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383rd out of 485 books
—
429 voters
Love Over Scotland (44 Scotland Street #3)
by
Alexander McCall Smith (Goodreads Author)
The third installment in Alexander McCall Smith's beloved 44 Scotland Street series is sure to delight his many fans.
This just in from Edinburgh: the complicated lives of the denizens of 44 Scotland Street are becoming no simpler. Domenica Macdonald has left for the Malacca Straits to conduct a perilous anthropological study of pirate households. Angus Lordie's dog, Cyril...more
This just in from Edinburgh: the complicated lives of the denizens of 44 Scotland Street are becoming no simpler. Domenica Macdonald has left for the Malacca Straits to conduct a perilous anthropological study of pirate households. Angus Lordie's dog, Cyril...more
Paperback, 355 pages
Published
2011
by Abacus
(first published January 1st 2006)
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Another gentle offering from Edinburgh. And it's rather nice, what with death, disease, global warming, and possible financial disaster in the headlines, to escape into the more manageable problems of those living in and around 44 Scotland Street.
The last "44 Scotland Street novel" I read was The World According to Bertie, which takes place after this one, but it doesn't matter. The characters in these novels lead busy lives with plenty of time for reflection. Here's an example I particularly li...more
The last "44 Scotland Street novel" I read was The World According to Bertie, which takes place after this one, but it doesn't matter. The characters in these novels lead busy lives with plenty of time for reflection. Here's an example I particularly li...more
I find it difficult to understand why people dislike Alexander McCall Smith. I can kinda see them not getting the point (I can't get the point of Henry James, which is much more literarily embarrassing), but I'm not sure why you'd dislike him. I guess you might find him twee?
Anyway, I love his books. The Two and a Half Pillars of Wisdom is still my favourite, because it is the perfect example of the kind of gentle absurdity I think he is best at, and because I read it at a time when I badly nee...more
Anyway, I love his books. The Two and a Half Pillars of Wisdom is still my favourite, because it is the perfect example of the kind of gentle absurdity I think he is best at, and because I read it at a time when I badly nee...more
2 likes · like · see review
A nice, comforting, enjoyable read. Here's a quote that sums it up:
Says a writer of her characters: ". . . I want their vision of justice and good to prevail."
"And is that the only possible ending?" asked Angus.
"No," said Antonia. "Things can end badly, as they sometimes do in life. but if they do, then we know that something is wrong, just as we know it when a piece of music doesn't resolve itself properly at the end. We know that. We just do. And so we prefer harmony."
"And everybody lives happ...more
Says a writer of her characters: ". . . I want their vision of justice and good to prevail."
"And is that the only possible ending?" asked Angus.
"No," said Antonia. "Things can end badly, as they sometimes do in life. but if they do, then we know that something is wrong, just as we know it when a piece of music doesn't resolve itself properly at the end. We know that. We just do. And so we prefer harmony."
"And everybody lives happ...more
I continue to be captivated by the residents of 44 Scotland Street(and nearby environs). Not in the staying up all night because I simply must know what happens next way. No, not that at all, just in a gentle how're they doing now sort of captivation. Whenever I think of these books the words charming, witty and droll beg to be used and that continues to be the case.
This time around the odious Bruce is absent, though I cannot help but fear a return. Bertie is forced into yet more productive and...more
This time around the odious Bruce is absent, though I cannot help but fear a return. Bertie is forced into yet more productive and...more
I was very disappointed in this one. At the end of Espresso Tales, Bertie's wimpy father finally atarted standing up for Bertie,and I thought he was going to get liberated from his stupid mother, and be able to give up the silly pi k dungarees, doing yoga etc. But instead, it is as if the events of the last book never happened, and Bertie is as much trapped by his mother as before. And his father has dwindled into being practically non-existent.
There are somd funny bits, especially Domenica's ad...more
There are somd funny bits, especially Domenica's ad...more
I am thoroughly enjoying this series. It's light and easy to read. Not too stressful and doesn't require all of my attention.
