички предизвикателства, които животът му поднася, въпреки неприятните изненади и плесници на съдбата, Лорънс успява да се изправи и да постигне голямата си цел и победа – стипендия в университет и медицинско образование…
С интерес ще прочета и втората част от историята!

[Camie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quiet old fashioned story about a boy named Laurence Carroll who grows up fatherless in Scotland at the mercy of a self absorbed uncle and his struggling mother.
I’m always trying to share books with my mother and she loaned me this one as an example of a “ good book.”
I am interested in reading the sequel to this one A Pocket Full Of Rye, and perhaps The Citadel and Keys To The Kingdom AJ Cronin’s most acclaimed books.
3.5 stars

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of a teenage boy, Laurence Carroll. His father dies of tuberculosis or some type of lung disease that he has ignored for so long that his condition is beyond hope. Poor Laurence and his mother are left penniless. But a wonderful neighbor, Miss Greville takes them in as boarders in her home. She is quite a character. Lots of fun and teaches young Laurence alot about life, including how to play crickett very well. His life inproves dramaticly due to her.
But things don't always last and his mother has to go earn a living in a convent as a teacher so that Laurence has to be sent to his Uncle Leo's to live for some time. Miss Greville, in the meantime, has some mental issues and has been tranported to an assylum.
Life with Uncle Leo is not easy. The man is a miser and lives as the poorest of men. Laurence is always hungry, although the housekeeper is a wonderful addition to his miserable life and lifts the gloom as best she can and shares her food with him, bought from her meager wages.
At last he is reunited with his mother and makes a success of his life. Loved this book.

[Artemis Eclectica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now this was a surprise, albeit it, pleasant. A ten penny purchase from a local hall, this book has been sitting on my shelf for a while. Being uninspired as to my next major read and wanting some bedtime reading, this was it. Well A.J. is a good writer and has a wonderful dry sense of humour. This is not a plot driven piece, like most modern fiction, just a beautifully written story of a man's life. At times I laughed out loud whilst sitting up in bed reading. An undemanding but pleasurable way to send oneself off to sleep.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Song of Sixpence is a coming of age story set in Scotland early in the 20th century. Laurence Carroll grows up, sort of always on the outside, his father being Irish Catholic, and people in their community treating them a bit like pariahs. At times, when the opportunity for social advancement arose, he would shun the few friends he had out of shame and embarrassment, only to find it was not worth it. Life takes some rough turns, as when his father died from galloping consumption, or when his and his mother's benefactor had institutionalized for insanity. He believed all of his dreams of the future were dashed. He was often very naive, and would be taken in by less than scrupulous people, but it all works out in the end.
I did enjoy reading this older book (published 1964) and could understand his choices in spite of wanting to draw him aside and say "Look here Laurie, that is not the smartest decision", but I imagine in the past, some of my elders thought the same about some of my poor judgements.

[Rose Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love AJ Cronin's writings. His stories aren't really stories, but are more about life. There are serious moments and his occasional witty style always evokes a laugh.

A Song of Sixpence is the first book about the early years of Laurie Carroll. As mentioned, it doesn't have a plot, but follows Laurie through the hardship, loneliness, grief, loves and miseries to these formative years of his life.

It was a pleasure to read, and if you want a relaxing weekend read, I'd recommend it.

[Jim Puskas · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first read this quiet, very personal narrative back in the late 60s, it already seemed like a period piece, its style of writing very much in keeping with its pre-1920s setting. Down-to-earth and slow moving for most of its length, it's primarily a character study, with little in the way of plot. Sensitive and insightful into the persona of a boy growing up in the midst of family upheaval and economic hardship, it also captures the stark realities of a society dominated by religious prejudice and a rigid socio-economic code. Although Cronin's work has a certain charm and several of his characters (e.g. Miss Greville) are brilliantly drawn, I don't think books like this translate well into our world of today.

[Micebyliz]

I pulled this book off a dusty shelf in my old family home. We are cleaning it after the recent passing of my father. Both parents now being gone, it's a big project.
So i needed something to read--i finished the books i brought--and read several old volumes that were my mother's. I enjoyed this very much. I didn't know the author but the subject interested me and now i plan to read more of his work.
There is a good deal of substance in the is book, written from the perspective of a young boy growing up in Scotland.

[Jennifer Morefield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was an excellent book about a boy coming of age in Scotland/Ireland at the turn of the century. It was a wonderful story of determination and strength. One of the lessons in the book is some family are trusted friends and have our best interest at heart. Others in our family can really take us for a ride and not for our betterment. This book was written in the early 1960s. It was a sweet and good story. A very worthy read.

[Terry Southard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is that kind of old fashioned book that I just love every once in a while. The story of the narrator's young life, tragic in many ways, fascinating in others. Nothing much happens, but you enjoy it just the same. Not a plot driven story, it's more of a character study. Enjoyed it much, but wouldn't want a steady stream of this.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a teenager in the 1960's A.J. Cronin was one of my favorite authors. Found this small gem forgotten on one of our bookshelves in a room used for storage. Could not put this book down. A.J. Cronin has come back into my life with his beautiful words. This story is based on events in his life - so remarkable. Now I need to find the sequel. Highly recommend!

[Esra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bir çocuğun içsel yolculuğunu, kalabalık ortasındaki derin yalnızlığını bu kadar sarsıcı bir şekilde anlatan çok az kitap vardır.

