Welcome to 44 Scotland Street, home to some of Edinburgh's most colorful characters. There's Pat, a twenty-year-old who has recently moved into a flat with Bruce, an athletic young man with a keen awareness of his own appearance. Their neighbor, Domenica, is an eccentric and insightful widow. In the flat below are Irene and her appealing son Bertie, who is the victim of his mother's desire for him to learn the saxophone and italian-all at the tender age of five. Love triangles, a lost painting, intriguing new friends, and an encounter with a famous Scottish crime writer are just a few of the ingredients that add to this delightful and witty portrait of Edinburgh society, which was first published as a serial in The Scotsman newspaper.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Dull and uninvolving:
I couldn't even finish this one. Although I love Smith's "Ladies Detective Agency" series, ""44 Scotland Street" has none of the charm and personality of those books. Partly, I think, is the locale. I have a preference for either historical mysteries or those set in remote, unusual or "exotic" locations. Somehow, an apartment in contemporary Scotland just doesn't cut it (the Highlands, maybe....). Despite my enjoyment of his previous series, I've always felt that Smith's main talent isn't really... more info
Wonderfully entertaining:
Smith is a wonderful writer who can say and describe so much in just the right words. His characters are delightful and real. I think I have stumbled across each one of them in my lifetime. He also takes you to Edinburgh and you feel as though you have been there.
interconnecting short stories:
Fascinating book; it's less a novel than a series of interconnecting short stories. The characters are all well drawn, and at first seem primarily to belong only because of the their connection with the address in the title-- 44 Scotland Street. But there's more going on here; and the author ties things up satisfyingly by the end of the book. Really enjoyed it!
a dull story about dreary malcontents:
Based upon my enjoyment of McCall Smith's "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" series, I bought all four of the '44 Scotland Steet' books. I don't care to finish the first book, '44 Scotland Street', and plan to return the other three books. I have never seen such a dreary collection of mal-contented characters gathered in one story, and don't even care what happens to them all. If I can't care about at least one of them, then I can't care about the story's outcome. The author shows no resemblance whatsoever to... more info
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