Plot Summary (Spoilers):
1. Pat has moved out of 44 Scotland Street. She moved into a flat near the University. She falls for a guy named Wolf who is dating her roommate. She decides to move out and in with Matthew and overhears the roommate and Wolf laughing at how he was seducing her. Pat decides to date Matthew upon moving in with him and then quickly decides to move out...more
Plot Summary (Spoilers):
1. Pat has moved out of 44 Scotland Street. She moved into a flat near the University. She falls for a guy named Wolf who is dating her roommate. She decides to move out and in with Matthew and overhears the roommate and Wolf laughing at how he was seducing her. Pat decides to date Matthew upon moving in with him and then quickly decides to move out...more
Lately I’ve had a few too many pieces of downbeat news, I needed some escapist fiction, and so it was time again for Alexander McCall Smith. Luckily he’s written a lot of books, and I have plenty more waiting for me.
This week’s merriment came from “Love Over Scotland.” Smith is not deep, but he is witty, and he has a huge capacity for droll characters and diverting episodes. Pat, supposedly bright and sensible, still has a weakness for handsome cads. Domenica pursues her anthropological studies...more
This week’s merriment came from “Love Over Scotland.” Smith is not deep, but he is witty, and he has a huge capacity for droll characters and diverting episodes. Pat, supposedly bright and sensible, still has a weakness for handsome cads. Domenica pursues her anthropological studies...more
"Matthew thought for a moment. Were there any funky people in Moray Place? He thought not. He was not at all sure if there were any funky people in Edinburgh at all. Some towns were distinctly funky - San Francisco was an example - but Edinburgh was not one of them, he thought."
This third volume in the Scotland Street series requires a literary passport as we follow our well-loved characters in their adventures in places as diverse as Edinburgh, Indonesia, Paris and a short trip to Glasgow. As w...more
This third volume in the Scotland Street series requires a literary passport as we follow our well-loved characters in their adventures in places as diverse as Edinburgh, Indonesia, Paris and a short trip to Glasgow. As w...more
I hate to say it, but this book bored me witless.
This is the first in the series I have read, and I picked it up from a hotel reception as there was nothing else.
The book does give a description of what happened in the last installment at the beginning, so felt that it would be fine to pick up half way through, and it was. The story was easy to follow, it was just very very boring.
I was expecting a soap opera type theme, but there was no scandal, no excitement with any of the characters, they...more
This is the first in the series I have read, and I picked it up from a hotel reception as there was nothing else.
The book does give a description of what happened in the last installment at the beginning, so felt that it would be fine to pick up half way through, and it was. The story was easy to follow, it was just very very boring.
I was expecting a soap opera type theme, but there was no scandal, no excitement with any of the characters, they...more
I was very disappointed in this one. At the end of Espresso Tales, Bertie's wimpy father finally started standing up for Bertie, and I thought he was going to get liberated from his stupid mother, and be able to give up the silly pink dungarees, doing yoga and all the stupid stuff his mother wrapped him up in. etc. But instead, it is as if the events of the last book never happened, and Bertie is as much trapped by his mother as before. And his father has dwindled into being practically not arou...more
In his third entry in the series, McCall Smith continues to enchant his readers with the lives of the inhabitants of 44 Scotland Street.
My favourite is 6-year old Bertie whose constant battles with mother Irene and father Stuart come to a head when he goes to the police station confesses his parents' questionable business engagement with Lard O'Connor (think Tony Soprano with a Scottish accent). Bertie is charming and engaging, but so are the other characters.
Domenica actually goes out to see he...more
My favourite is 6-year old Bertie whose constant battles with mother Irene and father Stuart come to a head when he goes to the police station confesses his parents' questionable business engagement with Lard O'Connor (think Tony Soprano with a Scottish accent). Bertie is charming and engaging, but so are the other characters.
Domenica actually goes out to see he...more
I looked forward to reading Alexander McCall Smith's 44 Scotland Street series, based on my enjoyment of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and The Sunday Philosophy Club series. Unfortunately, Love Over Scotland is, indeed, "twee," as one critic said of his work.
I blame the book's serial format--it was first serialized in the The Scotsman newspaper. The cliffhangers are too obvious for a book format, and the chapters largely lack the perception that richened Sunday Philosophy or the exoticism (i...more
I blame the book's serial format--it was first serialized in the The Scotsman newspaper. The cliffhangers are too obvious for a book format, and the chapters largely lack the perception that richened Sunday Philosophy or the exoticism (i...more
This book was filled with anecdotes of Bertie, which I must admit, is my personal favorite character in this series.
The novel works on daily writings of various persons living on Scotland Street in Edinburgh along with neighbors living closely by.
The book skips from family to family never missing one thread of the stories. It is a gentle look into city life and dreams of it's inhabitants.