Okudukça Nora’nın acısını yüreğinizde hissediyorsunuz. Onun suskunluklarında herkes kendi çocukluğundan izler bulacaktır..

Bu kitabı bana kazandıran, beni bu duygularla tanıştıran kişiye ayrıca teşekkür ederim.

Bazı kitaplar sizi değiştirir. Bu da onlardan biri oldu.

[Paul Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful, wonderful writing!

[Laraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. This is one of my old books that I last read back in the 80's. I must have loved the book because I saved it. I enjoyed reading it again. An old fashioned read but with an interesting story. We first meet Laurence when he is a young boy, happy in his home in Scotland with his Mum and Dad. Kept at home due to several severe illnesses, Laurie goes off to school and discovers that he's really quite smart. Soon his mother is widowed and their circumstances change. Raised up, with plans and dreams, those dreams crash. His life is a series of ups and downs and we are interested in how he copes and what he and his mother have to do to survive back in the early 1900's. An interesting book all in all.

[Eren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bu kitap için aşırı bir önyargı vardı bende. Konusu çok sıradan geldiği için kesinlikle beğenmeyeceğimi düşünüyordum kitabı. Başlarda gerçekten de öyle oldu. Her kitapta göreceğimiz belli başlı karakterler sanki burada da vardı. Kitap ilerledikçe akıcı olmaya başladı ve ne olduğunu anlamadan kitabı yarılamıştım bile.
Dediğim gibi, konu özgün değildi. Babasını kaybeden küçük bir çocuğun zorluklar içinde büyümesini ve yaşadıklarını anlatan bir eserdi. Kitabın akıcılığı gerçekten sağlamdı, konu özgün olmasa bile yazarın dili anlaşılır ve netti, döneminde çıkan diğer eserlere göre daha sadeydi.
Bazı karakterlerin yapılarını pek beğenmedim, bence daha derine inilebilirdi; özellikle Nora karakteri için böyle düşünüyorum. Bazı yerlerde yazar açık kapı bırakmış. Bu noktalar biraz rahatsız edici olsa da yine de beklentimden iyi bir kitaptı.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another enjoyable memoir-like novel, relating a young boy’s coming of age in early 20th century Scotland. Like in “The Green Years” also by Mr Cronin, the boy in question, Laurence Carroll, is the product of a mixed marriage: Scottish Protestant mother and Irish Catholic father, and growing up Catholic in a predominantly Presbyterian town brings its own hardships for the family. I loved this author’s style of writing in this novel, it makes me slow down and take in every descriptive passage. I find I’m able to see the environs about which he write, and at the end of the book, I feel like I’ve watched a movie. I liked the humor the was sprinkled through the story and made the more serious themes more palatable. All in all, it was an enjoyable read.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written 1964 and covering the turn of the 20th century...this book was surprisingly entertaining and a pleasant read. You learn about Scottish life, coming of age despite religious prejudice. You will meet characters you will love or loathe --all who help or hinder young Lawrence, growing up amidst financial hardship. It reminded me a lot of David Copperfield...just fast forward a few decades and move the setting to Scotland. A.J. Cronin seems to be a sweet gentle soul who writes tenderly and sometimes amusingly.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

When i had read 50 terrible pages of this book i looked up the author in my records and i had read his THE GREEN YEARS in 2009 and wrote that i never wanted to read any more of his works. Well as i had started, i had to finish and am I glad i did. Ther several WONDERFUL characters and the narator was a youth. I do not usualy like such but it was almost as good a PIP IN GREAT EXPECTATIONS. A VERY PLEASANT AFTERNOON READ.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's many years since I've read an A.J. Cronin novel. I've missed him! Cronin draws from his own childhood. This is a coming-of-age story of a boy growing up poor in Scotland. Lawrence is appealingly gullible and believably selfish. The time he spends living with his miserly uncle is positively Dickensian! I look forward to reading the sequel, "Pocketful of Rye".

[J V Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now for the sequel.

I found this a bit predictable. Unusually, I found this yarn a bit hard going. I wanted to give Carroll a hard shake...but I guess that was the reaction Cronin intended. Again with a Bello book on Kindle there were far too many typo errors. I think all the Cronin books I have download, and that is quite a few, have all had typo errors. This is unacceptable.

[Mike Pollack · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gem of a book, thoroughly enjoyed the story of Laurence Carroll and the trials he faced growing up. A great find at my local library and very happy to have picked it up- I look forward to discovering other books by AJ Cronin; his 1st person perspective and the manner in which the book was written was good.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

A re-read of a book and author I much enjoyed many, many years ago From Amazon: Laurence Carroll narrates the story of his life from his early childhood in the Scottish highlands to his graduation from medical school and the beginning of his practice of medicine.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably excellent in its time, however even though it was written in 1964 the language is very old style and slow to read. I suppose in its day it might have been acceptable but is not a story one tends to remember or even learns from. Not recommended.

[Kate Donnelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gives a view of life in a Scottish countryside. Laurie Collins is bounced around by the fates. He leads a great life a a young child with great potential and then falls down to abject poverty until the fates give him a bounce up.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the "Citadel" and when I found this book at a used book store I had to pick it up. A.J. Cronin is a superb writer-- characters, setting, story & details-- a beautifully told story.

[Shani · Rating 4 out of 5]

An old time classic about life.

[Sharon Elder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

[Kalin Nikolov · Rating 4 out of 5]

** 3.7 **