Bertie? Well, he is a six year old genius or very near one. His mother considers him "The Bertie Project" whi...more
The novel works on daily writings of various persons living on Scotland Street in Edinburgh along with neighbors living closely by.
The book skips from family to family never missing one thread of the stories. It is a gentle look into city life and dreams of it's inhabitants.
Bertie? Well, he is a six year old genius or very near one. His mother considers him "The Bertie Project" whi...more
Like a number of other reviews, I think I have hit my limit with the Scotland Street series. Perhaps reading/listening to them back-to-back is not the best way to "consume" them.
I know that some were bothered by the lack of plot, but I read so much non-fiction that simple character studies and descriptions of slices of life suited me fine. Of course, I listened to the first three of this series while drive and at work, so the simplicity was not an issue for me.
As for the character studies, I am...more
I know that some were bothered by the lack of plot, but I read so much non-fiction that simple character studies and descriptions of slices of life suited me fine. Of course, I listened to the first three of this series while drive and at work, so the simplicity was not an issue for me.
As for the character studies, I am...more
The third book in the delicious 44 Scotland Street series by Alexander McCall Smith. Poor Bertie continues his struggle with his monstrously dominating and possessive mother, finds himself alone and unsupervised in Paris, and renews his acquaintance with Glasgow's finest, Lard O'Connor. Poor Big Lou, meanwhile, finds her joy at the return of Eddie quickly turning to ashes; while Pat's start at university throws her into the path of a very lupine fellow-student. Domenica is in the Straits of Mala...more
This is the third in a series of Edinburgh-based novels, and I think I've had about enough. I still enjoyed reading about the sufferings of poor Bertie, the victim of an overbearing and controlling mother. And Angus Lordie's dog Cyril has an interesting adventure that unfornately is cut short much too soon. But the "twee" factor seems to be greater in this book than in the others, as many of the characters revel in what appears to be the boring and bland provincialism of the Scottish capital. Mo...more
This is the third book of the 44 Scotland series. Liked it just as much as the first two and am looking forward to reading the next one. In this book, all the residents of 44 Scotland street who shared the same building in the first two books have dispersed and their respective lives have been drawn in parallel. Almost nothing is mentioned about the narcissistic fellow Bruce who we saw much of in the first two books. I hope he appears in the next book because his behaviour causes great amusement...more
I don't think this is my favorite of the series so far but it did have its great moments...Bertie in Paris and the return of Lard O'Connor were great. I could really do without Irene or Dr. Fairbairn...I want to chuck both of them off a tall building. I wish there would have been a little more with Stuart, I liked that he was finally starting to stand up to Irene in the last book. Pat just can't decide who she likes and that gets rather annoying...hopefully now she is settled. Domenica's adventu...more
This is the third book in the Scotland Street series by the well-known author of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency stories. I am enjoying each book in the series more than the previous one as the characters grow on me. There's no real plot, just character studies of people who interact with each other and their particular stories and conflicts. I must admit that it's totally addicting. This book and it's predecessors are like a continuing soap opera in print, but MUCH more fun. The author's hum...more
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I begin with this entry in the series because it was the oldest work that the library had on its shelves. I put all of the earlier and later works on hold well before I finished this one. I can't decide whether McCall Smith is the new Jane Austen or the new Anthony Trollope. OK, maybe he isn't quite that good, but maybe he is. His characters are lovingly-drawn and fully-developed, with all the quirks and foibles of real people. He shifts among men, women, and children with ease. The setting, atm...more
I'm going to hang this series up for now. To be honest, I don't care about most of the characters; not Pat and Matthew, or Big Lou, certainly not Antonia Collie, or Domenica and Angus (though the world seen through Clive's canine eyes was pretty good). It got to the point that I was just reading the chapters about Bertie. Those were great. However, I keep waiting for Bertie to dissociate and his evil side would exact a terrible revenge on his mother that includes much pain and blood. Even better...more
The third "44 Scotland Street" book, this one was also written as a daily for a newspaper. It appeared to me that the author began to further explore some of the ways that these can be written. One has the sense that the plot twists that surprise the reader are sometimes a product of the author not completely knowing where the story is going himself.
This time, however, there is more of a sense that the book (or collection) is finished, is complete.
And once again, it was difficult to put down, la...more
This time, however, there is more of a sense that the book (or collection) is finished, is complete.
And once again, it was difficult to put down, la...more
As an avid AMS fan, I have to say that I was a little disappointed with this book. I have loved all his novels I've read to date but for some reason this one just didn't get going for me. I love Edinburgh and so the location of the setting appealed to me, but I just didn't really warm to any of the characters (other than Bertie but I didn't think we saw enough of him). I found the Dominica storyline in the Malacca Straits a little far fetched. The reintroduction of Lard O'Connor could have been...more
What I learned: Don't be fooled by having like an author's previous books that the next one will be good, too.
I picked this up at the library to have a small "purse" book to take along to a doctor appointment.
Yow! What a let down. This book isn't worth your time. He has a series of characters and rotates between them - you know that technique. But the end of the book I was skipping through all but one of the story lines, and I didn't care much about that one.
Read a better book! Or clean house....more
I picked this up at the library to have a small "purse" book to take along to a doctor appointment.
Yow! What a let down. This book isn't worth your time. He has a series of characters and rotates between them - you know that technique. But the end of the book I was skipping through all but one of the story lines, and I didn't care much about that one.
Read a better book! Or clean house....more
In all fairness this is the third book in a series that I have not read any other books of, so I was lost from the start. So my rating should be taken with a pinch of salt. I've never read any on McCall Smith's books before but I have heard really great things, unfortunately I did not find his writing very captivating. To be honest the only reason I managed to stick out the book was because I used to live in Edinburgh and the setting made me feel nostalgic. But then again maybe the writing wasn'...more
I am loving this series. It's more fast paced than his others, as it was written as a serial novel in a newspaper to begin with. The characters are interesting and varied. They are kind of outrageous versions of people you probably know. They are witty, hilarious, and charming! I imagine if you were to talk to the author, he would probably be all of those things himself! My favorites are his philosophical musings, especially those that deal with morality. When I read, I am always thinking "I nee...more
These books kind of grow on you. You have to read more that one to be really involved in the stories. Then you get hooked. I'm rooting for Bertie to escape the tyrannical rule of his controlling mother, which he does for a brief time in this story and for Stuart, Bertie's father to step in and take a little more control over his own life and Bertie's. Again, that does happen in this story but unfortunately does not last.
All the characters in this series are pretty interesting in their own simp...more
All the characters in this series are pretty interesting in their own simp...more
Alexander McCall Smith's 44 Scotland Street series is witty and well-written. I have enjoyed vicariously visiting my favorite city in the pages of each volume. Love Over Scotland made me laugh out loud (once again). In my favorite scene, six-year-old Bertie, who has been stranded in Paris by his youth orchestra, lugs his saxophone to the Latin Quarter where he earns tons of money playing on the street. Domenica's adventures in the pirate village are enthralling as well. I wish I had a subscripti...more
I think I have learned enough about these characters in the first two books. Upon picking this book up I found myself bored with the characters. Pat is no longer living at 44 Scotland St and lost my interest when her immaturity began to show in the second book. Bruce, who I loved to be annoyed by is in London and Domenica is off chasing pirates. I am bored. The only one I wanted to see more about is little Bertie, but I just could not get myself to push through to see his parts. Maybe one day I...more
I think I'm becoming just a little tired of McCall Smith's Scotland St. stories...I usually love them. But this time around I felt a tad disappointed, or perhaps just a little bored. I have the feeling the author was just a little bored with the characters himself by the time he wrote this, the third book in the series. But I love Scotland, and the images of Edinburgh that his storytelling evokes, so I will no doubt stick with the series...if only to finally see poor Bertie grow up and out from...more
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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...more
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“Gracious acceptance is an art - an art which most never bother to cultivate. We think that we have to learn how to give, but we forget about accepting things, which can be much harder than giving.... Accepting another person's gift is allowing him to express his feelings for you.”
—
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“Regular maps have few surprises: their contour lines reveal where the Andes are, and are reasonably clear. More precious, though, are the unpublished maps we make ourselves, of our city, our place, our daily world, our life; those maps of our private world we use every day; here I was happy, in that place I left my coat behind after a party, that is where I met my love; I cried there once, I was heartsore; but felt better round the corner once I saw the hills of Fife across the Forth, things of that sort, our personal memories, that make the private tapestry of our lives.”
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Sep 17, 2008 12:48am
Sep 17, 2008 09:18am
But, in general, as one...more
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